Gippsland Rally launches in style

The following is the official press release launching The Middle of Everywhere Gippsland Rally.

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The Middle of Everywhere Gippsland Rally was launched today at West Sale Airport, five weeks before the rally itself will be held on 20-22 November. The organising team welcomed Councillor Cindy Madeley, Mayor of Wellington Shire Council and Councillor Edward Lowe, Central Ward Councillor along with Adrian Coppin, ARC Event Promoter and Scott Pedder, Director of Pedders Suspension and Brakes.

Gippsland Rally Director Andrew Roseman announced in his speech, “This year we have a number of new local businesses supporting the event and have given us the opportunity for the event to grow and expand this year. The support from Wellington Shire Council as our naming rights partner, the use of the West Sale Airport as our base for the event and their overall support and promotion of the event. Their support proudly enables this premier motorsport event to be showcased in Central Gippsland.

Gippsland Truck Centre have joined us as our Service Park Sponsor. Thanks to Joe Harton, General Manager, and Darren White, Managing Director of Gippsland Truck Centre.

Marathon Group Australia is our Rally Show and Super Special Stage Sponsor, thanks to Brett Singh and David Barty. Their support has brought this new opportunity at the West Sale Airport to life.

Australian Sustainable Hardwood, Vince Hurley, Managing Director, and Dave Gover, General Manager as our event sponsor providing our beautiful trophies that are manufactured locally in Heyfield.

The Star Hotel as our hospitality partner. The support from these local businesses is integral to the success of the event.

This year we have a new base here at the West Sale Airport and this has allowed us to centralise the service park, Rally Show, and construct a Super Special Stage that will be run both Friday and Saturday nights.

The Marathon Group Australia Rally Show will allow spectators to get up close to the cars and meet the crews. Former Dakar Rally winner Toby Price will be competing at the event and this is the chance for fans to get a signature.

The Marathon Group Australia Super Special Stage is a spectator friendly short course which allows the public to get up close and watch the rally cars at full speed. The stage will also feature a jump to add to the excitement.

At the Galvaniized Insurance Rally Central and Gippsland Truck Centre Service Park there will be entertainment beyond what rally normally has to offer, with food trucks, merchandise, and podium presentations on Saturday and Sunday. Rally service parks are a hive of activity during the weekend with crews having limited time to repair and work on cars between the competition stages in the forest.

Day 2 (Saturday) will feature brand new stages for this event, held in the State Forests south of Sale near Won Wron and Woodside. They haven’t been used in national competition for over 40 years and three spectator points are set in these forests. The main spectator point will have food trucks and amenities, and it’s the most family friendly. The other two points will be smaller vantage points for the die hard rally fans.

The crews will return to West Sale Airport for their midday service before tackling the same stages for a second time. Late afternoon, they’ll return for another blast around the Marathon Group Australia Super Special Stage before heading into the end of day service to prepare for Day 3. The Victorian Rally Championship competitors will finish the event here and there’ll be a podium presentation.

Day 3 of the event will head north west to our traditional forest roads near Heyfield, Cowwarr and Seaton. We have reversed the direction of most of our stages for Day 3 so this will add an extra challenge for crews as the characteristics of the roads change dramatically.

With the stages being all new at the event this year, this will really level out the competition as previous pace notes for the rally are now redundant.

The spectator points at Glenmaggie and Cowwarr Weir will be as entertaining as ever. The cars will go through the stage loop before heading into the Gordon Street Recreation Reserve in Heyfield for a midday remote service – the bare essentials.

Following this, the crews will repeat the stages, with the final stage of the event and the championship being the Power Stage. Extra points are available for the winner of this stage and this is likely to decide the EROAD Australian Rally Champions for 2026.