1980

Re-live the action from 1980

Year in review

Table of contents

To this year’s calendar

Highlights

With rallying popular and well supported, eight separate series were conducted in 1980. In addition, four events were run as “Open” events without being part of a series (the Begonia Stages, the Experts Trial, the North Central Rally and the Presidents Trial) and there were numerous “closed to club” events.

The Victorian Rally Championship was for the first time a fully route charted timed-to-the-second and was won in controversial circumstances by Chris Brown and Simon Brown in their Datsun 180B SSS. For the second time in its history (the first was the 1971 navigators title), the VRC was decided in the Australian Motor Sports Appeal Court (AMSAC). The Grade 2 award went to Chris Wall and Lloyd Minifie.

The Alpine International Rally was run on 8-9 November although, despite its International status, didn’t attract any competitors from outside Australia. Greg Carr and Fred Gocentas achieved an excellent win, with Portman/Runnalls second and Bond/Dawson-Damer third.

Australian Rally Championship

Victoria hosted Round 3 of the Australian Rally Championship, the Akademos Rally, on 17 May. It was won by Ross Dunkerton and Jeff Beaumont in the Datsun Stanza. In fact all five founds of the ARC were won by Datsun Stanzas with three wins to Victorians George Fury and Monty Suffern who won the chanmpionship.

Greg Carr at the Bright Dirt Circuit, 1980 Alpine

Series

Victorian Rally Championship

The VRC comprised seven rounds: Otways Trial, North Eastern Rally, George Derrick Memorial Trial, Chrysler Safari, Mountain Rally, Amateur 100, Autosport Stages.

Outright Champions: Chris Brown / Simon Brown, Datsun 180B SSS

Grade 2 Award: Chris Wall / Lloyd Minifie, Datsun 1600

For more details, including event results and points tables, go to the 1980 VRC page.

Victorian Clubman Series

The 1980 VCS events were the Melton Shell 200, Camcrusher, Rising Sun, Zodiac, Sunrise, North Central and Rallye Renault.

Winners: Dennis Billings / Steve Ellis, Datsun 1600

For more details, including event results and points tables, go to the 1980 VCS page.

Western Region Rally Championship

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

  1. Yulunga Trial
  2. Cooper Memorial Trial
  3. Highlander Trial
  4. Daryl Tunbridge Memorial
  5. Moonlight Meander
  6. Bernarras Trial
  7. Bellarine Trial

Riverina & North Eastern Series

This closed series was for members of the car clubs in northern and north-eastern Victoria. The series comprised events:

  1. Shepparton Trial
  2. Albury Rally
  3. Winter Trial
  4. Forest Classic
  5. Spring Trial

TAUCC Series

This series of closed events were for the various technical college and university car clubs. The events were:

  1. Summer Trial
  2. Swinburne 200
  3. Introductory Trial
  4. Autumn Midnight Trial
  5. Bog-a-Duck Trial
  6. Western Districts Trial
  7. Amateur Trial
  8. Disrally

MUCC won the TAUCC championship on 35 points from CCRMIT on 30½.

The individual TAUCC Champions were Jeff Moorhead and Peter Hadaway.

Combine 6

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

  1. Summer Safari
  2. Nissan Nightmoves
  3. Tee Cee Vee Trial
  4. Renault Australia Trial
  5. Spring 200
  6. Summer Trial

Group 5

This closed series comprised the following events run by PIARC (Phillip Island Auto racing Club), the CRB Car Club and the Torana Club of Victoria:

  1. Embee Midnight Trial
  2. Pathfinder
  3. Twilight Trial
  4. Kanardly Trial

ANZ Bank Rally Series

This was a closed series for members of the ANZ Bank Car Club, the Victorian Motorists Auto Club, the Honda Car Club of Victoria, the Frankston & District Car Club, the Christian Autosports Club of Australia and the Toyota Owners Club of Victoria.

  1. Honda Scamper
  2. All Action No Traction
  3. Nutcracker Trial
  4. Victoria Cross Rally
  5. Kitchen Table Rally
  6. Try Your Style

Other Events

BF Goodrich Rallysprint

CCRMIT conducted a new rally format event, a rallysprint. This involved two runs over each of two short special stages. The emphasis is on which driver is quickest over a short course.

CLUB RALLIES

Adam N Eve Trial – planned to encourage female crew members

John Blair Memorial Rally – a fully route charted rally with $1,000 in awards

Shamateur 1

Shamateur III

 The Rally Calendar for this year:

DateEventClubStatus
26 JanJohn Blair MemorialCERBClub
2 FebShell Melton 200MMSCVCS-1
9 FebSummer TrialMUCCTAUCC-1
9 FebSummer SafariPCCVCOMB6-1
16 FebOtways TrialWDCCVRC-1
23 FebEmbee Midnight TrialPIARCGroup5-1
1 MarBegonia StagesBLCCOpen
1 MarBendigonian Novice TrialLCCABENClub
8 MarSwinburne 200SCOTCCTAUCC-2
8 MarChallenge of ClubsDCCAClub
8 MarMini Invitation TrialM850CGClub
15 MarCamcrusher RallyFFCCVCS-2
15 MarShamateur 1LCCAClub
16 MarBF Goodrich RallysprintCCRMITClub
22 MarNissan NightmovesDCCACOMB6-2
22 MarShepparton TrialSDCCRNES-1
29 MarNorth EasternNECCVRC-2
29 MarPresidents TrialSEACClub
12 AprRally of the Rising SunDCCAVCS-3
12 AprHonda ScamperHCCVANZ-1
19 AprIntroductory TrialMSCCTAUCC-3
19 AprYulunga TrialHDCCWRRC-1
26 AprGeorge Derick Memorial TrialCCRMITVRC-3
26 AprRallye SprintRCCGClub
3 MayTee Cee Vee TrialTCVCOMB6-3
3 MayAdam ‘n Eve TrialCRBCCClub
3 MayAlbury RallyADCCRNES-2
10 MayShamateur 2LCCAClub
10 MayAll Action No TractionVMACANZ-2
10 MayWoody’s RambleVADCClub
17 MayAutumn Midnight TrialCCRMITTAUCC-4
17 MayCooper Memorial TrialWDCCWRRC-2
24 MayAkademos RallyMUCCARC-3
24 MaySpencer Motors TrialFCCVClub
31 MayWinter TrialNECCRNES-3
31 MayChallenge TrialRCCVClub
31 MayMini Spin TrialMCCVClub
7 JunChrysler SafariCOCCVVRC-4
7 JunNutcracker TrialTOCVANZ-3(?)
14 JunZodiac RallyCRBCCVCS-4
14 JunLets Be In It TrialMMSCClub
21 JunHighlander TrialCCCWRRC-3
28 JunBlue Ribbon Rally (cancelled)LCCAVRC
28 JunRoundabout TrialM850CGClub
5 JulBog-a-Duck TrialMUCCTAUCC-5
5 JulWillaim Harvey Memorial TrialPCCVClub
12 JulSunrise TrialPIARCVCS-5
19 JulPeck and Stokes TrialRCCGClub
26 JulExperts TrialLCCAOpen
2 AugForest ClassicNECCRNES-4
9 AugMountain TrialSCOTSSVRC-5
9 AugPines TrialSEACClub
16 AugPathfinder TrialPIARCGroup5-2
16 AugDaryl Tunbridge MemorialBLCCWRRC-4
23 AugNorth Central RallyCCCVCS-6
23 AugHappy Handbrake TrialMCCVClub
30 AugRenault Australia TrialRCCVCOMB6-4
30 AugShamateur 3LCCAClub
6 SepAmateur 100VADCVRC-6
6 SepOkemoore TrialM850Club
6 SepAlbury Novice TrialADCCClub
13 SepWestern Districts TrialSCOTCCTAUCC-6
13 SepVictoria Cross RallyCACAANZ-4
20 SepLew Wade Motors TrailFCCVClub
20 SepSpring TrialNECCRNES-5
27 SepAutosport StagesCERBVRC-7
4 OctMoonlight MeanderMMSCWRRC-5
11 OctAmateur TrialCCRMITTAUCC-7
11 OctTwilight TrialCRBCCGroup5-3
18 OctSpring 200FFCCCOMB6-5
18 OctBernarras TrialLCCA BendWRRC-6
25 OctRallye RenaultRCCGVCS-7
25 OctKitchen Table RallyVMACANZ-5
1 NovBellarine TrialWDCCWRRC-7
1 NovInvitation TrialCOCCVClub
8-9 NovAlpine International RallyLCCAInternational
15 NovDisrallyMSCCTAUCC-8
15 NovRookies RamblePCCVClub
22 NovKanardly TrialTCVGroup5-4
22 NovMaldon MuddleMUCCClub
29 NovPresidents TrialCCRMITOpen
29 NovSummer TrialVADCCOMB6-6
6 DecRally des DamesRCCVClub
6 DecTry Your StyleTOCVANZ-6