The 2025 Alpine Rally of East Gippsland returned to Lakes Entrance last weekend, delivering thrilling action for competitors and spectators alike.
While Friday’s sunshine offered near-perfect rallying conditions, Saturday brought torrential rain, forcing organisers to cancel four stages to ensure safety and protect the forest roads.
Despite the challenging conditions, the rally showcased some outstanding performances, with Brendan Reeves and co–driver Aidan O’Halloran taking the outright win after a series of consistent stage times. Runner-up honours went to Luke Sytema and Adam Wright, while James and Mark Leoncini rounded out the podium in third place.
Top 10 Finishers
1. Tristan Carrigan / Neill Woolley – outright winners with strong, consistent times across all completed stages.
2. Andrew Travis/ Darkie Barr-Smith – secured second place, staying close behind the leaders despite tricky conditions on Saturday.
3. Thomas Clarke / Ryan Preston – claimed third, showing resilience through wet and slippery forest stages.
4. Nathan Quinn / David Green – delivered an impressive fourth-place finish, making up time on the early Friday stages.
5. James Leoncini / Mark Leoncini – finished fifth, maintaining steady runs despite the weather disruptions.
6. Deane Buist / Tim McIver – placed sixth, with strong performances in the dry stages proving critical.
7. Ryan Williams / Brad Jones – seventh, narrowly avoiding issues in the rain-affected sections.
8. Luke Sytema / Adam Wright – finished eighth, capitalising on consistency and careful navigation.
9. Bryan Van Eck / Jim Gleeson – ninth, demonstrating persistence despite mechanical challenges.
10. Peter Schey / Chris Schey – rounded out the top 10, showing promising pace in
several stages.
AFL games record holder, Brent Harvey, and racing teammate, Matt Dillon, finished 57th in a field 88 – 69 teams completed the event with 19 retiring.
Event director Troy Bennett praised the support of the local community, volunteers and officials, saying the rally could not have run so smoothly without their efforts.
He confirmed that the Alpine Rally is expected to return in 2027, promising fans and crews alike another high-octane weekend of motorsport in East Gippsland.
Despite the weather-related hurdles, the 2025 Alpine Rally highlighted the enduring appeal of one of Australia’s oldest surviving motorsport events, combining challenging forest roads with a vibrant community atmosphere.
