After taking into account the worsening COVID19 lockdown conditions around Australia, the organisers of the Lock & Load Alpine Rally of East Gippsland have decided to postpone the event until December 2022
Due to the current lockdowns in Victoria we are not able to work on the roadbook and other instructions. Additionally, we have serious and increasing concerns that competitors from all Australian states and territories, as well the growing contingent of overseas competitors, spectators and media, will be able to attend.
Therefore, we have decided to postpone running the event until we are back into a more stable environment and all state and international borders are fully open.
We have contacted our event sponsors and local stakeholders in East Gippsland to explain our decision and they have been incredibly supportive.
The last 18 months has been a very difficult time for these communities, and we want to ensure that we run the most successful event possible. If you are able to visit the region over the next few months and support their economy we encourage you to do so.
Postponement is not the outcome anyone wanted, or even anticipated, at the beginning of 2021.
But, to press on in such uncertain times we will wind up running a compromised event. This will not do justice to the celebration of Australia’s oldest running motorsport event and that’s not the way we want to see such an important landmark recognised.
We’re following the example set by the Tokyo Olympics –aiming for next year at the same time and sticking with the current branding. We’re aiming to run #AlpineRally100 from 1 to 4 December, 2022.
We will work with Motorsport Australia over the coming weeks to look at what changes may need to be made to the event documents and re-issue those documents as quickly as possible.
As always, if anyone has any further questions about this decision please contact Owen Polanski, the Clerk of the Course on owen@alpinerally.og.au
