Atkinson to fight for Rally Australia chance

Australian star Chris Atkinson says he has a 50 per cent chance of contesting his country’s round of the World Rally Championship in September.

The former factory Subaru driver, a podium finisher on six occasions in the WRC, is chasing the funds to tackle the New South Wales-based round from 8-11 September, which would mark his first appearance in the series since a one-off outing with the Citroen Junior Team on Rally Ireland in 2009.

Speaking at the event’s route launch on Tuesday Atkinson said: “MINI and Ford have said they can supply a car but funding is the main issue. They are interested in having me drive a car but we need an Australian manufacturer or distributor to get behind us along with my personal sponsors. I would have said it’s a 50/50 chance of happening but being at the launch has really got me motivated because it looks like it’s going to be an amazing event.”

Run from headquarters in Coffs Harbour, 535 kilometres north of Sydney, the event will feature a 369-kilometre competitive route over 26 special stages on mainly gravel shire and forestry roads. These will take place to the north, west and south of the event base.

As well as hosting the permanent service park, start and finish, a superspecial stage will be held in the city’s Jetty precinct on the Coffs Harbour waterfront on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights of the event.

Event clerk of the course, Dr Michelle Gatton, said: “Designing a course to meet the specific requirements of the World Rally Championship is a complex task. We need to not only identify roads that offer an appropriate challenge to the world’s best drivers, but also to ensure they provide good viewing opportunities and ready access for spectators, television, photographers and emergency services.”

She continued: “Each stage will be run once in the morning and once in the afternoon, on one day only. Public-road closure periods will be as short as possible and residents will have additional access.”