Special Stage: Rallying's present and future challenges (feat. Brett Middleton)

Tim Possingham has two big events in South Australia, and the Adelaide Rally is up next.   With more than 450 entries on the list, including the likes of Hayden Paddon, Alister McRae and Frank Kelly, we ask him about the process of getting those big names.   He shares some of the secrets of the rally and just how they go about running the event with support from the South Australian Government. Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> ⁠https://rallysportmag.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The wraps came off the Gen3-spec Toyota Supra Supercar ahead of this week’s edition of the Brad Jones Racing Run Down. BJR general manager Chris Westwood and the driver of the #96 Macauley Jones chat about the car’s first track laps, which Macca was on hand for at Toyota Australia’s in-house test track. They also give an update on the progress of BJR’s first Supra chassis, and how it’s going to be a very busy Christmas in Hope Court this year. They also chat about the upcoming enduros, The Bend 500 and Bathurst 1000, as well as the even bigger contest that is looming: the battle of the BJR crew in the Shitbox Rally on Macca’s Shake N Bake Farm! Become a BJR Member in 2025 >> https://www.bradjonesracing.com.au/bjr-memberships Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jackson Long is the 2025 Australian Rally Championship Junior Cup winner, and it’s overdue that we get him on the podcast to talk about his career so far. Currently completing his year 12 studies, Jackson has had a busy 2025. He’s fitted in plenty of his passion – rallying – to his timetable this year. He shares what he thought of WRC Rally del Paraguay with RallySport Magazine’s Luke Whitten, and tells what’s next in the upcoming ARC rounds of South Australia and Tasmania. There’s also a tease for something new for 2026. Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2025 Gippsland Rally has been run and won, so what do we make of Hayden Paddon's domination over the two days of competition? The RallySport Magazine team discuss what the result means for the Australian Rally Championship, and what we liked and didn't like about a rally in “The Middle of Everywhere". Jackson Long and Tony Sullens both wrapped up their respective ARC Cups, and we also saw an eye-catching performance from a former ARC event winner in his state series. We also touch on this weekend's cancelled Rosewood Rally, look ahead to the WRC's first visit to Paraguay in South America, and comment on a former cricket star's rallying debut. It’s all on this week's Special Stage Rally Podcast. Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s plenty of ground to cover this week on The Brad Jones Racing Run Down!  It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from the driver of the #96 Macauley Jones and BJR general manager Chris Westwood, and they look back at a challenging weekend at Queensland Raceway and talk through one of the most challenging parts of the Gen3 era: the setup window. They also explain where they are at with the build of their first Toyota Supercar, working with homologation team Walkinshaw Andretti United and what’s to come as the Supra prepares to hit the track and then the windtunnel. They also chat about the recent Enduro Cup rule changes, Macca’s recent work with a BMW Super Tourer, and how one of Brad’s old NASCARs recently made a brief return to BJR headquarters! Become a BJR Member in 2025 >> https://www.bradjonesracing.com.au/bjr-memberships Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There has been more than a few talking points arise this week, with RallySport Magazine finding that the tyre tender process is now open for the ARC for the years 2027-29. The team talk about this and share some of their opinions before looking ahead to the Gippsland Rally. Can Harry Bates recoup some of his championship deficit to Hayden Paddon, or can someone like Lewis Bates elevate his speed to properly announce himself as a title contender? Night rallying also returns, and the eagerness of such action is discussed in detail. Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Australian Rally Championship has been through a transition period. A change in ownership was the big move in the summer offseason, and a hotly contested series so far has many eyeballs on the sport. Luke Whitten talks to owners Adrian and Jill Coppin about where they hope to take the ARC and how they think the season has gone thus far. We ask about how they felt about the move away from Canberra, as they highlight what impact the ARC has on how the events shape up. The Junior Cup and the pathways into the top of the sport in Australia are also discussed in a wide-ranging interview. Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The news that Narooma will host a round of the Australian Rally Championship, replacing the Rally of Canberra, is big news, so who better to talk about this with than the rally's Clerk of Course, Adrian Dudok? The experienced Dudok explains the reasons behind the move, and what this means for rallying in Canberra moving forward. We also discuss last weekend's Rally Finland rollercoaster, where Toyota dominated by securing the top five places, and Australian Taylor Gill doubled his lead in the Junior World Rally Championship. The cancellation of the Rally of the Bay, and the winners of the South Australia's Barossa Rally, are also discussed in another big week for rallying. Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our beloved sport has had many eras, and it’s been able to thrive in all of them thus far. What about the next era, though? Road access is becoming trickier, as is the organisation of events. Brett Middleton chats with Luke Whitten about rally organisation and how car clubs are preparing for their events in the current age. There’s plenty of vital information to learn about and many ways we can spruik the benefits of our sport. Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rally Estonia was the most remarkable World Rally Championship event in recent memory. Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson waited 1,019 days for their second chance in a Rally1 car, and it took just one event to be on the top step of the podium. It was a meteoric rise and not just the shock of the season, but probably the shock of the decade. Luke Whitten and Alex Rullo chat about the rally, and we ask where the young Swede goes next with no more Rally1 drives locked in. Rullo also speaks about the improvement in his driving in the Australian Rally Championship and how his season is tracking. Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices