1978 Victorian Rally Championship

Table of Contents

Series Regulations
Events
Outright Pointscores
Grade 2 Pointscores

The VRC was keenly contested with seven different crews scoring wins across the seven events! Despite this, consistency proved the winning formula for Warwick Smith and Paul Paterson, who scored an outright win, an equal first and three second places to convincingly win the championship.

The Grade 2 award was also closely fought with four different winners across the first six rounds and four crews tied for the win on the final round. The award went to Ian and Noel Richards in a Datsun 1600, closely followed by Jim Uttleymoore/Tony Bond and Mick Ellis/Jim Maude, tied for second place.

To see what else happened during 1978 in Victorian rallying, go to the 1978 year page.

To see other years of the Victorian Rally Championship, go to the VRC page.

Series Regulations

There were no specific restrictions on the kinds of events that could be rounds of the VRC and there were no special stage events. All events were timed to the minute, resulting in quite a few tied placings. About half the events involved map reading.

Awards were made for outright champions and Grade 2 (non Grade 1, so Grade 3 and 4 could score points also).

In each division points were allocated 9-6-4-3-2-1 for first to sixth with the best five results to count.

Events

The 1978 VRC comprised seven rounds as follows. It appears that the Chrysler Safari was originally calendared as a VRC round but was cancelled. Click on each round to see the full story and results.

Outright Pointscores

Outright Drivers Pointscores

Place	Driver	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Total
1	Warwick Smith	7½	9		6	7½	6		36
2	Chris Brown			3½	4			9	16½
3	Chris Power		6		9				15
4	Ian Richards	3½			1	2	2½	3¾	12¾
5	Rex Muldoon	3½		9					12½
6	Geoff Portman				3	7½			10½
7	Gil Davis						9		9
8	Mick Ellis				2		2½	3¾	8¼
9	John Armitage	7½							7½
10	Peter Evans			6					6
11=	David Jones		3	2					5
11=	Jim Uttleymoore		2			3			5
13	Alex Fitcher			1				3¾	4¾
14=	Peter Corkran		4						4
14=	Bob Phillips					4			4
14=	Alf Pearce						4		4
17	McLean							3¾	3¾
18	Bob Bird			3½					3½
19=	Pierre Dalle	2							2
19=	David Dyball					2			2
21=	Phil Nicholson	1							1
21=	John Nicholls		1						1
21=	John Coleman							1	1
24=	Bob Buck						½		½
24=	Ian Nowacki						½		½

Outright Navigators Pointscores

Place	Navigator	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Total
1	Paul Paterson	7½	9		6	7½	6		36
2	Simon Brown			3½	4			9	16½
3	Mike Mitchell		6		9				15
4	Ross Runnalls	3½			1	7½			12
5	Noel Richards	3½				2	2½	3¾	11¾
6	Noel Kelly			9		1			10
7	Graham Toner						9		9
8	Jim Maude				2		2½	3¾	8¼
9	Phil Rainer	7½							7½
10	Chris Maniatakis			6					6
11=	Ian Pearson		3	2					5
11=	Tony Bond		2			3			5
13=	Ian Ellis		4						4
13=	Geoff Boyd					4			4
13=	Ian Pearce						4		4
16=	Jan Fitcher			1				3¾	3¾
16=	Thomas							3¾	3¾
18	Wayne Beaumont			3½					3½
19	Shane Blandford				3				3
20	Ian Baldock	2							2
21=	Ken Price	1							1
21=	Don Davison		1						1
21=	Kate Niblett				1				1
21=	John Birrelll							1	1
25=	Stuart Lister						½		½
25=	Mike Rebbechi						½		½

Grade 2 Pointscores

Grade 2 Drivers Pointscores

Place	Driver	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Total
1	Ian Richards	9	3		6	6	7½	5½	34 (37)
2=	Jim Uttleymoore		9		4	9			22
2=	Mick Ellis				9		7½	5½	22
4	Alex Fitcher	4	4	6				5½	19½
5	Peter Evans	2		9					11
6	John Coleman			3	2½			2	7½
7	Phil Nicholson	6			1				7
8=	Colin Sichlau	2		4					6
8=	John Nicholls		6						6
10	McLean							5½	5½
11	Bob Buck		1				3½		4½
12	Ted Anderson					4			4
13	Ian Nowacki						3½		3½
14	R. Hodgson					3			3
15	Pat Barber				2½				2½
16=	Ian Smith	2							2
16=	Greg Lee		2						2
16=	David Adams			2					2
16=	Lindsay Dale					2			2
20=	Bruce Robertson						1½		1½
20=	Ken Stone						1½		1½
22=	Fraser			1					1
22=	Doug Chapple							1	1
24=	Hayden West					½			0.5
24=	B. Weston					½			0.5

Grade 2 Navigators Pointscores

Place	Navigator	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Total
1	Noel Richards	9	3			6	7½	5½	31
2	Jim Maude	2			9		7½	5½	24
3	Tony Bond		9		4	9			22
4	Jan Fitcher	4	4	6				5½	19½
5	Chris Maniatakis	2		9					11
6	John Birrell			3	2½			2	7½
7	Ken Price	6			1				7
8	David McKenzie	2		4		½			6½
9=	Don Davison		6						6
9=	Kate Niblett				6				6
9=	Stuart Lister				2½		3½		6
12	Thomas							5½	5½
13	Tony Wunderlich					4			4
14	Mike Rebbechi						3½		3½
15	Peter Mignot					3			3
16=	Bill Johnson		2						2
16=	Ian Morrison			2					2
16=	P. Gallagher					2			2
19=	Stephen Robertson						1½		1½
19=	Glen McAliece						1½		1½
21=	Tony Bishop		1						1
21=	Max Nathan			1					1
21=	Bernard Lakerink							1	1
24	Tony Best					½			0.5