1990 Victorian Rally Championship

Table of Contents

Series Regulations
Events
Outright Pointscores
Novice Pointscores
Class Awards

This year’s Victorian Rally Championship was unfortunately reduced to only five events, one of which was also an ARC round (the Alpine). This was the final year of dual points for Clubman and PRC/Group N cars, which had the potential to create an unexpected result. However, consistent performances by David Greig and Paul Tirant in their Datsun 280Z gave them the championship. They placed in the top three on every event, swapping from PRC to Clubman on the final round and picking up full points from second outright. Their closest rival was John Reynolds in the PRC Mazda 323 4WD but two poor results ruined their championship chase.

Novice Award: Rob Thomas / Danny O’Reilly, Datsun 1600

To see what else happened during 1990 in Victorian rallying, go to the 1990 year page.

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

Series Regulations

These were specified in the VRC Standing Regulation but we don’t have a copy.

The VRC was made up exclusively of Special Stage events.

Eligible vehicles were Clubman Rally Cars, Production Rally Cars and FIA Group N.

Awards were made for outright champions and Novice. It appears awards for State Recognised and Clubman were dropped. There was an award for Group N cars. There were also car class awards as follows: Class A up to 1300cc, Class B 1301-1600cc, Class C 1601-2000cc, Class D over 2000cc, Class E: 4WD.

This was the final year of the five year transition away from Group G cars which had been rendered ineligible from 1989, effectively replaced by the less modified Clubman Rally Car category. An excellent explanation of the transition away from Group G and the role of the Clubman Rally Car category can be found in an article by Bruce Keys, then Executive Officer of the National Rally Committee, in the January 1990 Unicar Magazine.

This year would be the last year for the Clubman Rally Car to be eligible for the VRC, and like the previous year, the outright award had points awarded separately for Production Rally Cars (now also including Group N) and Clubman Rally Cars. Like the previous year, there appeared to be no bonus points for outright placings.

In each division/class points were allocated 20-15-12-10-8-6-4-3-2-1 for first to tenth. With five events, competitors counted their best four results.

Events

The VRC comprised five events.

Click on each event to see further details, including results.

Outright Pointscores

These tables have been reconstructed from available results.

Outright Drivers Pointscores

Outright Navigators Pointscores

Novice Pointscores

Novice Drivers Pointscores

Place	Driver	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Total
1	Rob Thomas	20		20	20	10	70
2	John Roberts	8	20	6	6		40
3	Peter Whitten				15	20	35
4	Ernie Graham			15	12		27
5	Rob Beekman	1	15	8			24
6	Bernard Phelan	6		10	2		18
7	Rodney Bloomfield					15	15
8=	Darren Bellingham	13½					13½
8=	Tim James	13½					13½
10=	David Smart			12			12
10=	Colin O’Halloran					12	12
12=	Francis Dowel	10					10
12=	Derek Reynolds				10		10
14	David West			2	4	3	9
15=	William Owen				8		8
15=	Peter Mill					8	8
17	Peter Hausler			4	3		7
18	Brian Hunt					6	6
19=	Michael Clarke	4					4
19=	Gary Spencer				1	4	4
21=	Craig Eeles	3					3
21=	Daryl Jarvis			3			3
23=	Rowan Fitzgerald	2					2
23=	John Buxton					2	2
25=	Peter Dodemaide			1			1
25=	John Perkins					1	1

Novice Navigators Pointscores

Place	Navigator	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Total
1	Danny O’Reilly	20		20	20	10	70
2	Michael Cains		20	6			26
3	Ian Baird	1	15	8			24
4	Greg Day					20	20
5	Ryan Irwin	6		10	2		18
6=	Chris White				15		15
6=	Jason Wall					15	15
6=	Paul Mollison			15			15
9	Martin Ryan	8			6		14
10=	Greg Nield	13½					13½
10=	Nathan Garrett	13½					13½
12=	David Kay					12	12
12=	John Rutherford				12		12
12=	Michael Kaye			12			12
15=	David Gunston				10		10
15=	Elizabeth Dowel	10					10
17	Bob West			2	4	3	9
18=	David Bodon				8		8
18=	Greg Smith					8	8
20	Bo Hausler			4	3		7
21	Michael Graham					6	6
22	John McDonald				1	4	5
23	Darren Chandler	4					4
24=	Ian McNamara	3					3
24=	Peter James			3			3
26=	Bill Clarke	2					2
26=	Quentin Ferry					2	2
28=	John Hammond			1			1
28=	Peter Mignot					1	1

Class Awards

Group N Equal:
Paul Leicester / Steve Dunbar, Holden Commodore
Steve Ashton / Ro Nixon, Galant VR4

Class A: Peter Schey / Neil Schey, Datsun Sunny

Class B: Glenn Mitchell / Ahmet Uzunoglu, Toyota T18

Class C: Nigel Letty / Cameron Jay, Toyota TE71

Class D: David Greig / Paul Tirant, Datsun 280Z

Class E: John Reynolds / David Boyce, Mazda 323 4WD