Victoria 1996

Re-live the action from 1996

Year in review

Table of contents

To this year’s calendar

Highlights

The Victorian Rally Championship was won by Graeme Wise and Rob Beekman in their Mitsubishi Lancer. It was Wise’s fourth state title on the trot. The series comprised only four rounds, including the dual status Rally of Melbourne, after both the North Eastern and Rising Sun Rallies were cancelled.

The Victorian Club Rally Series was won by David Smart and Geoff Floyd in a Datsun 1600. The Ford Four Car Club won the club award for the third time in succession. The series was run over six rounds after two were cancelled.

Australian Rally Championship

Victoria hosted the first round of the Australian Rally Championship, the Rally of Melbourne. It was won by Possum Bourne and Craig Vincent in a Subaru. They went on to take their first national title.

Need photos notice

Series

Victorian Rally Championship

Only 4 VRC events: Rally of Melbourne (also ARC), Rally in the Valley, Goulburner Rally, Djerriwarrah.

Outright champions: Graeme Wise / Rob Beekman, Mitsubishi Lancer RS-e

Novice award: Paul Mahoney, Ford Escort
Co-driver: Pat Mollison (with S. Lowndes)

For more details, including event results and points tables, go to the 1996 VRC page.

Victorian Club Rally Series

The Victorian Clubman Rally Series was the next level below the Victorian Rally Championship. Events were typically driver oriented but still required a competent navigator.

There were 6 VCRS events this year, the Bog-A-Duck, the George Derrick Memorial Trial, the Rivertown Trial, the Nissan Nightmoves, the Spring 200 Rally and the Cooper Memorial Trial. 

Series individual winners were David Smart and Geoff Floyd. The club winner was the Ford Four Car Club.

For details, go to the 1996 VCRS page.

Western Region Trial Series

This series of closed events was for clubs in western Victoria, in particular Geelong, Ballarat and Melton. Events held were: 

  1. Yulunga Trial
  2. Greg Lock Memorial Trial
  3. William Harvey Memorial Trial

Riverina & North Eastern Series

This closed series was for members of the car clubs in northern and north-eastern Victoria. There are no events in the calendar as part of this series in 1996 so it appears that the series wasn’t held this year.

Other Events

1996 All Victoria Rally

A BP style endurance event conducted as a joint venture between the Bendigo Car Club and Peugeot Car Club of Victoria.

1996 All Victoria

HISTORIC RALLIES

Pathfinder Trial   East Gippsland Safari   Maroondah Historic

The HRA also ran “tours”. This year, they included:

Grampian Spring Tour   Longest Night Rally

 The Rally Calendar for this year:

DateEventClubStatus
21 Jan1600 ClassicNCCAClosed
25-28 JanLe Bordeaux RallyeHRAOpen touring
24 FebIntroductory TrialMSCCNovice
24 FebMIrboo MeanderHRAClosed
2 MarBog-A-Duck Trial (originally 10 Feb, replaced TCV which was cancelled)MUCCVCRS-1
2 MarGeorge Woods TrialPCCVNovice
2 MarFar Western TrialHDCCClosed
15-17 MarRally of MelbourneVRSVRC-1, ARC-2
23 MarGeorge Derrick Memorial TrialCCRMITVCRS-2
30 MarChallenge of ClubsNCCAClosed
30 MarAutumn Introductory TrialNECCNovice
13-14 AprRally in the ValleyFFCCVRC-2, ARC (C5)
13 AprYulunga TrialHDCCWRTS-1
20 AprBallarat Sprint RallyBLCCClosed
20 AprCommencement Rally (cancelled)MUCCNovice
27 AprNissan Nightmoves (postponed to 3 Aug)NCCAVCRS
27 AprMt Gambier RallySEACARC
4 MayTranscom Australia TrialBCCClosed
10-11 MayEast Gippsland SafariHRAClosed
11 MayWhiteknuckles RallyNECCClosed
18 MayAutumn Midnight Introductory TrialCCRMITNovice
25 MayRivertown TrialCERBVCRS-3
1 JunRedan Motors Tunbridge TrialBLCCClosed
22 JunTBAHDCCClosed
29 JunLongest Night Rally TourHRATour
6 JulyVCRS Rally SchoolVCRSClosed
3 AugNissan NightmovesNCCAVCRS-4
10 AugSouth Eastern TrialSEACClosed
10 AugMaroondah Historic TrialHRAClosed
17 AugWilliam Harvey Memorial Trial (postponed to 2 Nov)PCCVVTS, WRTS
24 AugSpring TrialNECCNovice
31 AugGoulburner RallySDCCVRC-3
7 SepGrampians Spring TourHRATour
14 SepGreg Lock Memorial TrialSEACWRTS-2
21 SepAnglia Memorial Sprint Rally (cancelled)FFCCOpen sprint
21 SepCommencement TrialMUCCNovice
28 SepBoomerang Rally (cancelled)MSCCVCRS
12 OctCerberus Introductory TrialCERBNovice
12 OctPathfinder Trial (calendared as Powelltown Historic)HRAClosed
12 OctThe Gambier Jap Wreck TrialSEACClosed
19 OctNorth Eastern Rally (cancelled)NECCVRC
26 OctSpring 200FFCCVCRS-5
2 NovWilliam Harvey Memorial Trial PCCVWRTS-3
9 NovDjerriwarrh RallyMMSCVRC-4
16 NovSundowner TrialHDCCClosed
16 NovSummer SafariPCCVClosed
22-24 NovAll Victoria RallyBCC / PCCVClosed
30 NovRising Sun Rally (cancelled)NCCAVRC
21DecCooper Memorial Trial (originally 7 Dec)WDCCVCRS-6