BJR Run Down: The Bend, parity and the 2026 calendar

RallySport Magazine visit Australia's leading rally team, Neal Bates Motorsport, for this week’s Special Stage Rally Podcast to talk with Harry and Lewis Bates. Both won rounds of the Australian Rally Championship this year, and we asked them about the season, what it was like competing against Hayden Paddon and what the offseason has in store... We also ask about improvements. How can they improve their speed when seat time is so limited?  It’s a laid back conversation which covers many topics with these Australian Rally Champions, and is one not to miss. 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

If you didn't know that the Alpine Rally was run and won last weekend, there's a fair chance you were living under a rock. We talk in-depth about the event on this week's Special Stage Rally Podcast, from the rally winners to the weather conditions and everything in between. But it wasn't the only rally on last weekend, with the WRC decided in Saudi Arabia. Was the result of the WRC a shock, and is Sebastien Ogier the greatest of all time? We give our views, and look ahead to this weekend’s Safari, where Aussies Tim Wilkins and Ray Winwood-Smith will compete in a Datsun 260Z. It's December, but there's still plenty to talk about on the 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

The wait is almost over, with the 2025 Alpine Rally set to run in East Gippsland this weekend. This week's Special Stage Rally Podcast is all about the Alpine, and we've chatted to some of the leading contenders to get their views on how the event is going to play out. Can Nathan Quinn complete a hat-trick? Will Tristan Carrigan's big Magna spoil the party, or perhaps Brendan Reeves will finally break his Alpine duck. We discuss the weather, the stage lengths, and who we think might be holding up the winner's trophy after three tough days of competition. Fourteen stages and 370 competitive kilometres are ahead of us, and we can't wait. 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

Tasmania? Japan? Whangarei? What was your focus on a weekend full of rally action? The Special Stage Rally Podcast team are back with in-depth discussion on all three events that filled our lives over the weekend. From Hayden Paddon's ARC triumph, Ben Hunt’s title in New Zealand, to another Sebastien Ogier masterclass, we have it all covered. Then there's Ott Tanak's retirement, Oliver Solberg's second coming at the top level, and much more. Sit back and listen to the guys chat all things rallying on another bumper edition of the 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

The season finale is here! Rally Tasmania is set to decide who takes home the Australian Rally Championship crown — with both Hayden Paddon and Lewis Bates still in contention for the title. Host Matthew Whitten is joined by Taylor Gill to break down what’s in store on the island stages, and what it will take for the championship hopefuls to come out on top. We also take a look beyond Australia — previewing Rally Japan as well as the International Rally of Whangarei in New Zealand as we see where we think the big names will end up. Plus, Taylor shares insights from his season finale at the Central European Rally. It’s arguably the biggest rally week of the year — listen now to lap up all the anticipation for three big events. 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

What a heart breaker! Taylor Gill came so close to winning the 2025 Junior World Rally Championship that it's still hard to believe what we witnessed. The Special Stage Rally Podcast team discuss the Central European Rally with a fine tooth comb, and despite the result, we couldn't be any prouder of Taylor and Dan Brkic and the season they produced. There was also plenty happening at the top end of the WRC, while closer to home, we recap last weekend's Akademos Rally in Victoria, and look ahead to the state championship finale in Western Australia. We touch on Jackson Long's new-for-2026 Skoda Fabia R5, and what's next for rallying's top juniors, now that the FIA Rally Star program has concluded. Rallying is a never-ending story, so join us this week as we talk about the hot topics. 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

On this week's Special Stage Rally Podcast, we delve into last weekend's Adelaide Hills Rally, the fifth round of the Australian Rally Championship. It saw another masterclass from Kiwi Hayden Paddon, but also ended the title hopes of Harry Bates after he put his Toyota off the road. We discuss the implications from the weekend, review the performances of some of your favourite drivers, and look ahead to the final round in Tasmania. Taylor Gill's Rally3 win in Croatia is also on the agenda, as is the upcoming round of the New South Wales Rally Championship. It's getting close to Alpine Rally time as well, with several drivers already beginning their preparations. All that and more 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

Round five of the Australian Rally Championship is ready to run, with the Adelaide Hills Rally set to challenge crews up and down the field. A couple of lesser-known voices take over the Special Stage Rally Podcast to preview the event as RallySport Magazine’s Matt Whitten is joined by reigning ARC Junior Cup winner, Mitch Garrad. They talk about the ARC round, the Croatian round of the European Rally Championship and what’s news in rallying this week. 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

Regular Special Stage Rally Podcast guest, Brendan Reeves, took out the Victorian Rally Championship at the weekend and he joins us to talk all about it. From sending it on his favourite stage, Mt Slide, to replicating what his father and brother did years earlier, this is a wide-ranging chat that also unearths what’s next for ‘Brendo’ for the rest of the year. We also touch briefly on the Australian Rally Championship’s class changes and ‘Brendo’ gives his thoughts on what it may mean for the future. Episode 113 of Special Stage is one not to miss. 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

On this episode of the BJR Run Down, BJR general manager Chris Westwood and the driver of the #96 Macauley Jones break down a big weekend at The Bend, how the track raced at its first endurance race, plus how things went down from the team’s four cars on track. The latest parity changes are examined, plus why the 2026 calendar needs to make sense. And of course, there is the latest on the race that stops the nation: 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