1979 Victorian Rally Championship

Table of Contents

Series Regulations
Events
Outright Pointscores
Grade 2 Pointscores

The Victorian Rally Championship was a closely fought battle over seven events with Warwick Smith and Paul Paterson emerging victorious for a second year in succession in their Mitsubishi Lancer.

The closeness of competition was evidenced by the fact that there were six different winners across the seven events, with Uttleymoore/Bond and the Brown brothers equal winners of the first round. Smith/Paterson were the only crews to win two rounds.

The Grade 2 award was also very closely fought with five different winners across the seven rounds and three crews finishing closely on points. The driver’s award was won by Mick Ellis, but his navigator, Jim Maude, had to forego points in the second round because he was the Director! Jan Fitcher won the navigator’s award on a countback from Shane Blandford.

To see what else happened during 1979 in Victorian rallying, go to the 1979 year page.

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

Series Regulations

This was the last year when the VRC had non Special Stage events. Three events were Special Stage events timed to the second, the other four timed to the minutes, some requiring 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 1979 VRC comprised seven rounds as follows. 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	4	4	6	9		9		32
2	Jim Uttleymoore	7½	6	2			3½	4	23
3	Chris Brown	7½				9	6		22½
4	Philip Rodgers				6			6	12
5=	Bob Watson		9						9
5=	Hugh Bell			9					9
5=	David Jones							9	9
8=	Bob Bird			4	4				8
8=	Chris Power					6	2		8
10	Mick Ellis					4	3½		7½
11	Alex Fitcher	3	3					1	7
12	Greg Lee	½				3	1		4½
13	Chris Randall					2		2	4
14=	Peter Evans		2			1			3
14=	Greg Stewart				3				3
14=	Bruce Wilson							3	3
17=	Gil Davis	2							2
17=	Phil Nicholson			2					2
17=	Bruce Robertson			2					2
17=	Garry Spence				2				2
21=	Mick Ellis		1						1
21=	Bruce Tassell				1				1
23	John White	½							½

Outright Navigators Pointscores

Place	Navigator	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Total
1	Paul Paterson	4	4	6	9		9		32
2	Tony Bond	7½	6	2			3½	4	23
3	Simon Brown	7½				9	6		22½
4	Mike Rebecchi				6			6	12
5=	Ian Pearson		9						9
5=	Damien O’Reilly			9					9
5=	Stuart Lister							9	9
8=	Trevor Boyd			4	4				8
8=	Fred Lakerink					6	2		8
10	Jim Maude					4	3½		7½
11	Jan Fitcher	3	3					1	7
12	Shane Blandford	½				3	1		4½
13=	Chris Maniatakis		2			1			3
13=	Barry Burt				3				3
13=	Ian Heraud							3	3
16=	Graham Toner	2							2
16=	Ken Price			2					2
16=	Ian Baldock			2					2
16=	Rex Leitch				2				2
16=	Ray Scott					2			2
16=	Jim Davis							2	2
22=	John McKay		1						1
22=	John Tassell				1				1
24	John Williams	½							½

Grade 2 Pointscores

Grade 2 Drivers Pointscores

Place	Driver	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Total
1	Mick Ellis		4	2		9	9	1	25
2=	Alex Fitcher	9	9					4	22
2=	Greg Lee	5			2	6	6	3	22
4	Hugh Bell	3		9					12
5	Greg Stewart	2			9				11
6=	Bruce Robertson			5		2	3		10
6=	Chris Randall					4		6	10
8=	Peter Evans		6			3			9
8=	Bruce Wilson							9	9
10	Colin Sichlau		3		4	1			8
11	Chris Wall				3		4		7
12	Bruce Tassell				6				6
13=	John White	5							5
13=	David Adams		2	3					5
13=	Phil Nicholson			5					5
16=	Peter Thompson	1	1						2
16=	Rob Knight						2		2
16=	T. Power							2	2
19=	Wayne Muldoon			1					1
19=	Bob Buck				1				1
19=	Peter Johannesen						1		1

Grade 2 Navigators Pointscores

Place	Navigator	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Total
1	Jan Fitcher	9	9					4	22
2	Shane Blandford	5			2	6	6	3	22
3	Jim Maude			2		9	9	1	21
4	Damien O’Reilly	3		9					12
5	Barry Burt	2			9				11
6	Ian Baldock			5		2	3		10
7	Chris Maniatakis		6			3			9
8	Ian Heraud							9	9
9	David McKenzie		3		4	1			8
10	John McKay		4		3				7
11=	John Tassell				6				6
11=	Jim Davis							6	6
13=	John Williams	5							5
13=	Ken Price			5					5
15=	Ray Scott					4			4
15=	Graeme Vaux						4		4
17=	Rod Green			3					3
17=	Don Williams						2		3
19=	Ian McCallum	1	1						2
19=	Ian Morrison		2						2
19=	M. Dolphen							2	2
22=	Buck			1					1
22=	Tony Bishop				1				1
22=	Terry Johannesen						1		1