Special Stage: The date debate... and WRC success for Paddon, Gill

The World Rally Championship may be nearing the end of its season, but the series continues to generate talking points away from the stages. In the latest episode of the Special Stage Rally Podcast, the RallySport Magazine team unpacks some of the news shaping the immediate future of the sport. A primary focus is the cancellation of Rally Saudi Arabia, the upcoming 2027-specification cars, and a look at how the new technical regulations will reshape the top tier of rallying. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Australian motorsport legend Peter Brock not only had an incredible career in circuit racing, but he was also adept on gravel. He won the Round Australia trial in 1979, but also had some entries in the Australian Rally Championship and was a regular in some classic events. Peter Whitten recalls some of his memories from Brock’s rally career, which was mostly behind the wheel of a Holden; what else? We also discuss Rally Chile and welcome Taylor Gill to briefly discuss his goals for his third WRC rally in a row. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Surprisingly, the Australian Rally Championship's 2027 opening round, Rally Queensland, has been scheduled on the same weekend as the world-famous Otago Rally in New Zealand. It has generated significant debate on social media, and we now debate it ourselves. Was it a bad move? What are some of the external factors? Where will we place our attention on that busy weekend? Remarkably, the Flinders to Fleurieu Rally postponement was quickly superseded, but we talk about the reasons for that, and also speak of the huge WRC successes of Hayden Paddon, John Kennard, Taylor Gill and Daniel Brkic in Paraguay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join the Special Stage Rally Podcast team as they break down the happenings in rallying! In this episode, they pay tribute to the late Alex Fiorio, reflecting on his legacy and impact on the sport.  They dissect an incredible weekend at Rally Tasmania that blew the Australian Rally Championship title fight wide open. Plus, we look at Taylor Gill’s South American double header, and there are differing opinions on Hyundai’s third-driver WRC strategy and where Hayden Paddon should fit into the puzzle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s edition of Special Stage, we dive deep into the world of Rally Finland, featuring conversations with Australians Taylor Gill and Daniel Brkic. From their pre-event tests to the challenges faced during the rally, we talked with them all through rally week and understand the ins and outs of what it takes to do a round of the World Rally Championship. Learn about their processes, their struggles and the atmosphere around arguably the biggest rally in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who are some of the drivers who were unlucky in their careers? Who perhaps could have made it but didn't? It's a pub conversation we bring to the Special Stage Rally Podcast this week, with some common names and a few from left field. Reminisce with us as we turn back the clock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brent ‘Boomer’ Harvey is accustomed to performing under the pressure of 100,000 screaming fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. However, the contrast between that and a closed forest road, while strapped inside a rally car, presents a completely different challenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this masterclass episode of Special Stage, we look at driver development and hear from Brendan Reeves, who’s helped many drivers get to the next level. Geared toward drivers who already have a few events under their belt but want to safely push the limits, this episode covers the habits required to get further up the leaderboard. We dive deep into the psychological and technical fundamentals of the sport and break down the basics of tyre pressures, cornering, braking, car balance and plenty more. It’s one not to miss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this packed episode of Special Stage, we gear up for a massive weekend of action as we preview the upcoming Narooma Forest Rally and the iconic Acropolis Rally. We look at the Experts Cup Rally in WA and speak about some popular roads returning in Tasmania. Plus, make sure you stay tuned until the very end of the episode for an exclusive news tease that’s earmarked as potentially the biggest news story of 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Special Stage, we take a trip down memory lane to look back at the controversial 2009 edition of Rally Australia in Kingscliff and reflect on the history of Greg Carr’s iconic Lancia. We wrap up all the action from the Bega Valley Rally, alongside a review of the weekend's Jimna Rallysprint in Queensland. Looking ahead, we also preview the 50th Anniversary Nissan Nightmoves event and cast our eyes to Europe as Australian star Taylor Gill prepares to drive a new Rally2 machine. 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