Big field for Kalgoorlie AORC finale

The final round of the Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship heads to WA this weekend for the Black Diamond Drilling Kalgoorlie Desert Race.

A big field of 78 crews will tackle the 320 competitive kilometres on offer for the October 19-22 event, with a big focus on a battle of state pride set to ignite following the championship already being decided at the Loveday 400 by Travis Robinson and Andrew Pinto.

The 320 km of competitive distance will take place over multi-terrain conditions, with the 121km course to see three separate passes.

78 car crews and 148 bikes are set to battle it out in the AORC finale in Kalgoorlie. Image: Dakar Press Team Australia

It seems an age since Robinson and navigator Pinto sealed their maiden national title in July, and now they can aim their focus at finishing the year with a victory on their home turf.

Robinsons brother Beau is perhaps his biggest challenger on home soil having taken out last year’s event, but both are steeped in knowledge of the tricky terrain.

Other local drivers that are a fair chance to give it a shake include Shane Elphinstone, Adam Trewhella, and Brent Smoothym, whilst an overseas threat looms in the form of Kiwi off-roaders Raana Horan and John Morgan.

Horan was the winner of the Wentworth Shire Pooncarie Desert Dash earlier in the year, so will be considered a genuine chance if they can sort their course notes against the local knowledge.

Travis Robnson and Andrew Pinto were popular winners of this years AORC championship. Image: AORC

Another outside contender comes in the form of local racer local Stephen Ketteridge-Hall, who turned some heads in the state component of the Kalgoorlie Desert Race last season, putting up times that had him in the outright top-ten.

“I am really looking forward to it personally. We are quite isolated over here in WA, and it’s not very often we get the opportunity to compare ourselves to the other states,” Ketteridge-Hall said on www.aorc.com.au

“I didn’t do the national championship last year, even though I wish I did, so I can’t wait to see how I stack up against some of the best crews in Australia – especially in the Prolite class where there is some really strong competition.

“We have made some improvements to the car for this year, so I am hoping I can better my result from last year, or at least go quicker. I guess I also have the goal of winning the Prolite class and even challenging for the outright event.”

Class titles still on the line…

There is still some class title on the line this weekend, including the aforementioned Prolite, with Mel Brandle and Alan Dixon among those set to battle for the season honours.

The 121 km course will offer up varied terrain over its three passes. Image: Dakar Press Team Australia

The SXS Motorsport Australia Championship is the other class set to provide a thrilling finish, with James Cook, Greg Campbell, James Mogford and Glenn Brinkman all capable of taking it out with little between them in the pointscore.

Alongside the 78 cars entered will be 148 bikes set to duel it out, with the prologue starting tomorrow.

Both the cars and bikes will be on display during Thursday’s Street Party and Scrutineering at the Ray Finlayson Sporting Complex from 3pm AWST, before they each have Prologue on Friday, with the cars to run at 2pm local time.

On Saturday, the AORC’s first section will take place between at 10:10am AWST and in between the bikes’ first and second sections, before the remaining two sections are run on Sunday at 7am and 1:20pm AWST.

AUTO ACTION’s latest issue #1872, is out now in its digital form downloadable right here, and available in all good newsagents and stockists near you on Thursday, continuing on as Australia’s most trusted independent voice in motorsport.

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We cover so much ground this week you would think we were on the amazing race. PG is ill so Andrew and Bruce go through the topics of the week and the sensor button gets another run.

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