FEB 13TarmacDone

Mt Buller Sprint

13 February 2026 · Victoria

Result
Retired — turbo
Shakewell Racing's Subaru WRX STI on an alpine tarmac rally stage

Betsy dropped an engine days before the event, so we almost didn't make the start at all. When we did, Valentine's Day at Mt Buller gave us tractor mode, a zip-tie fix, one genuinely quick run — and then, 13 km into a 15 km stage, it all went quiet. We thought we'd run out of fuel. It was the turbo.

About the Mt Buller Sprint

The Mt Buller Sprint is a tarmac hillclimb event held 13-15 February 2026 in the Victorian alps, forming the opening round (Round 1) of the 2026 Australian Tarmac Rally (ATR) Championship. Competitors make multiple runs up the sealed ascent from Mirimbah to the summit of Mount Buller, with Rally Headquarters and the Service Park based at Mirimbah Park and entry limited to 80 competition vehicles. Presented under the Australian Tarmac Rally banner with support from Alpine Resorts Victoria and sanctioned by the Australian Auto-Sport Alliance (AASA), the 2026 running revives the event's original hillclimb format from the early 2000s.

Championship
2026 Australian Tarmac Rally (ATR) Championship
Organiser
Australian Tarmac Rally (ATR)
Base
Mirimbah
Surface
Tarmac
  • Format: Hillclimb / sprint format (a return to the event's original hillclimb format), competitors making multiple runs on the ascent from Mirimbah to the Mt Buller summit across the weekend. Multi-day event, 13-15 February 2026. Entry strictly…
  • Terrain: Tarmac (sealed mountain road); alpine terrain with sweeping corners and significant elevation changes on the Mt Buller Road
  • History: Was a popular tarmac meeting in the early 2000s (originally run under Mountain Motorsports); the run from Mirimbah to the Mt Buller summit was revered. The 2026 running is a revival bringing back that original hillclimb format. A precise…
  • Notable: Billed as one of Australia's most highly requested motorsport events; the legendary sealed ascent from Mirimbah to the summit of Mount Buller, an iconic Victorian alpine mountain road, with an elite field capped at 80 competition cars
Official event page

Watch the recap