An impressive field of 63 cars and side by sides will face the challenge of round two at the Bosch ARC, in Western Australia’s South West this weekend.
This weekend’s event has attracted strong local support across the categories as well as more than 21 interstate crews who have committed to making the long crossing of the Nullarbor to compete in the event.
According to Scott Pedder, CEO of the Bosch Australian Rally Championship, the interest in the Western Australian event is confirmation of the strength of the Bosch ARC.
“To cross the Nullarbor is a big task and for 21 teams to be making the trip just three and a half weeks after the opening round in Melbourne is fantastic,” said Scott Pedder.
“We are blown away by the commitment of the interstate competitors and are excited for the first traditional rally of the 2012 Bosch Australian Rally Championship. There is a strong contingent of local competitors in Western Australia, I know that everyone is excited to be heading back to the Forest again in 2012 for the Quit Forest Rally.”
While local young gun Tom Wilde leads the four wheel drive championship, Honda driver Eli Evans is the leader of the two wheel drive championship with his team mate Mark Pedder striving for a trouble free weekend in the works Honda G2 Jazz.
Wilde will be relishing the Quit Forest Rally as the roads are literally in the young WA driver’s backyard. The 21 year old winner of the 2011 Rallyschool Australian Junior Challenge lives at his family’s sheep dairy and cheese factory which literally backs on to some of the rally’s special stages.
Wilde has picked up sponsorship from Pedders Suspension in the 2012 Championship and is campaigning a new Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 in his home event and will start one of the favourites for the four wheel drive championship category.
Following a thrilling Bosch ARC debut at Rally Calder, celebrity driver Shane Jacobson admits he has gained a rally addiction and is keen to get back behind the wheel in Western Australia to savour his next fix at the wheel of the Kumho Motorsport Lancer Evo 6.
In the Snake Racing Side by Side Challenge, Can-Am’s Michael Guest will be out to claim vital championship points back from leader Cody Crocker. The Side by Side Challenge is a recent addition to the Bosch Australian Rally Championship in 2012 and Scott Pedder believes the response to the new category speaks for itself.
“The Side by Side Rally Challenge had strong interest from the word go. Ten entries competed at Rally Calder and we expect numbers in the category to swell over the remaining rounds,” said Pedder.
“It’s a cost effective way to go rallying and they are already proving to be a hit with the spectators.”
The Quit Forest Rally will be held March 31 – April 1 before the Bosch Australian Rally Championship heads to the Sunshine Coast for the International Rally of Queensland in May. Round four, the Scouts Rally of Adelaide will be held in July with the Coffs Coast Rally in September. The Championship then concludes at Rally Victoria in Early November.
More than 2.5 million Australians will see the Bosch ARC on TV in 2012 and the series will generate more than 36 hours of national television across the Ten/One HD network – a media equivalency value exceeding $6 million. The Bosch Australian Rally Championship has also re-signed multi-national fuel and lubricant giant BP as the primary fuel supplier and Korean tyre giant Kumho as the exclusive tyre supplier for the championship for the third year.
