The entry list for the Copyworld Adelaide Hills Rally has been released with a field of 18 confirmed to contest the fifth round of the 2025 EROAD Australian Rally Championship (ARC).
Headlining the field will be the trio of title contenders, led by current championship leaders Hayden Paddon and John Kennard in the Paddon Racing Group 2022 Hyundai i20N – Rally 2.
With the Kiwi duo holding a commanding 71-point lead ahead of the South Australian round, Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia’s Harry Bates/Coral Taylor and Lewis Bates/Anthony McLoughlin need a big result behind the wheel of their competitive Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2s to take the title fight to the final round.
IntelliSpatial Fleetcare Racing’s Alex Rullo and Steve Glenney continue their push to help Hyundai seal the Manufacturer’s title against the recently-dominant Toyota, and their efforts will be bolstered by the return of teammates Peter Rullo and Ben Searcy, who are back after a big crash in Queensland earlier this year.
Adding to the battle between Toyota and Hyundai at the top of the field is Ezi Up Tyre Repair Kit’s Troy Dowell and Bernie Webb in the Toyota GR Yaris AP4, while Stewart Reid and Bella Haggerty in the SR Automotive Mitsubishi Mirage AP4 round out the outright crews.
Leading the charge in the WOLF Production Cup is another Mitsubishi, with Clayton Hoy and Erin Kelly looking to bounce back from a DNF at Gippsland last month.
Behind the wheel of their Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6, Hoy and Kelly could put themselves in the box seat of the Cup title should they stand on the top step of the podium on the Sunday afternoon.
Standing in their way will be the reigning champion Bodie Reading and co-driver Brad Jones in the Les Walkden Rallying Subaru Impreza WRX, while Toby Price and Holly Kilbride’s inclusion in the class at South Australia will add another dimension to the title fight as they jump in Glenn Brinkman’s Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9.
With Danny Traverso and Anthony Carr back for a second consecutive ARC round in their Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9 following a runner-up finish in Gippsland, and Victory Ford’s Nathan Stokes and Ian Wheeler in their Subaru Impreza WRX – the class will have plenty of battles going on up and down the field.
Like Price and Kilbride, current WOLF Production Cup leaders Jackson and Damien Long will switch classes for this round, with the pair moving into the Subaru WRX Challenge thanks to the assistance of Brinkman.
Upgrading from the 2005 Subaru Impreza RS that helped him seal the ARC Junior Cup title in Gippsland to Brinkman’s 2023 Subaru Impreza WRX Challenge Car, Long will be up against Cape to Cape MTB’s Andy van Kann and Catherine Saayman in the Subaru WRX Challenge, who are back for their first event since their Forest Rally class podium in May.
Having loaned two of his regular ARC cars to Price and Long, Brinkman will revert to the third option in his ever-growing arsenal, the Kickass 12 Volt Products Ford Cosworth RS.
That sees Brinkman and co-driver Scott Beckwith cross-entered in both WOLF Production Cup and the 4WD Classic Cup – a unique double eligibility shared with Spalding Dillon Australia’s Molly Spalding and Matt Dillon in their 1995 Subaru Impreza WRX and Racing Dipsy’s Shane and Sylvie Garner, who lead the 4WD Classic Cup in their 1994 Subaru Impreza WRX.
Rounding out the entry list is Australian Truck Performance’s Tony Sullens and Kaylie Newell, who will contest both the WOLF Production Cup and the ARC 2WD on board their 2013 Citroen DS3.
The Copyworld Adelaide Hills Rally takes place in and around the forests of Mount Barker on 3-5 October.
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