1978 Australian Rally Championship

Table of Contents

Series Regulations
Events
Pointscores

This year’s championship was expected to be a close tussle between the Datsun and Ford works teams. Datsun had reigning champion Ross Dunkerton and George Fury, both initially in 710s and later in the year swapping to Stanzas. Ford had Greg Carr and four time champion, Colin Bond, now in RS1800 Escorts. But Bond had circuit racing commitments and missed the first round in WA, handing the car to Dave Morrow.

Carr won the championship on a countback of wins, having taken three to Dunkerton’s one. Bond took one win and but for his WA absence, may have won the title, but his co-driver, John Dawson-Damer, did take the title. Fury had one win but mechanical failures on the final two rounds took him out of contention.

The Manufacturers Championship was discontinued and would not be re-introduced until 1988.

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. For the first time, Queensland and South Australian rounds used second timing, the other four 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, with all results to count.

Events

The series was expanded to six again, with the inclusion of the Donlee Rally at Broken Hill, notionally within the purview of SA but actually in NSW. SA retained the Endust and the West, Bega and Queensland’s Lutwyche continued. The Victorian round reverted to the Marchal Rallye which was postponed to December due to wet weather and became tje decider.

Rally of the West (WA)
Lutwyche Village Rally (Qld)
Donlee Rally (SA/NSW)
Bega Rally (NSW)
Endrust Forest Rally (SA)
Marchal Rallye (Vic)

Pointscores

Drivers Pointscores

Place	Driver	State	WA	Qld	Donlee	Bega	SA	Marchal	Total
1*	Greg Carr	ACT		9		9		9	27
2	Ross Dunkerton	WA	9	6		6		6	27
3	Colin Bond	NSW		4	4	4	9	4	25
4	George Fury	Vic	6	3	9				18
5	Clive Slater	WA	3	2	6				11
6	Geoff Portman	Vic				3	6		9
7	Garry Harrowfield	Vic					4	2½	6½
8=	Dave Morrow	NSW	4						4
8=	David Jones	Vic					3	1	4
10	Dean Rainsford	SA			3				3
11	Chris Power	Vic						2½	2½
12=	Frank Johnson	WA	2						2
12=	Ian Swan	Vic			2				2
12=	Murray Coote	Qld				2			2
12=	Phil Pittaway	SA					2		2
16=	Brian Smallwood	WA	1						1
16=	Rod Browning	Qld		1					1
16=	Dietter Thumm	SA			1				1
16=	Ed Mulligan	NSW				1			1
16=	Rex Muldoon	Vic					1		1

* Decided on a countback of wins.

Navigators Pointscores

Place	Navigator	State	WA	Qld	Donlee	Bega	SA	Marchal	Total
1	John Dawson-Damer	NSW	4	4	4	4	9	4	29
2	Jeff Beaumont	Vic	9	6		6		6	27
3	Fred Gocentas	ACT		9		9		9	27
4	Monty Suffern	Vic	6	3	9				18
5	Steve Halloran	NSW	3	2	6				11
6	Ross Runnalls	Vic				3	6		9
7	Roger Bonhomme	Vic					4	2½	6½
8	Ian Pearson	Vic					3	1	4
9	Jeremy Browne	SA			3				3
10	Fred Lakerink	Vic						2½	2½
11=	Bill Clarke	WA	2						2
11=	Phil Rainer	Vic			2				2
11=	Brian Marsden	Qld				2			2
11=	Peter Harden	SA					2		2
15=	Glen Thorpe	WA	1						1
15=	Lloyd Mellor	Qld		1					1
15=	Barry Walmsley	SA			1				1
15=	Graham Moule	NSW				1			1
15=	Mike Rebbechi	Vic					1		1