Australian Rally Champion Battling to
Make New Season Start in Sydney

Bates hopes to join Australia¹s fastest and most spectacular drivers as rallying comes to the heart of Australia¹s biggest city for the first time.

Bates¹ 11-year relationship with Toyota came to an end in November and the Canberra driver is hoping to lease a car to contest the new format production based Australian Rally Championship kicking off in Sydney.

"I desperately want to make Sydney, and while there are some options for the future there is nothing concrete at the moment," he said.

³If we are to stand a chance this year we have to be in Sydney for the Harbour City Rally so that will mean leasing a car," said Bates.

"It is an all new rally in the championship so no one has an advantage and that gives everyone an equal shot," he added.

The Harbour City Rally will be based at Darling Harbour with the opening competitive special stage of the three day Championship rally to be staged on the edge of the Sydney CBD, a first for any form of motorsport.

The stars of Australian rallying including six times National champion Subaru¹s Possum Bourne, Mitsubishi¹s Ed Ordynski, young guns Cody Crocker, Spencer Lowndes, Simon Evans and hopefully Neal Bates as well as 80 of the country¹s top cars and drivers will fight out the Harbour City Rally as it ushers in a new era for Australian rallying.

Details of the Sydney special stage will be revealed at a major media launch at Darling Harbour on February 4.

According to the Harbour City Rally¹s Glenn Cuthbert, Bates is throwing everything he can into making it to the start line for the Harbour City Rally.

"Bates and Bourne have been the main protagonists in Australia for the past decade so it is important that the battle continues in Sydney," said Cuthbert .

"Sydney has never hosted a round of the Australian Rally Championship and so we had to come up with something really special to match Sydney¹s spectacular backdrop and that is what we have done " ¹ he said.

Rally cars will be based at Darling Harbour with the major competitive stages held in the forests of the Watagan Mountains 100 minutes north of the city near Wyong on Saturday 9 March and Sunday 10 March.

Sydney spectators will be able to get close to the drivers, teams and rally cars at Darling Harbour each evening in the rally village, similar to the successful concept seen recently during the Volvo Round the World Yacht Race.

Full details of the rally route, format and spectator information will be revealed at the launch on February 4.