The stage is being set for a huge finish to the 2026 New South Wales Rally Championship, with the Southwest Excavations Rally of Oberon to bring the season to a close on Saturday, 14 November.

With 16 entries already received and more expected before entries close, the Rally Car Club team is preparing a compact and competitive event based in Oberon and taking competitors onto some fantastic roads through the Jenolan Forests, including roads that have not seen rally competition for several years.

The roadbook-only event will feature a mix of surfaces across three stages repeated three times, giving crews plenty of opportunity to settle into the roads, but also leaving little room for mistakes as the championship reaches its conclusion.

And there is plenty on the line.

Heading into Oberon, Richie Dalton leads the Outright Rally Championship on 175 points, just two points clear of Tony Sullens on 173, with Josh Redhead third on 139. Dennis Stanford sits fourth on 120 points, with James O’Malley close behind on 118.

But the outright numbers only tell part of the story.

Under the championship regulations, not every heat result counts toward a crew’s final tally, with competitors required to drop their worst results. That means the final championship picture will not simply be a matter of adding Oberon’s points to the current totals. Once the discarded results come into play, there are still opportunities for several crews as the season reaches its final stages.

It sets up a fascinating finale, where every point gained, or lost, in the Jenolan Forests could make a difference.

Production Cup Still Wide Open

There is another major battle brewing in the Production Cup, where Josh Redhead currently leads on 93 points, but Dennis Stanford is right in the fight on 85 points. Michael Chora sits third on 66 points, ahead of James O’Malley on 62 and Bethany Cullen on 54.

For Stanford, Oberon presents a genuine opportunity to finish the year strongly and challenge for the Production Cup, making the final round one to watch closely. As with the outright championship, discarded results will also play their part, meaning the current points table is not necessarily the final picture.

O’Malley Leads the 2WD Charge

In the 2WD Rally Championship, James O’Malley has been the standout performer so far, leading the standings with 101 points. Robert Gorst is second on 86 points, while Tony Sullens sits third on 74.

O’Malley heads to Oberon with a strong advantage, but rallying has a habit of reminding everyone that nothing is over until the final control. With unfamiliar roads, changing surfaces and a full day of competition through the Jenolan Forests still to come, there is plenty of rallying left before any championship celebrations can begin.

A New Home for Rally of Oberon

The 2026 event will also have a new base, with activities centred around the brand-new Oberon Sports Complex.

Rally Headquarters will be located inside Club Oberon, home of the Oberon Leagues Club and the Oberon Tigers, providing a central base for competitors, officials and supporters throughout the event. The Rally Car Club team has worked to put together a compact event designed to deliver plenty of competitive kilometres while showcasing some of the great rally roads surrounding Oberon.

The club is also pleased to welcome Southwest Excavations as the Naming Rights Partner of the 2026 event, with their support helping make the season-ending rally possible.

With championships still to be decided, roads returning to competition and a growing entry list, the 2026 Southwest Excavations Rally of Oberon is shaping up as a fitting finale to the NSW rally season.

And as anyone in rallying knows, it’s not over until the last stage in the Jenolan Forests.

Entries are now open. Enter via Wolf Sports:
https://wolfsports.co/au/rally/event/rally-of-oberon

2026 Southwest Excavations Rally of Oberon
Saturday, 14 November 2026
Oberon, NSW