Australian Off Road Championship heads to SA
The AORC has picked up a new third round to replace the Griffith 700 desert racing eventDesert racers and endurance fans take note - the Australian Off Road Championship (AORC) will be setting up camp in South Australia between July 22 and 24 to replace the Griffith 700 on the calendar.
The Bentley's Cabin Park Flinders 450 event will see a range of high-power off-road vehicles hacking around the Baroota track, a 65km course north of Port Pirie, wedged between the picturesque Flinders Ranges and Spencer Gulf.
Touted as a family friendly event, with on site camping, catering, plenty of spectating areas and even a licenced bar, competitors in the main event will have to complete seven laps of the 65km Baroota track, with racing to take place on Saturday and Sunday.
The organisers have also confirmed that the Performance Metals longest leap will make a return, consisting of a "spectacular series of whoops and jumps [that] have been built in front of the spectator mound".
The event is owned by AORC competitor Hayden Bentley and the track is claimed to be Australia's oldest continuously used offroad track, and features a newly constructed pit area to host events such as the July round of the AORC. According to insiders, the track is a technical mix of big berms, fast flowing terrain and deep caverns.
"The Bentley family, the Spencer Gulf Offroad Club and the organising committee must be congratulated on stepping up to the challenge of putting on the event in a ten week window," said Marilyn Emmins, chair of AORCom.
"They have pulled everything together at very short notice and, although the track and facilities were in place, the club have put countless man hours into constructing a new start/finish, pit and paddock arena"
The last time the Baroota course hosted a national race was in 1980, when Reg Owen took victory in his backyard-built buggy powered by a Volkswagen engine, but today's competitors are a very different breed.
Twin turbo V6- and V8-powered buggies and trucks lead the pack, with reigning Australian champion Dave Fellows in his Aus1 Jimco buggy duelling with Greg Gartner, who drives a V8-powered Ford F150 truck.
However with several different classes to be conquered, all competitors will be keen to put in a strong showing at the Baroota event, particularly the Proclass racecars of Travis Robinson, Dan Auricht and Hayden Bentley, the latter of whom has extra incentive to race well in front of his home crowd.
Check out Offroadracing.com.au for more details.
AORC championship standings
David Fellows 23
Greg Gartner 20
Andrew Kittle 19
Shannon Rentsch 15
Brad Prout 12
Greg Hicks 12
Dan Auricht 10
Matt Coleman 10
Aaron James 8
Buddy Crowe 8
Wes Cowie 6
Brad Mudge 6
Justin Watt 4
Anthony Fehlhaber 3
Clayton Chapman 2
Hayden Bentley 2
Les Marshall 1
Garry Simpson 1
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