The ARC’s Guide to the Toyota Gazoo Racing Narooma Forest Rally

The 2026 EROAD Australian Rally Championship (ARC) heads to the New South Wales South Coast this weekend for a historic occasion, with the inaugural Toyota Gazoo Racing Narooma Forest Rally set to host the third round of the season.

Taking place across in and around the forests of Narooma, the highly anticipated event marks the ARC’s first visit to the popular NSW Rally Championship destination, and comes at a crucial stage of the championship battle as crews reach the midway point of the 2026 season.

A strong field of 19 ARC crews will tackle the fast and technical roads surrounding Narooma, with a solid variety of top machinery and iconic manufacturers all represented across the outright and support categories.

Leading the charge is Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia pairing Harry Bates and Coral Taylor, who arrive in Narooma holding the championship lead after two rounds, but will face fierce competition from Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin in the second Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, and fellow title contenders Scott Pedder and Glenn Macneall.

The ARC Plant Hire Forest Rally winners will once again get behind the wheel of the Pedders Rally Team Protected by Famous Insurance Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, and will have teammates Jackson and Damien Long supporting them in their Skoda Fabia R5.

Josh Redhead and Ray Winwood-Smith headline the rest of the field on board their Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 5 as they look to secure the WOLF Sports Cup and East Coast Cup in strong fields.

Popular driver Tom Clarke also returns to ARC action alongside Brad Jones in the iconic Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 3, while Jaidyn Gluskie and Mitch Garrad make their first ARC appearance of the season and contest the Junior Cup battle.

Narooma will also welcome several new faces to the championship, including James O’Malley and Jono Forrest in their Toyota 86, and Junior Cup debutants Lucas Reed and Isaac Ellis.

View the full entry list here.

KEY DETAILS

Serving as the third round of the 2026 EROAD Australian Rally Championship, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Narooma Forest Rally officially begins on Friday afternoon with Shakedown before fans are treated to the Rally Show at Nata Oval later that evening.

Crews will tackle 145.26 competitive kilometres across 12 special stages throughout the weekend, with six stages making up each day of competition.

Saturday’s Heat features 79 and a half competitive kilometres, while Sunday’s remaining six stages total almost 66 kilometres.

Galvaniize Insurance Rally Central and the A1 Autoparts Service Park at Bill Smyth Oval will serve as the central hub of the event, giving fans the opportunity to see teams working on the cars throughout the weekend.

Friday night’s Rally Show takes place at Nata Oval from 5:00pm to 7:00pm AEST, providing spectators with the perfect opportunity to meet crews and get up close to the cars before competition begins.

The rally concludes on Sunday afternoon with the podium presentation at Bill Smyth Oval from 2:30pm AEST.

STAYING IN THE LOOP

Fans will once again be able to follow all the action from the Toyota Gazoo Racing Narooma Forest Rally across a range of broadcast and digital platforms throughout the weekend.

Friday’s Shakedown will be streamed live from 12:30pm AEST, while Saturday’s Even Stephens 1 stage (SS3) and Sunday’s Gunda Gunda 1 stage (SS8) will also be broadcast live via the ARC’s digital platforms and Speedcafe’s Facebook page.

FOX SPORTS Australia and Kayo Sports coverage will feature Even Stephens 2 (SS6) on Saturday afternoon and Gunda Gunda 2 (SS11) on Sunday afternoon in addition to the ARC and Speedcafe YouTube and Facebook channels.

Fans can also stay up to date with live timing and results via the Subaru Results Hub, while rally.com.au and the ARC’s social media channels will provide interviews, highlights and updates throughout the weekend.

SPECTATORS

As one of the newest additions to the ARC calendar, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Narooma Forest Rally offers fans multiple opportunities to experience the action up close throughout the weekend.

Saturday’s dedicated spectator point is located at Western Boundary Road in Turlinjah, where fans can enjoy two passes of the stage as crews tackle one of the event’s key tests.

Sunday’s action shifts to Cobra Road in Kianga, providing another excellent viewing opportunity as the battle for victory reaches its climax.

Fans are also encouraged to attend Friday night’s Rally Show at Nata Oval and visit the A1 Autoparts Service Park at Galvaniize Insurance Rally Central across both competition days, where crews and teams can be seen preparing the cars between stages.

All tickets are free for fans to claim and can be registered for here.

Click here to view the Spectator Guide.