Less than a month remains until the Netier National Capital Rally takes place with the first ever RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Cup up for grabs and high profile entries are flying in.
Recent news highlighting the potential reopening of the border between Victoria and New South Wales promises even more entries to come, the stage is set for a huge outing.
The excitement surrounding the rally has been dramatically increasing over the past few months and with 30 crews having already booked their place, some of whom will also be fighting it out as part of the Hoosier Challenge, it’s going to be an entertaining spectacle.
Making the event even more special is the quality of crews entered with a number of RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) stars are locked in, most of whom will be itching to compete on the national stage.
No doubt the biggest names on the 30-car entry list are 2019 ARC champions Harry Bates and John McCarthy, but another huge drawcard is 2016 champion Molly Taylor.
Bates and Taylor aren’t the only big names confirmed to compete in the 16 stage rally with Luke Anear and Andy Sarandis, Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin, Chris Higgs and Daymon Nicoli and JJ Hatton alongside Nathan Long all lining up.
As fo Higgs and Nicoli, the Mitsubishi Evo 6 pilots are among the list of crews geared up for the Hoosier Challenge, where they will be fighting out for a free ticket to an ARC round of their choosing next year.
The duo will be fighting for Hoosier Challenge honours with the likes of young up and coming driver Taylor Gill and his co-driver Peter Harris, as well as Queensland rally star Clayton Hoy and co-driver, Erin Kelly.
While the crews above will be tearing it up across the 181 competitive kilometres, there will also be a number of entries with one eye on the MTA Motorsport Australia New South Wales Rally Championship, which holds its season finale of the reduced 2020 season at the event.
The three crews battling out for the state honours include current championship leader Tom Clarke and co-driver Ryan Preston, Midstate Freight Caves Classic Rally winners Tony Sullens and Kaylie Rose-Newell and Mal Keough who has a new co-driver in Pip Bennett for the rally.
Other notable crews to have already entered the rally consist of Brendan Reeves and Kate Catford, Troy Dowell and Bernie Webb, as well as ARC regulars Andrew Penny and Rhys Llewellyn.
Entries for the Netier Capital Rally remain open until 6pm AEDT on Friday 11 November.
The RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Cup and Netier National Capital Rally takes place on 28-29 November in and around the Cotter Forest in Canberra.
Entry list to date
- Bethany Cullen and Mel McMinn
- Andrew Penny and Rhys Llewellyn
- Robert Gorst and Wesley Gorst
- Tom Clarke and Ryan Preston
- Stuart Collison and Lance Arundel
- Taylor Gill and Peter Harris
- Richard Galley and John Andreatidis
- Darkie Barr Smith and Jono Forrest
- Terry Gunter and Stephen Newell
- Sean Casey and Peter Stringfellow
- Declan Foley and Ken Murphy
- Chris Giddins and Katie Giddins
- Chris Higgs and Daymon Nicoli
- Mike Behnke and Ellie Yates
- Molly Taylor and TBC
- Thomas Monaghan and Alan Stephensen
- Luke Anear and Andy Sarandis
- Brian O Neill and Mac Kierans
- Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin
- Harry Bates and John McCarthy
- Mal Keough and Pip Bennett
- Sean Mc aloon and Muireann Hayes
- Rob Bishop and Jacci Sharkey
- Justin Northage and Ray Priest
- Ian Griffin and Liam Bainton
- Clayton Hoy and Erin Kelly
- JJ Hatton and Nathan Long
- Troy Dowel and Bernie Webb
- Brendan Reeves and Kate Catford
- Tony Sullens and Kaylie Rose-Newell