The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) has today released details of the 2014 Australian Off Road Championship calendar, which again sees five events being held across five states with two new locations being confirmed for the national series.
With 2013 seeing the final running of the “Smithy’s Place” event at Hyden in Western Australia, event promoters at the Western Desert Racers offroad racing club were keen to find another venue to hold the AORC season-opener, and will run a new event at Kalgoorlie next April.
To be held over the Easter long weekend (April 19-21), the Kalgoorlie Desert Race will be a welcome addition to the calendar, with the historic gold capital of Australia already well known to motorsport thanks to its local Kalgoorlie International Speedway circuit and also having been part of the Australian Safari in past years.
Round two of the Championship will again be the iconic Tatts Finke Desert Race from June 6-9, followed by a return to Waikerie, South Australia (July 4-6). Currently a well-established event for the SA state offroad championship, the popular Riverland track not from Renmark will make its return to the national calendar after a long absence.
After debuting this year as a support category to the World Rally Championship, the AORC will again return to Coffs Harbour, New South Wales on the weekend of September 12-14, followed by the championship decider at Lockyer Valley on October 17-19.
CAMS Australian Off Road Commission Chair, Marilyn Emmins said: “CAMS is excited by this five-round national championship which will see competitors race in some of the most exciting and scenic parts of the country.”
The 2014 Australian Off Road Championship:
1. Kalgoorlie, WA: April 19-21 (Easter)
2. Finke, NT: June 6-9
3. Waikerie, SA: July 4-6
4. Coffs Harbour, NSW: September 12-14 (WRC)
5. Lockyer Valley, QLD: October 17-19
In what will be a category first, a Website Chat session will be held next Wednesday November 27 at 6PM with Michael Smith, General Manager of Motor Sport at CAMS, to answer all of your questions about the 2014 calendar.
Further information about taking part in the chat session will be available on the official AORC website next week (www.aorc.com.au) and the AORC Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AustralianOffRoadChampionship).