1980 Victorian Rally Championship

Table of Contents

Series Regulations
Events
Outright Pointscores
Grade 2 Pointscores

The 1980 Victorian Rally Championship was won in controversial circumstances by Chris Brown and Simon Brown in their Datsun 180B SSS.

The series was a close fight between the reigning champions, Warwick Smith and Paul Paterson in their Lancer, and the Datspares sponsored Datsun 180B SSS of Chris and Simon Brown. Smith/Paterson won the first round when the Browns crashed, but the fortunes were reversed in the second round with Smith/Paterson crashing out and the Browns winning. Wildcard part-timer Hugh Bell won the third round with the two main contenders second and third. Rounds four and five saw the arrival of Geoff Portman with Phil Rainer and they won both rounds but suffered reliability issues in the remaining two rounds. With a decisive win the in the penultimate round, the Browns held a 5 point lead over Smith/Paterson going into the final round.

The Autosport Stages produced plenty of drama and after protests and appeals, Chris and Simon Brown were eventually declared winners of the event and state champions. For the second time in its history (the first was the 1971 navigators title), the VRC was decided in the Australian Motor Sports Appeal Court (AMSAC).

The Grade 2 award went to Chris Wall and Lloyd Minifie.

To see what else happened during 1980 in Victorian rallying, go to the 1980 year page.

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

Series Regulations

These were specified in Section 4A of the 1980 Victorian Addendum to the Australian Rally Code.

For the first time, the VRC was made up exclusively of Special Stage events. In 1980 Special Stage events ran with target times and time penalties to the second for lateness over the target time.

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 1980 VRC comprised seven rounds as follows. The Blue Ribbon Rally was calendared as a round but was cancelled.

Outright Pointscores

Outright Drivers Pointscores

Place	Driver	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Total
1	Chris Brown		9	4	6		9	9	37
2	Warwick Smith	9		6	2		6	6	29
3	Geoff Portman				9	9			18
4=	Jim Uttleymoore	6			4		2		12
4=	Shane Blandford		6			6			12
6	Hugh Bell			9					9
7	Rex Muldoon					3		4	7
8	Chris Wall		2		3			1	6
9=	Bob Watson				1	4			5
9=	Doug Thompson					2	3		5
9=	David Officer					1	4		5
12=	John Coleman	4							4
12=	David Adams		4						4
14=	Steve Ashton	3							3
14=	Gil Davis		3						3
14=	Alex Fitcher			3					3
14=	Ian Swn							3	3
18=	Tom Seymour	2							2
18=	Roger Moll			2					2
18=	Bob Waterhouse							2	2
21=	John White	1					1		1
21=	Tim Beveridge		1						1
21=	Simon Birrell			1					1

Outright Navigators Pointscores

Place	Driver	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Total
1	Simon Brown		9	4	6		9	9	37
2	Paul Paterson	9		6	2		6	6	29
3	Phil Rainer				9	9			18
4=	Ray Scott	6			4		2		12
4=	Ron Harper		6			6			12
6	Tony Allen			9					9
7	Noel Kelly					3		4	7
8	Lloyd Minifie		2		3			1	6
9=	Ron Lugg					2	3		5
9=	Kate Hobson					1	4		5
11=	Greg Boot	4							4
11=	Chris Randell		4						4
11=	Ian Ellis					4			4
14=	Ro Nixon	3							3
14=	Gordon Paul		3						3
14=	Jan Fitcher			3					3
14=	Derek Rawson							3	3
18=	David Hodge	2							2
18=	Robert West			2					2
18=	Tony Walsham							2	2
21=	John Williams	1					1		1
21=	John Drane		1						1
21=	David Brown			1					1
21=	Ian Swan				1				1

Grade 2 Pointscores

Grade 2 Drivers Pointscores

Place	Driver	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Total
1	Chris Wall		4		9		1	9	23
2	Shane Blandford		9		4	9			22
3=	Steve Ashton	6				1	2	6	15
3=	Simon Birrell	2		4	2		3	4	15
5	David Officer				1	4	9		14
6=	David Adams		6		6				12
6=	Doug Thompson					6	6		12
8=	John Coleman	9							9
8=	Alex Fitcher			9					9
10=	John White	3					4		7
10=	Roger Moll		1	6					7
12	Graham Toner		2		3				5
13=	Tom Seymour	4							4
13=	Andy Mitchell					3		1	4
15=	Tim Beveridge		3						3
15=	Phil Nicholson			3					3
15=	Mike Dunn							3	3
18=	Peter Evans					2			2
18=	Ted Knowles			2					2
18=	Phil Eather							2	2
21=	Karl Robertson	1							1
21=	Ian Morrison			1					1

Grade 2 Navigators Pointscores

Place	Navigator	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Total
1	Lloyd Minifie		4		9		1	9	23
2	Ron Harper		9		4	9			22
3	Kate Hobson				1	4	9		14
4=	Chris Randell		6		6				12
4=	Ron Lugg					6	6		12
6=	Greg Boot	9							9
6=	Ro Nixon	6				1	2		9
6=	Jan Fitcher			9					9
6=	John Birrell				2		3	4	9
10=	John Williams	3					4		7
10=	Robert West		1	6					7
12=	David Brown	2		4					6
12=	David McKenzie							6	6
14=	Jeff Marsh		2		3				5
14=	P. Wright					2			5
16=	David Hodge	4							4
16=	Geoff Rothberg					3		1	4
18=	John Drane		3						3
18=	Don Williams			3					3
18=	Peter Godson							3	3
21=	Geoff Crofts			2					2
21=	Steve Yorke							2	2
23=	Peter Kyriakidis	1							1
23=	Paul Hambleton			1					1