A highly competitive entry list has been confirmed for this month’s PowerPlay Adelaide Hills Rally.
The penultimate round of the Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC), the South Australian round will see 28 ARC entries line up alongside a further nine state-only competitors, along with four crews in the South Australian Regularity Series bringing the total entry list to 41.
Reigning Champions and current Championship leaders Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin are the first names on the list, their 2022 victory allowing them to keep the number one on their car throughout 2023. The pair will be eager to back up last year’s round victory at the South Australian event.
Just 15 points behind in the outright standings and hot on their heels are Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia teammates Harry Bates and Coral Taylor who will be the first car on the road with number two on the side of their Toyota GR Yaris AP4.
Another Champion confirmed to take part is 2017 winner Nathan Quinn, alongside co-driver Ray Winwood-Smith – the pair eager to claw back valuable points on the current ARC leaders.
A host of impressive modern rally machinery will again feature, including Luke Anear and Malcolm Read, along with Troy Dowel and Bernie Webb piloting Ford Fiesta Rally2s. Alex Rullo and Steve Glenney, as well as Peter Rullo and James Marquet will steer a pair of Hyundai i20 Rally2 machines. The Luff Brothers will again feature in their Toyota GR Yaris AP4, while Eddie Maguire and Zak Brakey, as well as Daniel Gonzalez and John Allen will drive their Skoda Fabia R5s.
2016 ARC Champion Molly Taylor returns to the field for the first time in 2023, this year with a new co-driver in Andy Sarandis. The Subaru WRX STI pilots aiming to be a contender in the outright and White Wolf Constructions ARC Production Cup.
Among the other Production Cup competitors are current leaders Bodie Reading and Mark Young, with Steve Maguire and Ben Searcy also returning to ensure the Cup battle goes down to the wire. A host of local and interstate competitors will also battle it out for the Production Cup, with a total of 13 entries in the highly competitive class.
2022 Shamrock Haulage ARC Junior Cup winners Molly Spalding and Matthew Dillon also return to the ARC on their home turf, and likely to be one of the key contenders for the Production Cup.
Three ARC 2WD Classic Cup entries will battle it out, with 2022 Cup winners David Thompson and Matthew Sanders lining up alongside Ivan Thompson and co-driver Craig Sheahen, as well as the confirmed entry of Tom Clarke and Ryan Preston who have swapped their Ford Fiesta R5 for the fan-favourite Datsun Stanza.
And in the ARC 2WD Cup, Champions-elect Ben Hayes and Cathy Hayes will go up against fellow Victorians Jason Lennane and Jasmine Lockley.
PowerPlay Adelaide Hills Rally Clerk of Course Michael Clements said the event promised to deliver some exciting rally action.
“The roads are in perfect condition with three very different days of competition planned,” Clements said.
“Friday will see crews compete on the iconic Shell V-Power Motorsport Park GT Track. Saturday will see them compete on the hard packed tight and twisty roads of the Adelaide Hills, while Sunday we head north to the Mid Murray region where the crews will compete on the more open loose gravel roads along the eastern edge of the Mt Lofty Ranges.
“Mix all those ingredients together along with the Super Special Stage and EROAD Power Stage based at the Shell V-Power Motorsport Park, and we hope to deliver a terrific opportunity for Australia’s best rally drivers to battle it out in what we think is one of the most unique and best rallies in the country.”
The event will run alongside the Shannons Trophy Series, which is being held at The Bend on the same weekend – providing a motorsport feast for South Australian fans.
The 2023 PowerPlay Adelaide Hills Rally will be held on 13-15 October 2023.
Spectator information and more details on the event can be found at rally.com.au/adelaidehills.
