Michael Clarke hit for six over rally drive

Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke will swap cricket whites and the baggy green for a race suit and helmet when he competes in the upcoming 2012 Brakes Direct International Rally of Queensland (IROQ).

Clarke, a BP Ultimate ambassador, will join the BP Ultimate team in a Mitsubishi Evolution VI (pictured below) competing in two stages of the IROQ on May 25-27. He won’t be caught out though, having the hugely experienced assistance of co-driver Mark Stacey, who previously co-drove for rally legend Possum Bourne, alongside in the passenger seat.

While Clarke is an avid car enthusiast, much like former cricketer Shane Warne, the IROQ is his first ever rally event. “It’s pretty well known that I have a passion for driving, but a part of me has always wondered what it would be like to go up against the best in the business,” Clarke said.

“There’s no doubt that rally driving is one of the most exhilarating sports around and, as someone who puts my heart into everything I do, this is a great opportunity to mix it with some of the world’s best drivers.”

Now in its 44th year, the International Rally of Queensland is the longest-running round in the Australian Rally Championship and takes place on the Sunshine Coast. The event will see 100 teams from Australia and around the world, including those competing in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, all trying to bowl over the opposition. Let’s hope the skipper avoids a bingle