It will be known as the BFGoodrich Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship and rekindles the association with the AORC, the tyre company had from 2017 to 2022.
“To have BFGoodrich return to the AORC as the major partner is a huge result for the championship and we’re absolutely thrilled to be working with them in 2024,” said Motorsport Australia CEO Sunil Vohra.
“The AORC is one of Motorsport Australia’s biggest assets in off road, it’s fantastic to not have just secured a naming rights sponsor for the season, but to have the calibre of BFGoodrich is important.”
Synonymous with off road racing for decades, many big stars have often chosen BFGoodrich as their preferred tyre, and that includes nine-time champion Shannon Rentsch and three-time Tatts Finke Desert Race winner Toby Price.
The American BFGoodrich tyre company was founded in 1870 in Akron, Ohio by Benjamin Franklin Goodrich. It was acquired by French tyre manufacturer, Michelin in 1990. Today, it is one of the world’s most recognised tyre manufacturers, with tyres on off road and on road vehicles of all kinds.
“BFGoodrich and the Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship has a long history together, and we are very excited to make our return,” added BFGoodrich Australia’s Marketing Manager Hugo De-Boischevalier.
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“With some of the best events in the country forming part of the championship, together, we can continue growing the AORC to be one of the best off road competitions in the world.
“This partnership will also form as part of a broader involvement with Motorsport Australia, which will also see Michelin support FIA Girls on Track, Shannons SpeedSeries and provide special offers to motorsport competitors and officials.”
The 2024 BFGoodrich Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship season begins with the Wentworth Shire Pooncarie Desert Dash in Pooncarie NSW on April 19-21.
More than 60 crews have entered with a star-studded field locked in. They will contest more than 400 competitive kilometres across two days at the Sunraysia Motorsport Club-run event.
Travis Robinson and Andrew Pinto will be the ones to beat as they will look to go back-to-back after a maiden title last year. Other names competing are two-time event winner Josh Howells, 2022 Prolite champion Alex Howells, and two-time SXS champion James Cook, debuting his new Pro Buggy.
Former AORC champion Matt Hanson, 2019 runner-up Roydn Bailey, brothers Aaron and Carl Haby, Aaron James, Brent and Dale Martin, Tom Swinglehurst and West Australians Shane Elphinstone and Jared Percival are also entered.
There is a strong rollup of Trophy Trucks, with Beau Robinson, reigning Extreme 2WD champion Nicholas Commins, Jake Williams, Brent Smoothy, Phil Lovett and the return of both Hayden Bentley and Brett Comiskey.
Other notables are 2023 runner-up Mel Brandle, 15-time Production 4WD champion Geoff Pickering, Rick Chambers, John Wisse and SXS Pro drivers James Mogford, Lachlan Bailey, Glenn Brinkman and Glen Ackroyd.
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