Bega Valley Rally a rip-roaring success

The Sapphire Coast Sporting Car Club's 51st Bega Valley Rally included an entry list with four-time Australian Rally champion Neal Bates, and the current NSW Rally champion, Richie Dalton.

Batemans Bay's Gary Stewart was dressed in his black jumpsuit, and proudly stood alongside his green 1979 Datsun Stanza, ready for the challenge on Saturday.

Cowra's father and son duos Caleb and Ian Forsyth checked over their Mitsubishi Starion, and Mal and Reagan Hurley prepared their Subaru WRX for the "best roads in the country."

Although 66 teams were expected to take on the competition over the June Long Weekend, three teams were unable to start due to mechanical failures.

This included a shock exit by New Zealand rally car champ Derek Aysons who had travelled the furthest for the multi-day and night competition.

Gary Stewart said his team had a 'No Result' after breaking a fan belt in Stage 5, and while he drove all the stages he ran out of late times.

"We were classified as a DNF, but we still drove the stages and had fun though," he said, but it was advice from his father Bill during the start of his motorsport career which had forever remained in the back of his mind.

"I was getting upset when I wasn't getting really good results, and Dad said, 'I'll tell you one thing, the last competitor beats the first spectator every time,' and he's right," Stewart said.

"As long as you're out there having a go, you're having fun."

Riley Walters and Andrew Crowley won in a Subaru WRX, second was Brendan Reeves and Aidan O'Halloran in a Datsun 600, and third was Justin Griffin and Peter Hellwig in a Mitsubishi Mirage.

Ian Slater, the rally director, said it went really well, even though a few stages needed to be cancelled due to being too dangerous after the wet weather.

"People had barbecues organised, friends came around, when racing on shire roads. Where can you go and sit on your verandah and watch motorsport for four hours, free?" he said.