The Begonia Rally, sponsored by Windscreens O’Brien and organised by the Light Car Club of Australia Ballarat Branch was held on 27 February.
The event was the first round of the Victorian Rally Championship, with the winning driver being Hugh Bell after numerous other top ranking crews, including Thompson, Officer, Portman and Brown, failed to finish.
| Place | Driver | Navigator | Car | Time | Grade 2 | Clubman |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hugh Bell | Steve Ellis | Datsun 1600 | 2:21:18 | ||
| 2 | Peter Thompson | Jim Maude | Datsun 1600 | 2:26:58 | 1 | |
| 3 | Graeme Wise | John Williams | Datsun 1600 | 2:27:59 | 2 | |
| 4 | Ian Swan | Mike Prendergast | Datsun Stanza | 2:28:52 | ||
| 5 | Warwick Smith | Janiene Kilfoyle | Lancer | 2:30:05 | ||
| 6 | Peter Glover | Sue Wiseman | Escort | 2:31:16 | ||
| 7 | Steve Ashton | Gerrad Byrne | Datsun 1600 | 2:32:24 | 3 | |
| 8 | Brian Smith | Peter Mignot | Galant | 2:34:44 | 4 | 1 |
| 9 | John Bramman | Geoff Cuttrriss | Escort | 2:34:51 | ||
| 10 | Phil Eather | Stephen Yorke | Datsun 1600 | 2:35:42 | 5 | |
| 11 | Michael Linke | Dominic Crosby | Datsun | 2:36:57 | 6 | |
| 12 | Jeff Moorhed | Peter Hadaway | Datsun 180B | 2:37:06 | 2 | |
| 13 | Peter Johannesen | Terry Johannesen | Datsun 1600 | 2:37:10 | 3 | |
| 14 | Kevin King | John Parkinson | Datsun | 2:37:15 | ||
| 15 | Ian Long | Laurie Jeremiah | Datsun 1600 | 2:38:33 | 4 | |
| 16 | Adrian Kruger | Bob Garden | Datsun 180B | 2:38:39 | 5 | |
| 17 | Michael Baldwin | Philip Evers | Datsun Stanza | 2:39:45 | ||
| 18 | Steve Mitchell | Ron Brown | Galant | 2:39:51 | 6 |
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