SEVERAL of Australia’s fastest off-road racers will be travelling to the Riverland this weekend for the Can-Am Loveday 400.
The 400km event was originally set to take place earlier this year as part of the five-round Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship season, which was cancelled due to COVID restrictions.
However, determined organisers have pushed ahead with preparations, with the new three-day event part of a one-round series for the Motorsport Australia Central Eastern Cup.
Event organiser and Loveday 4x4 Adventure Park owner Tony Whateley said it was important to go ahead with the event so the park could keep its national status and “keep this national event in the Riverland”.
“We kept pushing the date out hoping that the borders would open, but eventually it got to the point where we had to come up with something different,” he said.
Mr Whateley said he was looking forward to having some racing at the park.
“We’ve got a few good names entered from SA and New South Wales,” he said.
“The drivers can’t wait – all they want to do is race.
“They’ve all had their race vehicles prepped since February this year, but it’s only been South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia holding races, so New South Wales and Victoria have been missing out.
“I reckon it will be a great weekend… we have some really good vehicles coming.”
The national Off Road Championship will return to the Riverland in 2021, with the third round of next year’s season set to be held in Loveday in July.
“We did have a lot of really big plans, but we’re still going to engage with some people to livestream it and put together some things to get the Riverland some really good promotion out of it,” Mr Whateley said.
“The aim is to next year turn it into something that really turns heads and keep expanding the event more and more.
“Our park is already becoming one of the places to go for 4x4, and this is only going to make the profile of the Riverland grow.”
The 2020 Can-Am Loveday 400 will run from this Friday, October 23 to Sunday, October 25.
For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/events/378314436515367)