Great Tarmac Rally Expands to Three Days for 2026 Championship Finale
Some of Australia's most impressive competition cars are preparing to descend on the Victorian High Country, with a formidable national field set to tackle more than 450 competitive kilometres at the Great Tarmac Rally 2026 from 23–25 October.
For the first time in its history, the event will expand to three days, taking competitors across three of Victoria's most demanding roads: Lake Mountain Road, Eildon–Jamieson Road and the legendary Reefton Spur. The expanded format marks a significant milestone for Australian Tarmac Rally (ATR) and sets the stage for a fitting conclusion to the 2026 Championship.
Few events in Australia can boast a collection of machinery quite like the one assembling in Marysville this October.
American muscle returns to the mountain as John and Janet Ireland unleash their 2017 Dodge Viper ACR once again. With its thunderous V10 and unmistakable presence, the Viper is certain to be one of the most recognisable cars in the field.
Equally anticipated is the debut of Allan and Kerry Hines in their 2024 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, bringing Porsche's sophisticated customer racing engineering to the demanding Victorian roads.
The Porsche contingent continues with Xavier Franklin and Jaidyn Gluskie in their Cayman GT4, Laura and Gavin Rogers in a Cayman GTS, and Hugh Feggans and James Callahan in a 1977 Porsche 911, showcasing several generations of the German marque.
Geoff Olholm and John Doble's Toyota Supra GTS is another standout, joining an extensive field of Japanese performance machinery including Nissan Skyline’s, Mitsubishi Evolutions, Subaru WRXs, Mazda RX-7s and Toyota GR Yaris entries.
Adding to the event's national appeal are two crews making the journey from Western Australia for their Australian Tarmac Rally debut.
Fresh from competing in Tarmac West, Daryl Henthorn and Riley Griffiths will bring their 2015 Porsche GT3 across the country, while fellow Western Australians Simon Brennan and Sylvia Hamerlik will take on the event in their 2021 BMW M4 Competition.
Their participation reflects the growing national appeal of the Australian Tarmac Rally and the willingness of competitors to travel considerable distances for the opportunity to compete on Victoria's iconic closed roads.
The Modern Super Rally category features a strong contingent of Subaru and Mitsubishi machinery, including Dean Lillie and Samantha Stevens, Alex and Lance Wasson, Lance Arundel and Stuart Collison, and Nathan Reeves and Bec Sheldrick.
The Modern AWD field is equally competitive, with Craig and Jasmine Haysman, David and Jackie Thirlwall, Greg and Rhonda Burrowes, Damian O'Halloran and Brian Foster, and Scott Coppleman and Adrian Burney among those preparing for the extended contest.
With championship honours on the line, outright speed alone will not guarantee success. The additional day of competition will place greater emphasis on consistency, mechanical reliability and the ability to maintain concentration across hundreds of demanding kilometres.
Classic machinery will also feature prominently, with Keith Morling and Tristan Stirling-Cameron campaigning their 1976 Ford Mk2 Escort, alongside Jonathan Moir and Brad Jones in another Mk2 Escort. Tim and Kathy Branch will compete in their distinctive 1983 Mitsubishi Starion, while Thomas Dermody and Darragh Lynch will bring their 1978 Ford RS 2500.
Beyond the competition, delivering the expanded Great Tarmac Rally represents a substantial logistical undertaking, requiring months of planning, extensive consultation with government agencies, local authorities and emergency services, and the commitment of officials, volunteers and specialist safety personnel.
The event will also bring competitors, service crews, officials, families and supporters into the Victorian High Country, supporting accommodation providers, hospitality businesses and surrounding communities while showcasing Marysville and the wider region as a premier motorsport destination.
Australian Tarmac Rally Event Director Brittany Wilson said the move to three days represented an exciting progression for the event and a considerable commitment by the organisation.
"We've always believed the Great Tarmac Rally has the potential to be something truly exceptional, and this year we're taking that next step.
"Bringing Lake Mountain, Eildon–Jamieson and Reefton Spur together over three days is something we're incredibly proud of. These are roads that drivers travel from all over Australia to experience, and we're giving our competitors the opportunity to tackle them in a professionally managed, closed-road competition environment.
"Putting on an event of this scale is no small undertaking. We're a small, independent organisation, and expanding to three days represents a significant investment of time, resources and financial commitment.
"We don't have the luxury of guaranteed income or major financial backing. We do this because we genuinely believe in the future of tarmac rallying in Australia, and because we know how much these events mean to the people who compete in them."
The 2026 Great Tarmac Rally takes place from 23–25 October, based in Marysville, Victoria.
