The first woman to win the Australian Rally Championship is setting her sights on Ballarat’s leg of the 2017 series.
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Molly Taylor created history in winning the crown last year and will kick-start her title defence with the opening race – to be known as the Eureka Rally – next month.
The 28-year-old Subaru driver is expected to be joined in the Ballarat feature by triple Australian champion Eli Evans, who will be returning to the fray this season in a brand new Mini Cooper AP4.
Rising star Harry Bates, who will return in his Toyota Corolla S2000, is also likely to compete. Bates was the surprise package in last year’s championship and will be out to win his first Australian title this year.
On top of the title contenders, the event will see a full field of Victorian crews.
And the very popular national historic championship field will return in a selection of rally cars from the past including Ford Escort BDA’s, an Audi Quattro and a replica factory Toyota Celica.
The ARC last visited Ballarat in 1978, with this year’s Eureka Rally to be the first of six races. It will precede the Forest Rally in Western Australia during April.
Ballarat Light Car Club is part of the organising committee, with the race to also form round one of the Australian Classic Rally Challenge 2WD and 4WD, as well as the opening leg of the Victorian Rally Championship.
The weekend of racing will be held across March 17-19, with the public able to get up close and personal with the crews at the hub in Victoria Park from the Friday afternoon.
ARC event organiser Katie Philps said the hub will be a great place for car lovers to experience the event, with crews to return there each day for car services.
“They can watch them service and have a look at the cars, talk to the crews and can get right up into it,” Philps said.
Philps said delayed footage from the racing will be played on a big screen at Victoria Park.
A ceremonial start will take place on the Friday at 4pm in the Bridge Street Mall. The more than 220km of competitive racing then starts early on the Saturday morning in the Wombat State Forest and continues in the Creswick and Enfield forests on the Sunday.
