Motorsport Australia finally fell on their optimistic sword last week, when the 2020 Australian Rally Championship was cancelled.
Although COVID-19 cases in Melbourne have dramatically reduced, with new daily case numbers now regularly below 50, the uncertainty over when state borders would open was the final nail in the coffin for the championship.
The initial six-round Australian Rally Championship calendar was trimmed to four events, and then to a two-event, four heat shoot-out, before the axe finally came down.
“From a sporting point of view, it would be unfair to award a Championship, if there are a number of those unable to leave their state, or forced to quarantine for two weeks either at the event location or when they return home,” Motorsport Australia CEO, Eugene Arocca, said.
Comparisons have been made with the decision made by Motorsport New Zealand to cancel the NZRC very early in the COVID-19 pandemic, versus Australia’s choice to wait it out and hope for the best.
In retrospect, neither decision was the wrong one. New Zealanders had a clear plan right from the outset, while Australians retained hope until it was no longer a possibility.
Aussies will still have a chance to contest a national level event later this year though. In late November, Canberra will host the National Capital Rally, an event that was always slated as a national round, but previously much early in 2020.
The two-day rally will count towards a ‘Motorsport Australia Rally Cup’ – not a national title, but an event where it is hoped that many of the country’s leading crews will bring out their cars in preparation (hopefully) for 2021.
All going well, November will be a busy month, with Kiwis heading to the City of Auckland Rally, and the Battle of Jack’s Ridge , and Aussies in action in Canberra.
With any luck, 2020 will end in much better fashion than it started!
Son of a gun is the son of a gun…..
Way across on Australia’s west coast, a third generation rally driver with a rather famous name is starting to make his name in rallying.
It’s fair to say that 16-year old Max McRae (main picture) has a bit to live up to. His grandfather is a multiple British Rally Champion (Jimmy), his late uncle is probably the most famous rally driver of all time (Colin), and his father is a former factory WRC driver with multiple teams (Alister).
So far though, Max McRae is taking it all in his stride, and is living up to the hype.
Last weekend, Max contest the second round of the Western Australian Rally Championship, and his first forest rally, at the wheel of a left-hand drive Ford Fiesta R2.
Seeded 25th in the field, McRae set stages times consistently just outside the top 10, and eventually finished the rally in 11th outright, and third 2WD car home. He was only beaten by a pair of powerful rear-wheel drive Nissan Silvias.
“Absolutely chuffed bringing home third 2WD car and first rookie! Performed extremely strong all weekend, all the hard work has paid off,” McRae said later.
“We had good notes which we could drive to very well. Absolutely loved the long 32km stage around Wellington Dam.”
The rally used some of Rally Australia’s famous stages, including Wellington Dam and Harvey Weir, with McRae being co-driven by former Australian Champion, Bill Hayes.
If last weekend’s result is anything to go by, it won’t be the last we hear of the name McRae in world rally.
Comments