The city will be the centre point for the sixth and final round of the 2016 ARC series, which is pencilled in for November 11-13 and could also include a special stage throughout Victoria Park.

Ballarat Light Car Club will be closely involved in hosting the event, and while a race route is far from complete, president Aaron Secombe believed possible locations could include the Creswick, Wombat, Enfield and Mt Cole state forests and the Pyrenees region.

“It could go across a couple (of those areas). It all depends on the Department of Environment and Primary Industries and stuff like that, what permits we can get. It’s based on permits and what roads are available at that time,” Secombe said.

“The Ballarat area has some amazing roads and I’m personally looking forward to sharing them with the best drivers from around Australia in 2016.”

Secombe said the aim was to secure the event long-term for the Ballarat region.

“They’re looking at five years at the moment,” he said.

“It’s a huge deal. From the ARC, the next level is going international rallying.

“They’re talking $1 million into the economy (in 2016).”

The Ballarat region has hosted stages of the ARC in the past, but not since the early 1980s, according to Secombe.

Former prominent Ballarat rally navigator Ross Runnalls is locked in as clerk of the course for next year’s event, which signals the return of a Victorian-based leg of the national series.

Event manager and ARC secretary Katie Philps said there were some big plans in store that would be revealed in the coming 18 months.

“From an event point of view, we want to put on an exciting, dynamic, team-friendly event, and we’re hopeful that the chance to drive on new roads will entice competitors new and old to come to experience everything Ballarat has to offer,” Philps said.

The Ballarat Light Car Club will also host a leg of the Victorian Rally Championship with the Begonia Rally later this year.

tim.oconnor@fairfaxmedia.com.au