2023 Shannons Rally SA – Rally of the Heartland

Some of the photos from the 2023 Shannons Rally SA – Rally of the Heartland run over 3 days 28-30 April on the roads and tracks around Burra, Hallett and Booborowie in the mid North of South Australia. The rally is invitation for drivers of classic rally cars as well as South Australian Rally Championship (SARC) competitors, and for those less inclined at scaring themselves, Regularity class. Regularity class run would at the end of the field of regular competition cars and not tackle all stages. The rally is also part of the New South Wales East Coast Classic Rally Series.

The event started off with 3 prologue stages, “East to West” emerging near Burra Gorge, “Hallelujah Hills” and “Inspiration” near Robertstown, which is usually run as a stage of the Walky 100 SARC rally, later in the year. Not all competitors completed the prologue stages though with some drivers still making the trip to Rally HQ at Burra Paxton Cottages town square on the Friday. The prologue results create a starting order for the competitors for Day 2. Some cars competing were invitational and therefore not eligible for the win. A noticeable car this year was the immaculate Ford Escort Cosworth in Martini livery.

Photos include scenic wide shots as well as the close in action of every car that completed a stage, ie multiple photos of each car on each stage (so please note not every photo shown on the website, just selected ones). These are just a small amount of the photos available.

After the Day 1 prologues stages, the starting order for Day 2 and the rally proper, would be Stuart Bowes and Mark Nelson in their 1975 Mercedes 450 SLC 5.0L leading off the pack followed by Declan Dwyer/Zoe Dwyer (1999 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO), Glenn Brinkman/Scott Beckwith (1992 Ford Escort Cosworth RS) and Jamie Pohlner/Adam Branford (2007 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO).

Day 2 and the rally travelled north to tackle the first of the long stages (“Ketchowla 1” and “Ketchowla 2”) starting near Mt Bryan before heading east and back over Mt Dare and back to Mt Bryan. Following on would be the new stage, “Mongalata 1”, a rather complex and varied stage, starting on the plains east of the Burra hills, traversing through grazing country before climbing up the hills and down to the plains near Mt Bryan township. Then it was on to the two mammoth night stages “Mt Dare 1” and “Mt Dare 2” east of Mt Bryan, this time in a anti-clockwise loop of largely the same roads as the Ketchowla stages.

Day 3 travelled back to the Mt Bryan area to complete the long “Mt Dare 3”, this time in the day time before moving onto a 2nd run through the complex “Mongalata 2” stage. The rally then moved westward to one stage west of Booborowie township, “Sevilo” and then another stage east of the township, “Browie”. The rally concluded with two very short stages through the historic mine area of Burra (Monster Mine 1 and 2), a traditional part of the Rally of the Heartland every year. Despite being short these stages are not always absent of drama, as Mark Povey and Brendan Dearman would find out when they rolled their 1982 Datsun Stanza at the end of the stage.

The rally was full of attrition, enjoyed by all competitors nonetheless.

Final results were:

1st – Jamie Pohlner and Adam Branford (2007 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)

2nd – Dave McDonough and Steve Hiser (1999 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6)

3rd – Stuart Bowes and Mark Nelson (1975 Mercedes 450 SLC 5.0L)

The Regularity Class win went to Damien Reed and Adrian Raggett (1990 Nissan Silvia S13).

Final results for the East Coast Classic Rally Series (2WD class) were:

1st – Thomas Dermody and Eoin Moynihan (Ford RS 1800 1978)

2nd – Brad Luff and Jamie Luff (Holden Commodore VL 1986)

3rd – Bruce Field and David Parken (Mercedes 280 1974)

The 4WD class would go to Steven Rowe and David Rudham (1989 Toyota Celica GT4)

*** Day 1 ***