Table of contents
Highlights
The Victorian Rally Championship expanded to six rounds after the inclusion of the Bega Valley Rally and the return of the Valley Stages. Brendan Reeves and Aidan O’Halloran ran out clear winners.
The Victorian Club Rally Series was held over five rounds, four being dual VRC status.
Year end saw the running of the bi-annual Alpine Rally of East Gippsland. Although severely affected by wet weather, the event was a great success and won for the first time by a front-wheel drive car, the amazing Mitsubishi Magna driven by the talented Queenslander, Tristan Carrigan.
Overall, the financial and organisational challenges involved in conducting car rallies limited the number of events. Special stage rallies that aren’t part of a championship are now a rarity, given the field size required to cover the increasing costs. The only non-championship special stage rally was the George Woods and that was a Regularity rather than a typical rally where the fastest crew wins.
Other than the Sunraysia Safari Southern Cross Rally, an off-road event that also caters for rally cars, all non-championship calendared events were either rallysprints organised by the North Eastern Car Club or a variety of events organised by the Historic Rally Association.
Australian Rally Championship
The “Middle of Everywhere” Gippsland Rally was Victoria’s round of the ARC. Hayden Paddon and John Kennard in a Hyundai i20N were clear winners, their third successive ARC round victory. After a strong day 1, they were over 1 minute ahead of Harry Bates and Coral Taylor in a Toyota Yaris. Day 2 saw them drive a little more conservatively, protecting their lead without extending it. Ultimately the winning margin was 1 minute and 7 seconds. A close third were Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin, 35 seconds further back.
