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Day 3 – Cobar to Ivanhoe

“I’m so glad we’ve done this, this is amazing.” An ebullient Matt Lee, 2011 Australian Rally co-driver champion emerged from his Holden Commodore at the major service break this afternoon raving about the day’s stages. There was a similar theme through the service park, a 40 minute break for crews on the road between Cobar and the overnight stop in Ivanhoe. Regardless of any problems they may be nursing to day’s end, drivers especially were singing the praises of the long stages today.

There was a sensation in the event before lunch when the leading Datsun 200B of Neil Cuthbert and Ross Runnalls went over on its side while slowly making a U-turn to check an instruction. Continue reading →

event reports, News

Day 2 – Condobolin to Cobar

Cuthbert and Runnalls back in the lead. Despite hitting a fence on one of the morning’s stages, the troublesome-until-now Datsun 200B of Neil Cuthbert and twice 1981-1982 Australian Rally Champion co-driver Ross Runnalls have overtaken the overnight leaders Travis/Travis who are driving an earlier model Datsun 1600. Cuthbert was first car on the road at Sunday’s start in Parkes but was pushed down to 4th during the day. It was the Travis’s who started day 2 of the Classic Outback Trial with a 2 ½ minute lead over 2012 winners Swan/Franklin in car 1 and over 3 minutes to the better of Cuthbert Runnalls.  Continue reading →

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Day 1 pics – Parkes to Condobolin

Ian and Val Swan, service at Utes in the Paddock
Graham Wallis and Brian Ward at Utes
The Mifsud Stanza at the start
Andy Crane and Dave Anderson leading their category
Chris Snell and Graham MGrath
Greg Hannah and Jacqui Collihole in Back Yamma
The Bogan Way…
Briggs/deVaus – bent front suspension
Chatting before “the off” in Parkes
It’s a beautiful morning for a rally…
Parkes papparazzi!
Utes in the Paddock
Steve Ashton and Ro Nixon
Ross Dunkerton and Lindsay Collits in Murda
Matt Swan and Paul Franklin lie second
Gerry Bashford and Ray Daniel
Mike Ward and Jenny Pollock had gearbox troubles
Arriving in Condobolin
This Mercedes 280 SL has rallied in 57 countries!
Refurbishing the electric windows…
Tony Jordan nd Richard Davidson in the Triumph
The LH drive Capri of the Rayners
Overnight leaders, Andrew and David Travis going in…
… and coming out
Service at Utes in the Paddock
Mark Pickering and Dave Boddy in Parkes
event reports, News

Day 1 – Parkes to Condobolin

2012 Classic Outback Trial winners Matt Swan and Paul Franklin in their Holden Commodore VL lie 2nd after today’s 5 stages from Parkes to Condobolin, 29 seconds behind leaders Andrew and David Travis in their veteran Datsun 1600. Long distance specialists Ashton/Nixon (Galant) who have twice finished 2nd in this event are currently 3rd, 56 seconds further back.

Cars were flagged away in bright sunshine from the main street of Parkes by the Mayor after all crews were photographed under the starting arch. First car away was the Datsun 200B of Cuthbert and Runnalls. The team changed the entire rear suspension overnight and then had to change an engine control module this morning, making the start with only a few minutes to spare. Clearly there is quite a lot of fine tuning to be done to this brand new car before it’s where they want it. After today’s stages, the crew has dropped back to 4th on provisional scores, a mere second from Aston/Nixon. Continue reading →

event reports, News

Daily report – Prologue – 2014 Classic Outback Trial

The 2014 Classic Outback Trial got off to a roaring start yesterday afternoon on the 12 km Prologue Stage near Parkes in Central N.S.W. It was a chance for competitors to “blow out the cobwebs” and assess their car ahead of the first full day of competition. It was also the first opportunity for the organisers to gauge the relative performances under competition conditions and try and come up with a starting order for Sunday’s 111 km competitive stages. Many crews were simply glad of the chance to finally get the car into a stage. For some, it was their first rally since the 2012 event and they were certainly feeling it after just this short little introduction to outback special stage rallying. Continue reading →