The Australian Rally Commission has confirmed that Rally Queensland has been elevated in status to be included as a round of the
FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship from 2009, replacing the Rally of Canberra as Australia's leg of the series.
The Rally of Canberra will remain a round of the Australian Rally Championship and ARCom is confident in the future of the event, which had previously held Asia-Pacific status since 1999.
The FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship hosts rallies in New Caledonia, New Zealand, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, China and Australia and boasts teams and competitors from all around the world.
Australian driver Cody Crocker is two-time defending APRC champion and currently sits second in this year's standings.
Rally Queensland is staged in the Sunshine Coast region one hour north of Brisbane, with next year's event set down for May 8-10. The 2008 event was held June 20-22 and won by Neal Bates and Coral Taylor.
As a result of this change, the Rally of Canberra will be re-scheduled to a new date in 2009.
“Rally Queensland will make an exceptional round of the Asia-Pacific Championship and the organisers, officials and rallying community in Queensland thoroughly deserve this endorsement,” said ARCom chairman Colin Trinder.
“This will give the Sunshine Coast a truly international event and raise Rally Queensland to a new level of significance, exposure and excitement.”
ARCom recognises that the decision will come as a disappointment for the thousands of rally supporters and volunteer officials in the ACT who have delivered sterling service to the Rally of Canberra, which is held in high regard by international competitors.
“The transfer of the Asia-Pacific Championship status is a regrettable decision for Canberra rally fans but one which was taken because of the strong interest shown by Queensland to provide the appropriate level of support for the event,” added Trinder.
![Cody Crocker / Ben Atkinson - Motor Image Subaru Impreza. Rally of Canberra. APRC [Pic credit: Linear Photographs]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/438575.jpg)
