The Middle of Everywhere Gippsland Rally organisers are excited to announce the EziUp Power Stage. This road has not been used competitively for Gippsland Rally, but was regularly part of VRC and VCRS rallies through the 90s and into the early 00s.
The twelve kilometre EziUp Power Stage came to life as part of the necessity for additional stages in this year’s event and inspired Justin Dowel. Justin has been an active competitor and contributor to rallying over the last few decades. As the Managing Director of Trydel, he saw this great opportunity for its EziUp brand.
“Trydel and EziUp has been sponsoring motorsport in Victoria for almost twenty years through various forms including the Victorian Hillclimb Championship. We love everything about The Middle of Everywhere Gippsland Rally and wanted to expand support to make the EziUp Power Stage happen. The rally has gone from strength to strength, and we believe this year’s event will be its best yet, so we had to support it.”
Clerk of Course Andrew Roseman recalls the early conversations with Justin, “Anyone who’s driven this road is inspired by its character; smooth, flowing, crests and dips. When I mentioned to Justin that we were considering it, he said “If you make it a stage, I’ll support it… I’ll even enter the rally just to drive it!”
Justin has “competed on the road around 20 years ago only as a night stage.” It’s been used by the rally as access to the refuel after SS2/SS6, and when Justin “was doing a refuel for Troy a few years ago and drove it, I just said WOW I hope that one day this road could become a stage in the rally and begged the organising team to include it.”
“In my opinion this would be the greatest rally stage Australia has with its countless big crests, beautifully made smooth all weather wide road surface and high-speed nature. It would be the closest comparison to a Finnish stage that Australia can offer.”
“I just can’t wait to race on it and I know everyone who does will rave about it…
If you are going to do an ARC this year, this is the rally to do it.
If the clues weren’t enough to identify this road to you, it is Springs Rd, running south, downhill towards Seaton. It was used regularly in VRC and VCRS rallies through the 90s and into the 00s.
This section was run by Bernard Miron, Gippsland Rally’s Road Director, in the 1998 George Derrick Memorial Trial uphill and then again in the 2001 Autumn Midnight Trial. Both of these rallies were VCRS (Victorian Club Rally Series) night events.
It was run downhill as a 14.10km stage at night in the 2004 George Derrick Memorial Trial, which coincidently was Andrew Roseman’s first time as a Road Director.
Eli Evans won the stage in 2004 in his WRX with a time of 8:19, and on this 14.10km stage it equates to 101.72km/h average speed. Fast! This gives some perspective on how fast the current day ARC competitors will take this.
The EziUp Power Stage is SS18 and the first car is scheduled to start at 14:43.