WORLD RALLY STARS AN EXCITEMENT

BOOST FOR BIG SUNSHINE COAST RALLY

International Rally of Queensland, 30 July – 1 August 2010

Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Rd 5, FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship

Visiting Sunshine Coast (Caloundra, Marcoola), Imbil, Kenilworth & Cooroy

www.rallyqueensland.com.au

THE entry of World Rally stars including Australia’s Chris Atkinson and Scotsman Alistair McRaehas guaranteed excitement levels will be sky-high when the International Rally of Queensland hits the Sunshine Coast late next month.?The event on 30 July - 1 August will be Australia’s biggest championship rally of the year, bringing to one of the country’s most popular tourist regions the fastest and most spectacular cars and drivers from Japan, Malaysia, India,Indonesia, China, Britain and New Zealand, as well as Australia.
The area’s mild winter climate, spectacular natural attractions and world-class tourist facilities make it a popular destination on the international rally calendar.
The Queensland State Government and Sunshine Coast regional government both provide funding for the event, using its extensive international television coverage to showcase the coast to holidaymakers.
Rally headquarters are at the oceanfront SurfAir at Marcoola beach resort, just over one hour’s motorway drive north of Brisbane and adjacent to the Sunshine Coast Airport.?Atkinson, the Aussie who drove for the Subaru World Rally Team from 2005 to 2008, and British Rally Champion McRae, brother of the late World RallyChampion Colin McRae, will tackle the International Rally of Queensland for the crack new Proton R3 Malaysia Rally Team.
Their breathtaking high-speed skills will be on display to spectators throughout the rally, which will be round four of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, animportant feeder series that develops talent for the FIA World Rally Championship.
Rivals for Atkinson and McRae among an expected field of 70 crews will include the current championship pacesetters Katsu Taguchi (Japan) and Guarav Gill (India), both part of the Indian MRF team and also World Rally veterans, Indonesia’s Rifat Sungkar and leading Australians such as two-time champion Simon Evans, Scott Pedder, Honda factory driver Eli Evans and Sunshine Coast star Ryan Smart.?After almost a week of testing, preparations and promotional appearances by teams, the rally will start on Friday night 30 July with the thrilling Coates Hire Rally Shootout super special stage under lights at Caloundra.
Weekend action will be centred on the picturesque Mary Valley township of Imbil, from where the crews will tackle a string of challenging forestry stages, punctuated by a Saturday-breakfast service stop in the Kenilworth main street and an afternoon promotional visit to the hinterland town of Cooroy, followed by an overnight stop at SurfAir resort for international and national competitors.
For the many other teams, crews, supporters and spectators who will remain in Imbil on Saturday night, the Mary Valley Show Society is staging a party in the showgrounds featuring food, drinks and entertainment including Sunshine Coast Mayor Bob Abbot and his eight-piece Boreen Point Connection band.
The party is a new gesture by locals to welcome visitors to Imbil and show them country hospitality.
?Event Director Errol Bailey says the International Rally of Queensland will be one of the Sunshine Coast’s most exciting sports events of the year and an eye-opener for fans and first-time spectators alike.?“Drivers like Chris Atkinson, Colin McRae and Katsu Taguchi are amazing to watch as they slide and jump their cars on gravel roads between the trees at high speed,” he said.
“It’s like a video game come to life but 100 times more exciting when you can see and hear the real thing and then actually talk to the drivers during their stops.?“This will be the only chance fans have to see these international drivers in action in Australia this year and they shouldn’t miss it.”
Dedicated television coverage will be broadcast in Australia on Network Ten and ONE HD and internationally to more than 55 countries, including China, Malaysia, Singapore Hong Kong, Indonesia and across Europe.

The International Rally of Queensland is benefiting from Significant Regional Event Scheme (SRES) funding under the Queensland  Events Regional Development Program (QERDP).
The QERDP is an investment program designed to extend the flow of economic and social benefits of events to regional Queensland. The SRES celebrates and supports those events that have a particularly strong track record of growth and economic success for their region.
A state-wide initiative, the program is committed to enhancing existing events in regional Queensland, as well as assisting in the establishment of new events.
Since the QERDP began in 2001, more than $13.6 million has been invested in 645 regional events, an indicator of the important role these events play in their communities and wider Queensland.
IROQ also is supported by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council.

For further information, contact:
Chris Nixon
Media Manager
Mob.: (0418) 759 417
Email: media@rallyqueensland.com.au
Web: rallyqueensland.com.au