A rare link between rallying and Supercars took place over the past couple of weeks to lock in important dates in April next year and Peter Whitten talks about how that came about. Elsewhere on the podcast this week, we look ahead to the Acropolis Rally in Greece on what are notoriously rough stages, and we touch on the assault of a volunteer official at Victoria’s Nissan Nightmoves. Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportma...
Jun 25, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 219
On the centenary episode of the Special Stage Rally Podcast, Scott Pedder joins Peter Whitten to unravel the week of rallying and look ahead to Rally Queensland. Pedder gives his insights on Rally Poland, an event he’s done twice before in the World Rally Championship, and comments on the Australians competing overseas that are impressing the Victorian. Then, the conversation moves to the updates for his Skoda and his entry into this weekend's West Australian state round and just what he’ll focu...
Jun 18, 2025•22 min•Season 1Ep. 218
Sebastien Ogier is only doing a part time program in the WRC, but he’s right in the title fight. We ask if he’s the greatest ever and if he should try for title number nine this year. The RallySport Magazine team then get into the popular Bega Valley Rally and the unique nature of Dean Ridge’s victory aboard a Ford Fiesta G4. He may have had two co-drivers during the event, but it was a fine win of more than 30 seconds ahead of two wheel drive runners Nathan Quinn and Claude Murray. Also discuss...
Jun 11, 2025•35 min
2017 Australian Rally Champion, Nathan Quinn, joins the Special Stage Rally Podcast to talk to Luke Whitten about his last 12 months of rallying. That time period includes his incredible run at the Silver Fern Rally late last year, and the rebuild process of his pretty Mazda RX2. It’s timely we have the Coffs Harbour local on the podcast given his return to the stages is at this weekend’s Bega Valley Rally, and he talks us through just what to expect from the popular rally. He’s also quizzed on ...
Jun 04, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 216
On this week’s episode of The Brad Jones Racing Run Down, the driver of the #96 Macauley Jones and BJR general manager Chris Westwood preview this weekend’s Supercars round at Wanneroo. Macca runs through the challenges offered by the abrasive surface, his “swamp donkey” teammate’s latest home round among the “André Supercars Series”, the logistics behind teams going direct from Perth to Darwin for the next round in a fortnight’s time, a story of team tactics gone wrong from his days in Formula ...
Jun 03, 2025•25 min•Season 215Ep. 1
The Australian Rally Championship finally got back into action in Western Australia last week and a wet rally created for more storylines than we expected. Hayden Paddon became only the third international driver to win a round of the series and with it overtook Lewis Bates for the championship lead. We talk about Scott Pedder’s strong speed and off-road excursion as well as look at where Harry Bates can improve for round three in Queensland. The ARC is shaping up to be a four way fight this sea...
May 28, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 214
On this week’s episode of The Brad Jones Racing Run Down, the driver of the #96 Macauley Jones and BJR general manager Chris Westwood reflect on a busy couple of weeks for Albury’s Supercars team. They cover off the reaction to the announcement of their looming Toyota switch for 2026, look back at a Symmons Plains round that was fantastic Macca and the team all-round, their thoughts on how the new three-race sprint format is going, the DJR disqualification, their Super2 weekend, and Macca’s proj...
May 22, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 213
A pre-event test is more important for some than others and RallySport Magazine’s Luke Whitten was there on cue to explain how the action was unfolding. Speaking with the likes of Lewis Bates, Toby Price and Alex Rullo, the podcast will transport you to Western Australia to learn more about what’s to come for the Forest Rally. Who was comfortable with their cars and who was trying to get as many kilometres as possible before the stop watch begins? There’s plenty to understand from the test stage...
May 22, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 212
In this bonus episode of the Special Stage Rally Podcast, Luke Whitten is joined by Rally de Portugal winners Taylor Gill and Dan Brkic the morning after their second straight JWRC win. How were their celebrations? What about their tiredness? They’ve just completed one of the most gruelling World Rally Championship rallies in years and join us to share their stories from it all. We get an update on just how their winning weekend went and what’s on between now and their next round in Greece. Spec...
May 20, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 211
A very special BONUS episode of The Brad Jones Racing Run Down this week because – as you might have heard – they’ve got a bit of news… The driver of the #96 Macauley Jones is joined by team owner Brad Jones to talk about their looming switch to Toyota for the 2026 Supercars Championship season. They cover the lead-up to the decision, the agonising Brad did over the decision, why he finally settled on changing and some of the behind-the-scenes things that will happen before the first BJR Supra h...
May 14, 2025•14 min•Season 1Ep. 210
This week on the Special Stage Rally Podcast, Luke Whitten catches up with Dean Herridge for a chat full of the big talking points. With the Forest Rally just around the corner, Dean shares his unique insights on the rally and just how the deal with Tom Kristensson came about to drive the team’s Skoda Fabia R5. The Subaru WRX Challenge is also a key point in this podcast, and he shares how it’s shaping up, especially given Toby Price on the entry list. Then, the conversation shifts to the WRC an...
May 14, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 209
On this week’s episode of The Brad Jones Racing Run Down, the driver of the #96 Macauley Jones is joined by team owner Brad Jones to wrap up the last few weeks since Taupō and preview this weekend’s racing at Symmons Plains. They chat about what a race team does when there’s no racecars in the workshop, Brad’s first ever trip to a zoo, the new Dunlop soft tyre, whether different manufacturers having different ‘tracks’ is what parity should look like, and the potential for a New Zealand double-he...
May 07, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 208
Brendan Reeves and Mitch Newton join Luke Whitten on the Special Stage Rally Podcast to talk about the week’s news and also give a valuable lesson on ‘blind’ rallying. Reeves and Newton give their tips and tricks on driving and co-driving on route chart rallies – a style that is a large part of the Australian rallying calendar and what most beginners start with. Prior to that, the discussion covers Toby Price, Taylor Gill, and the Ada River and South Canterbury rallies. Special Stage is produced...
May 07, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 207
Whether you’re a gravel fan or a tarmac lover, there’s something for everyone on this week’s Special Stage Rally Podcast. The boys start by looking at another hugely successful Rally of the Heartland, where Toby Price took the win, before turning their attention to the world scene, where the Canary Islands made its WRC debut. It was a Toyota domination from start to finish, but that didn’t make for an entertaining rally according to our team. We discuss why it failed to live up to expectations, ...
Apr 30, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 206
The announcement of former JWRC champion Tom Kristensson entering the next round of the Australian Rally Championship was big news this week. Special Stage host, Luke Whitten, welcomes former ARC 2WD champion, Guy Tyler, to delve into how the Swede will fare on the tricky West Australian roads. Also discussed on the podcast is the new round of the World Rally Championship this weekend in the Canary Islands, as we talk all about the leading players from Toyota, Hyundai and M-Sport. Then, Tyler ta...
Apr 24, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 205
This week on the Special Stage Rally Podcast we take a moment to remember the life of one of rallying’s larrikins, Ed Mulligan, who tragically passed away this week. On a more brighter note, we head to New Zealand and chat with the brothers Robbie and Jack Stokes who performed so brilliantly in the recent Otago Rally. All that is discussed in detail, while also covering the latest rally news appearing on the RallySport Magazine website. Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Networ...
Apr 16, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 204
The Special Stage Rally Podcast is back to discuss another fine edition of the Otago Rally that brought together rally identities from across the globe. While we were expecting a battle in the Classics between former WRC stars Kris Meeke and Hayden Paddon, it was the unlikely battle between the New Zealand Rally Championship front runners that really took the cake. The RallySport Magazine team run through this battle and Paddon’s invitational World Rally Car run in detail. Jamie Luff then joins ...
Apr 09, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 203
On this week’s episode of The Brad Jones Racing Run Down, the driver of the #96 Macauley Jones and BJR general manager Chris Westwood are joined by Tony Woodward, who shares his journey to becoming a Supercars race engineer, his own racing (including a go-kart tangle with Macca back in the day!) and look ahead to the next round at Taupō . Become a BJR Member in 2025 >> https://www.bradjonesracing.com.au/bjr-memberships Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 03, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 202
The Rally of Canberra delivered everything we had hoped for, but it also included tinges of disappointment, which the boys get into in this week's Special Stage Rally Podcast. From Lewis Bates' brilliant win, Josh Wiedman's Production Cup success and Hayden Paddon's introduction to the Aussie wildlife, the rally had a bit of everything. After all that, who is the championship favourite? We also review a treacherous Safari Rally Kenya where Elfyn Evans extended his WRC lead with another win, and ...
Mar 26, 2025•47 min•Ep. 201
On this week’s episode of The Brad Jones Racing Run Down, the driver of the #96 Macauley Jones and BJR general manager Chris Westwood run through all the washup from a bruising second round of the 2025 Supercars season at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park. The ‘chaotic’ racing was a major talking point, and Macca articulates exactly what it was like racing in the pack and why he doesn’t envy driving standards advisor Craig Baird. They also talk about Sunday’s rain-out, packing u...
Mar 20, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 200
Another week has gone by and the RallySport Magazine team are back to discuss this weekend’s Rally of Canberra, the opening round of the Australian Rally Championship. There’s been plenty of talk about Bates vs Paddon over recent weeks, and we get in and discuss who we think might come out on top. It’s also a WRC weekend as the moving circus is in Kenya for the treacherous Safari Rally. Will Elfyn Evans continue on his winning way, or will Hyundai finally take that first Safari win? A shorter po...
Mar 19, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 199
RallySport Magazine’s Luke Whitten was at the pre-season test day for the Australian Rally Championship and spoke to many of the drivers before their season begins. Each driver shared their impressions on proceedings and just what they were targeting from the all-important test day just a week and a half before the opening round. We speak to the likes of Hayden Paddon, Harry Bates and Scott Pedder as they prepared for some of their runs along the Canberra test road. Special Stage is produced for...
Mar 12, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 198
On this week’s episode of The Brad Jones Racing Run Down, the driver of the #96 Macauley Jones and BJR general manager Chris Westwood run through all the washup from the opening round of the 2025 Supercars season at Sydney Motorsport Park. They talk about the teeny-tiny margins in qualifying and how miniscule moments are the difference between the top 10 and P-nowhere, Macca’s thoughts on Dunlop’s new durable Soft tyre and the new refuelling churns, the rollercoaster weekend for their Super2 run...
Mar 06, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 197
Australian Rally Champion, Harry Bates, will face the toughest challenge of his career in 2025. Former WRC star, Hayden Paddon, is entering the ARC for the first time, and we asked Bates just how he’s going to tackle the season given his new rival’s entrance. Bates shares that he's prepared to increase his speed and work harder than ever in search of another title. We also talk with Bates about the World Rally Drivers’ Alliance and the week’s news on the RallySport Magazine website. Special Stag...
Mar 05, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 196
Joining the RallySport Magazine team on this week’s podcast are drivers who are at different points in their journeys. The experienced Hayden Paddon joins the pod to talk about all the news surrounding his 2025, including the Australian Rally Championship, the Race of Champions and the Otago Rally. There’s also an interview with young Max McRae who shares an insight on his unfortunate injury and just how he’s found the start of the 2025 British Rally Championship season. Each conversation is int...
Feb 26, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 195
It was a huge week for rallying in Australia. Hayden Paddon was announced to compete full time in our national championship, while two of our own won at Rally Sweden. Fresh from the snow, Taylor Gill joins us on the podcast to tell us all about his victory, including just what it’s like to be at the front in not only the Junior WRC but also the WRC3 category. Also on the podcast is Brendan Reeves, whose WRC experience from a decade ago provides a fascinating insight into some of the challenges T...
Feb 19, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 194
On this week’s episode of The Brad Jones Racing Run Down, the driver of the #96 Macauley Jones and BJR general manager Chris Westwood are joined by BJR owner Brad Jones. There’s a bit to unpack around the Triple Eight-to-Ford news! Brad talks through what it was like when BJR switched from Ford to Holden in 2009, along with what T8’s switch means for GM, for the sport, for Ford teams and for BJR. He also sheds light on the homologation process for the incoming Toyota Supra and what it means for ...
Feb 13, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 193
Rally Sweden runs this weekend, and it marks 20 years since Australian Chris Atkinson made his Subaru World Rally Team debut. We welcome him to the podcast to discuss what it was like to join the most famous team and begin his WRC journey in the famous frozen forests. He shares some stories about that first event and gives his thoughts on the upcoming event and how he thinks Australia’s Junior World Rally Championship driver, Taylor Gill, will fare. Listen to stories from the entirety of Chris’ ...
Feb 12, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 192
It seems like an age since we had an Australian rally to talk about, but that doesn't mean there's a shortage of news. On this week's Special Stage Rally Podcast, Luke and Peter discuss what we can expect from Scott Pedder and his new Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 this year, and the unfortunate absence of the Maguire brothers. Brendan Reeves is back for a state championship assault this season, while we also reminisce about the 1992 Bathurst 12 Hour that saw rally stars Fury, Ordynski, Bourne and Bates ...
Feb 05, 2025•28 min•Season 1Ep. 191
On this week’s Special Stage Rally Podcast we're joined by Junior World Rally Championship co-driver, Dan Brkic, as he prepares for Rally Sweden. Brkic and his driver, Taylor Gill, are currently getting ready for the first of five rounds in the JWRC, and we catch up to see how their preparations are going. We also run through the likely front-runners in this year’s Australian Rally Championship to discuss who’s doing what, and break down last weekend’s Monte Carlo Rally where Sebastien Ogier too...
Jan 29, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 190
