MOTORSPORT: WRX Challenge coming to Australia
One-make Subaru-backed race class on the cards for the Australian Rally Championship in 2024The Australian Rally Championship (ARC) is currently seeking expressions of interest for competitors to enter an all-new Subaru WRX Challenge class, which is slated for kick-off in 2024.
In a video statement released by the ARC, long-time Subaru devotee Dean Herridge noted that the concept is backed by Subaru Australia and the Herridge-family-owned Maximum Motorsport, in consultation with Motorsport Australia and the ARC.
At the heart of the concept is a production-based MY23 Subaru WRX sedan prepped for rally action, with further details of the venture to be announced in due course.
The Maximum Motorsport side of the equation has long-standing ties to the Subaru marque, which in modern times has focused on tarmac rallying late-model WRX machinery. The company is one of two Subaru Motorsport Parts Dealers in Australia.
A Subaru Australia spokesperson told carsales: “We are currently reviewing the opportunity for the Subaru WRX to form the basis of a production rally car in conjunction with Maximum Motorsport and the Australian Rally Championship.
“Further details will be released as they are confirmed.”
The WRX Challenge follows in the footsteps of the RS Challenge, which proved to be one of the most successful spec categories in the history of Australian rallying.
The class proved to be a popular entry level to the national stage when it was contested in 2004 and 2005, with graduates including Eli Evans, Will Orders, Darren Windus, Steve Glenney and the late John Goasdoue, while the 15-car field typically included a rotating roster of guests driving a dedicated media car.
Subaru has a storied history in the ARC, with the marque coming to the forefront in the mid-1980s when Barry Lowe secured consecutive titles aboard a Subaru RX Turbo.
Rob Herridge later claimed a pair of ARC crowns aboard the Liberty RS, while Possum Bourne became the hero for the brand, with seven straight championships from 1996 aboard a range of Impreza WRXs.
Later, Cody Crocker claimed a trio of titles for Subaru, before Simon Evans secured his fourth championship in 2010 aboard a WRX, while Molly Taylor was victorious in 2016 in a groundbreaking season.
The 2023 Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship features six events in Tasmania, Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT, with the third round contested over the weekend in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, with Toyota’s Harry Bates returning to form and dominating proceedings.
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