 | This article needs to be updated.(March 2018) |
 | |
| Category | Rallying |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Inaugural season | 1968 |
| Tyre suppliers | MRF Tyres |
| Drivers' champion | Harry Bates Coral Taylor |
| Teams' champion | Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia |
| Official website | rally |
 Current season | |
The Motorsport Australia Rally Championship, also commonly known as the Australian Rally Championship (ARC), is Australia's premier gravel rally competition. A multi-event national championship has been held each year since 1968.
The Australian Rally Championship (ARC) has, in recent season, been held across six rounds in most parts of Australia.
The drivers' champion of that year will claim the prestigious Possum Bourne Memorial Trophy, inaugurated in 2003 after the tragic passing of the seven-time Australian Rally Champion.
Alongside the outright drivers' and co-drivers' titles are multiple ARC Cups. With a variety of machinery on offer, these Cups give crews the ability to battle amongst like-for-like machinery. These include the Production Cup, 2WD Cup, Junior Cup, and Classic Cup.
Events vary between a mixture of endurance and sprint events. Endurance events will typically cover multiple days, with points awarded at the conclusion of the rally. Sprint events distribute points at the conclusion of each day, otherwise known as Heats.
A Power Stage also provides outright ARC crews the opportunity to collect bonus points on the final stage of each rally.
Six rounds will comprise the 2024 Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship
• Rally of Canberra: 5–7 April
• Forest Rally: 17–19 May
• Rally Queensland: 28–30 June
• Gippsland Rally: 9–11 August
• Adelaide Hills Rally: 13–15 September
• Rally Launceston: 22–24 November
The Australia Rally Championship caters to a range of different competitors in the series and with a number of classes and categories; competitors can start rallying at the level that best suits their budget. The outright competition is fought out amongst the names of rallying and is the ultimate test for the competitors at the pointy end of the field. The ARC's top drivers compete in Group N (Production) - cars which have direct links to their road-going counterparts. The ARC also offers opportunities for manufacturers who don't produce Group N cars to build comparable machinery under both the Group N (P) and FIA Super 2000 regulations. Another award that is desirable for competitors to chase is the Privateers Cup for competitors who don't have support from the manufacturer teams. The F16 Championship is the small car category (1600cc, 2WD) and a budget-level place to start rallying. The outright winner of the Championship is an Australian Champion in the small car category and is added to the record books. The Aussie Cup is the Australian award for large cars (over 2500cc) that enables competitors in the big cars to run popular passenger car models such as V6 and V8's. Amongst the outright awards are the opportunities to chase individual class awards that are based on car capacity and specification which gives competitors the opportunity to pursue class victories.
The more successful cars in recent years of the ARC have been the 4WD 2.0L Turbo models such as the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions, Subaru Impreza WRX STIs and the Toyota Corolla ARC-spec cars, which are actually running Toyota Celica GT-Four engines, 4WD system, etc.[ citation needed ]. Michael Guest and Mark Stacey campaigned a RWD 2.5L normally aspirated Ford Focus during the 2006 season, switching to a Ford Fiesta prepared for the Super 2000 class in 2007. Most of the cars in the privateer fields are of a similar make, but other makes with success have been the Mitsubishi Mirage, Mitsubishi Galant VR-4, Subaru Legacy, Datsun 1600, Datsun 240Z, Nissan Stanza and the Suzuki Swift GTi.
As with the cars, it tends to be the factory-entered drivers that take the outright placings. Some of these drivers have been Colin Bond, Greg Carr. George Fury, Ross Dunkerton, Geoff Portman, Scott Pedder, Simon Evans, Neal Bates, the late Possum Bourne and Ed Ordynski. Privateer crews that have enjoyed recent success include Nathan Quinn and Steve Glenney. In 2015 Molly Taylor became the first woman to win a heat in the Australia Rally Championship. [1]
* Fred Gocentas co-drove for Greg Carr during the 1978 season while Dawson-Damer co-drove for Colin Bond while also scoring points on one occasion co-driving for Dave Morrow which enabled him to beat Gocentas to the co-driver's title.
** Kate Officer co-drove for David Officer during the 1986 season.
*** Bill Hayes co-drove for Molly Taylor during the 2017 season. David Calder and Ben Searcy co-drove for Quinn in 2017.
| Year | Driver | Co-driver | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Ed Ordynski (SA) | Mark Nelson (SA) | Mitsubishi Galant VR4 |
| 1991 | Bob Nicoli (WA) | Brian Harwood (WA) | Daihatsu Charade GTti |
| 1992 | Robert Herridge (WA) | Mark Nelson (SA) | Subaru Liberty RS |
| 1993 | Ed Ordynski (SA) | Mark Stacey (SA) | Mitsubishi Lancer RS-E |
| 1994 | Ed Ordynski (SA) | Mark Stacey (SA) | Mitsubishi Lancer RS-E2 |
| 1995 | Ed Ordynski (SA) | Mark Stacey (SA) | Mitsubishi Lancer RS-Ev2 |
| 1996 | Michael Guest (NSW) | Steve O'Brien-Pounde (NSW) | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 |
| 1997 | Michael Guest (NSW) | Mark Stacey (SA) | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 |
| 1998 | Cody Crocker (VIC) | Greg Foletta (VIC) | Subaru Impreza WRX |
| 1999 | Cody Crocker (VIC) | Greg Foletta (VIC) | Subaru Impreza WRX |
| 2000 | Cody Crocker (VIC) | Greg Foletta (VIC) | Subaru Impreza WRX |
| 2001 | Cody Crocker (VIC) | Greg Foletta (VIC) | Subaru Impreza WRX |
| 2002 | Possum Bourne (NZ) | Mark Stacey (QLD) | Subaru Impreza WRX |
| Year | Company |
|---|---|
| 1969 | Ford Motor Co of Aust. |
| 1970 | Renault (Aust) Pty Ltd |
| 1971 | General Motors-Holden's |
| 1972 | General Motors-Holden's |
| 1973 | General Motors-Holden's |
| 1974 | General Motors-Holden's |
| 1975 | Nissan Motor Co (Aust) |
| 1976 | Nissan Motor Co (Aust) |
| 1977 | Nissan Motor Co (Aust) |
| 1988 | Mazda Motors Pty Ltd |
| 1989 | Lancia Spa |
| 1990 | Mitsubishi Motors Aust Ltd |
| 1991 | Daihatsu Australia Pty Ltd |
| 1992 | Daihatsu Australia Pty Ltd |
| 1993 | Daihatsu Australia Pty Ltd |
| 1994 | Daihatsu Australia Pty Ltd |
| 1995 | Daihatsu Australia Pty Ltd |
| 1996 | Daihatsu Australia Pty Ltd |
| 1997 | Mitsubishi Motors Aust Ltd |
| 1998 | Subaru Australia Pty Ltd |
| 1999 | Subaru Australia Pty Ltd |
| 2000 | Subaru Australia Pty Ltd |
| 2001 | Subaru Australia Pty Ltd |
| 2002 | Subaru Australia Pty Ltd |
| 2003 | Subaru Australia Pty Ltd |
| 2004 | Subaru Australia Pty Ltd |
| 2005 | Subaru Australia Pty Ltd |
| 2006 | Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited |
| 2007 | Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited |
| 2012 | Honda Motor Company Australia Limited |
| 2013 | Honda Motor Company Australia Limited |
| 2014 | Citroen Australia |
| 2015 | Citroen Australia |
| 2016 | Subaru Australia Pty Ltd |
| 2022 | Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited |
| 2023 | Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited |
| Year | Driver | Co-driver | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Bob Nicoli (WA) | Claire Parker (WA) | Daihatsu Charade GTi |
| 1996 | Ross Mackenzie (WA) | Tony Brandon (ACT) | Daihatsu Charade GTi |
| 1997 | Brett Middleton (NSW) | Linda Long (NSW) | Honda Civic |
| 1998 | Rick Bates (ACT) | Jenny Brittan (NSW) | Daihatsu Charade GTi |
| 1999 | Simon Evans (VIC) | Sue Evans (VIC) | VW Golf Mk III Kit Car |
| 2000 | Lee Peterson (TAS) | Graham Legg-Stoker (VIC) | Nissan Pulsar GTi |
| 2001 | Andrew Hannigan (WA) | Duncan Jordan (WA) | Daihatsu Charade GTi |
| 2002 | Warwick Rooklyn (NSW) | Linda Long (NSW) | Daihatsu Charade GTi |
| Year | Driver | Co-driver | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Lee Peterson (TAS) | Graham Legg-Stoker (VIC) | Mitsubishi Mirage Cyborg |
| 2004 | Denise Collins (SA) | Gerard McConkey (QLD) | Honda Civic |
| 2005 | Leigh Garrioch (VIC) | Ken Garrioch (VIC) | Mitsubishi Mirage Cyborg |
| 2006 | Leigh Garrioch (VIC) | Ken Garrioch (VIC) | Mitsubishi Mirage Cyborg |
Peter "Possum" Raymond George Bourne was a champion New Zealand rally car driver. He died under non-competitive circumstances while driving on a public road that was to be the track for an upcoming race.
The World Rally Championship is an international rallying series owned and governed by the FIA. Inaugurated in 1973, it is the second oldest of the FIA's world championships after Formula One. Each season lasts one calendar year, and separate championship titles are awarded to drivers, co-drivers and manufacturers. There are also two support championships, WRC2 and WRC3, which are contested on the same events and stages as the WRC, but with progressively lower maximum performance and running costs of the cars permitted. Junior WRC is also contested on five events of the World Rally Championship calendar.
Richard Alexander Burns was an English rally driver who won the 2001 World Rally Championship, having previously finished runner-up in the series in 1999 and 2000. He also helped Mitsubishi to the world manufacturers' title in 1998, and Peugeot in 2002. His co-driver in his whole career was Robert Reid. He is the only Englishman to have won the World Rally Championship as a driver.
The Subaru Leone is a compact car produced by the Japanese car manufacturer Subaru from 1971 to 1994. The word leone is Italian for lion.
Chris Atkinson is a professional rally driver. In the World Rally Championship (WRC), Atkinson drove for the Subaru World Rally Team between 2004 and 2008. His best finish on an individual WRC event is second, which he achieved at the 2008 Rally México and Rally Argentina. Other podium placings include third-place finishes at the 2005 Rally Japan and the 2008 Monte Carlo Rally.
Alister McRae is a British rally driver from Scotland who competed in the World Rally Championship. He is the son of the five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and the younger brother of the late 1995 World Rally Champion, Colin McRae, and older brother of property entrepreneur Stuart McRae. His uncle Hugh "Shug" Steele is also a former rally driver.
Manfred Stohl is an Austrian rally driver who debuted in the World Rally Championship in 1991. Stohl's co-driver is fellow Austrian Ilka Minor.
The 1994 World Rally Championship was the 22nd season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consisted of 10 rallies. The drivers' world championship was won by Didier Auriol in a Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD, ahead of Carlos Sainz and Juha Kankkunen. The manufacturers' title was won by Toyota, ahead of Subaru and Ford.
The Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) is an international rally championship organized by the FIA encompassing rounds in Asia and Oceania. Group N cars dominated the championship for many years but in recent years cars built to R5 and S2000 regulations have tended to be the frontrunners.
The Ford World Rally Team, also known as the Ford Motor Co. Team prior to 2005, is Ford Motor Company's full factory World Rally Championship team. In its current form, it has been a competitor since the 1997 season, when Ford Motor Company's motorsport arm selected the Malcolm Wilson Motorsport company to run its factory team, entering the Ford Escort World Rally Car. The new team took their first victory in the 1997 Acropolis Rally.
The National Capital Rally, replaced the Rally of Canberra as Canberra's round of the Australian Rally Championship and is an automobile rally event held in and around Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The Rally of Canberra first held in 1988. For many years the National Capital Rally (NatCap) was an ACT Series Rally that was held separately to the Rally of Canberra. When the Rally of Canberra ceased to exist the National Capital Rally was elevated to a round of the National Championship.
Thomas Cave is a British rally driver. He is the son of club rally driver Peter Cave and his ambition is to become the next British champion in the FIA World Rally Championship. He is the UK's first minor international rally driver and achieved his international rally licence, issued in Latvia, at the age of 16.
The FIA WRC2 Championship is a support championship of the World Rally Championship (WRC). The calendar consists of the same rallies and stages as the parent series and crews usually compete immediately after Rally1 class crews. WRC2 is limited to production-based cars homologated under Group Rally2 rules. There are separate specific championship titles awarded to Teams, Drivers and Co-Drivers.
The 2010 Australian Rally Championship is series of six rallying events held across Australia, including the international event 2010 International Rally of Queensland. It is the 43rd season in the history of the competition.
Hayden Paddon is a New Zealand rally driver. He was PWRC world champion in 2011 and won the New Zealand Rally Championship in 2008, 2009, 2013, 2018 and 2021.
The 2010 Asia-Pacific Rally Championship season is an international rally championship sanctioned by the FIA.
The FIA Production car World Rally Championship, or PWRC, was a companion rally series to the World Rally Championship, contested mainly by Group N rally cars.
Molly Anne Taylor is an Australian rally car driver. She is the 2016 Australian Rally Champion, the first and only woman to win the Australian Rally Championship and the youngest regardless of gender, and the 2021 Extreme E Champion.
The 2015 East Coast Bullbars Australian Rally Championship is the 48th season of the Australian Rally Championship. The season began on 27 March at the Quit Forest Rally in Nannup, Western Australia and will end at the Scouts Rally in South Australia. The championship consists of five events including the two international events of Rally Australia and the International Rally of Queensland. The championship is divided into outright (2WD), 4WD Rally Series and Classic Rally Challenge classes. 2014 champion Scott Pedder will not be returning to defend his title after entering into the WRC-2 Championship.
