Leonie Brann 20th August 2009 TESTING your time against some of the world’s best professional race drivers may seem a strange desire after
driving more than 2200km through the bush. But for the 40, two-person crews who will take part in the Frontier Services Classic Outback Trial that starts in Forbes later this month and ends during the Tweed round of the World Rally Championship on September 5, this dream will soon be reality. “In fact, combining the trial with the rally was our aim last year when we ran the Alice Springs to Gold Coast Trial, but the rally never went ahead.†Accompanied by an estimated 200 crew, organisers and supporters, the Classic Outback Trial will feature cars made before 1995 and is similar to the reliability trails that raced through the Northern Rivers in the 1950s and 60s. Like the “bash†events organised by the children’s charity Variety, the Classic Outback Trial will raise money for Rev John Flynn’s Frontier Services, which assists Australians living in remote areas. After leaving Forbes, the drivers will head off the beaten track, through isolated rural NSW towns, before reaching the Tweed on September 4.
“This is not a ‘bash’, but a serious motor sport event for classic and historic rally cars,†Mr Bernadou said.