Rally cars started arriving in Parkes yesterday and will be seen all over Parkes this weekend as cars and their crews come to town for the start of the seventh and final Classic Outback Trial.

It is an endurance rally for historic rally cars (pre-1980), and 49 cars and their crews will pass under the starter’s arch in Church Street at 9am on the first of seven long and gruelling days of fast, hard and dusty competitive car rallying covering 33 special stages and nearly 1,700km in total.

With the racing crews comes a mobile army of almost 300 people who will offer a very significant boost for the economy of not only Parkes, Orange and Bathurst – where overnight stops will be held – but also that some of the smaller towns like Condobolin, Molong and Sofala, where lunch breaks will be held.

Entries for the event include local Bathurst legends Andrew and David Travis. Driving a 1984 V6 powered Nissan Gazelle, the son and father team will be trying hard to win this year’s event to add to their already impressive tally of four Classic Outback Trial wins.

Hot on their heels will be former Australian Rally Champion Nathan Quinn in a 1972 Mazda RX2 and South Australian star driver Stuart Bowes, who will be manhandling his massive Mercedes Benz 450 SLC through the tight forests and fast and open shire roads between Parkes and Bathurst.

Another entry set to attract some attention is a 1958 British sports car fitted with 2019 Telsa S electric running gear. The car is a Sunbeam Alpine Series 3, probably best known as the “Get Smart Car” in the popular TV series of the 1970’s.

Michael Wilkinson of Victoria is the car’s owner and the brains behind the unique concept, and the Classic Outback Trial is his first foray into dusty and gravel roads of a regularity rally with an electric rally car.

Giving the rally some international flavour will be UK-based Kiwi Warren Briggs who has entered his beautiful 1965 Mustang. Aided by Victorian navigator Matt Dillon the team are hoping for a good showing. It will be a change of scenery for Warren who is more used to steering his historic Formula one McLaren around tarmac circuits instead of the dusty roads of regional NSW.

LOCAL CHARITY SUPPORT

Warren and his team usually pick a local charity to support and this year have joined with local racing legend Peter O’Donnell and Spinifex Recruiting to raise awareness and funds for the Parkes Prostate Cancer Support and Awareness Group.

The Mustang will be on display this afternoon in front of Discount Daves in Clarinda Street to raise awareness for the Prostate Cancer Support Group. The group will be running a raffle with the lucky winner getting a ride around town with Warren in the Mustang. The team welcomes everyone to come up whilst the event is on, get a photo or two or just have a yarn about the Mighty Red 1965 Mustang.

A feature of the 2022 Classic Outback Trial is the Regularity event, held in conjunction with the Special Stage Rally but on open roads and where the crews must strictly obey all traffic rules and regulations to arrive at their destination on time.

The 2022 Classic Outback Trial will move to Orange on Tuesday, 29th March and will finish at Bathurst Civic Centre on Saturday, 2nd April.

Sharing the stage with Australia’s celebrity artists in your home town is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and the two junior soloists in Overture are super excited for the 2nd of April.

The two Parkes Christian School students might only be 12 and 13 years in age, but Lexi Herden and Aimee Ross are ready for the challenge of performing on the big stage and would like to see the whole community come out and support them on this unforgettable night.

Lexi will be singing ‘When I grow up’ from the musical Matilda. “I will sing two verses and then the choir will join in,” said the young star who has only had two solo roles before in her life.

Aimee will be singing ‘I know it’s today’ from Shrek with Australian superstar Lucy Durack and Holly Hare from Bathurst. Aimee sings the part of little Fiona, Holly is young Fiona and Lucy is adult Fiona.

The two students had to do an audition at the end of last year and are the only two school-aged soloists chosen from auditioneers from all across NSW.

“My mum took a video when I got the good news,” said Aimee. “I was ecstatic! I really wanted it,” said the young star who has been in several Parkes M & D productions.

Lexi said she did not really understand how big a deal it was until her mum explained. “I got really excited, but I’m also feeling a bit nervous about performing in front of such a big audience.”

She would love to become a professional in musical theatre one day, and can’t wait to meet Lucy Durack and talk to her about

what it takes to get to the top.

“It would be amazing to meet Lucy and perform with her on stage,” said Aimee, who also have a passion for law and politics and becoming a lawyer.

The two students will conclude their preparation with a singing lesson with the other big star of Overture, Josh Piterman shortly before the big night.

Car enthusiasts cannot afford to miss this year’s Speedway Exhibition at the Parkes Elvis Festival featuring 40 iconic and prestigious cars at the former Broderick’s car yard in Clarinda Street.

Inspired by this year’s Speedway theme, a diverse blend of unique cars have been brought together for the first time ever. Sharing the showroom floor will be a rare collection of Holden Dealer Team (HDT) special vehicles, special Commodore builds, the Anniversary Edition Commodores together with group A cars and a 1980 Peter Brock Marlborough Holden Dealer Team race car.

The exhibition will also see the official unveiling of the 2015VF “Blue Meanies” in sedan, wagon and ute configuration based on the 1985 HDT VK Commodore SS Group A ‘Blue Meanie’ released by Peter Brock and the HDT.

The range racing cars will include the 1977 Brian Burt and 1978 Everlast Ford XC Coupes, an Alan Moffat Tribute Ford Mustang and Peter O Donnell’s BMW 335i which has completed more laps of the famous Bathurst track than any other car.

The list also includes a Porsche 911 GT3, MK1 Ford GT40 and 1965 Shelby Cobra along with NASCARs and a range of speedway cars. As if that isn’t enough to whet your appetite, the feast of horsepower continues with a 327 HK Bathurst Monaro, a VL Walkenshaw Commodore and other powerful cars to get your motor revving.

To further enhance the racing experience, a state-of-the-art virtual reality racing car simulator, as used by professional drivers around the world, will get your adrenaline pumping as you try to be the King of the track.

The display will also include racing memorabilia such as bonnets from various racing cars, racing suits and a diverse selection of intriguing and fascinating collectables.

The Speedway Exhibition official launch at 11am on Wednesday, 20th April is open to everybody where you’ll hear from owner of Holden Driving Team Special Vehicles, Peter Champion who will share some thoughts on the cars and launch of the Blue Meanie Trilogy.

Exhibit Includes Official Unveiling Of Blue Meanies

The HDT VC race car will also be on display at the Speedway Exhibition at this year’s Parkes Elvis Festival. The exhibition, to be held in the former Broderick’s car yard in Clarinda Street, is sponsored by the Bogan Gate Pub, and funded by the NSW Government. The exhibition will run from Wednesday, 20th April to Sunday, 24th April from 9am to 5pm with free entry. Everyone is invited to attend the official launch at 11am on Wednesday, 20th April where you’ll hear from owner of Holden Driving Team Special Vehicles, Peter Champion. He will share some thoughts on the cars and launch of the Blue Meanie Tril-

 

 

Parkes is going to be the focal point of the 2022 Classic Outback Rally with about 60 cars rolling into town from Thursday next week with plenty of opportunities for the public the view the cars.

Not only will the seven-day rally officially start in Parkes, but the participants will support the Parkes Prostate Cancer Awareness and Support Group (PPCASG) to help them bring a dedicated prostate cancer nurse to Parkes and the region.

The support group members will be outside Discount Dave’s most of next week raising funds, and on Friday the Ford Mustang of famous rally driver Warren Briggs will be parked in Clarinda Street from 10am to 2pm. Members of the public making a donation will go in the draw to be a passenger in the Ford Mustang with Warren Briggs or Matt Dillon behind the wheel for a spin around Parkes on Saturday afternoon.

Chairperson of PPCASG Michael Lynch said the prostate care nurses helped to diagnose and provide expert information and support for the whole family. “At the moment we have to travel to see one of these nurses.”

On Saturday, 26th March the competitors will line up in Short Street beside Cooke Park from 11:30am. After a drivers briefing at 12pm in the Leagues Club, Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keity will flag them off at 1pm for a test run outside Parkes before the official start of the rally on Sunday morning at 8am from Church Street at the corner with Clarinda Street.

Pete O’Donnel from Spinifex Recruiting will be making a donation to the PPCASG, and in turn the group will make a donation to the CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia Jim Lloyd, who will be in Parkes for the event.

This is a great opportunity to experience what might be the last Classic Outback Rally, and to support a good cause.