Adriana Pallister

Would you like the opportunity to spend a weekend in the beautiful town of Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast surrounded by many of the states fastest rally car drivers and their amazing cars … and driving your car on the same closed roads?

The North Shore Sporting Car Club will be running a Motorsport Australia permitted Regularity Rally as part of the 2024 Lazer Rally of the Bay on Saturday 27^th July 2024.

This competition, the Bay Meander, presents an opportunity for people to “try” 8 stages of gravel rallying based on the event roadbook without requiring much more than a road registered vehicle, basic apparel, and a Motorsport Australia Speed licence (which needs to be arranged BEFORE the event!)

This event is all about having the opportunity to drive on roads that are closed to the public so you can use the full width of the available road, preferably without going outside the lines.  Of course, not having all the safety equipment and car modifications that go into a full rally car means the organisers have to manage aspects like maximum speeds.

The event sets a target time that the crew has to try and ‘match’ as closely as possible.  Differences between your time and the target time earn you ‘points’ (the winner of the event will be the crew with lowest number of points).

5 points are allocated for each second ‘less’ than the target and 1 point for each second ‘over’.  If you are more than a minute under you will earn a “strike” – 3 strikes will mean it is time to pack up & go home.

The target times will be set to require an average speed of no more than 70km/h (some stages might have lower average speeds set), you cannot stop or drive under 20km/h, and you must not go over 110km/h.

Every car in the Rally of the Bay has to fit a RallySafe tracking unit that, as well as letting us see where you are and respond if there are any issues, reports vehicle speed during the event.  While you would normally need to have a RallySafe fitting kit installed before the event these do have some parts that need to be attached to the outside of the car so you will be able to hire a suction cup mounting bracket/antenna/power lead if preferred.

A car – well that’s pretty obvious but it does need to have:

• Registration of some type to allow it to drive on public roads.
• 3^rd Party Insurance.
• A solid permanent roof structure.
• Working lights (it will be dark by the time you finish the 8 stages).
• A reasonable amount of ground clearance (you will be driving on gravel forest roads and they are not as smooth as your local road!) and there is at least one creek crossing …
• A first aid kit as per the Rally Standing Regulations – Vehicles General (RSR-VG) section 5.3.
• 2 seatbelt cutter/window tools; and
• A well mounted minimum 2kg hand held extinguisher.

Licences:

• Both members of the crew must have at least a Motorsport Australia Speed Licence.
• The driver must have a suitable licence to drive on public roads.

Safety equipment, at a minimum:

• A safety helmet that meets the Motorsport Australia Level B standard (AS/NZS 1698 standard and above).
• Clothing from ankles to neck to wrists. Clothing of flammable synthetic material, such as nylon, is not acceptable.
• Shoes with leather uppers that cover the foot. Shoes which have a leather upper but which include elasticised ankle regions are acceptable (e.g. elastic-sided work boots.

The entry fee for this part of the event is great value at just $450 (a third of the “full event” entry fee, and just under half of the Clubman event – which runs on the same 8 stages).  If you need to hire the RallySafe kit for the day that will add $35, or you can purchase and fit an install kit BEFORE the event, and, of course, unless you live around the Batemans Bay area you will probably need to find some accommodation for at least the driver, co-driver, and some friends to help with the ‘service’ break.

The total competitive distance for the day is 127km (4 stages, service, repeat 4 stages) with total distance for the day being 269km on what we think are some of the best roads in NSW.

You will NOT be permitted to look at the course prior to the day – you have to compete using only the event official roadbook!

Photo: Roy Meuronen Photography

To find out more, email the Event Secretary at adriana.pallister@nsscc.com.au

To Enter the event, visit: https://nsscc.com.au/rally-of-the-bay/