The VRC was closely contested with four different winners on the first four rounds and five crews in the running for the title with two rounds to go. But in the end the neatly dressed Bob Waterhouse, with navigator Paul Paterson, won the final two rounds to convincingly win the championship.
To see what else happened during 1976 in Victorian rallying, go to the 1976 year page.
To see other years of the Victorian Rally Championship, go to the VRC page.
There were no specific restrictions on the kinds of events that could be rounds of the VRC. There were no special stage events. All events were timed to the minute, resulting in some tied placings. Most events involved map reading.
Only the outright award was given. Points were allocated 9-6-4-3-2-1 for first to sixth with the best five results to count.
The 1976 VRC comprised six rounds as follows. Click on each round to see the full story and results.
| Place | Driver | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bob Waterhouse | 9 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 33 | ||
| 2= | Garry Harrowfield | 6 | 9 | 6 | 21 | |||
| 2= | Bob Bird | 3½ | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3½ | 21 | |
| 4 | John Dixon | 4 | 9 | 13 | ||||
| 5 | Garry Spence | 9 | 2½ | 11½ | ||||
| 6 | Geoff Portman | 3½ | 3 | 3 | 9½ | |||
| 7= | Bruce Wilson | 6 | 6 | |||||
| 7= | Gil Davis | 6 | 6 | |||||
| 9 | Ian Swan | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |||
| 10 | Graham Horsfield | 2 | ½ | 2 | 4½ | |||
| 11 | Bob Watson | 4 | 4 | |||||
| 12 | Pierre Dalle | 3½ | 3½ | |||||
| 13= | Alf Pearce | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 13= | Jeff Beaumont | 3 | 3 | |||||
| 15 | George Fury | 2½ | 2½ | |||||
| 16= | Helmut Goetz | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 16= | Rex Lunn | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 16= | Ian Smith | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 19 | Graham Toner | ½ | ½ |
| Place | Navigator | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Paterson | 9 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 33 | ||
| 2= | Geoff Boyd | 6 | 9 | 6 | 21 | |||
| 2= | Warwick Smith | 3½ | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3½ | 21 | |
| 4 | Ian Richards | 4 | 9 | 13 | ||||
| 5 | Noel Kelly | 9 | 2½ | 11½ | ||||
| 6 | Ross Runnalls | 3½ | 3 | 3 | 9½ | |||
| 7 | Ian Baldock | 1 | 2 | 3½ | 6½ | |||
| 8= | Peter Haas | 6 | 6 | |||||
| 8= | David Long | 6 | 6 | |||||
| 10 | Graeme Vaux | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |||
| 11= | Geoff O’Donnell | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||
| 11= | Bill Johnston | 4 | 4 | |||||
| 13 | Ian Wilson | 3 | 3 | |||||
| 14 | Monty Suffern | 2½ | 2½ | |||||
| 15= | Frank Kilfoyle | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 15= | Barry Burt | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 15= | Jim Maude | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 18 | Ian Murphy | ½ | 0.5 |