Paddon amongst strong field locked in for Rally Queensland battle royale

The entry list for next month’s Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland has been confirmed with a strong field of 23 EROAD Australian Rally Championship (ARC) crews set to feature in the third round of the 2025 season.

Following a thrilling Forest Rally in May, Rally Queensland will welcome back many of the stars in the regional town of Gympie, as well as a number of familiar names to the ARC community for the first time this year.

Headlining the field will be the four crews well and truly established as the leading contenders for the 2025 title, with current championship leaders Hayden Paddon and John Kennard looking to build on their victory in Western Australia.

The pair will have the two Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia crews of Lewis Bates/Anthony McLoughlin and Harry Bates/Coral Taylor as their major challengers, as well as Pedders Suspension and Brakes’ Scott Pedder and Glenn Macneall who won in Queensland last year.

With Paddon and Kennard, and dual IntelliSpatial Fleetcare Racing entries of Alex Rullo/Steve Glenney and Peter Rullo/Ben Searcy representing Hyundai, there will be one genuine event contender flying the Ford flag in Queensland – two-time Irish Champion Patrick O’Brien is set to run a 2022 Ford Fiesta with West Aussie Shane Farrell calling the notes. The pair were originally entered for the Forest Rally but had to withdraw just before the event.

Notable names making their return after making their first appearances for the year in Western Australia will be outright drivers Troy Dowel and Mitch Garrad, Aussie superstar Toby Price and Holly Kilbride in the Subaru WRX Challenge, and WOLF Production Cup winners Clayton Hoy and Erin Kelly.

The WOLF Production Cup welcomes plenty of star power to Queensland, with one of the biggest entries for the round being that of Bodie Reading – the 2024 Cup champion attending his first event for the year alongside a new co-driver with Brad Jones in the LWR 1999 Impreza WRX.

Another first-timer for the year will be Nathan Stokes and Ian Wheeler who are behind the wheel of their 2012 Impreza WRX, while Josh Wiedman is back after a victory in Canberra with new co-driver Ryan Preston.

Like Wiedman, young guns Jaidyn and Lucy Gluskie return in their first event since the season opener as they look to dethrone Jackson Long from the ARC Junior Cup lead.

It’s a two way battle in the 2WD Classic Cup, which welcomes the return of Tony Oates and Anthony Staltari in the 1993 Honda Civic CRC and Zach Hegde in the 1970 Porsche 911 alongside Caleb Ash. 

In the 4WD Classic Cup, the ever-experienced Mike Bailey makes his long-awaited return with Ian Whitehead in a battle set up with current leaders Shane and Sylvia Garner, and the returning Molly Spalding and Matt Dillon while Glenn Brinkman and Scott Beckwith round out the Subaru WRX Challenge field.

Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland Clerk of the Course Brian Everitt was pleased to have the ARC back in town.

“It’s very exciting to have the EROAD Australian Rally Championship back in Queensland and we have a really strong, quality field with two international drivers and a total of nine top spec cars,” Everitt said.

“It’s also fantastic to see a number of familiar names within the Australian rally community making their return to the ARC this weekend, while having Toby Price going around again after a memorable debut is positive on all fronts.

“We’re in for a brilliant event this year and the whole Brisbane Sporting Car Club is hosting the ARC again and looking forward to the best rally drivers in the country putting on a show for the locals.”

The Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland serves as the third round of the 2025 EROAD Australian Rally Championship and takes place in Gympie on 4–6 July.

EROAD Australian Rally Championship Entry List

Car No.	Competitor / Sponsor	Driver / Co-Driver	State	Year – Manufacture Car – Class	ARC Elig. State Elig.
EROAD Australian Rally Championship
1	Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia	Harry Bates Coral Taylor	ACT NSW	2024 Toyota GR Yaris – Rally 2	ARC
2	Pedders Suspension and Brakes	Scott Pedder Glenn Macneall	VIC WA	2025 Skoda Fabia RS – Rally 2	ARC
3	Paddon Racing Group	Hayden Paddon John Kennard	NZ NZ	2022 Hyundai i20N – Rally 2	ARC
4	Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia	Lewis Bates Anthony Mcloughlin	ACT QLD	2024 Toyota GR Yaris – Rally 2	ARC
5	IntelliSpatial Fleetcare Racing	Alex Rullo Steve Glenney	WA TAS	2022 Hyundai i20N – Rally 2	ARC
6	Total Auto Service	Patrick  O’Brien Shane Farrell	IRL WA	2022 Ford Fiesta – R5	ARC
7	Ezi Up Tyre Repair Kit	Troy Dowel Mitch Garrad	VIC VIC	2020 Toyota GR Yaris – AP4	ARC
8	Clayton Hoy	Clayton Hoy Erin Kelly	NSW QLD	1998 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6 – P5	ARC, Production Cup QRC
9	LWR, SOS Labour Soulutions	Bodie Reading Brad Jones	TAS QLD	1999 Subaru Impreza WRX – P6	ARC, Production Cup
10	IntelliSpatial Fleetcare Racing	Peter Rullo James Marquet	WA WA	2022 Hyundai i20N – Rally 2	ARC
11	WSC Subaru Experts, Link Engine Management, Delta Autosport	Joshua Wiedman Ryan Preston	QLD QLD	20006 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9 – P5	ARC, Production Cup QRC
12	Team Cabling / SR Automotive	Stewart Reid Bella Haggarty	QLD NZ	2016 Mitsubishi Mirage – AP4	ARC
13	KickAss 12 Volt Products	Glenn Brinkman Scott Beckwith	QLD WA	2023 Subaru Impreza WRX – WRX	ARC, WRX Challenge QRC
14	Jaidyn Gluskie Motorsport	Jaidyn Gluskie Lucy Gluskie	VIC TAS	2001 Subaru Impreza RS – P5	ARC, Production Cup, Junior Cup (D/CD)
15	Australian Truck Performance	Tony Sullens Kaylie Newell	NSW NSW	2013 -Citroen DS3 – P4	ARC, Production Cup, 2WD Cup
16	PowerPlay	Toby Price Holly Kilbride	QLD QLD	2023 Subaru Impreza WRX – WRX	ARC, WRX Challenge QRC
17	Spalding Dillon Australian / European Affair	Molly Spalding Matt Dillon	SA SA	1995 Subaru Impreza WRX – C3	ARC, Production Cup, 4WD Classic Cup
18	Victory Ford	Nathan Stokes Ian Wheeler	QLD TAS	2012 Subaru Impreza WRX – P5	ARC, Production Cup QRC
19	Premier Pools	Jackson Long Damien Long	NSW NSW	2005 Subaru Impreza RS – P5	ARC, Production Cup, Junior Cup (D)
20	Racing Dipsy	Shane Garner Sylvie Garner	QLD QLD	1994 Subaru Impreza WRX – P5	ARC, Production Cup, 4WD Classic Cup QRC
21	Oates Motorsport  /Get Stumped Melbourne	Tony Oates Anthony Staltari	VIC VIC	1993 Honda Civic – CRC	ARC, 2WD Classic Cup
22	Bailey Consulting	Mike Bailey Ian Whitehead	QLD VIC	1991 Nissan Gti – Classic C3	ARC, Production Cup, 4WD Classic Cup QRC
23	Rennen Motorsport	Sharath (Zach) Hegde Caleb Ash	QLD WA	1970 Porsche 911 – Classic C3	ARC, Production Cup, 2WD Classic Cup QRC, QRC 2WD

Motorsport Australia Queensland Rally Championship

Entry List

Car No.	Competitor / Sponsor	Driver Co-Driver	State	Year – Manufacture Car – Class	State Elig.
Motorsport Australia Queensland Rally Championship
40	Bespoke Metal	Ian Menzies Robert McGowan	QLD QLD	2013 Toyota Yaris – AP4	QRC
41	Viking Excavations	Erik Johnsson Larisa Biggar	QLD QLD	2003 Subaru WRX STI – P5	QRC
42	Baden Civil	Clay Badenoch Angus Fraser	QLD NSW	1979 Toyota Celica – Classic C3	QRC, QRC 2WD
43	Bear Electrical Pty Ltd	Adam O’Brien Matt Sosimenko	QLD QLD	1998 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 – P6	QRC
44	Huxton Motorsport	Rod Reid Nick Reid	QLD QLD	2002 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7 – P5	QRC
45	Todd Webster	Todd Webster Neill Woolley	QLD QLD	2011 Subaru WRX STi – P5	QRC
46	Melinda Bergmann	Melinda Bergmann Nicola Hoey	QLD QLD	2001 Subaru WRX STi Spec C – P5	QRC
47	Automotive Repair Centre	Simon Jansen Elysia Jansen	QLD QLD	1999 Mitsubishi Evolution 6 – P6	QRC
48	Virtual Security Guard	Cameron Henry Claire Buccini	QLD QLD	1999 Subaru Impreza WRX – P5	QRC
49	Acworth Recruitment	Kim Acworth Michelle Berardo	QLD QLD	2004 Subaru WRX STI – P5	QRC
50	Peter Trezona	Peter Trezona Chris Harrison	QLD QLD	1993 Nissan R32 Skyline GTS-t-P4	QRC, QRC 2WD
51	Hudrick Motorsport	Sid Luke Rhys Simmons	QLD QLD	2011 Subaru WRX – P5	Clubman
52	DGT Rallysport	David Micjan Kevin O’Connor	QLD QLD	1993 Subaru Impreza WRX – P5	Clubman
53	WOFTAM RALLY TEAM	Gary Dutton Ray Priest	QLD QLD	1977 Datsun 200B – Classic	QRC, QRC 2WD
54	Flynn Dunkerton	Flynn Dunkerton Alan Stean	QLD QLD	1998 Subaru Impreza GC8 – P6	Clubman
55	Anythingbutsideways.com.au	Ralph French Karl Wilson	QLD NSW	1996 Subaru Impreza RA – P6	QRC
56	Tim Collingwood	Tim Collingwood Kelvin O’Shea	QLD QLD	2002 Honda Civic Type R – P3	QRC, QRC 2WD
57	Aaron Dunkerton	Aaron Dunkerton Georgia Buratto	QLD QLD	1999 Subaru Impreza WRX – P6	Clubman
58	J & S Rally	Michelle Van Der Wilk Kass Brumley	QLD QLD	1996 Subaru Impreza – P6	Clubman
59	Total Auto Service	Ben Christensen Cam Christensen	QLD QLD	1998 Hyundai Excel – P2	QRC, QRC 2WD
60	Dutton Thompson Rallysport	Heath Dutton Matthew Thompson	QLD QLD	1993 Honda Civic – P2	QRC, QRC 2WD
61	Dasha Racing	Mitchell Plant Brent Plant	QLD QLD	1995 Hyundai Excel – P2	QRC, QRC 2WD, QRC Junior (DR/CD)
62	Broughton Motorsport/ SR Automotive	Tyler Broughton TBA	QLD QLD	1999 Hyundai Excel – P2	Clubman
63	Australian Mechanical	Max Bailey Charlie Cogman	QLD QLD	1998 Hyundai Excel – P2	Novice (Full Event)
64	Tuppin Motorsport	Michael Tuppin Alex To	QLD QLD	1999 Subaru Impreza WRX – P5	Clubman
65	Sprenger Motorsport	Kristian  Sprenger Jarrad Vanderhor	QLD QLD	1999 Hyundai Excel – P2	Novice (Full Event)
66	Dixon Trailers Gympie , Ultimate Automotive Repco Service, Gympie 4×4 Accessories ARB	Ian Swinbourne Tony Arbon	QLD QLD	1999 Hyundai Excel X3 – P2	QRC, QRC 2WD
67	Virtual Security Guard	Sasha Power Brad Hurford	QLD QLD	1995 Hyundai Excel – P2	Novice (Full Event)
68	Dylan Furche	Dylan Furche Matthew Davidson	QLD QLD	2001 Subaru Impreza – P6	QRC, QRC Junior (D)
69	Ella Pyyvaara	Ella Pyyvaara Paul Pyyvaara	QLD QLD	1994 Daihatsu Charade – P2	Novice

Queensland Regularity Category Entry List

Car No.	Competitor / Sponsor	Driver Co-Driver	State	Year – Manufacture Car – Class	State Elig.
Motorsport Australia Queendland Rally Championship
70	Pumbaa Autosport	Vaughn Strydom Sean Wiid	QLD QLD	1999 Toyota RAV 4	Regularity
71	Graeme Page	Graeme Page Callum Page	QLD QLD	2003 Suzuki Ignis sport	Regularity
72	Lachlan Johnson	Lachlan Johnson Warwick Johnson	QLD QLD	1998 Subaru Forester	Regularity
73	Custom Realty	Greg Lipshus Peter Flynn	QLD QLD	1995 Nissan Pulsar	Regularity
74	Drop Bear Racing	Lawrie Howlett Karen Howlett	QLD QLD	1995 Honda Civic	Regularity