After months of speculation, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) and Events NSW has finally secured and confirmed a 2009 WRC round in Oz, based out of the Northern Rivers districts of Tweed and Kyogle - not in Queensland, as originally reported.
The Repco Rally Australia round is scheduled for September 3 - 6 as one of 12 WRC rounds in 2009. Sixteen competition stages will be earmarked for the three-day rally, in the Kyogle, Mullumbimby and Murwillumbah areas as well as pre-event promotions in Sydney.
Subaru will have an insider advantage for Rally Australia, with Queenslander Chris Atkinson signed for 2009 and ready to compete on the roads he knows.
“As an Australian I’m extremely excited about competing at Repco Rally Australia 2009,” said Atkinson.
“From a competitors’ point-of-view they have chosen a region that offers outstanding rally roads and the very best infrastructure for all the teams. From a fan and sponsor point-of-view, it really is going to be excellent with all the action of the rally plus first class tourist facilities.
“I give it everything at all the WRC rounds, but maybe with all the local support at Repco Rally Australia 2009, I could be looking at the top step of the podium.”
The Australian round will alternate every even year with Repco Rally New Zealand, and Events NSW has signed on for five events until 2017, when the contract could be renewed for a further five rallies.
The WRC is one of only three FIA world championship series, flanked by the World Touring Car Championship and Formula 1 Championship. Each round is reportedly worth more than $100 million to the state.
CAMS CEO Graham Fountain, CAMS FIA representative Garry Connelly and Events NSW CEO Geoff Parmenter
“The event provides a unique platform to showcase Northern New South Wales to the world," said the CEO of Events NSW, Geoff Parmenter.
"Last year more than 816 million people in 180 countries watched the World Rally with around 51 million viewers per round.
“Tourism New South Wales, in collaboration with the New South Wales tourism industry, will develop rally packages in national and international markets to maximise tourism traffic to New South Wales.
“There are also many more opportunities in the off-year to hold motor sport and business events in New South Wales, cementing the economic impact of this deal.”
The Tweed and Kyogle councils are appropriately chuffed, seeing the opportunity to bring work and youth back to their drought-affected and work constrained municipalities.
“In 2005 Kyogle lost a large number of local jobs and we see this event as providing an opportunity to return to more stable employment base, retain young people in the area and attract additional business and industry,” said Kyogle Council Mayor Ernie Bennett
“Council are looking to provide strong relationships with the community including considering the effects on the environment and ensuring energy use and waste generation are minimised.”
It is an exciting time for NSW to step into the WRC, with a new regulation Super 2000/Group N WRC car debuting in 2011. The new standard car, which will be much closer to the production equivalent (and more affordable to build and run) than the current super-machines in the WRC, is tipped to bring manufacturers like Skoda, Volkswagen, and possibly Audi and Peugeot back into the rally fold. Just in time for the second Australian round...