1988
Re-live the action from 1988
Year in review
Highlights
It was a challenging year for Victorian rallying with quite a few events cancelled or postponed due to wet weather, and the growing challenges of Access Control requirements for special stage events.
The Victorian Rally Championship was won by David Greig and Paul Tirant in their Datsun P510 2.5L.
The Victorian Trials Championship was won by Rob Willet in a Corolla, with Champion Navigator being Ross Runnalls, navigating for both several different drivers.
Australian Rally Championship
Following the cancellation of the Alpine Rally (which was then calendared for April 1989), the series reduced to just four rounds after the withdrawal of the SA round and the Queensland round being cancelled due to lack of permission from the police. On the other hand, 1988 was perhaps the first year when an ARC round used pace notes with a pre-event recce, in the final round, the Esanda Finance Rally of Australia around Canberra.
1988 saw the final demise of Group G cars in the ARC with eligibility limited to Group A and Group N. 4WD cars dominated, with all four rounds being won by Mazda 323 4WDs. Murray Coote and Brian Marsden emerged as ARC champions.
The best performed Victorians in the ARC this year were Pat Barber and Simon Brown who finished 5th in their Ford Laser TX3 4WD.
Series
Victorian Rally Championship
VRC events this year were the Bayswater Wreckers Stages, the Blue Ribbon, the Akademos and the Bright North Eastern Rally.
Outright Champions: David Greig / Paul Tirant, Datsun 1600
State Recognised Award: Eric Pietila / Mike Rebbechi, Mazda 323 4WD
Clubman Award: Greg Hoinville / Michael Cains, Escort Mk II
Novice Award: Simon Duerden / Michael Carrol, Datsun 1600
Production Rally Car: ?? Eric Pietila / Mike Rebbechi, Mazda 323 4WD
For more details, including event results and points tables, go to the 1988 VRC page.
Victorian Trials Series (Championship)
The VTC from this year was often referred to as the Victorian Trial Series, but we have maintained the “Championship” title for consistency.
The VTC events this year were the Experts, Borderland Safari, North Central, Bernarras and Western Lion.
Outright Champion Driver: Rob Willett, Corolla
Outright Champion Navigator: Ross Runnalls (navigating for David Officer in a Galant, Geoff Portman in a Datsun 1600 and Glen Cuthbert in a Datsun 1600)
Recognised Award: Rob Willett / Bernard Lakerink, Corolla
Clubman Award: Rob Willet / Bernard Lakerink, Corolla
Novice Award: Bill Johnston / Wal Harris, Mazda RX4
Production Rally Car: Tony Aherne / Nick Wright, Peugeot
For more details, including event results and points tables, go to the 1988 VTC page.
Autosport Sprint Rally Series
Details? Events:
- Peddars Frankston Safari
- ANZ Bank Rallysprint
- Zodiac Rallysprint
- Anglia Memorial Sprint Rally
Western Region Trial Series
This series of closed events was for clubs in western Victoria, in particular Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Hamilton and Melton. Events held were:
- Yulunga Trial (HDCC)
- Daryl Tunbridge Memorial Trial (BLCC)
- North Central Trial (CCC)
- Bernarras Trial (LCCBEN)
- Western Lion Trial (PCCV)
Riverina & North Eastern Series
This closed series was for members of the car clubs in northern and north-eastern Victoria. The series comprised:
- Beaurapaires For Tyres Trial
- Goulburner Trial
- Whiteknuckles Trial
- API Spring Trial
TAUCC Series
This series of closed events were for the various technical college and university car clubs, plus the HMAS Cerberus Car Club, the Melton Motor Sports Club and the Nissan Car Club. Series Regs are in Feb Unicar. This year the series comprised the:
- Swinburne 200 – Results in March Unicar
- Autumn Midnight – Results in April Unicar
- Moonlight Meander – Results in May Unicar
- Nissan Nightmoves – Results in Sep Unicar
- Bog-a-Duck Trial – Results in Oct Unicar
- Distrial – Results in Nov Unicar
- Forester Trial – Results in Dec Unicar
Final points in Feb 1989 Unicar
Group 5
This closed series comprised events run by PIARC, CRB Car Club and the Torana Club of Victoria. Events were:
- Kanga Trial
- Pathfinder Trial
- Tocoan Trial
- Shamater 2 (maybe cancelled?)
- Adam ‘n Eve Trial
Other Events
[event name]
[relevant_comments plus link to event page]
[event name]
[relevant_comments plus link to event page]
[event name]
[relevant_comments plus link to event page]
The Rally Calendar for this year:
| Date | Event | Club | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Feb | Grant Walker Motors Sprint Rally | FFCC | Closed |
| 13 Feb | Shamateur I | LCCA | Closed |
| 20 Feb | Bob Jane Novice Trial | BLCC | Closed |
| 27 Feb | Far Western Trial | HDCC | Closed |
| 28 Feb | Vicsprint Rallysprint | LCCABEN | Closed |
| 5 Mar | Novice Trial (postponed to 16 April) | NECC | Closed |
| 5 Mar | Toyota Novice Trial | TOCV | Closed |
| 5 Mar | Swinburne 200 | SCC | TAUCC-1 |
| 12 Mar | Challenge of Clubs | NCCA | Closed |
| 19 Mar | Blue Ribbon Rally (postponed to 8 October) | LCCA | VRC |
| 26 Mar | Introductory Trial | MSCC | Closed |
| 26 Mar | Beaurepairs for Tyres Trial | AWDCC | RNES-1 |
| 27 Mar | Pedders Frankston Safari | MMALCC | SRS-1 |
| 9 Apr | Experts Trial | LCCA | VTS-1 |
| 16 Apr | Yulunga Trial | HDCC | WR-1 |
| 16 Apr | Autumn Midnight Trial | CCRMIT | TAUCC-2 |
| 16 Apr | Spring 200 | FFCC | Closed |
| 16 Apr | Novice Trial | NECC | Closed |
| 23 April | Bayswater Wreckers Stages | FFCC | VRC-1 |
| 24-25 Apr | 70s Nostalgia “Rally” | non-club | Social |
| 30 Apr | Moonlight Meander | MMSC | TAUCC-3 |
| 7 May | Borderland Safari Trial | NECC | VTS-2 |
| 7 May | Carlie & Cazzard Pines Trial | SEAC | Closed |
| 14 May | George Woods Novice Trial | PCCV | Closed |
| 14 May | Kanga Trial | MMALCC | Group5-1 |
| 21 May | Akademos (postponed to 29 Oct) | MUCC | VRC |
| 28 May | ANZ Bank Sprint Rally | TCC | SRS-2 |
| 28 May | Goulburner Trial | SDCC | RNES-2 |
| 4 Jun | Daryl Tunbridge Memorial Trial | BLCC | WR-2 |
| 4 Jun | Pathfinder Trial | PIARC | Group5-2 |
| 11 Jun | Whiteknuckles Trial | NECC | RNES-3 |
| 26 Jun | Zodiac Sprint Rally | CRBCC | SRS-3 |
| 16 Jul | Nissan Nightmoves (postponed to 27 August) | NCCA | TAUCC |
| 23 Jul | Scarfe Steel Supplies Trial | SEAC | Closed |
| 13 Aug | Tocoan Trial | TOC | Group5-3 |
| 13 Aug | Novice Trial | NECC | Closed |
| 20 Aug | Diggers Revenge Trial | SEAC | Closed |
| 20 Aug | Charity Rallysprint | FFCC | Closed |
| 27 Aug | Nissan Nightmoves | NCCA | TAUCC-4 |
| 3 Sep | Novice Trial | AWDCC | Closed |
| 10 Sep | Anglia Memorial Sprint Rally | FFCC | SRS-4 |
| 10 Sep | Merriang Meander | NECC | Closed |
| 17 Sep | George Derrick Memorial Rally (cancelled and combined with Blue Ribbon on 8 Oct) | CCRMIT | VRC |
| 24 Sep | North Central Trial | CCC | VTS-3 / WR-3 |
| 24 Sep | Somerset Motel Trial (Postponed to 15 Oct) | SEAC | Closed |
| 1 Oct | Bog-a-Duck Trial | MUCC | TAUCC-5 |
| 8 Oct | Blue Ribbon Rally (incorporating the George Derrick) | LCCA, CCRMIT | VRC-2 |
| 8 Oct | API Spring Trial | NECC | RNES-4 |
| 8 Oct | Shamateur II (maybe cancelled or postponed?) | LCCA | Group5-4 |
| 22 Oct | Bernarras Trial | LCCBEN | VTS-4 / WR-4 |
| 29 Oct | Akademos | MUCC | VRC-3 |
| 29 Oct | Kermits Revenge | HDCC | Closed |
| 29 Oct | Adam and Eve Trial | CRBCC | Group5-5 |
| 5 Nov | Victoria Cross Rally | CACA | Open |
| 5 Nov | William Harvey Memorial Trial (cancelled?) | PCCV | VTS |
| 19 Nov | Sundowner Trial | HDCC | Closed |
| 19 Nov | Distrial | MSCC | TAUCC-6 |
| 26 Nov | Alpine (cancelled) | LCCA | ARC |
| 26 Nov | Bright North Eastern Rally | NECC | VRC-4 |
| 3 Dec | Western Lion Trial | PCCV | VTS-5 / WR-5 |
| 3 Dec | Forester Trial | CERB | TAUCC-7 |