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November 2 2005
Alphera Dutton Rally National Series Hots Up For 2006
The highly successful Alphera Dutton Rally National Series will be bigger and better next year, with the
confirmation of an additional round in WA.
The Perth-based event will open the 2006 series, being run over the weekend of February 24-26. It joins
NSW (June 2-4), Queensland (July 28-30) and Victoria (September 15-17).
The decision to add the WA round is a direct response to competitor demand, according to series organisers,
Sam Beck and Anthony Moss.
“We had some initial interest from competitors in WA and thought the event would be a reality in 2007,” says
national series event director, Anthony Moss.
“But once we followed up on the enthusiasm, it was clear next year would be on. We’re very excited about
the potential.”
His optimism is shared by managing director, Sam Beck, who launched the first Alphera Dutton Rally in
Victoria in 2000 and then, with Moss, extended the concept to NSW and Queensland.
“It’s a terrific endorsement of what we have set out to do,” says Beck.
“People want events with lots of different things happening, where both the driver and the co-driver can drive.
Our competitors don’t want navigation. They want a competition with each other as well as the wider group –
and they want plenty of social time!
”That’s the message we have been getting from Perth, and that’s why we’re going, the same reasons we
added Queensland last year, and NSW before that.”
All four events can be contested as a stand-alone competition, or as part of the now-four-part Alphera Dutton
Rally National Series.
Under the rules, entrants in the events (sponsored by Alphera Financial Services) can have one or two
drivers in each car, which must be fully road-registerable. The cars are not required to have rollcages and the
licensing level is the most basic CAMS licence, available through car clubs and the event organisers.
Points are tallied over more than 20 separate driving tests within each event, with each driver allowed two
runs at each auto test. Those tests, which include sprints, hillclimbs, skid pan work and motorkhanas, are run
at venues such as dedicated race tracks, driver training facilities and airstrips.
This year was the first time the Alphera Dutton Rally events were run as a National Series. The
championship was won by Martin Notaras and Simon Arthur, from their nearest rivals Greg Sutton and
Bernie Wilson. Both crews are from Canberra and each drives a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII RS. Third place
went to Queensland’s Mark Berry and Russell Newman in a Nissan Skyline GTR.
The Alphera Dutton Rally series is designed for car enthusiasts of all ages and levels of driving experience,
rather than motorsport professionals, but several top Australian competitors use the events to keep all their
skills up to scratch including V8 Supercar stars Steve Richards and Warren Luff, and race and rally ace, Rick
Bates.
For more information:
Sam Beck, 0412 333 730, or Anthony Moss, 0414 333 090
Or check the website: www.duttonrally.com |
