NSW Rally Championship

Find out about the long history of the NSWRC

Series Summary

The New South Wales Rally Championship is the state’s premier series of events.

Some of the following history was derived from words written by Dave Johnson.

In 1960 NSW conducted the first State Drivers and Navigators Trials Championship in Australia. The events that made up the series in 1960 were run by the Goulburn Auto Club (Goulburn 600), Canberra Sporting Car Club, and the Australian Sporting Car Club (Antill Trial and Southern Mountains Trial 1000 Miles). All events were run at night, normally from about midday to midday and covering around 500 miles unless run over a long weekend. Map reading and navigation were an integral part of every event.

As maps improved the first events were run which were fully route charted. The Goulburn Auto Club was to break new ground at the time to run a ‘drivers’ event by running the first fully route charted state championship event in 1965. This was a long time before anyone else in Australia thought of adopting this concept. Manufacturer support was easier to acquire with only the driver, the car and the road to contend with and this was soon to become the norm for almost all events outside club level.

Unfortunately the population of NSW was increasing in a post-war surge and car trials started to attract the attention of Councils, the Shires Association and then the Police. This came to a head in late 1968 with the Police threatening to close down car trials. All car trials in NSW were suspended in 1969 and the records reflect this with no NSW Championship winners appearing on the honour board for that year. An agreement was negotiated with the Shires Association which satisfied the Police and things returned to a workable level, for a number of years at least.

More to come!

NSW Rally Champions

Click on the year to see more details about each edition.

YearDriverNavigator/Co-DriverVehicle
1960Leigh MoorePat LawlessHolden
1961Barry FergusonTony DenhamVW
1962Barry FergusonTony DenhamVW
1963Barry FergusonTony DenhamVW
1964Barry FergusonDave JohnsonVW
1965Greg GarrardFrank GoulbournHolden 179
1966Greg GarrardFrank GoulbournHolden 179
1967Doug ChivasLindsay AdcockAlfa Romeo Giulia
1968Max WinklessNigel CollierVolvo 142S
1969Not Contested
1970Barry FergusonDave JohnsonHolden Torana GTR
1971Barry FergusonGeorge SheppeardHolden Torana XU1
1972Barry FergusonGeorge SheppeardMitsubishi Galant 1600
1973Barry FergusonWayne GregsonMitsubishi Galant 1600
1974Arthur JacksonPeter GoddenDatsun 1600
1975Ian HillPeter Godden/ Graham RoserMitsubishi Lancer GSR
1976Dave MorrowGeorge SheppeardHolden Gemini
1977Arthur JacksonPeter GoddenDatsun 1600
1978Mike BattenSteve OwersDatsun P510
1979Peter HoughtonJim WilliamsonDatsun 1600
1980Mike BattenSteve OwersDatsun P510
1981Wayne BellDave BoddyHolden Commodore
1982Mike Batten/ Peter ClarkRay StubbsDatsun P510
1983Peter ClarkMick HarkerDatsun Stanza
1984John AtkinsonStephen RobertsonSubaru RX
1985Mark HankinsonSteve OwersDatsun 1600
1986David EadieChris ShearerDatsun 1600
1987Greg BrownChris ShearerDatsun 1600
1988Steve CoxJason LeaDatsun 240Z
1989Arthur JacksonPeter HarrisDatsun 1600
1990George KahlerJayne AnnabelMazda 323
1991Paul KennedyKen BehrendToyota Sprinter
1992Craig StallardGraham JesseMitsubishi Galant VR4
1993Ron CremenChris RandellMitsubishi Lancer Evo
1994Michael GuestDavid GreenMitsubishi Lancer Evo I
1995Paul KennedyKen BehrendMitsubishi Lancer Evo
1996Rick Bates/
John Long
Jenny Brittan/
Damian Long
Celica GT4/
Lancer Evo IV
1997Miles SandyMichelle MurphySubaru WRX Sti
1998Miles SandyMichelle MurphySubaru WRX Sti
1999John MitchellCol TrinderMitsubishi Lancer Evo
2000Miles SandyRachel BrutyMitsubishi Lancer Evo
2001Chris GiddinsScott MitchellhillMitsubishi Lancer Evo II
2002Brad GoldsboroughVictoria CourtneySubaru WRX
2003Chris GiddinsKen HowellMitsubishi Lancer Evo II
2004Mitch HeffernanBernie WebbSubaru WRX
2005Michael BoadenKam BakerMitsubishi Lancer Evo VII
2006Michael BoadenHelen CheersMitsubishi Lancer Evo VII
2007Michael BoadenHelen CheersMitsubishi Lancer Evo VII
2008Steve ForsbergSue SouthMitsubishi Lancer Evo VI
2009Nigel Shellshear/
Matt Amos
Paul FletcherMitsubishi Lancer Evo III
2010John MitchellJo CadmanMitsubishi Lancer Evo VII
2011Peter RobertsBrian EveringhamMitsubishi Lancer Evo
2012Mick HardingKirrilee GentlemanSubaru WRX Sti
2013Chris GiddinsDamian GrahameMitsubishi Lancer Evo VI
2014Meng ChungCaroline ValeHonda Integra
2015Nathan QuinnDamian GrahameMitsubishi Lancer Evo IX / Evo 6
2016Nathan QuinnAndrew CrowleyMitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
2017Bryan van EckJim GleesonMitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
2018Glenn BrinkmanHarvey SmithMitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
2019Richard ShimmonJim GleesonMitsubishi Lancer Evo VII
2020Tony SullensKaylie NewellCitroen DS3
2021Not Contested (COVID)
2022Tony SullensKaylie NewellCitroen DS3 / Subaru WRX
2023Richie DaltonAndrew Crowley*Toyota Yaris
2024Josh RedheadRay Winwood-SmithHyundai i30

* indicates driver and co-driver/navigator were not from the same crew