Rally Australia has confirmed one of the strongest fields of this year’s World Rally Championship for the 8-11 September event.
13 World Rally Cars will head Down-Under for the Coffs Harbour-based event, the first time the WRC has been on Australian shores for two years.
31 cars have entered the full international component of the World Rally Championship event, with further entries to be confirmed in the Australian Rally Championship segment and historic fields.
Heading the entry is defending seven-time World Champion Sebastien Loeb as part of a five-car Citroen DS3 WRC effort that also includes 2007 Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen.
Not to be outdone Ford will have seven Fiesta RS WRC cars including the full factory entries for defending two-time Rally Australia winner Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala; plus YouTube sensation Ken Block in his Monster World Rally Team entry.
The newest member of the WRC family, Mini, will also have a John Cooper Works WRC entry for Daniel Oliveira from Brazil.
The 10th round of the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship will start on Thursday 8 September with the first of three nightly Super Special Stage competitions beside the Coffs Harbour Jetty waterfront. Rally Australia will finish in the same area on Sunday 11 September after teams from around the world complete 26 stages and almost 370 kilometres of high-speed action to the north, south and west of the rally base.
Interest has been high with strong pre-event ticket sales.
While ticket prices start from only $15, a $99 Event Super Pass allowing entry to a gravel Special Stage spectator park every day and the Super Special Stages every night is overwhelmingly the most popular ticket bought so far at Ticketek.com.au.
Pre-event ticket prices from Ticketek are cheaper than on-event gate prices and ensure access to Spectator and Enthusiast points.
“If you want to save money, avoid queues at the gate and ensure the gravel Special Stage Spectator or Enthusiast point you choose is not full when you get there, it’s best to buy a ticket now,” said Rally Australia General Manager Michael Masi.
“There’s a wide choice of daily and all-event passes to suit any budget or preference, but the $99 Event Super Pass is great value and I’m not surprised it represents a high proportion of the ticket sales so far.”
Tickets are available exclusively from Ticketek, via the internet, phone and retail outlets throughout Australia, including the Coffs Harbour Wow Sight and Sound store.
Dedicated spectator locations on daily country stages in the Nambucca, Bellingen, Coffs Harbour and Clarence Valley regions and the waterfront Super Special Stage.
Spectator Points will provide full amenities, including shuttle transport or parking, food, beverage and souvenir outlets and toilets. Grandstand seating will be available at the Super Special Stage.
Enthusiast Points on daytime stages are designed for more adventurous spectators.
They will provide better vantage points, but may involve walk-in access and fewer amenities. Crowd capacity will be capped, with tickets sold on a first-served basis.
ENTRY LIST: Rally Australia – WRC
| DRIVER | CO-DRIVER | TEAM | VEHICLE |
| Sebastien Loeb (FRA) | Daniel Elena (MCO) | Citroen Total WRT | Citroen DS3 WRC |
| Sebastien Ogier (FRA) | Juilen Ingrassia (FRA) | Citroen Total WRT | Citroen DS3 WRC |
| Mikko Hirvonen (FIN) | Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN) | Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team | Ford Fiesta RS WRC |
| Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) | Miikka Anttila (FIN) | Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team | Ford Fiesta RS WRC |
| Matthew Wilson (GBR) | Scott Martin (GBR) | M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team | Ford Fiesta RS WRC |
| Evgeny Novikov (RUS) | Denis Giraudet (FRA) | M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team | Ford Fiesta RS WRC |
| Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) | Kaj Lindstrom (FIN) | ICE 1 Racing | Citroen DS3 WRC |
| Khalid Al Qassimi (UAE) | Michael Orr (GBR) | Team Abu Dhabi | Ford Fiesta RS WRC |
| Petter Solberg (NOR) | Chris Patterson (GBR) | Petter Solberg WRT | Citroen DS3 WRC |
| Daniel Oliveira (BRA) | Carlos Magalhaes (PRT) | Brazil World Rally Team | MINI John Cooper Works WRC |
| Peter Van Merksteijn (NLD) | Erwin Mombaerts (BEL) | Van Merksteijn Motorsport | Citroen DS3 WRC |
| Henning Solberg (NOR) | Ilka Minor (AUT) | M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team | Ford Fiesta RS WRC |
| Ken Block (USA) | Alex Gelsomino (USA) | Monster World Rally Team | Ford Fiesta RS WRC |
| Michal Kosciuszko (POL) | Maciej Szczepaniak (POL) | Lotos Dynamic Rally Team | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| Gianluca Linari (ITA) | Nicola Arena (ITA) | Gianluca Linari | Subaru Impreza WRX STi |
| Brendan Reeves (AUS) | Rhianon Smyth (AUS) | Bilbutikken AS World Rally Team | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| Jukka Ketomaki (FIN) | Kai Risberg (FIN) | Jukka Ketomaki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| Harry Hunt (GBR) | Robbie Durant (GBR) | Harry Hunt | Citroen DS3 R3 |
| Majed Al Shamsi (UAE) | Killian Duffy (IRL) | Team Abu Dhabi | Subaru Impreza WRX STi |
| Bader Al Jabri (UAE) | Stephen McAuley (IRL) | Team Abu Dhabi | Subaru Impreza WRX STi |
| Oleksandr Saliuk (UKR) | Pavel Cherepin (UKR) | Mentos Ascania Racing | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| Aleksey Kikireshko (UKR) | Sergei Larens (EST) | Mentos Ascania Racing | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| Valeriy Gorban (UKR) | Vadim Chernega (UKR) | Mentos Ascania Racing | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| Hayden Paddon (NZL) | John Kennard (NZL) | NZ World Rally Team | Subaru Impreza WRX STi |
| Benito Guerra (MEX) | Borja Rozada (ESP) | Benito Guerra | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| Nathan Quinn (AUS) | David Green (AUS) | Nathan Quinn | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| Leigh Gotch (AUS) | Rodger Pederson (AUS) | Leigh Gotch | Subaru Impreza WRX STi |
| John Spencer (AUS) | John Goasdoue (AUS) | John Spencer | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| Razvan Vlad (AUS) | Daymon Nicoli (AUS) | Razvan Vlad | Ford Fiesta ST |
| Adrian Coppin (AUS) | Tim Batten (AUS) | Adrian Coppin | Ford Fiesta ST |
| Mick Harding (AUS) | Mick Gentleman (AUS) | Mick Harding | Subaru Impreza WRX STi |
