Next month’s Motorsport Australia NSW Rally Championship round at Batemans Bay will feature a heavy national-level presence to plug a COVID-caused gap in the calendar.

The AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay has now also been designated as a ‘promotional’ round of the RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship after the postponement of Les Walkden Enterprises Rally Tasmania from July to September.

It means that the likes of Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia’s ARC front-runners, Harry Bates and Lewis Bates, will take part in the event, as will 2017 champion Nathan Quinn.

No points will be on offer in the national title race, but competitors will be able to generate extra exposure for their supporters.

There will also be a boost in attention for the NSW championship, with Motorsport Australia sending regular ARC host Jessica Dane to the South Coast event for social media coverage.

Nigel Bland, vice president and event director at the North Shore Sporting Car Club which hosts the Rally of the Bay, is excited about the development.

“The AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay is always such a strong event, and to have such a strong field of ARC competitors joining us at the event is a real boost for the NSW Championship and also for rallying in NSW,” said Bland.

“The quality of the field and the depth of talent throughout the classes will be a real treat for spectators. The addition of drivers such as 2019 ARC Champions Harry Bates and John McCarthy highlights the quality that this event offers up.

“We’re also really pleased to welcome the Motorsport Australia production team to the event, and their extra coverage will be a bonus for rally fans on top of what is an amazing and extensive product already delivered by Rally NSW at each NSW Championship event.

“I’d also like to once again extend my thanks to all our event sponsors who make this rally possible and to every single one of our competitors for putting on such a brilliant show.”

The Australian Rally Championship remains at six rounds, although Tasmania and Adelaide Hills have both been rescheduled as a result of current border restrictions.

Before the national contest resumes proper, the Rally of the Bay takes place on July 17.