A deal brokered between organisers of the 2023 Adelaide Rally and sponsoring parties is set to reinvigorate tarmac rallying following an extensive review by Motorsport Australia.

Organisers of the Adelaide Rally will offer a discounted outright competition entry fee of $1800 for the first 25 entrants, down from $6600.

While the review into tarmac rallying has been underway and the changes have been handed down by Motorsport Australia, the Adelaide Rally has been the only tarmac rally to consistently be held during this period.

“We are so incredibly grateful to Shannons Insurance and NAPA Auto Parts for working with us on this offering to revive the outright Competition category that has taken a hit of late,” said Adelaide Rally event director Tim Possingham.

“There are a number of extra safety systems that these cars need now and entry-fee relief of this magnitude will be well received by the competitor base.

“At the same time we have managed to work with Motorsport Australia to adopt a more streamlined approach to licencing and training for our event and this has provided further relief to the competitor base to what was originally proposed, whilst still increasing levels of safety in the sport.”

Motorsport Australia has approved the Adelaide Rally’s expanded category list and is hoping to match its record field of 440 entries achieved at the 2021 event this edition.

“The recent Motorsport Australia Tarmac Rally Review Recommendations, in respect to vehicle eligibility, go further than what was in the original set of recommendations that we supported,” Possingham explained.

“However, there’s relief on things like licencing fees and we have managed to deliver a massive benefit in entry fee relief. The greatest impost is probably to turbocharged four-wheel drive cars that now have to run a restrictor and there are a handful of exotic cars that are now ineligible to run. Some of those ineligible cars were star-cars at the event and it’s a shame to see those go.

“In respect to the course and safety systems changes that were part of the Motorsport Australia recommendations, we were already complying with these for many years and they don’t present a challenge for us.”

This year’s event will be held on November 17-19, a week before the VAILO Adelaide 500.