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.
At present, the Victorian Rally Championship includes awards for overall champion, two wheel drive champion, and class champions. Two single car make championships are associated with the Victorian Rally Championship: The Fiesta Rally Series and the Grant Walker Parts Excel Rally Series.
Victorian Rally Champions
Winners of the Victorian Rally Championship and the preceding Victorian Trials Championship are as follows: YearDriverNavigator/co-driverCar1961Geoff RussellMartin HartiganVolkswagen 12001962Geoff RussellR.H.CollingwoodFord Falcon1963Harry Firth Graham HoinvilleFord Anglia1963 Frank KilfoyleMike FlanaganFord Falcon1964Frank KilfoyleRoger AbrahamFord Falcon1965Harry FirthGraham Hoinville1966Tony RobertsPeter HaasHD Holden1967Reg Lunn*Roger Vaughan *HR Holden1968Bob WatsonJim McAuliffeHK Holden V81969Bob WatsonJim McAuliffeRenault 16TS1970Bob WatsonJim McAuliffeRenault R8 Gordini1971Mal McPherson*Peter Haas*Renault R8 Gordini1972**Gil Davis*Roger Bonhomme*Holden Torana GTR XU11973Bob WatsonJeff BeaumontRenault R12G, Holden HQ1974Garrie HarrowfieldGeoff BoydFord Cortina1975David BondIan RichardsMitsubishi Lancer1976Bob WaterhousePaul PatersonDatsun 16001977Gil DavisDavid LongDatsun 16001978Warwick SmithPaul PatersonMitsubishi Lancer1979Warwick SmithPaul PatersonMitsubishi Lancer1980Chris BrownSimon BrownDatsun 16001981Geoff PortmanRoss RunnallsDatsun Stanza1982Chris BrownNoel RichardsDatsun 180B SSS1983David OfficerKate Hobson Mitsubishi Galant1984Peter A Thompson*Anthony Sartory* Datsun P5101985Brian SmithJohn Birrell Mitsubishi Sigma1986Geoff PortmanPeter Gale Datsun 16001987Geoff PortmanPeter Gale Datsun 16001988David GreigPaul Tirant Datsun P5101989Greg HoinvilleMichael Cains Ford Escort Mk.21990David GreigPaul Tirant Datsun 260Z1991Peter FyfeGerry Bashford Nissan Pulsar1992Peter FyfeGerry Bashford Nissan Pulsar1993Graeme WiseHelen Wylie Mitsubishi Lancer Evo1994Graeme WiseHelen Wylie Mitsubishi Lancer Evo1995Graeme Wise*Greg Foletta* Mitsubishi Lancer Evo1996Graeme WiseRob Beekman Mitsubishi Lancer1997Mike ReevesRobin Smalley Mitsubishi Galant VR41998Craig MorrisJenny Cole Mitsubishi Galant VR41999Scott PedderPaul Humm Mitsubishi Lancer Evo2000Scott PedderPaul Humm Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 32001David StannusPeter Campbell Nissan Pulsar2002Brett ThompsonRob Vanderee Mitsubishi Galant VR42003Mike ReevesRobin Smalley Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 32004 Peter MontgomeryChris Montgomery Subaru Impreza2005 Justin DowelMatt Lee Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 62006Justin DowelMatt Lee Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 62007 Justin DowelMatt Lee Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 62008 Mark Fawcett Simon Ellis Subaru Impreza WRX2009 Mark Fawcett Carrie Morris Subaru Impreza WRX2010 Nathan Reeves Scott Spedding Subaru Impreza WRX2011 Warren Lee David Lethlean Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 92012 Stephen Raymond Glen Raymond Toyota Corolla2013 Tristan Penhall Jolie Middleton Subaru Impreza WRX2014 Justin Dowel Scott Spedding Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X2015 Darren Windus* David Lethlean* Subaru Impreza WRX2016 Darren Windus Joe Brkic Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X2017 Glen Raymond Kate Catford Subaru Impreza WRX STi2018 Ben Hayes Cathy Hayes Subaru Impreza WRX STi2019Arron WindusDaniel BrkicSubaru Impreza WRX2020Not conducted2021Darren WindusJoe BrkicSubaru Impreza WRX2022Adrian StratfordKain ManningSubaru Impreza WRX2023Justin DowelTracey DewhurstMitsubishi Mirage |- |2024 |Adrian Stratford |Anthony Staltari |Ford Fiesta G4
* 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: YearDriverNavigator/co-driver2003Andrew VibertDavid Gallacher2004 Ben FawcettTony Boyd2005 Brian SemmensDavid Leoncini2006Brian SemmensDavid Leoncini2007 Brian SemmensDavid Leoncini2008 Andrew Taylor Robin Smalley 2009 Brian SemmensDavid Leoncini 2010 Alan Friend Robin Smalley 2011 Brian SemmensDan Parry 2012 Brian SemmensDan Parry 2013 Brian SemmensDan Parry 2014 Justin WalkerBianca Lowe 2015Brian SemmensDan Parry2016Mike ConwayJenny Cole2017Grant WalkerSteph Richards2018Grant WalkerSteph Richards2019Justin WalkerAdam Wright2020Not conducted2021Adrian StratfordKain Manning
References