Special Stage Rally Podcast

Richie Dalton moved to Australia from Ireland 20 years ago and has become an integral part of the Australian rallying community in the ensuing time.

His Toyota Yaris AP4 or Ford Escort are seen often on the stages and they're driven fast and flamboyantly.

Dalton's got an arm injury, though, that might just rule him out of competing alongside Kris Meeke at the Otago Rally in April.

We talk about all things with Dalton in an intriguing chat about life and rallying.

Competing in the snow at Rally Sweden is a bucket list experience, and a few have done it from Australia.

From Ed Ordynski to Chris Atkinson, Peter Rullo and Taylor Gill will join this small group in 2024.

The RallySport Magazine team speaks all about these Aussies and their history on the tricky snow and ice.

The Special Stage Rally Podcast team goes through all the ins and outs of the Christmas period, discuss the news from across the first part of the season and look forward to the season ahead.

Rallye Monte Carlo is discussed in length, particularly the hopes of the three main championship protagonists – Elfyn Evans, Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak.

We also delve into a legendary rally car that has seen the stages in country Victoria for the first time in many years.

Glenn Brinkman and co-driver Dale Moscatt are ready for a huge adventure in the form of the 2024 Dakar Rally.

For the longtime rally pairing, it has been a build-up of at least a couple of years to get to the start line.

Brinkman is a Queensland Rally Champion and is well known as a rally and off-road competitor, and he’ll need all his skill from his 30+ years in the sport to complete the gruelling Dakar Rally.

He explains to Luke Whitten what his preparation has involved and what he’s looking forward to about that challenge that will last two weeks and almost 8,000 kilometres.

It's nearly Christmas time, and there’s still lots happening in the rally world, but for this week's episode of the podcast, we’re going to give you a bit of a teaser of our DustTrails Podcast.

For those of you who don’t subscribe to RallySport Magazine, this is our podcast that’s exclusive for subscribers. 

These long-form chats are the essence of the stories that we want to get told about the sport. People like Cody Crocker and Ross Dunkerton have gone through their entire careers with us including the highs and the lows.

In this short snippet, Chris Atkinson is the guest.

For Adelaide Rally boss, Tim Possingham, the last 18 months have been difficult to maintain his event on the calendar, and on this episode of the podcast, he speaks about the challenges that they've faced. 

While COVID was the challenge in 2020 and 2021, the review of tarmac rallying by Motorsport Australia forced the Adelaide Rally team into some tough decisions.

They were the only event to stick with Motorsport Australia and align with their recommendations, and they're working hard with them to provide a safe and exhilarating sport for everyone.

Possingham is generous in his answers and talks about many things including the upcoming Adelaide Motorsport Festival (which he also runs) and the prospect of his event joining the Australian Rally Championship.

Tim Possingham is the director for both the Adelaide Rally and the Adelaide Motorsport Festival and is a former tarmac rally competitor.

We had a chat with him about how he started in the sport and what some of his goals in the sport are.

By the end of the episode, you'll understand the man a bit better.

Romet Jürgenson was the standout performer in the FIA Rally Star Program this year and we caught up with him to discuss 2023 and his progression into the Junior World Rally Championship in 2024.

Forget every Estonian mannerism you associate with Ott Tanak – Romet is chatty and gave in-depth answers to how his year went.

We spoke to Romet from his home on a quiet Saturday morning and discussed the 2023 season, the future, and rallying in Estonia as a whole.

Tune in to our chat with an emerging star in world rallying.

Do you ever remember begging your Mum for a day off school to watch TV, or stay up later to watch WRC?

It was this, but to a much greater extent for Estonian rally driver, Romet Jürgenson, in 2019, when Ott Tanak won the world title.

Hear the story about Romet begging his Estonian Military superiors to watch the WRC, as well many other interesting stories in this 'Getting to Know You' episode of the Special Stage Rally Podcast.

This week we're looking back and discussing how we used to follow rallying in years gone by.

It wasn't as simple as looking at a live stream or getting live results in 1980, nor was it as simple as getting onto rally radio in the 2000s.

The RallySport Magazine team discusses their recollections from years gone by, chat about other people's memories from our social media channels, and touch briefly on the Australian Rally Championship finale and the Roger Albert Clark Rally.

Upon winning his second Australian Rally Championship title, we spoke to Harry Bates about his weekend and how the tense finale unfolded.

Bates spoke to RallySport Magazine on the Monday after his rally, Power Stage and championship win and was generous in his answers about the weekend’s proceedings.

He also answered questions on 2024 and how the off-season looks for he and the Neal Bates Motorsport team.

While many know Harry Bates for his exploits behind the wheel of a rally car, we decided to get to know the 2019 and 2023 Australian Rally Champion a bit more.

What's his favourite rally car of all time? What's his favourite stage? 

Those questions and many more are answered in this episode.

It all comes down to this...

The final round of the Australian Rally Championship is upon us and it will be an all-out battle between Toyota drivers Lewis and Harry Bates.

RallySport Magazine's crew give their thoughts on the season finale and forecast what might happen at the Rally of Canberra.

Sam Hill is a longtime member of the rally community and has many stories from not only his time with Subaru Rally Team Australia but also in long-distance rallying.

That's what he's joining us to chat about this week – his adventures in the Australasian and Sunraysia Safari events.

Hill talks to us about the challenges that long-distance rallying brings, what it means to take the step across from your regular special stage rallying event, and how he compares the two Herridges – Rob and Dean.

This week's Special Stage Podcast guest, Daniel Gonzalez, is aiming to clinch his first West Australian state title this weekend.

He talks about all things rallying and explains how he's learning at each event thanks to his dedication and detailed preparation.

All new to the Special Stage Rally Podcast is the shorter, 'Getting to Know' section where we'll learn a bit more about our guests.

It might be their favourite rally car, or in this case, we learn about Daniel Gonzalez's Uruguayan heritage.

We also find out about his dreams of becoming a world-class sprinter!

The Australian Rally Championship is going from strength to strength and we welcome its manager, Adrian Coppin, as a guest on this week's episode.

Coppin has been in the role for a few years, but with COVID rampaging as he took over, it was slow to see the benefits of his work.

RallySport Magazine's Luke Whitten asks all the questions that fans want to know about the sport – where it's heading, what might be in store for the finale at the Rally of Canberra and what's in the works with manufacturers and potential starter Hayden Paddon.

South Australian rallying has a long history, and Jeremy Browne is a big part of that.

He discusses with Peter Whitten some of the history of the South Australian rounds of the Australian Rally Championship and tells stories of how he got involved with the inaugural Rally of South Australia events in the early 2000s.

From filling the Wayville Showgrounds to the optimisation of Mount Crawford spectator experiences, Browne recounts many of his memories from those times.

Also discussed is the state of South Australian rallying and where some of the improvement may come from in terms of the state series.

Browne, a longtime competitor for over 50 years, also recounts some of his most recent and final events in the sport.

Tyres were the talk of the town in Chile at the most recent round of the World Rally Championship, and that's a big topic on this week's podcast.

We discuss the results of the latest WRC round and speak about Aussies kicking goals overseas, a West Australian state round, and also look back at an upcoming anniversary.

To conclude the episode, we reflect on the Rally of Melbourne considering the recent Valley Stages on similar roads.

This week’s edition of our Special Stage Rally Podcast welcomes New Zealand Rally Championship co-ordinator Blair Bartels as he discusses all things across the Tasman.

After the huge high of Rally New Zealand this time last year, Bartels and his hard-working New Zealand Rally Championship team have continued on the momentum that the WRC helped bring.

Just last weekend, their championship returned to the Daybreaker Rally – an all-time classic in New Zealand rallying spheres – and will conclude their series in just a month’s time.

Bartels talks to Luke Whitten about many things including his hopes for the 2024 calendar and a dream of a trans-Tasman Cup revival.

This week's episode of the Special Stage Rally Podcast is not just an interview, but also a masterclass on the essential skill of co-driving.

We welcomed 2021 American Rally Association champion co-driver, Rhianon Gelsomino, to the podcast to join Luke Whitten to delve into the world of co-driving.

She imparts a wealth of valuable lessons from her passion, and we think it’s well worth a listen!

During the discussion, Rhianon shares her experiences of training new co-drivers through her OZ Rally Pro business, as well as her journey of performing at the highest level. The topics covered are wide-ranging. 

Rhianon also provides fascinating insights into her partnerships with drivers in the Australian and American national championships. She highlights the contrasting experiences of guiding Gande Sanders and Lia Block, who are at two completely different stages in their driving careers.

The Acropolis Rally was threatened by the weather when hundreds of millimetres of rain fell on the rally area. 

On this week's podcast, we discuss the event and the results of the latest World Rally Championship round.

Also discussed in the podcast, we discuss:

* The Middle of Everywhere Gippsland Rally
* A new sponsor and name for Canberra's Australian Rally Championship round
* Subaru's involvement in Australian rallying and future potential
* 2024 ARC calendar
* Upcoming state rounds in Australia 

Alex Rullo holds the record for being the youngest driver to ever take the wheel in the Supercars championship, however, he’s now found a new calling in the Australian Rally Championship and couldn't be happier.

His natural talent is undeniable, but in rallying, it’s hard to come in and be fast right away. Despite this, he has been steadily improving with each event of the 2023 season.

During our interview, Rullo delves into the contrasting promotional landscapes of rallying and Supercars and also tells of his learnings of working with the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car and his world-class Race Torque team. 

Scott Pedder is competing in the Australian Rally Championship this weekend and we thought it was the perfect chance to catch up with him about his return.

With Glenn Macneall alongside him, Pedder is seeded fourth for this weekend’s Gippsland Rally and is not ruling out chasing the rally win.

In this episode, hear from Scott about his rallying journey and hear his point of view on where the series is situated at such a strong moment in its history.

He also offers an insider’s view into the Gippsland Rally and tells some great stories of his times in the World Rally Championship.

We have an open discussion about where the World Rally Championship is at.

All things are discussed including the gap between Rally1 and Rally2, the lack of top drivers, cost caps and potential future rule changes.

There's lots to discuss.

Molly Taylor is entering the world of rallycross!

We speak to Molly on how she's going to tackle the RX2e series over the next couple of rounds.  It links in with the World Rallycross Championship and she'll be mixing it with some of the best in the business.

Luke Whitten asks how the deal came about and also discusses other areas of the sport she loves so passionately. The chat also goes to motoring in general given her experience in electric racing.

RallySport Magazine's Luke & Matt Whitten are in the United Kingdom this fortnight as they discuss all things in Australian rallying.

From the newly announced licensing requirements from Motorsport Australia to the happenings of the Safari Rally, this chat covers a lot of topics in hot order.

Matt also discusses his upcoming trip to the Royal Rally of Scandinavia where he'll be experiencing European rallying for the first time.

Taylor Gill competed in his first FIA Rally Star event this past weekend in San Marino, and he's this week's guest on our Special Stage podcast.

He talks about how life is going in Finland and how he and co-driver Dan Bkic have improved over their extensive program thus far.

Prior to talking to Gill, the RallySport Magazine team speak about the array of events that occurred last weekend and look ahead to the treacherous Safari Rally Kenya.

In this episode of Special Stage, Luke Whitten gives us his thoughts on Rally Italia Sardegna and the wet nature of the recent WRC event. He also discusses the new MRF tyre deal in the ARC alongside his expectations for Eddie Maguire in the newly-acquired Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo.

2018 Australian Rally Champion co-driver Ben Searcy then joins the podcast and discusses his time in the sport of rallying and what he's got up to recently.

We learn how his start in rallying came on one of the sport's most infamous days, the reasons behind his switch to co-driving, and what he's learned along the journey. 

For the past few seasons, he's gone back to his roots and has won a state title in the process, so it's a chat well worth listening to.

In this episode of the podcast, we discuss all the happenings at the Forest Rally in Western Australia, the second round of the Australian Rally Championship.

We discuss Harry Bates, Nathan Quinn and Lewis Bates and their main rivals' performances as well as talk about their title prospects moving forward.

Our special guest in this episode is teenager, Max McRae, who is fresh off his first European Rally Championship event. He gives us an insight into his program and how he's shaping up for the remainder of this season.

Dale Moscatt is a man with many fine stories about his journeys rallying overseas, but on this episode, we discuss with him his current program in the WRC and his path to Dakar 2024.

Competing with Saudi Arabian driver Rakan Al Rashed, Moscatt is competing in a multi-round program in the World Rally Championship and shares his experience with us. He also chats about the depth of young co-drivers in Australia and earmarks what can be done to improve the talent pool.

Before the Moscatt interview airs, Peter and Luke Whitten discuss all things rallying and cover off on all the hot topics including:

• Rally of the Heartland
• Rally Portugal
• Forest Rally
• Rally of Whangarei

In a special edition of our Special Stage Podcast, we discuss all things Possum as we celebrate his life, 20 years since his passing.

The first half of the podcast features Peter Whitten and Dallas Dogger discussing their memories of Possum Bourne through many years, and together they chat about the Possum that the media and event managers saw and how he was an incredible promotor of the sport.

Also featured in the podcast is Chris Kitzen, one of the longtime members of Possum Bourne Motorsport, whose expertise and knowledge helped the Subaru star through countless events and his many championships.

Craig Breen was a rallying fanatic and an incredible talent behind the wheel, but what is without question is how good he was as a person.

You only had to listen to his stage end interviews to hear how passionate he was about rallying, and how emotional he was about it.

In his passing, you only have to read the comments from his friends and rivals to know how loved and respected he was as a man.

Peter and Luke Whitten speak about their memories of the Irishman and welcome along Brendan Reeves, one of Breen's 2011 WRC Academy rivals to share his memories.

Also discussed is the Ada River Rally, Rally of the Heartland and Eddie Maguire's updated Australian Rally Championship plans.

Nathan Quinn joins us on this fortnight's Special Stage podcast after his heat two victory at Rally Launceston and chats all things G4.

He talks about trying to develop the car to the speed of the impressive AP4 and R5/Rally2 machinery and the different approach he is taking.

Prior to the lengthy 'Quinny' interview, Luke and Peter Whitten chat about both Australian and New Zealand Rally Championship openers and cover on all things rallying.

In episode five of our Special Stage podcast, we preview the most anticipated ARC opener in several years and welcome along Lewis Bates to give us his thoughts.

With thanks to MAX Cases Australia, the Special Stage team are fresh off a test day in Canberra. Luke Whitten speaks about the day and how each of the competitors were feeling about their preparations for the 2023 season.

In addition to this, the news of the fortnight is discussed as we cover off on many of the hot topics. 

We also get a in-depth look at Hayden Paddon’s preparations for the 2023 season, with the Kiwi contesting the European Rally Championship. He talks about how he’ll transfer what he’s learnt from the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 into the ERC and how he plans to mount a challenge for the championship.

The third episode of the Special Stage Podcast, is now live, and we get a unique insight into the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team.

For this episode, we welcome Malcolm Read to chat about his important role with M-Sport in the World Rally Championship.

As an important cog in the chain of M-Sport’s recent success, Read tells what it’s like to work with the likes of Ott Tanak and Malcolm Wilson and what it takes to get the best out of a Rally1 Puma.

Like all episodes, the news of the fortnight is covered off first, with plenty to talk about, including:

In this fortnight’s episode of our Special Stage Podcast, we welcome Brendan Reeves to the show and we discuss all things from snow driving techniques and his Datsun 1600, to his relationship with Hyundai.

First cab off the rank, though, Luke & Peter Whitten discuss the latest news and views surrounding the world of rallying including:

Sebastien Ogier and Toyota dominated the Monte Carlo Rally, and Luke & Peter Whitten give their views on the event as well as some of the latest news appearing on RallySport Magazine. We also welcome along Harry Bates to give his thoughts on the Monte, and we discuss his 2022 championship defining accident and what 2023 may hold.