Forest venue for rally championships
From the Autumn/Winter 2009 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.
Competitors gather speed in the Australian Rally Championships in Conglomerate State Forest. Photos by Howard Spencer
Normally drivers in State forests are asked to take it easy and look after themselves, their vehicles, the roads and watch out for other forest users.
But every now and then there is the excuse to break out, and that excuse came last November in Conglomerate State Forest, north of Coffs Harbour.
It was the venue for the running of three prestigious car rally events over the one weekend. They were the Coffs Coast Rally, which also featured the final round of the Australian Rally Championship (ARC) and the NSW Championship.
Victorian privateer Eli Evans and co-driver Chris Murphy won the final round of the Australian Rally Championship, taking out the Coffs Coast Rally ahead of local hero Nathan Quinn and co-driver Ben Atkinson. Glenn Raymond and co-driver Matt Raymond were third.
It was Evans’ first ever Australian Rally Championship round win, catapulting him ahead of brother Simon and co-driver Sue Evans for second place in the final ARC season standings.
Neal Bates and co-driver Coral Taylor claimed their fourth Australian Rally Championship title after finishing sixth in Heat 1.
The pair came into the event with a 113-point lead over Team TRD teammates Simon and Sue Evans; the only other team with a mathematical chance of overhauling Bates and Taylor for the 2008 title.
The event was last held near Coffs Harbour in 2000.
Howard Spencer - Public Affairs & Media
