The annual Border Oils and Batteries Mitta Mountain Rally returns to the Mitta Valley for the 10th year on Saturday, 21 March, conducted by the Albury Wodonga and District Car Club in partnership with the North Eastern Car Club.

It will be the opening round of the Motorsport Australia Victorian Rally Championship and the East Coast Classic Rally Series, the latter of which operates over the four eastern states for classic cars over 30 years old.

Following their successful introduction last year, this year will see motorcycles return in addition to the 50 car crews that will start from the Mitta Recreation Reserve, looping out into surrounding forest and shire roads for closed road competitive stages and back to the service park for rest, refreshment and car maintenance.

The course will loop west and east in the morning and to the north of Mitta Mitta in the afternoon.

Outright honours are expected to be fought out by the top seeds Brendan Reeves and Aidan O’Halloran in a Subaru Impreza WRX STi, Danny Traverso and Anthony Carr in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 and Brad Luff and Britt Draper in a Subaru Impreza WRX.

Reeves is a former driver in the World Rally Championship and is the reigning Mitta and state championship winner.

The East Coast Classic Rally Series will see a battle between Jeff David and Grant Geelan in their Porsche 911 and Jake Bramble and Phillip Bonser in an all-wheel drive Nissan Pulsar.

Victorian Club Rally Series should see a contest between Rob Davis and Chris Schey in a Datsun Sunny GTi, Andrew Taylor and Michael Stanbrough in a Datsun Stanza and Ray Garrad and Shane Walters in a Subaru Impreza RS.

Local crews hoping to do well include those from the Albury/Wodonga region:

• In his first event driving; Jack West will drive a Hyundai Excel

• Lucas Reed and Isaac Ellis will compete in a Subaru Impreza RS

• Tod Reed and Will Murphy will aim to go up the leaderboard in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3.

Anyone wanting to venture out to the forests to see the cars in action can grab a spectator guide from the Eskdale, Mitta or Dartmouth stores from Friday morning, the day before the Rally.

It will contain information on where to go and when to see the action, a complete list of competing crews and vehicles, as well as advice on safe viewing.

More than 120 volunteers will come to Mitta Mitta to conduct the competition side in roles of timing, road closure, radio communications, satellite tracking and coordination, while locals will assist with catering, spectator control and refuel monitoring.

The rally organisers have appreciated the sponsorship of Border Oils and Batteries, Wodonga Car World, and Aggenbachs Flooring Wangaratta, as well as local cooperation from the Mitta Rec Reserve Committee, Towong Shire, Forest Fire Management Victoria, VicForests, Police, CFA, SES and Ambulance as well as local landholders.