1983

Re-live the action from 1983

Year in review

Table of contents

To this year’s calendar

Highlights

1983 summary 

The Victorian Rally Championship was won by David “Dinta” Officer and Kate Hobson in their Mitsubishi Galant. 

The Victorian Trials Championship was won by Chris Wall and Trevor Boyd in a Datsun 1600.

Australian Rally Championship

Victoria’s round of the Australian Rally Championship was Alpine Rally, won by Ian Hill and Phil Bonser.

The national title was taken by Ross Dunkerton who used three different cars (Datsun 1600, Datsun Stanza, Holden Commodore) and two different navigators (Steve McKimmie and David Kortlang). The navigators title went to Geoff Jones navigating for Peter Johnson in a Mazda RX7.

To some extent these strange outcomes were due to the introduction of Group A into Australia. ARC points were awarded equally for both Group A and Group G, so that, for example, in the Alpine, Dunkerton did not even place in the top ten in his Group A Commodore but was awarded the same number of ARC  points as Ian Hill who won in the Group G Escort.

Scoring the series based solely on outright placings would have seen David Officer and Kate Hobson take out the championship (see Unicar Nov 1983).

Dinta and Kate on the 83 Alpine (John Aust)

Series

Victorian Rally Championship

VRC events this year were: North Eastern, Camcrusher, Canon Zodiac Rally, Myer City Centre Rally, Akademos.

Outright Champions: David Officer / Kate Hobson, Galant

Grade 2 Award: David Adams / Chris Randell, Datsun 1600

Clubman Award: Chris Neilsen / David Ridley, Escort

For more details, including event results and points tables, go to the 1983 VRC page.

Victorian Trials Championship

The VTC events held this year were: Four Pointer Trial, George Derrick Memorial Trial, Rally of the Rising Sun, Bernarras Trial and Summer Safari.

Outright Champions: Chris Wall / Trevor Boyd, Datsun 1600

Grade 2 Award: Phil Nicholson / Geoff Rainbow, Datsun 1600

Clubman Award: Keith Winter / Peter Maurer, Mazda

For more details, including event results and points tables, go to the 1983 VTC page.

Western Region Trial Series

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

  1. North Central Trial
  2. Halda Skalta Trial
  3. Daryl Tunbridge Memorial Trial
  4. No.1 Rally
  5. Cooper Memorial Trial
  6. Farwestern Rally

Riverina & North Eastern Series

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

  1. Whiteknuckles Rally
  2. Goulburner Rally
  3. Spring Rally

TAUCC Series

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

  1. Summer Trial
  2. Presidents Trial
  3. Boomerang Rally
  4. Western Districts Rally
  5. Feather Duster Rally
  6. Autumn Midnight Rally
  7. Swinburne 200
  8. Disrally

Combine 6

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

COMB6 Rally

  1. William Harvey Memorial Trial
  2. Woodys Ramble
  3. Renault Australia Trial
  4. Spring 200
  5. ANZ Bank Rally
  6. Nissan Nightmoves

COMB6 Novice

  1. Tocoan Trial
  2. Novice Nightmoves
  3. Chick Pfeifer Memorial Trial
  4. Ford Four Novice Trial
  5. Summer Trial

Group 5

This closed series comprised events run by PIARC, CRB Car Club and the Torana Club of Victoria.

  1. Tee Cee Vee Trial
  2. Embee Pathfinder Trial
  3. Shamateur 3 (postponed?)
  4. Twighlight Rally

EVENTS NOT PART OF A SERIES

Shamateur II

Calendar for year

DateEventClubStatus
23 JanRallysprintLCCAOpen
5 FebSandi SurfVMACOpen
12 FebSummer TrialMUCCTAUCC-1
12 FebTee Cee VeeTCVGroup5-1
19 FebSummer Safari (cancelled)PCCVVTC
25 FebChick Pfeifer Memorial Novice Trail (postponed to June)RCCVComb6 Novice
5 MarBegonia Rally (cancelled)BLCCVRC
12 MarChallenge of ClubsNCCAClub
12 MarFeatherduster Rally (postponed to October)DUCCTAUCC
12 MarMini Invitation TrialM850GClub
14 MarInvitation RallyMMALOpen
19 MarFour Pointer TrialFFCCVTC-1
26 MarCanon Zodiac Rally (postponed to June)CRBCCVRC
26 MarNorth Central TrialCCCWR-1
2 AprNissan Motorsport WeekendNCCAClub
9 AprYulunga Trial (maybe postponed to July?)HDCCVTC
9 AprClayton Auto Club RallyCACClub
9 AprRoundabout TrialM850Club
16 AprPresidents TrialCCRMITTAUCC-2
16 AprHalda Skalda TrialLCCA (Ben)WR-2
16 AprWilliam Harvey Memorial TrialPCCVComb6 Rally-1
23 AprNorth Eastern RallyNECCVRC-1
23 AprOtwaysWDCCClub
30 AprMoonlight MeanderMMSCClub
30 AprTocoanANZCCComb6 Novice-1
30 AprForester Novice RallyCERBClub
6-7 MayGeorge Derrick Memorial TrialCCRMITVTC-2
14 MaySwinburne 200 (postponed to Sep
then to Nov)		SCCTAUCC
14 MayWoody’s RambleVADCComb6 Rally-2
14 MayShamateur ILCCAClub
14 MayWhite Knuckles RallyNECCRNES-1
21 MayCamcrusher RallyFFCCVRC-2
21 MayBob Neil Motors TrialFCCVClub
28 MayDaryl Tunbridge Memorial TrialBLCCWR-3
28 MayNovice NightmovesNCCAComb6 Novice-2
4 JunExperts TrialLCCAOpen
11 JunGoulburner RallySDCCRNES-2
11 JunChick Pfeiffer Memorial Novice TrialRCCVComb6 Novice-3
18 JunCanon Zodiac RallyCRBCCVRC-3
18 JunNorthern TrialSEACClub
25 JunBoomerang Rally
(postponed to Jul 2?)		MSCCTAUCC
25 JunRenault Australian TrialRCCVComb6 Rally-3
25 JunShamateur 2LCCAClub
2 JulBoomerang RallyMSCCTAUCC-3
2 JulEmbee PathfinderPIARCGroup5-2
2 JulKermits RevengeHDCCClub
9 JulRich River Rally (cancelled – floods)CCRMITVRC
9 JulIntroductory TrialMSCCClub
16 JulNissan Nightmoves (postponed)NCCAComb6 Rally
16 JulNo.1 RallyGMCSWR-4
16 JulAutumn RallyNECCClub
23 JulAnglia Memorial TrialFFCCClub
23 JulYulunga TrialHDCCVTC-3
30 JulShamateur 3 (maybe postponed?)LCCAGroup5-3
30 JulPresidents TrialSEACClub
6 Aug Introductory TrialMMALClub
6 AugIntervarsityMSCCClub
13 AugRally of the Rising SunNCCAVTC-4
20 AugWestern Districts RallySCCTAUCC-4
20 AugTwilight RallyCRBCCGroup5-4
20 AugNorthern Mini Parts 200MCCVClub
20 AugColonial Shop Levis TrialSEACClub
27 AugAkademos (postponed to Dec)MUCCVRC
27 AugShepparton RallySDCCClub
3 SepBernarras TrialLCCA(Bend)VTC-5
10 SepSpring 200FFCCComb6 Rally-5
10 SepSpring RallyNECCRNES-3
10 SepSEAC TrialSEACClub
17 SepEureka Novice TrialBLCCClub
17 SepGeorge Woods TrialPCCVClub
24 SepBlue Ribbon Rally
(cancelled?)		LCCAVRC
1 OctANZ Bank RallyANZCCVComb6 Rally-4
1 OctMelbourne Suspension SafariMMALClub
8 OctGoldfieldsRCCVOpen
8 OctClyburn Motors RallyFCCVClub
8 OctFeather Duster RallyDUCCTAUCC-5
15 OctCooper Memorial TrialWDCCWR-5
22 OctMyer City Centre RallyAWDCCVRC-4
22 OctMelton Djerriwarrah Rally (postponed to 5 Nov)MMSCClub
29 OctVictoria Cross RallyCACAClub
29 OctAutumn Midnight Rally (maybe earlier?)CCRMITTAUCC-6
29 OctKitchen Table RallyVMACClub
29 OctSEAC RallySEACClub
5 NovDjerriwarrh RallyMMSCOpen
5 NovNoel Burley Memorial Trial (cancelled)MUCCVTC
5 NovFord Four Novice TrialFFCCComb6 Novice-5
5 NovMelton Djerriwarrah RallyMMSCClub
12 NovFarwestern RallyHDCCWR-6
12 NovSwinburne 200 RallySCCTAUCC-7
13 NovJohn Blair Memorial RallysprintCERBClub
19 NovAlpine RallyLCCAARC-4
26 NovSummer TrialVADCComb6 Novice-5
26 NovDisrallyMSCCTAUCC-8
3 DecTee Cee Vee TCVOpen
3 DecSundowner RallyHDCCClub
3 DecAkademosMUCCVRC-5
10 DecNissan NightmovesNCCAComb6 Rally-6
10 DecShamateur 3?LCCAGroup5-?
10 DecMaldon MuddleMUCCClub