Photo: Lock and Load Transport
When people talk about the longevity of certain motor sporting events around the world, you are sure to hear mention of the French Grand Prix, the Monte Carlo Rally, the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, and most certainly the iconic Indianapolis 500, regarded as the greatest spectacle in racing at the infamous “Brickyard” in Indianapolis, Indiana.
However, unless you encounter a tried and true 'I bleed motor sports' kind of guy or you happen to be talking with someone from our friends down under, you will hardly get a mention about Australia's Alpine Rally. However, the Alpine Rally deserves attention right alongside those famous races mentioned above, not just for its unique nature but for its longevity as well.
The Alpine Rally is Australia's oldest and longest-running motorsport dating back to the inaugural event held way back in 1921. Conceived by the Royal Automobile Club of Australia, the first race involved 28 drivers and covered 1,000 miles (1,609 km) in a seven-day stretch over rugged mountain roads testing the limits of man and machine.
In 1926, the Victorian Light Car Club took over the event (later to become the Light Car Club of Australia) that became much more competitive in nature while utilizing the same landmarks of Omeo and Mount Hotham as the original Alpine course.
The event continued to evolve after a break during World War II, with more emphasis placed on speed and navigation covering the same distance over the course of a weekend, placing additional demands on drivers, crews, and vehicles.
Australia's Historical Rally Association is now in charge of the biennial event. Due to some environmental mumbo-jumbo, the event was moved from its original playground to its base in Lakes Entrance, East Gippsland. This year's race will be celebrated as the centennial running of the rally after it was nixed in 2021 during the Covid pandemic.
The 2022 Lock and Load Transport Alpine Rally of East Gippsland will be held December 1-4 with over 100 starting places.
So what are rallies all about? There are road rallies that take on some of the most challenging paved roadways throughout the world, but in this case, we are strictly talking about off-road rally events that stretch for miles over the most difficult terrains in almost every weather condition, from sloping hills and mud-covered reveens to vast expanses of desert and forest.
While there are many associations around the world sanctioning events of this nature, the Dakar Rally may be most familiar to the general public at large. Originally called the Paris-Dakar Rally, it originated in 1977 and involved a 10,000-kilometer (6,200 miles) trek from Paris to the Senegalese capital of Dakar. Today, the event is held in Saudi Arabia, where professionals and amateurs gather to compete in the brutal off-road endurance event over sand dunes covering stages from short distances up to 800–900 kilometers (500–560 miles) per day.
The Rally Finland may be the most professional and commercial event in the rally world, given the participation of professional drivers and automakers such as Hyundai, Toyota, Ford, and others. There are several different classes that compete over a 4-day stretch. The race this past August marked the seventy-first race in the event's history and was the eighth round of the 2022 World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship 2, and World Rally Championship 3.
In fact, Phil Thomas, the Managing Director of Lock and Load Transport, the sponsor for the 2022 Alpine Rally, was on hand to get behind the wheel of his new 284 bhp Millington Diamond Plus engine-equipped Ford Escort to get in some stages in preparation for his hometown event at the Alpine Rally.
The Alpine Rally is Australia's oldest and longest-running motorsport dating back to the inaugural event held way back in 1921. Conceived by the Royal Automobile Club of Australia, the first race involved 28 drivers and covered 1,000 miles (1,609 km) in a seven-day stretch over rugged mountain roads testing the limits of man and machine.
In 1926, the Victorian Light Car Club took over the event (later to become the Light Car Club of Australia) that became much more competitive in nature while utilizing the same landmarks of Omeo and Mount Hotham as the original Alpine course.
The event continued to evolve after a break during World War II, with more emphasis placed on speed and navigation covering the same distance over the course of a weekend, placing additional demands on drivers, crews, and vehicles.
Australia's Historical Rally Association is now in charge of the biennial event. Due to some environmental mumbo-jumbo, the event was moved from its original playground to its base in Lakes Entrance, East Gippsland. This year's race will be celebrated as the centennial running of the rally after it was nixed in 2021 during the Covid pandemic.
The 2022 Lock and Load Transport Alpine Rally of East Gippsland will be held December 1-4 with over 100 starting places.
So what are rallies all about? There are road rallies that take on some of the most challenging paved roadways throughout the world, but in this case, we are strictly talking about off-road rally events that stretch for miles over the most difficult terrains in almost every weather condition, from sloping hills and mud-covered reveens to vast expanses of desert and forest.
While there are many associations around the world sanctioning events of this nature, the Dakar Rally may be most familiar to the general public at large. Originally called the Paris-Dakar Rally, it originated in 1977 and involved a 10,000-kilometer (6,200 miles) trek from Paris to the Senegalese capital of Dakar. Today, the event is held in Saudi Arabia, where professionals and amateurs gather to compete in the brutal off-road endurance event over sand dunes covering stages from short distances up to 800–900 kilometers (500–560 miles) per day.
The Rally Finland may be the most professional and commercial event in the rally world, given the participation of professional drivers and automakers such as Hyundai, Toyota, Ford, and others. There are several different classes that compete over a 4-day stretch. The race this past August marked the seventy-first race in the event's history and was the eighth round of the 2022 World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship 2, and World Rally Championship 3.
In fact, Phil Thomas, the Managing Director of Lock and Load Transport, the sponsor for the 2022 Alpine Rally, was on hand to get behind the wheel of his new 284 bhp Millington Diamond Plus engine-equipped Ford Escort to get in some stages in preparation for his hometown event at the Alpine Rally.
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