Rallycross to make Aussie comeback
Rallycross is set to return to the Australian motorsport landscape, with a six-round series for 2016 to be officially launched mid-May.
Ken Block
FIA World Rallycross
A brand new, purpose-built rallycross circuit is being constructed at the Broadford Motorcycle Complex, about an hour's drive north of Melbourne in Victoria. The complex already has much of the infrastructure needed, such as garages, a control tower, and timing equipment, and a 10-metre wide tarmac circuit set in an amphitheatre.
A gravel section will be added for rallycross purposes, resulting in a 1.8 kilometre circuit which will also include a water splash.
The series will be run by Australian rally legend and former Rallycross competitor Bob Watson. Two meetings are planned for 2015, in July and October, with a full six-round series planned for 2015.
Proud history in Australia
Rallycross does have a history in Australia, having been a fixture of the motorsport scene in the 1970s. It was first introduced at the Calder Park circuit in Melbourne, before venues were also built at Catalina Park in New South Wales and Tailem Bend in South Australia.
The sport had genuine sponsors, genuine factory-backed entries (from the likes of Holden, Ford, and Porsche), and even helped launch the career of Peter Brock, who raced a Holden Dealer Team-backed Torana.
An official Australian Rallycross Championship was only staged once, at Tailem Bend in 1979, and was won by Australian touring car legend Larry Perkins.
While the sport has long laid dormant in Australia, it has been going through a resurgence on the world stage over the last couple of years. Eight teams have now signed on for the 2015 running of the World Rallycross Championship.
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