Rally Australia was held on November 4-6, based in Perth.

Asia Pacific Rally Championship Round 4

All eyes were on Perth for the running of the first Rally Australia, not only the final round of the Asia Pacific Championship, but a candidate event for inclusion in the World Rally Championship the following year. The organisation under the directorship of Garry Connelly was faultless and the event progressed to WRC status in 1989.

Mazda Team Europe brought  Hannu Mikkola and Ingvar Carlson to Australia for the event. The dominant team in WRC, Lancia, brought the young and relatively inexperienced Alessandro Fiorio, fresh from an ERC round win. As might well be expected, there was a strong Australian contingent including past national champions Ross Dunkerton, Greg Carr and David Officer. New Zealand was well represented by Possum Bourne and Ray Wilson. APRC hopeful Kenjiro Shinozuka was there in his Galant.

Fiorio and Carlsson were equal quickest on the short SS1 along the Jarrahdale railway, then Mikkola, followed by Carr. Dunkerton and Officer were next in their Starions, but would be unable to match the pace of the 4WD cars. Fiorio then opened up a substantial lead on both Carlsson and Mikkola who was having clutch issues. Carlsson was lying third when his teammate hit a stump on SS8 and Mikkola was out. Possum Bourne was was enjoying the ball-bearing roads and took third by the end of the day from Carr in fourth.

Day 2 began with the short Zig Zag Road tarmac hillclimb where Carr set the second quickest time behind Fiorio. The stage was repeated later in the morning and Carr spun on the gravel deposited from earlier cars, but held onto fourth. Spectators were treated to great viewing at the Muresk Agricultural College with the many humped grids. Crews headed up the Avon Valley to the Julimar Forest in the afternoon where Fiorio’s run came to an end with engine failure. Carlsson inherited the lead, 6 minute 40 seconds ahead of Bourne with Carr close behind.  The fight for fourth was tight between Wilson, Dunkerton and Shinozuka.

The final day began with a mostly tarmac run around the Narrows interchange. The first few cars had a dry run but then the rain came down as Dunkerton took to the stage. Bob Nicoli needed a gearbox change in the little Charade but managed to stay in the event. Conditions became treacherous on the wet stages to the south, but Carr set three fastest times as Carlsson took a safety first approach. Bourne struck back taking the next three stages to hold second. Wilson, Dunkerton and Shinozuka were trading seconds in the fight for fourth. Close to the end Shinozuka went off and broke the steering but limped home in sixth to take the Asia Pacific Championship from Ray Wilson.