SEA Lake resident Brock Crowe was only 13 when Australia’s longest running off-road race, The Mallee Rally, was last held in his hometown.
Growing up in a racing family, Brock conceded off-road racing was in his blood, and he was destined to follow in the footsteps of his Dad, Stuart Crowe, who won the event outright in 2008.
Stuart said winning the Mallee Rally was the pinnacle of his racing career.
“It was very special, definitely the highlight,” he said.
“As a little kid growing up in the Mallee, The Mallee Rally was always a highlight.”
While the event would have marked its 50th anniversary this year, any hopes of Brock competing in the signature event have been dashed, as the Sea Lake community and off-road racing fraternity continue to await the outcome of a Cultural Landscape Conservation Management Plan for Lake Tyrrell, the site of the race.
Stuart said the loss of the event had left a huge hole within the Sea Lake community, noting it resulted in a mass exodus of competitors from the Sea Lake region, with many selling their buggies and walking away from the sport altogether.
“The Mallee has always been a hub for off-road racing events,” Stuart said.
He said the event did wonders for small communities like Sea Lake, with the social and economic benefits extending well beyond the race itself.
“The event injected more than $250,000 into the town over the June long weekend,” he said.
“Everyone benefited – the shops, accommodation houses, local clubs and sporting organisations. It was amazing and has been a huge loss to the community.”
While Stuart would love to see the return of the event, he said nothing would come close to replacing the Mallee Rally.
“You just don’t replace things like that,” he said.
Despite the uncertainty of the future of the race, the resilience of the Sea Lake community and Sea Lake Off Road Racing Club continues to shine through.
Last weekend saw the local off road club return to grassroots racing, when they hosted the inaugural Nandaly 300, taking place across two days.
Stuart and his son Brock, now 18, were among the 39 competitors to compete in the race, with the father and son duo the only Sea Lake representatives in the line-up.
The event marked Brock’s first drive and first race.
“It was great” Brock said.
“It was perfect racing conditions.”
Brock started as the duo’s navigator in Saturday’s race, before jumping into the driver’s seat on Sunday.
“We hit a stump and blew a tyre on Saturday,” Stuart said.
“It tore it clean off the rim.”
Forced to retire, the duo headed back to the workshop to ensure everything was ready to go for Brock’s first race.
In Sunday’s race, Brock completed two of the three laps in under 45 minutes, but was forced to pull out of the event following transmission troubles.
However, with his first taste of racing under his belt, Brock is eager to return to the driver’s seat and remains hopeful he may one day have the opportunity to race in the Mallee Rally.
