2018 AGL Rally SA – Rally of the Heartland

Frank

Some of the photos from the 2018 AGL Rally SA – Rally of the Heartland run over 2 days (2-3 June) in the Burra, Mt Bryan and Hallett areas in the Mid North of South Australia.

The second running of the AGL Rally SA – Rally of the Heartland was run on 2-3 June around the Burra and Hallett areas of South Australia. It would be a case of heavy attrition as the rough conditions took their toll.  The healthy entry list of 48 cars comprised 21 in Classic class and 27 in South Australian Rally Championship (SARC) category plus one clubman entry, although one entrant would need to withdraw on the way to event after an accident.  Another entrant almost didn’t make it after losing the keys to the rally car!  Classic entrants would tackle all stages on Heat 1 (Saturday) including the notorious mammoth monster stages around Mt Dare at night, whereas the SARC entries would be spared from this torture!  The Classic category cars would be followed by the SARC entries with the sole Clubman entry only to contest Heat 2 (Sunday) stages. The stages of the rally comprise bullet proof hard council roads, dry weather only roads and wind farm access tracks running along the ridgetops of hills punctuated with the ubiquitous gargantuan wind farm towers.  The rally was once again run as a ‘blind rally’, meaning no prior recce from entrants and only a rudimentary road book of notes to follow.  The shortest stage was a quick blast through the Burra Mines Heritage Area at a bit over 2km, with the longest being the aforementioned Mt Dare stages at over 69km.

Mal Keough and Pip Bennett in na Audi Quattro S1 E2 (Group B) replica would dominate the Classic category, winning every stage on both days of the event. In the SARC category, despite incurring a 1min 30sec penalty at the start of Heat 1 for leaving service late, Zayne Admiraal and Matthew Heywood (2001 Subaru WRX) would go one better than 2017 and win Heat 1 by winning all but stage, and he would repeat this to take out Heat 2.

Heat 1 – SS1 Mt Bryan 1

 

Heat 1 – SS3 Turbine Row 1

 

Heat 1 – SS6 Johnny Green 1

 

Heat 2 – SS10 Burra Gorge