Makinen announces retirement.
The Official Entry Lis෴t for this year's Telstra Rally Australia has been published today with entries coming from over 17 nations.
The quality of the field is first class this year with a high number of Priority 1's and four additional manufacturer supported entries. The Official Entry List can be seen at by clicking on the entry list tab.
The six WRC Manufacturers are all attending as one would expect, as well as some exciting non-manufacturer entries. With the Drivers' and Manufacturers' Championships so close this year, Telstra Rally Australia is set to deliver some pulse-racing action! Only 12 points separates first place and equa꧋l fifth place in the Drivers' Championship and Peugeot are only leading the Manufacturers' Championship by four points over French rivals Citroen. Ford and Subaru are both on 60 points each in equal third position.
In the last three years, World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm has won Telstra Ra🌺lly Australia and no doubt he will be fired up to do it again after a disappointing result in Neste Rally F🍎inland recently.
The guys to watch out for are the Production Car World Rally Drivers - where there are champions from around the world competing at TRA this year. Japan's favourit🤪e son and last year's PWRC winner at Telstra Rally Australia, Toshihiro Arai, will no doubt give the others a run for their money. Arai is leading the PCWRC by miles and is tipped to take the crown in 2003.
There'll be some fierce competition to stop Arai in his 🗹tracks. Malaysian champion Karamjit Singh, Sweden's champion Stig Blomqvist, Spain's hero and 2002 Junior WRC Champion Daniel Sola, Argentina's champion Marco Ligato, Polish and E𝄹uropean Champion Janusz Kulig, Peru's champion Ramon Ferreyros, Brit Niall McShea and Italian champions Stefano Marrini and Riccardo Errani will all be battling hard not to let Arai win at TRA again. The field of PWRC drivers contains indisputable driving talent from so many national champions.
The Australian Rally Championship is also a close battle this year. The Subaru drivers Cody Crocker and local WA hero Dean Herridge are both performing well in the ARC, in first and third place respectively. Both will look to better their position♑s with some valuable manufacturer's points at TRA this year.
Juha Kangas, Australia🐈's adopted Finnish son, has had an impressive debut ARC season so far and sits in fifth position - he likes f🍸ast roads and Telstra Rally Australia is renowned for providing amongst the fastest stages in the WRC.
Eight times group N winner at TRA Ed Ordynski, who holds the most accolades out of all the current ARC drivers sits in second place in the Australian championship, in his Mitsubishi behind Co𝓰dy Crocker's Subaru. Mitsubishi's Spencer Lowndes is currently in sixth 𝓀place.
Telstra Rally Australia counts towards the Australian Manufacওturers Rally Championship so we can expect fierce competition between Suba𝓡ru and Mitsubishi.
And la🎃s🐻tly, a special mention of the three Australian Rally Heroes who have competed in every Telstra Rally Australia since its inception in 1988. 2003 will be the 16th time Bob Whyatt, Tolley Challis, and Ed Ordynski will be part of the pulse racing action that will capture the undivided attention of every rally fan.
