Mini Round Australia for 2008!

[Darryn Snooks]

MINI-ROUND AUSTRALIA TRIAL PLANS FOR 2008


A mini-round Australia Trial is being proposed to be conducted in 2008.

The 1995 Round Australia Trial Clerk of Course, and champion rally driver over many years, Bob Watson is looking into the possibility of running a Round Australia type event in September 2008, in the lead up to Rally Australia, which is moving to Queensland.

“The plan is to finish the Round Australia event on the Wednesday before Rally Australia, which I assume will be centred on Brisbane or thereabouts, so that competitors and others could then stay on to enjoy the World Championship event”, Watson said recently in Melbourne when discussing the potential of the event with those he hopes to co-opt into organising the event, including Tom Snooks who has been involved in the 1970, 1979, 1995 and 1998 Round Australia Trials.

“The concept is to have a number of starting points from the capital city of most states around Australia, with separate semi-competitive touring events of roughly the same length taking crews to a central assembly point at Alice Springs”, must like the Captain Cook Bi-centenary Rally in 1970.

The required duration and length dictate that the event will not be “around Australia” in the true sense, but will provide competitors with an event typical of the classic Round Australia events.

“After a rest day in Alice Springs there will be a six or seven day special stage rally over outback tracks in the Northern Territory and Queensland to the finish. The total duration of the event would be 10 – 12 days, with the total distance, including the assembly stage, being approximately 9000 kilometres”, Watson added.

Initial plans are that the vehicle eligibility would be Historic and Classic rally cars as per CAMS regulations, with the addition of PRC cars up to 1985. Turbocharged and four-wheel drive vehicles would not be eligible.

In conjunction with the rally proper from Alice Springs there would be a ‘Challenge Section’ with an easier course and times, as in the Mobil 1 Trial in 1995, for those who want to experience the outback, but take in the serious competition.

“The concept has been discussed with Garry Connelly, Chairman of the Rally Australia organising committee, and received favourably. There may be some synergies between the events, such as Round Australia competitors using some Rally Australia special stages, and it may be possible to negotiate special seating and other arrangements for the Super Special stage of Rally Australia and other benefits”, Watson concluded.

At this stage the entry fee is not known, but the intention would be to keep it in the region of $5000-6000.

Bob need’s to gauge the level of interest in such an event before proceeding further.

Please send expressions of interest to him at bobwatso@bigpond.net.au

[Dean]

Can any competitors with actual experience in this type of event advise how much they would expect such an event to cost on top of entry fee? (And yes – I realise the question is fairly open ended but you have got to start somewhere!)

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,


Dean

[Ausrally]

Thousands.

[Matt]

Here's a rough (and waaay basic) theoretical calculation:

4 people - 2 competitiors, 2 service crew. At the barest minimum, it will be $100 per person per day. Think food, drink and accommodation. A 12 day event = $4800

Fuel - Rally car. Say 5 km/l average. 9000 km event. $1.30 per litre average (fuel will widely vary in price between East and West). $2340

Fuel - Service car. Say 9 km/l average. 9000 km. $1.30 per litre average. $1300

Incidentals. $????

So the most basic calculation brings it to $8440+, without spending a single cent on the car. Do not think that you can do it for less than this. You will fail miserably.

So, in essence, roughly a dollar per kilometre.

Real life example: we did the '98 Round Australia, and it cost more than a dollar per km. And we did it on the cheap.

[Dean]

Thanks Matt.

That's close to what we had worked out (slightly less economy with the rally car fuel). Figures for other things (tyres + car prep + other things) look to work out to almost the same amount again so it seems to be over 20 grand with entry.