1978

Re-live the action from 1978

Year in review

Highlights

1978 was notable for being a very wet year in Victoria. It resulted in a lot of events being postponed due to unsuitable road conditions and some being cancelled. Even the Victorian round of the ARC, the Marchal Rallye, was postponed until December, after the Alpine.

The Victorian Rally Championship was won by Warwick Smith and Paul Paterson in their Mitsubishi Lancer. The inaugural Grade 2 Award was won by Ian and Noel Richards in a Datsun 1600.

The Repco Alpine International Rally continued to attract a quality field and was a breakthrough victory for privateers, Geoff Portman and Ross Runnalls who ended the dominance of the Alpine by factory teams, and by Greg Carr who had won the previous three editions.

The Ready Plan Rally was held in September, a long distance “outback adventure” that took competitors on long stages through the desert country of north-west Victoria and south-west New South Wales.

The Victorian Rally Association published what may have been the first Drivers’ Seeding List in May.

Australian Rally Championship

Victoria hosted one round of the Australian Rally Championship, the Marchal Rallye held on 16 December. In a close result, Greg Carr / Fred Gocentas were first, giving them their first ARC title. See Jeff Beaumont’s story for more.

John Armitage and Phillip Raines in the 1978 Begonia. Photo: Bruce Keys

Series

Victorian Rally Championship

The VRC was contested over seven rounds: Otway Trial, Begonia Rally, Mountain Rally, George Derrick Memorial Trial, Experts Trial, Akademos Rally, North Eastern Rally.

Outright Champions: Warwick Smith / Paul Paterson, Lancer

Grade 2 Award: Ian Richards / Noel Richards, Datsun 1600

For more details, including event results and points tables, go to the 1978 VRC page.

Victorian Clubman Series

VCS events in 1978 were the Summer Safari, Yulunga, Amateur 100, Camcrusher, Blue Ribbon, Zodiac, Cooper Memorial and North Central. There is some doubt as to whether the final two rounds were cancelled.

Winners: Ian Boyd / Trevor Boyd, Datsun 1600

For more details, including event results and points tables, go to the 1978 VCS page.

TAUCC Series

This series of closed events were for the various technical college and university car clubs. CCRMIT again won the club award and individual honours for 1978 went to Bill Johnston and Chris Maniatakis. The 1978 series had nine events on the calendar but two were cancelled:

  1. Choke-a-Chook Trial
  2. Monash Introductory Trial
  3. Swinburne 200
  4. Autumn Midnight Trial
  5. Bog-a-Duck Trial
  6. Redline 200 (cancelled)
  7. Western Districts Trial
  8. Grand National (cancelled?)
  9. Disrally

Combine 6

This closed series was predominantly for marque clubs – Datsun, Renault, Peugeot, Ford, Torana plus the VADC.

The events this year were:

  1. Tee Cee Vee Trial
  2. Renault Australia Trial
  3. Nissan Nightmoves
  4. VADC Autumn Trial
  5. Rally of the Rising Sun
  6. Spring 200 Rally
  7. William Harvey Memorial Trial

 The Rally Calendar for this year:

DateEventClubStatus
28 JanHighlanderCCCClub
29 JanOvertureLCCAOpen
4 FebInvitation TrialHDCCClub
5 FebSummer StagesBLCCOpen
11 FebSummer SafariPCCVVCS-1
11 FebChoke-a-ChookMUCCTAUCC-1
11 FebSummer TrialNECCClub
18 FebRivertown RallyCERBClub
25 FebOtway RallyWDCCVRC-1
4 MarAnglia MemorialFFCCClub
4 MarShamateur ILCCAClub
4 MarAutumn TrialM850Club
11 MarBegonia RallyBLCCVRC-2
11 MarChallenge of ClubsDCCAClub
11 MarEmbee MidnightPIARCClub
12 MarMargic Carpet TrialRCCVClub
18 MarMarch Meander Novice TrialLCCBENClub
18 MarIntroductory TrialMSCCTAUCC-2
18 MarDustraiser TrialM850GClub
25 MarSunrise TrialPIARCClub
25 MarMaldon MuddleMUCCClub
25 MarTee Cee VeeTCVCOMB6-1?
25 MarNo Name TrialFCCVClub
1 AprYulunga TrialHDCCVCS-2
1 AprSwinburne 200SCTOCCTAUCC-3
1 AprRoundabout TrialM850Club
1 AprGear ChaserPACClub
8 AprKew Chrysler Mountain RallySCOTCCVRC-3
13 AprReady Plan Rally (postponed)CCRMITOpen
22 AprAmateur 100VADCVCS-3
22 AprRenault Australia TrialRCCVCOMB6-2?
22 AprEaster Bonnet ParadeANZCCClub
22 AprWombats JauntBolwellClub
22 AprBeginners TrialGCCClub
29 AprPeck and Stokes TrialGRCCClub
29 AprAutumn TrialNECCClub
29 AprShamateur IILCCAClub
6 MayCamcrasherFFCCVCS-4
13 MayAkademos (postponed)MUCCVRC-6
13 MayAutumn MidnightCCRMITTAUCC-4
13 MayNutcracker RallyTOCVClub
13 MayAnniversary TrialRCCDClub
20 MayTwilight TrialCRBCCClub
20 MayNissan Nightmoves (postponed)DCCACOMB6-3?
20 MaySundowner TrialHDCCClub
20 MayChallenge TrialPCCVClub
27 MayNovice TRialBLCCClub
3 JunChadstone Chrysler Safari (cancelled?)COCCVRC
3 JunAll Action No TractionVMACClub
10 JunBog-a-Duck TrialMUCCTAUCC-5
10 JunWinter TrialNECCClub
10 JunAutumn Trial (postponed)VADCCOMB6
10 JunPresidents TrialSEACClub
10 JunShamateur IIILCCAClub
17 JunGoldfields RallyRCCVOpen
17 JunSpencer Motors TrialFCCVClub
24 JuneGeorge Derrick Memorial TrialCCRMITVRC-4
24 JunNissan NightmovesDCCACOMB6-3
24 JunRally of the ForestsBACClub
1 JulAutumn TrialVADCCOMB6-4
1 JulHonda Scamper TrialHCCVClub
1 JulGippslander RallyGCCClub
8 JulMelton Shell Autosport 200MMSCClub
8 JulBorder TrialSEACClub
15 JulAmateur TrialCCRMITClub
15 JulWilliam Harvey Memorial (Postponed)PCCVClub
22 JulExperts TrialLCCAVRC-5
22 JulValkyrian TrialVWCCClub
29 JulBellarine TrialWDCCClub
5 AugWinter TrialBLCCClub
5 AugForest ClassicNECCClub
12 AugOkemoore TrialM850Club
10-13 AugReady Plan RallyCCRMITOpen
12 AugRedline 200 (cancelled)CCRMITTAUCC-6
12 AugPathfinder TrialPIARCClub
19 AugMoonlight MeanderMMSCClub
26 AugMarchal Rallye (postponed)RCCVARC
26 AugRally of the Rising SunDCCACOMB6-5
2 SepBlue Ribbon RallyLCCAVCS-5
2 SepGear LoserPACClub
9 SepNovice TrialPCCVClub
16 SepZodiac RallyCRBCCVCS-6
16 SepSpring TrialMiniCCClub
23 SepForester Rally (cancelled)CERBOpen
23 SepSpring 200 RallyFFCCCOMB6-6
23 SepMini InvitationM850GClub
30 SepWestern Districts TrialSCOTCCTAUCC-7
30 SepPines TrialSEACClub
30 SepSpring TrialNECCClub
7 OctAkademosMUCCVRC-6
7 OctNovice TrialBLCCClub
7 OctRookies RamblePCCVClub
14 OctBendigo Spring TrialLCCBENClub
14 OctTry Your StyleTOCVClub
14 OctHonda GraduationHCCVClub
21 OctCooper Memorial TrialWDCCVCS-7?
21 OctGrand National (cancelled?)LHCSTAUCC-8
21 OctMidwestern TrialLCCAOpen
21 OctOlde Style TryleRCCDClub
28 OctNorth Eastern RallyNECCVRC-7
28 OctKarella CapersRCCVClub
28 OctWilliam Harvey MemorialPCCVCOMB6-7
4 NovKanardly TrialTCVClub
4 NovInvitation TrialCOCCClub
11 NovNorth Central TrialCCCVCS-8?
11 NovPresidents TrialWDCCClub
11 NovKitchen Table RallyVMACClub
18 NovBlue Light TrialUPMSClub
18 NovNovice TrialGRCCClub
18 NovAdam ‘n Eve TrialCRBCCClub
18 NovBank Toque SpecialANZCCClub
24-26 NovRepco Alpine RallyLCCAInternational
2 DecDisrallyMSCCTAUCC-9
2 DecSummer TrialVADCClub
9 DecPresidents TrialCCRMITOpen
9 DecRallye des DamesRCCVClub
16 DecMarchal RallyeRCCVARC-6