Adelaide Hills Rally receives Autobarn boost for 2026

The Adelaide Hills Rally has received a major boost ahead of this year’s running with highly renowned auto parts retailer Autobarn coming on board as a gold partner for the EROAD Australian Rally Championship’s (ARC) fifth round of the 2026 season.

As a partner, Autobarn will support the highly anticipated Super Special Stage, which kicks off the event on the Friday night at the Southern District Car Club and Mid Murray Motorplex.

Made up of a three-and-a-half-kilometre short and long form circuit, the Autobarn Super Special Stage will pit drivers up against each other in a Race-of-Champions side-by-side battle – providing plenty of action for attending fans.

The stage will run twice on the Friday night, giving South Australian rally fans a preview of what the recently announced Australian Rally Championship Festival at the bp Adelaide Grand Final will look like.

Adelaide Hills Rally Clerk of Course Michael Clements was thrilled to have Autobarn support the event.

“It’s very exciting to have a national organisation like Autobarn supporting the Super Special Stage as it boosts the event as a whole and makes it viable in many ways,” Clements said.

“The Autobarn Super Special Stage is extremely important for us as an event as it is being held at the Southern District Car Club, which celebrates the 21st anniversary of its junior development program – something that has contributed greatly to the sport over the years – bringing a number of drivers who have gone on to feature prominently in the state and national rally championships.

“Part of that was the inspiration to hold the Autobarn Super Special Stage at the complex, so it’s going to be a very special night for us.”

With the Autobarn Super Special Stage now taking place on the Friday night, which will be broadcast on Kayo Sports and the ARC and Speedcafe live streams, there will be no Shakedown earlier in the day, while the traditional Friday rally show will now take place on the Thursday night.

Held at the Barker Hotel on Gawler Street in Mount Barker, the MSS Safety Rally Show & Street Party will give fans a chance to see cars up close and personal and see some of the crews before they officially begin the rally on Friday evening.

Entries for the event remain open until Friday 18 September and interested crews can enter the event via WOLF SPORTS, with Clements pleased with how the rally is currently positioned.

“With Autobarn coming on as partner, MSS Safety staying on for another year as the name sponsor for the street party and a lot of interest from potential competitors, I think the Adelaide Hills Rally is in a very good spot at the moment,” Clements added.

“The entry numbers are looking a lot better than we expected so we are extremely excited for what’s to come and encourage local and national crews to attend the event and be part of something special.

“Honestly, I feel like we’re in a better place than we were last year and we have a lot of consistency, corporate partners coming on board and support from the fans.”

The Adelaide Hills Rally, which serves as the penultimate round for the 2026 EROAD Australian Rally Championship and the final Sprint event of the year, takes place in and around the forests of Mount Barker on 2-4 October.