Seton and Nissan, Percy and Jaguar line up for Classic rally

The 13th annual Classic Adelaide rally was officially launched in South Australia today, and a classic pairing will be reunited when the tarmac road rally begins on November 18.

Two-time Australian Touring Car Champion Glenn Seton is set to take the wheel of a new Nissan 370Z, albeit in a non-competitive, speed limited Thoroughbred Touring class.

Despite his long list of racing achievments, this will be the 44-year-old's debut in tarmac rally.

English Bathurst 1000 winner Win Percy will also drive in the four-day event in a diesel Jaguar XF sedan. Percy is familiar with the highs and lows of the classic rally, having crashed into the Adelaide hills in 2000.

Both will have friendly manufacturer rivals in Classic regular Mercedes-Benz, with Le Mans winner Vern Schuppan and F1 World Champ Sir Jack Brabham, who is the official Event Patron.

Event Ambassador Jim Richards will compete in the Modern category in his Porsche GT2 - despite its name, the 2009 Classic rally will incorporate modern cars for the first time.

A9X Torana crowdpleaser.
The event incorporates 33 closed-road Special Stages through the Adelaide Hills, branching out every morning from the city centre and making it an ease for competitors and spectators alike, and the Gouger Street Friday night party and a new Norwood Parade Street Party on Saturday night will ensure a strong social scene.

"The beauty of this event is that there are categories to allow every entrant to choose their pace, whether it is full-on competition, leisurely touring or something in-between," said Director of Silverstone Events, David Edwards.

"The Adelaide region roads are unsurpassed for their driving challenge and drivers have a rare opportunity to test themselves and their cars in controlled conditions while running through superb South Australian scenery.

"And at morning tea and lunch breaks and the nightly social events, there's a unique camraderie among classic car enthusiasts from every part of Australia and even from overseas.

"There is nothing else in Australia like Classic Adelaide - some competitors say nothing like it elsewhere in the world - and this one is shaping up as the best yet."