1977 Australian Rally Championship

Table of Contents

Series Regulations
Events
Pointscores

A dramatic change to ARC vehicle eligibility saw one of the closest fought national rally series for many years. With “open slather” Group G cars now eligible, FIA Group 2 cars like the Southern Cross winning Datsun 710 were now able to take ARC points. But equally, highly modified Datsun 1600s and other such cars were also eligible. This year also saw the emergence of the Ford Team with lead driver Greg Carr taking his first ARC round win in an Escort.

Although reduced to only five rounds, the series saw five different winners in three different marques. Going into the final round in South Australia, Dunkerton/Beaumont lead in 15 points, having suffered DNFs on the previous two rounds. Stewart/Faulkner were on 14, Fury/Suffern on 12, Morrow/Shepheard and Carr/Gocentas both on 9, all within reach of winning the championship. Fury and Suffern won in SA, with Dunkerton and Beaumont second, locking them on equal points, both with a win and two seconds, and so declared joint champions.

Nissan won the Manufacturers Award again.

Tom Snooks has provided the full story here.

To see other years of the Australian Rally Championship go to the ARC series page.

Series Regulations

Events were run under the National Rally Code. All rounds used minute timing.

Vehicle eligibility was CAMS Group G – Australian Rally Cars.

Points were awarded down to sixth: 9-6-4-3-2-1, probably with all results to count.

Events

The series was reduced to five rounds, one in each state except Tasmania. The North Eastern retained its spot as the Victorian round, as did Bega, the renamed WA round and the Qld round, now just named the Lutwyche Village Rally. SA had a new event, back to the Walkerville All Car Club.

North Eastern Rally (Vic)
Rally of the West (WA)
Lutwyche Village Rally (Qld)
Bega Valley Rally (NSW)
Endrust Forest Rally (SA)

Pointscores

Drivers Pointscores

Place	Driver	State	NE	WA	Qld	Bega	SA	Total
1=	Ross Dunkerton	WA	6	9			6	21
1=	George Fury	Vic		6		6	9	21
3	Doug Stewart	NSW	3	2	9			14
4	Dave Morrow	NSW	9				4	13
5	Greg Carr	ACT				9	2	11
6=	Clive Slater	WA		4	3			7
6=	Bob Riley	NSW			6		1	7
7=	Geoff Portman	Vic	4					4
7=	Neil Swaysland	Qld			4			4
7=	Daryl Rowney	NSW				4		4
11=	Dean Rainsford	SA		3				3
11=	Peter Gaudron	NSW				3		3
11=	Colin Bond	NSW					3	3
14=	Murray Coote	Qld	2					2
14=	Mark Hankinson	NSW				2		2
16=	David Jones	Vic			1½			1½
16=	Ian Riedel	Qld			1½			1½
18=	Frank Johnson	WA	1					1
18=	Brian Smallwood	WA?		1				1
18=	David Balmain	NSW				1		1

Navigators Pointscores

Place	Navigator	State	NE	WA	Qld	Bega	SA	Total
1=	Jeff Beaumont	Vic	6	9			6	21
1=	Monty Suffern	Vic		6		6	9	21
3	George Shepheard	NSW	9				4	13
4	Neil Faulkner	NSW	3		9			12
5	Fred Gocentas	ACT				9	2	11
6	Brian Hope	NSW			6		1	7
7=	Ross Runnalls	Vic	4					4
7=	Andy van Kann	WA		4				4
7=	John Hall	Qld			4			4
7=	Robbie Wilson	NSW				4		4
11=	Adrian Mortimer	SA		3				3
11=	Steve Halloran	NSW			3			3
11=	Graeme Pilgrim	NSW				3		3
11=	John Dawson-Damer	NSW					3	3
15=	Brian Marsden	Qld	2					2
15=	Rod van der Straaten	WA		2				2
15=	Doug Moule	NSW				2		2
18=	Ian Person	Vic			1½			1½
18=	Ross Moir	Qld			1½			1½
20=	Ben Williams	WA	1					1
20=	Glen Thorpe	WA?		1				1
20=	Terry Hanrahan	NSW				1		1