WPS Rally Bathurst a success first time around

EDIA RELEASE – Strong support from spectators on Friday night and Saturday boosted final crowd numbers despite heavy rain on Sunday at the inaugural WPS Rally Bathurst.

Attendance for the three days of rally action in both the Sunny Corner Forest and Mount Panorama stages drew 10,125 people to the event with the biggest crowd through the gates for Saturday night?s Super Special Stage at Mount Panorama.

Event Director James O?Brien said this was a very pleasing result for the inaugural event.

“The facilities at Mount Panorama have been a draw card for competitors and spectators alike with many agreeing the service park set up in the pit paddock assisted in the smooth running of the event.

“Combined with the action of the forest stages, basing the service park and rally headquarters at Mount Panorama added something unique to this event and gave the rally fans who have followed the Globalstar Australian Rally Championship Series right around the country, a very different experience,” O’Brien said.

“The torrential rain that came down today certainly put a dampner on what would have been a spectacular day of entertainment but luckily the warm dry conditions for Friday and Saturday gave us a great head start into the event.”

WPS Rally Bathurst was the sixth and final round of the Globalstar Australian Rally Championship Series, that ended successfully for Subaru team mates Cody Crocker and Dale Moscatt who took out first place honours in the event and the championship. They were followed by fellow Subaru team mates Dean Herridge and Bill Hayes with the Toyota team of Simon and Sue Evans coming in third place outright.

Bathurst Mayor Cr Norm Mann said the event was a great success for Council as promoter providing a major boost to the local economy and national exposure for the region.

“The people of the Bathurst region along with the State and Federal Governments have made a significant investment in the Redevelopment at Mount Panorama to be able to continue to stage major events like this that bring enormous benefit to the local economy.”

In the period between 9am and 11.30am, 27.2mm of rain fell across the Bathurst region which caused the cancellation of the Tindales 1, Bobs Creek 2, Egans 2, Tindales 2 and Macabees 2 forest stages.

With these stages cancelled, competitors were only able to compete in three stages in the Sunny Corner Forest.

A shortened Super Special Stage at Mount Panorama was run despite the wet conditions allowing the ARC entrants to complete the 50 per cent of the total course distance to ensure the event was valid.

For a full list of results go www.rallybathurst.com.au.