The EROAD Australian Rally Championship (ARC) will revert to a new event format for the 2026 season and beyond, in an effort to introduce cost savings for all stakeholders.
The new format will mostly be centred around a shift in pre-event activities that will see Thursdays serve as a full reconnaissance day and testing take place on Fridays.
Traditionally, ARC events have begun with a half-day of testing on Thursday mornings and a half-day of recce in the afternoon, while teams then complete further reconnaissance on Friday mornings ahead of the Rally Show on each night.
The move will now allow drivers and co-drivers to undergo their full recce sessions all day on Thursday – negating the need to bring entire crews in until Friday for testing.
Those participating in Friday testing will now complete Scrutineering on Thursday evenings within the service park, while the remaining crews not participating in testing will undergo scrutineering on Friday afternoons.
The ARC Promoter is also in talks about the potential introduction of an official shakedown on Friday afternoons where crews will be timed for two runs during a one-hour window.
“We are very excited to be introducing these changes for the 2026 season and beyond, as we believe it will be beneficial to our key stakeholders for a number of reasons,” ARC director Adrian Coppin said.
“The decision to change up Thursday and Friday activities comes after lots of consultation with teams, drivers and events organisers over a several-year period, with the main motivation being around cost saving.
“This new compressed format will now allow for teams to reduce the amount of travel time spent away from work or family overall, while also giving people more of a chance to participate in testing if they choose.
“Overall, we are excited with the new move and are looking forward to the positive impact these changes will have on teams.”
More details and information about the ARC 2026 season will be released in the coming months.
