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Based out of Gympie on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, the event will feature a host of talented crews, and the return of some familiar faces.
Reigning champions and current points leaders Harry Bates and Coral Taylor will lead the field out of Pedders Rally Central on Saturday morning for the first of 14 stages around the Gympie and Imbil region.
The round will also see the return of Luke Anear, who will pilot the former Toyota GR Yaris AP4 of 2022 Championship winner Lewis Bates.
Lewis Bates will debut a new Toyota Yaris Rally2 car, identical to the car that his brother and Toyota GAZOO Racing Australia teammate has been in for the first two rounds.
Bodie Reading and Mark Young also return to the ARC for the first time since they were crowned 2023 MainFix Production Cup winners at the end of last year. Over the remaining four rounds, they plan to push current Production leaders Molly Taylor and Andy Sarandis.
“Rally Queensland is an amazing place for rally. It’s a great location. The roads there are really demanding, some really technical, quite rough,” Taylor said.
Fifth in the championship, Tasmanian Eddie Maguire feels the warmer weather did pose a challenge for crews.
“It’s probably the hottest rally on the calendar in terms of managing the car and getting it through with that damage,” Maguire said.
Rally Queensland also draws a large spectator attendance. Fans can attend the Wheels on Mary Friday Night Street Party where the rally begin. All crews and their cars line Mary Street for the spectacle, and fans have the opportunity to get signatures and photos.
“The town up in Gympie and everything we do up here drew potentially the biggest crowds to the ARC and that’s something that, I think, the sport really needs,” said White Wolf Racing’s Tom Clarke said.
“Just being in the town there for the, for the Friday night (Wheels on Mary) and seeing the amount of people there is fantastic.”
A spectator guide is available on rally.com.au, with designated spectator points outlined and includes the Pedders Rally Central activity.
For those unable to attend, they can catch all the action via the ARC social media channels, as well as the daily wrap shows available each night free and on demand via 7plus. A highlights show will also be available post event on both 7plus and 7mate.
