Supported by Burnie City Council, the event to be known as the Hellyer North West Rally of Champions, will form a multi-stage tarmac rally event that is scheduled to be conducted on Saturday 27 February 2021.

Event Director, Stuart Benson, said: “From the outset we have designed this exciting event to provide both fierce closed road competition on the Murchison Highway, and a waterfront Burnie finish celebration that encourages everyone to come out and enjoy great local food, drinks and music.

“We wanted to offer something really special, not just a race” said the former Targa Tasmania event director.

“Providing a great social experience for the entire community is just as important as an exhilarating rally for entrants.”

During the single day of competition, drivers and navigators with their competition prepared cars will travel through seven closed road stages in a 150 kilometre tarmac trek.

The Hellyer North West Rally of Champions is expected to attract a field of at least 50 competition cars from around the country, and the local Maguire family has already signed-on three drivers for the challenge.

Two time and current Tasmanian Rally Champion, Eddie Maguire, is no stranger to Hellyer Gorge, having previously won a Targa event conducted on the same road.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to compete all over Australia and Hellyer Gorge is easily one of best sections of road this country has to offer for a tarmac rally,” said Maguire.

“To have such a technical and challenging road in my own backyard is just incredible and the atmosphere this new event will bring is an exciting opportunity for Burnie.”

Eddie and navigator Zak Brakey will compete in an exotic V10 powered Dodge Viper ACR that produces 650 horsepower, against talented younger brother Steve Maguire, who will drive a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. Steve has enjoyed growing success in motorsport having finished first in two state championship rallies in recent months.

Not content sitting on the sidelines at age 74, Paul Maguire, father to Eddie and Steve, has decided that the North West Rally is the ideal opportunity to restart his own competitive driving career.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Paul was a successful rally and circuit racer, driving swift Ford Escorts and a Lotus Super 7. Aiming to compete in the speed-limited regularity competition come February, Paul will also drive a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.

Mr Benson said that the event will be conducted in a COVID compliant manner and will stimulate visitation and economic growth to the city and region.

“Every possible precaution will be taken to keep competitors and the community safe, and I am confident that this event will be a much-welcomed addition to the North West calendar.”

For more information - http://autocorsa.com.au/our-events/hellyer/

Driving a turbocharged and all-wheel drive Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec, Garwood recorded the fastest stage time of the day, achieving 1:10.43 over the event’s 1.8km closed road course, which was run seven times around the normally quiet suburban streets of the Midlands village.

Finishing 1.15 seconds behind the 18-year-old, was Launceston’s Scott Deane, in a nimble Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Rounding out the top three with the slimmest of margins, was Hobart’s Jamie Longergan, in another Nissan Skyline GT-R, a further 0.12 seconds behind Deane.

“I had to work hard to achieve the result,” said Garwood. “The GT-R is such a big and heavy car.

“I struggled in the morning’s wet stages because of the hard tyres, but when the sun came out the road’s temperature warmed, so we made some set-up changes to improve the car’s turn in and bump control,” says Garwood, winner of the 2016 Touring Car Masters Series Pro Sport class, Poatina Mountain Race 2015, and recent recipient of the Bursons Rising Star Award for Australian motor sport.

In the inaugural festival Heritage competition, for cars produced before 1986, Moore’s custom engineered and turbocharged 1979 model Escort achieved 1:13.89, a stage time fast enough to secure sixth place overall, and second fastest two-wheel drive car of the event.

“Coming off the back of winning the Poatina Hillclimb last year, this is so good” says Damien. “We were up until 10pm the night before tuning the car, and it ran perfectly all day”

Finishing 2.56 seconds behind Moore, was Boat Harbour’s Phil House, in a highly-developed 1983 BMW-based Alpina C2. Third was Adrian Hodgetts of Elliott, in a 1970 Datsun 240Z, a slender 0.20 seconds behind House.

Overall winner of the Stuart Benson Petrusma Property Show and Shine car show, was Hobart’s Jon Chandler, who despite a damp start to the day, presented his rare 1975 Ford Falcon John Goss Special, in immaculate condition.

“Although rain caused some challenges in the morning, we delivered everything we set out to achieve in the first year of this colourful new motoring festival” said Event Director Stuart Benson.

“Overwhelming is the only way to describe the positive feedback from everyone involved. I really must thank the community of Ross, Neil Buckby Jaguar, the Australian Auto-Sport Alliance and the many dedicated officials involved, for playing all their important parts in bringing the festival from concept into reality.”

Images by Angryman Photography.

The inaugural Neil Buckby Jaguar - Ross Auto Classic, will feature a competitive closed road town stage, and a vehicle display featuring some of the world’s most desirable cars.

Working with various Ross community organisations and the Northern Midlands Council, organisers will stage the inaugural event, open to all automotive brands, on Sunday 12 March 2017, the Eight-Hour Day long weekend.

Neil Buckby Jaguar – Ross Auto Classic event designer, Stuart Benson, said: “This free to see festival is best described as a picnic style social motorsport event - a great family day, and found just one hour’s drive from Hobart or Launceston.”

The former Targa Tasmania designer and event director said “Further to the excitement of the Timed Competition, and the colour of the Show and Shine, spectators are encouraged to participate in the event too, by traveling to the festival in their classic and unique cars, and enjoying some delicious homemade food and refreshments.”

The Show and Shine will see a display of rare and highly desirable, classic and modern vehicles assembled for viewing by the public, and assessment by judges for various awards. While the Timed Competition will feature a diverse range of classic and modern, sport and grand touring cars, all being driven the way that their designers intended. The Competition will be conducted seven times during the day, on a course that features highlights of the former Ross Targa Stage.

Some of the historically significant vehicles that are being prepared especially for this event include Group B rally, as well as Group A and Group C touring cars, all made famous during their memorable periods on the world stage, as well as exotic super sports cars and crowd pleasing Australian muscle cars.

The Neil Buckby Jaguar – Ross Auto Classic is expected to attract a field of up to 150 invited vehicles across the Timed Competition, and Show and Shine, and participants will include state and national champions from several eras.

Mr Benson said “The event has been designed to stimulate economic growth for the Heritage Highway Tourism Region through visitation, and with support of the local community it is hoped for the festival to become an annual event.”

Click here to register your interest as a competitor or official.

Pritchard, driving a 2016 Dodge Viper ACR, and navigator Hutchinson, achieved both the fastest single time and accumulated stage times of the day of the event’s 8.9km course snaking up the iconic Poatina Road from the small tourism hub of Poatina Village.

Finishing 21.7 seconds behind winning pair was Launceston’s Peter Nunn and Keith Johnson in a Turbo Porsche. Rounding out the top three was Hobart’s David Ayers and Rod Black in their Nissan GT-R based Nismo 400R, a further 50 seconds behind.

“The car went really nicely,” says Mike. “Today was the first motorsport event for navigator Michael and he did a great job.

“The focus of today was testing for Targa Tasmania and we made a number of changes,” says Mike, a competitive sailor and former national level hockey player, who used the same car, but with different compound tyres to finish second in the GT2 category of Targa Tasmania and Targa High Country this year.

Podium positions for second and third were not clear until the final stage of the day, with Hobart’s Peter O’Keefe and Julie Winton-Monet suffering a drivetrain failure just after the start line of stage six, in their Mazda RX-7 SP. O’Keefe had been constantly recording times with a narrow margin to Nunn.

Featuring MoTeC systems and a turbocharged Ford Zetec engine, the highly developed MkII Ford Escort of Damien Moore stopped the clocks with the fastest time in the classic car focused tarmac rally driver only category with an impressive time of 4 minutes 32 seconds. Securing second place was Hobart’s Lew Bush in a Mazda RX-2, 26 seconds behind Moore.

“We’re extremely pleased with the running of the third annual event” said Event Director Stuart Benson.

“Feedback from competitors, spectators and the local community has been overwhelmingly positive and certainly assures a bright future of is unique event”.

Auto Corsa Group has expended considerable time, effort and resources in gaining approvals and planning, particularly towards developing a rigorous safety process to meet the requirements of the event.

Although enthusiasm remains high, the unfortunately low level of confirmed entrant support for the September 2016 event, even after a concerted effort to build on the established entrant base, simply does not ensure a justifiable return on objective and inconvenience for event stakeholders.

Event Director Stuart Benson said that “with a longer lead time and continued support of the Riverland community, Loxton Waikerie District Council and major sponsor Caudo Vineyard, Auto Corsa Group is committed to producing an exciting, motorsport event within Waikerie in 2017.

“Our entire team wishes to whole heartedly thank the community for its overwhelming support and enthusiasm for the event, and I wish to reinforce our commitment to producing a successful future event for the Riverland next year”.

The inaugural Waikerie Auto Corsa Riverland Tarmac Rally, will occur on a collection of challenging closed roads between Waikerie and Ramco, in the stunning Riverland region of South Australia, on Sunday 25 September 2016.

Event designer, Stuart Benson, said that “found just two hours’ drive north of Adelaide, various carefully selected Waikerie roads will combine to form one 7.8 kilometre competition stage that will be utilised seven times, in alternating directions, to create the Riverland’s ultimate one-day tarmac test.”

“Along with the entire community, I’m very excited about this new one-day tarmac rally concept” he said. “Along with creating a fantastic new event that brings people to the Riverland, by listening to teams, particularly those wanting to do testing and practice prior to November’s iconic Classic Adelaide rally, we have designed a compact, cost effective and easily accessible event.”

Teams comprising driver and co-driver, and their competition prepared tarmac rally car, will compete against the clock, commencing each stage thirty seconds apart, with the goal of accruing the least possible elapsed penalty time over all stages.

Before tackling the next time testing tarmac stage, all vehicles will regroup at the event's Murray River-side service park, creating a family focused opportunity to get up close and personal with the competing cars and crews.

The inaugural event has been designed to draw both intra and inter-state entrants to compete among the Riverland orchards, and it is anticipated that up to 100 unique, highly prized, classic and modern sports touring cars will take part.

Supported by the District Council of Loxton Waikerie and Caudo Vineyards, and sanctioned by the Australian Auto-Sport Alliance, the 2016 Waikerie Auto Corsa Riverland Tarmac Rally is an much-welcomed addition to the Riverland's annual event calendar.

Click here to register as an entrant or official

Competition contenders David Ayers of Just Jap Racing and Angus Kennard of the Kennards Hire team, have put their road registered supercars through their paces around Hobart’s historic 2.1 kilometre race track.

Having successfully finished fifth outright at Targa 2015, Hobart driver, David Ayers, is again teaming up with co-driver and former Targa Tasmania event director, Stuart Benson, for the 2016 event. The Sydney based two car Just Jap Racing team have adapted the Ayers/Benson R35 model Nissan GT-R to the new showroom focused GT4 competition, while Just Jap director and also driver, Steve Thatcher, and co-driver, Kelly Handley, will again focus on the Early Modern competition in their familiar R32 model Nissan GT-R.

Just Jap Racing co-driver, Stuart Benson said “preparation is everything when it comes to doing well at an endurance event like next week’s six-day rally, and being such a technical track, Baskerville really is the perfect location for performance testing.”

Targa hall of fame competitor and veteran of  18 Targa Tasmania events, Ayers said that the “New technical regulations introduced for 2016 allow very limited performance modifications compared to last year.”

“Fewer modifications have resulted in reduced power and torque levels for our car, so today we are focused on improving the GT-R’s handling, with Supashock suspension and Nismo Dunlop tyres”.

Australian developed Supashock dampers have been fitted to the R35 model Just Jap Racing GT-R, a key suspension component with revolutionary design that V8 Supercars teams, including Prodrive Racing Australia, have credited to their recent circuit racing success.

2015 Targa Showroom 4WD winner and Sydney-sider, Angus Kennard, has swapped his Subaru WRX STI for a new Nissan GT-R and is again paring up with Hobart accountant, Ian Wheeler as co-driver. Hopeful of repeating previous podium success, renowned Launceston motorsport operation, Les Walkden Rallying have prepared Kennard’s Nissan and utilised tarmac rally expert Steve Glenney to assist in vehicle set up.

Competition gets under way in the Tamar Valley on Monday 11 April and finishes in Hobart on Saturday 16 April.

Issue 385 (18 Feb) has a sensational piece on South Australia’s newest motorsport event, the Eden Valley Hillclimb, and mini features on Matt Selley – Ford Escort MkII, Tim Lynas - 1965 Ford Mustang, Oscar Matthews 1984 Toyota AE86, Tim Knappstien – Datsun 240Z. Images are available to be purchased from Any Given Reason.

Issue 384 (21 Jan) tells the story of Tasmania’s second annual Poatina Hillclimb tarmac rally event, and mini features on Peter Roberts and Beau Starritt – Nissan Skyline GTS-t, Warwick Hughes - Alfa Romeo Sud Ti, Kerry Luck and Adam Colgrave – Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Adrian and Sonia Hodgetts – Datsun 240Z. Images are available to be purchased from Angryman Photography.

Unique Cars magazine is available to be purchased both in-store and online.

The event comprises 100 competitive kilometres over seven technical special stages while taking in Grove, Huonville, Franklin, Geeveston and Dover, but road conditions near Geeveston and Glendevie, will be unsuitable for competition this February.

Event Director, Stuart Benson, said that heavy rain and the need for works have impacted on more than 20% of the single day event course, and that advice is these areas will not be fully remediated until late-May or even June, depending on weather.

“The event has received excellent support from entrants and the general community, but road conditions are an important safety consideration” Benson said. “Saturday 13 August is the new date that has been arrived at with input from stakeholders and we will be working with the broader community to ensure first year success for what many hope will become an annual event”.

Local business man, BP Dover owner and Datsun 240Z rally car driver, Mick Williams, is delighted by the change of date.

“I was trying to do the rally in February, but it was looking really unlikely with engine and body work all running late,” he said. “I think it’s great to have an event like this in the Huon, particularly in a quieter time of year and small towns like Dover and Geeveston really need it”.

The inaugural Huon Valley Auto Corsa tarmac rally will be held on Saturday 27 February 2016 with cars being flagged off from The Apple Shed in Grove.

The course will comprise 100 competitive kilometres over seven technical special stages taking in Grove, Huonville, Franklin, Geeveston and Dover.

An expected competition field of up to 75 modern and classic rally cars will leave The Apple Shed from approximately 1.00pm and compete until twilight hours. Official finish celebrations are set to kick off at around 7.30pm in Huonville.

Event Director, Stuart Benson, said that the one-day tarmac rally would take in some of the Huon’s most stunning roads, including the Huon Highway between Surges Bay and Dover, the Esperance Coast Road and the popular Arve Road tourist route to the Tahune Airwalk.

“We’re very excited about this new one-day tarmac rally concept,” he said. “By listening to our client base we have designed a compact and easily accessible event that suits increasingly busy work schedules.”

“By focusing on a small number of longer distance closed road stages, we’ve been able to develop a challenging and value for money event for entrants that is also designed to stimulate visitation and drive positive economic return for the community.”

Mr Benson said the competition field would stop at Geeveston, Dover and Huonville, giving the local community the opportunity to see the cars and meet the crews.

Winner of the final Targa Wrest Point in 2014, Hobart’s Matt Rickards, has already signed up for the inaugural staging in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX.

“This new event is really exciting” he said. “The one day-format makes things really easy for us local rally guys and I really love the Arve Road into Tahune – so that’s going to be pretty great.”

Huon Valley Auto Corsa is facilitated through support from the Huon Valley Council, Forestry Tasmania, The Apple Shed and the Government of Tasmania through the Department of State Growth.

Click here to take part as a competitor or official.