Victoria 1997

Re-live the action from 1997

Year in review

Table of contents

To this year’s calendar

Highlights

With the cancellation of the Mt Gambier event, the VRC was reduced to five rounds. The Victorian Rally Championship was won by Mike Reeves and Robin Smalley in their Mitsubishi VR4 & Lancer Evo3. 

The Victorian Club Rally Series, comprising six rounds, was won by David Smart and Robin Smalley in a Datsun 1600. Cerberus Car Club won the club award.

Australian Rally Championship

Victoria’s round of the Australian Rally Championship was again the Rally of Melbourne. For the result, have a look at the video report.

Need photos notice

Series

Victorian Rally Championship

There were 5 VRC events this year: Win TV Rally in the Valley, Goulburner, Rally of Melbourne (also ARC), North Eastern and Djerriwarrah.

Outright champions: Mike Reeves / Robin Smalley, Mitsubishi Galant VR4 / Mitsubishi Lancer RSe3

Novice award: Martin Grigg / Chris Tait, Mitsubishi Lancer RSe3

For more details, including event results and points tables, go to the 1997 VRC page.

Victorian Club Rally Series

There were 6 VCRS events this year. The Whiteknuckles Trial was calendared as Round 3 but was cancelled.

Cerberus Car Club took out the club championship honours for 1997 on 1008 points,  with NCCA second on 964 and CCRMIT third on 907.

The winning driver and navigator were David Smart and Robin Smalley, both on 89 points, 20 points ahead of Michael Morris and Geoff Floyd in second. The novice winners were Bernard Miron and Roslyn Martin (not in the same car). For full series scores, see the December Unicar.

  1. George Derrick Memorial Trial 
  2. Bog-A-Duck Trial 
  3. Transcom Australia Rally – Results in May Unicar (correction in Sep Unicar), also report in Oct Unicar
  4. Nissan Nightmoves – Results in Aug Unicar, report in October Unicar
  5. Spring 200 Rally – Results in Oct Unicar
  6. Cooper Memorial Trial – Results in Dec Unicar

Robson Cup Rally Series

The Western Region Trial Series morphed into the Robson Cup. Events:

  1. Sundowner Trial
  2. Redan Motors Tunbridge Trial
  3. Forest Trial
  4. William Harvey Memorial Trial
  5. Moonlight Meander
  6. Otways Trial
  7. Cooper Memorial Trial (added late)

Other Events

NOVICE RALLIES

George Woods Introductory Trial

Cerberus Introductory

HISTORIC RALLIES

Mirboo Meander

Maroondah Historic

OTHER RALLIES & TRIALS

Alpine Trial 

Experts Trial 

 The Rally Calendar for this year:

DateEventClubStatus
19 JanLe Bordeaux TrialHRAInterclub TRE
1 FebGeorge Derrick Memorial TrialCCRMITVCRS-1
8 FebTCV Trial (postponed to 1 Nov)HSCCVInterclub
15 FebGeorge Woods Introductory TrialPCCVNovice
22 FebMMAL Safari Sprint RallyMMALCCInterclub
22 FebMirboo Meander TrialHRAInterclub
1 MarBog-a-Duck TrialMUCCVCRS-2
15 MarSundowner TrialHDCCRCRS-1
15 MarMonash Introductory TrialMSCCNovice
16 MarLou Yang RallysprintFFCCInterclub
22 MarAutumn TrialNECCInterclub
5 AprChallenge of ClubsNCCAInterclub
5 AprYulunga TrialHDCCInterclub
12 AprAlpine TrialAWDCCInterclub
12 AprAutumn Midnight Introductory TrialCCRMITNovice
19 AprRedan Motors Tunbridge TrialBLCCRCRS-2
26 AprWin TV Rally in the ValleyFFCCVRC-1
3 MayWhitekuckles Trial (cancelled?)MSCC? NECC?VCRS?
10 MayForest TrialSEACRCRS-3
17 MayPathfinder Trial (postponed to 12 July)HRAInterclub
31 MayTranscom Australia RallyBCCVCRS-4
14 JunRally of Mount Gambier (cancelled)SEACVRC
21 JunLongest Might TrialHRAInterclub TRE
12 JulPathfinder TrialHRAInterclub
26 JulCerberus Introductory RallyCERBNovice
2 AugGoulburner RallySDCCVRC-2
9 AugSouth Eastern TrialSEACInterclub
9 AugMaroondah Historic RallyHRAInterclub
9 AUgRallysprintNECCInterclub
16 AugNissan NightmovesNCCAVCRS-5
23 AugWilliam Harvey Memorial TrialPCCVRCRS-4
30 AugRally of MelbourneVRSARC-5, VRC-3
6 SepMoonlight MeanderMMSCRCRS-5
6 SepGrampians TourHRAInterclub TRE
12-14 SepClassic TT RallyeCRCInterclub TRE
13 SepAnglia Memorial Sprint Rally (cancelled)FFCCInterclub
20 SepGreg Lock Memorial TrialSEACInterclub
27 SepOtways TrialWDCCRCRS-6
4 OctGippsland SafariHRAInterclub
11 OctSpring 200 TrialFFCCVCRS-6
11 OctMick’s TrialSEACInterclub
18 OctNorth Eastern RallyNECCVRC-4
25 OctJim Maude Memorial Experts TrialBCCInterclub
1 NovTCV TrialHSCCVInterclub
1 NovMid South East TralSEACInterclub
1-4 NovThree Peaks RallyeCRCInterclub TRE
8 NovDjerriwarrah RallyMMSCVRC-5
15 NovCommencement Rally (cancelled)MUCCClub
6 DecCooper Memorial TrialWDCCVCRS-7, RCRS-7