Victorian Rally Championship
The Victorian Rally Championship was the evolution series of car rallies in Victoria, Australia. Prior to 1972, car rallies/trials relied heavily on the ability of a navigator to read a map and direct their driver over a planned course covering shire roads and forest tracks at night.
In 1972 the series evolved in line with the improvement of forest tracks, and the population of properties along Shire roads – into a more driver-oriented event.
Route instructions became comprehensive, making it easier for a crew to avoid getting lost, and results were effectively determined by how fast the drivers drove on the generally narrow forest roads.
Since 1990, many of these events have been held during daylight hours – making the competition more attractive to spectators.
Victorian Rally Champions
Winners of the Victorian Rally Championship and the preceding Victorian Trials Championship are as follows:
Year | Driver | Navigator/Co-Driver |
---|---|---|
1961 | Geoff Russell | Martin Hartigan |
1962 | Geoff Russell | R.H.Collingwood |
1963 | Harry Firth | Graham Hoinville |
1963 | Frank Kilfoyle | Mike Flanagan |
1964 | Frank Kilfoyle | Roger Abraham |
1965 | Harry Firth | Graham Hoinville |
1966 | Tony Roberts | Peter Haas |
1967 | Reg Lunn* | Roger Vaughan * |
1968 | Bob Watson | Jim McAuliffe |
1969 | Bob Watson | Jim McAuliffe |
1970 | Bob Watson | Jim McAuliffe |
1971 | Mal McPherson | Peter Haas |
1972** | Gil Davis | Roger Bonhomme |
1973 | Bob Watson | Jeff Beaumont |
1974 | Garrie Harrowfield | Geoff Boyd |
1975 | David Bond | Ian Richards |
1976 | Bob Waterhouse | Paul Paterson |
1977 | Gil Davis | David Long |
1978 | Warwick Smith | Paul Paterson |
1979 | Warwick Smith | Paul Paterson |
1980 | Chris Brown | Simon Brown |
1981 | Geoff Portman | Ross Runnalls |
1982 | Chris Brown | Noel Richards |
1983 | David Officer | Kate Hobson |
1984 | Peter A Thompson* | Anthony Sartory* |
1985 | Brian Smith | John Birrell |
1986 | Geoff Portman | Peter Gale |
1987 | Geoff Portman | Peter Gale |
1988 | David Greig | Paul Tirant |
1989 | Greg Hoinville | Michael Cains |
1990 | David Greig | Paul Tirant |
1991 | Peter Fyfe | Gerry Bashford |
1992 | Peter Fyfe | Gerry Bashford |
1993 | Graeme Wise | Helen Wylie |
1994 | Graeme Wise | Helen Wylie |
1995 | Graeme Wise* | Greg Foletta* |
1996 | Graeme Wise | Rob Beekman |
1997 | Mike Reeves | Robin Smalley |
1998 | Craig Morris | Jenny Cole |
1999 | Scott Pedder | Paul Humm |
2000 | Scott Pedder | Paul Humm |
2001 | David Stannus | Peter Campbell |
2002 | Brett Thompson | Rob Vanderee |
2003 | Mike Reeves | Robin Smalley |
2004 | Peter Montgomery | Chris Montgomery |
2005 | Justin Dowel | Matt Lee |
2006 | Justin Dowel | Matt Lee |
2007 | Justin Dowel | Matt Lee |
2008 | Mark Fawcett | Simon Ellis |
2009 | Mark Fawcett | Carrie Morris |
2010 | Nathan Reeves | Scott Spedding |
2011 | Warren Lee | David Lethlean |
2012 | Stephen Raymond | Glen Raymond |
2013 | Tristan Penhall | Jolie Middleton |
2014 | Justin Dowel | Scott Spedding |
* Driver and navigator were not from the same crew. ** Victorian Rally Championship introduced; previously, this was known as the Victorian Trials Championship.
Since 2003, there has been a separate Two Wheel Drive Championship contested as part of the Annual Championships. Winners of the Victorian 2WD Rally Championship are as follows:
Year | Driver | Navigator/Co-Driver |
---|---|---|
2003 | Andrew Vibert | David Gallacher |
2004 | Ben Fawcett | Tony Boyd |
2005 | Brian Semmens | David Leoncini |
2006 | Brian Semmens | David Leoncini |
2007 | Brian Semmens | David Leoncini |
2008 | Andrew Taylor | Robin Smalley |
2009 | Brian Semmens | David Leoncini |
2010 | Alan Friend | Robin Smalley |
2011 | Brian Semmens | Dan Parry |
2012 | Brian Semmens | Dan Parry |
2013 | Brian Semmens | Dan Parry |
2014 | Justin Walker | Bianca Lowe |