General News
23 August, 2023
Spectator Hill looking "fantastic"
Forty-five off-road cars, buggies and tractors entertained over 600 spectators over the weekend at the Rainbow Rises Events Centre, with both racers and spectators enjoying the new facilities and amenities for the first time. The Victorian Off-Road...
Forty-five off-road cars, buggies and tractors entertained over 600 spectators over the weekend at the Rainbow Rises Events Centre, with both racers and spectators enjoying the new facilities and amenities for the first time.
The Victorian Off-Road Racing Association Inc (VORRA) were back for the Rainbow Rises 240 off-road event - round three of the VORRA Club Championship - with 29 competitors coming in from across Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.
The event was run over four sections on Saturday and Sunday, consisting of 31 laps of the eight kilometre track - which 10 cars managed to complete this year.
Drivers reported the notoriously difficult track was in the best shape they have seen, with no dust and only a few muddy patches.
Car 2, a Class 6 CanAm run by husband and wife team Glenn and Natalie Pike from Geelong Off Road Buggy Association, finished the course with the fastest time: 3:04:22.975.
In second place was car 11 - an Ultimate run by father and son team Kevin and Callum Marsden from Portland Dune Buggy Club, who completed the 31 laps in 3:09:56.089.
Another father and son team, Dan and Angus Schiller from Sea Lake Off Road Club, secured third place in their Class 2 vehicle, car 280, with a time of 3:15:02.730
Victorian Off-Road Racing Association (VORRA) thanked the Rainbow Rises Events Association for their hard work at the venue, which is now shaping up to be one of the best in Australia, following last year’s grant of $625,000 from state and local governments.
Rainbow Rises Events Association chairperson Russell Eckermann said he is very pleased with the weekend’s events at the track.
“I’m very excited, and happy with the track,” he said.
“The feedback received from the drivers and spectators was amazing.
Mr Eckermann also thanked the over 50 local volunteers who pitched in before, during and after the event, and said he is looking forward to what the future holds for them.
“Everything was done in the last three weeks, but it turned out amazing,” he said.
“We are excited about the future, and hoping to host more events in the future including concerts and more races.”
Three local enthusiasts were excited by the recent addition of a Tractor Pull Pit at the event centre, and the arrival of the Australian Tractor Pullers Association (ATPA)’s first event on the track.
Fred Saul, Gene Fuller and Andrew Cross were among the 16 other modified tractors, demonstrating the six Pulling categories for the crowds on Saturday afternoon.
Mr Saul said he hopes to see more events like this come to Rainbow in the future.
“I hope we do have more events like that in Rainbow,” he said.
“It’s a world-class track, and the sound system and new Spectator’s Hill was fantastic.”