General News
10 March, 2023
480 kicks off the long weekend
Round one of the ARB Australian Off Road Racing Championship (ARB AORRC) will be kicking off the season right here in Rainbow this weekend. Catch all the the ARB Big Desert 480 action, hosted by the Victorian Off Road Racing Association Inc...
Round one of the ARB Australian Off Road Racing Championship (ARB AORRC) will be kicking off the season right here in Rainbow this weekend.
Catch all the the ARB Big Desert 480 action, hosted by the Victorian Off
Road Racing Association Inc. (VORRA), and see 58 competing crews battling it out over the gruelling 480kilometre race.
The weekend kicks off Friday night with the main street display, and vehicle scrutiny from 4pm to 8pm, with the opportunity to get up close and met the drivers and competitors
before they tackle the sand, hills, tight tracks and sections of the Big Desert.
BelleVue Machinery best presented vehicle will be judged from the line-up.
There will be community catering available and a big screen with interviews, so bring the family down to soak up the atmosphere.
On Saturday, be sure to head out to 51 Rainbow Rises Road (the main spectator site) from 10am to watch the Raceline Prologue determine who has the fastest car and who will be first off the starting line in Section One.
Section One of the main event, two laps of the 80 kilometre track, begins at 1pm Saturday.
Then, join the action on Sunday as drivers take off from 8.30am to run the final four laps of the track and complete the first round of the 2022/23 season.
Defending ARB Big Desert 480 and ARB Australian champion Brent Martin #1 will be
challenged by two-time ARB Australian champion, and last years’ ARB Big Desert runner-up Danny Brown #42, and eight-time Australian Off Road champion Mark Burrows #21.
Local favourite Greg Garter #410 will be back in his trophy truck - a real crowd pleaser.
Entry into the newly-expanded spectator site attracts a $10 fee per day, but is well worth it as it gives spectators access to refreshments and amenities.
Watch it all on the new, enormous LED screen at the spectator site, which will be livestreaming every the twist and turn of the race to catch all the action taking part on the remote locations around the track,
The ARB Big Desert 480 would not be possible without the support of the championship partners ARB 4X4 Accessories, Mickey Thompson Tires and Raceline Wheels Australia, along with other sponsors Private Parts Engineering - Steel IT, Racer Imports, Nutrien Ag Nhill and Rainbow, Warragul Machining and Mechanical Repairs, Promotional Products and Uniforms, Mallee Earthmoving, Smallaire, Glendaren Auto Panels and Browns Gypsum.
Also a massive thank you must go to the local community groups, and the Rainbow Rises Events Association Inc, who work tirelessly in support of the event, including catering, track maintenance and setup, and venue preparation.
There is plenty to look forward to at Rainbow this weekend as the first chapter of the 2023 ARB AORRC unfolds, with all eyes on who will become the second ARB Big Desert 480 champion.