Idanre, Smokin’ Hills listed among Ondo auto rally venues

Organisers of the Ondo Auto Rally 2021 have announced plans to include Smokin’ Hills and Idanre Hills among the facilities to host the rally scheduled for April 3.

Ade Ojuoko, founder of Work and Play — organisers of the annual car show — who broke the news on Monday, said they planned to make the upcoming event a success just like the 2020 edition.

“Our goal is to keep raising values of the event. We have arranged for the racers to enjoy the pounded yam with vegetables, mixed with orisirisi, and to explore the Idanre Hills and Elizade Smokin’ Hills golf course, one the most challenge courses in Africa,” Ojuoko said.

“We have an opportunity to make deeper impact and grow motorsport with collaborations that align with our overall objectives.”

According to the Work and Play founder, “interest for participation in the 2021 edition has been received from Lagos, Oyo, Abuja, Kebbi, Nasarawa and Enugu so far and that will include the logistics of moving their racing cars back and forth the Akure race venue.”

The Work and Play team was awarded the Best Tourism Promotion Initiative at the 2020 edition of the Nigeria Tourism Award, a development that Ojuoko said would encourage his team to work harder with a view to improving motorsport in Nigeria.

It also partnered with some key motorsport clubs to record successful events, leading to other strategic partnerships being planned for 2021.

The 2021 race would flag off from the government house, Akure while the event would also feature an off-road race and drifting which would be held at the Ilara-Mokin racing track.