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Category | Rallying |
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Country | Canada |
Inaugural season | 1957 |
Classes | O4WD, P4WD, O2WD, P2WD |
Drivers' champion | ![]() |
Co-Drivers' champion | ![]() |
Makes' champion | Ford |
Official website | www |
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The Canadian Rally Championship is an automobile rallying championship sanctioned by the Canadian Association of RallySport (CARS) held since 1957 in Canada. The Canadian Rally Championship follows a 2 class format; 2-Wheel Drive, 4/All-Wheel Drive.
The Canadian Rally Championship (CRC) is Canada's only national rallying series. 2007 marked the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Rally Championship, making it the longest running motorsport series in Canada. It has been run continuously since 1957 when Leslie Chelminski and Les Stanley from Montreal shared the very first national rally title in a factory-prepared Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia. In the early days, the rally championship was based on a navigational (also called time-speed-distance or TSD) rally series which, at times, had as many as twenty events in the series. The most notable Canadian car rallies in those days were the Canadian Winter Rally and the Shell 4000. Some Rally champions from the TSD era include Art Dempsey, Bill Silvera, and Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame inductees John Bird, Paul S. Manson, and Bruce D. Simpson.
As the sport gradually changed and adopted the European "stage" format, performance rallying became part of the Canadian motorsport picture. As opposed to TSD rallies, where competitors are required to follow the organizer's schedule, travel below posted speed limits and otherwise adhere to the rules of the public roads they are traveling on, performance rallies incorporate high speed "special stages" on roads closed to vehicles other than the rally cars, which must be specially prepared with full safety equipment. In 1973, the Canadian Rally Championship became based solely on stage rallies, including the Rally of the Tall Pines, which is still the premier event, and is held in November every year.
The 2025 Canadian Rally Championship is a season of rally racing sanctioned by the Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS). The championship features a calendar of eight events across Canada, held on surfaces including gravel, snow, and ice. The season's competition includes various vehicle classes, such as Open 4WD, Production 4WD, Open 2WD, and Production 2WD.
Round | Start date | Finish date | Rally | Location | Club | Surface | Stages | Distance |
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1 | 31 January | 01 February | ![]() | Maniwaki, Quebec | CASLL | Snow / Ice | 18 | 193.84 km |
2 | 29 May | 31 May | ![]() | Merritt, British Columbia | WCRA | Gravel | 10 | 165.40 km |
3 | 27 June | 29 June | ![]() | New Richmond, Quebec | CRAB | Gravel | 14 | 209.13 km |
4 | 05 September | 07 September | ![]() | Montpellier, Quebec | CADO | Gravel | 20 | 228 km |
5 | 15 May | 18 May | ![]() | Invermere, British Columbia | CSCC | Gravel | 12 | 165.38 km |
6 | 31 October | 02 November | ![]() | La Malbaie, Quebec | CASLL | Gravel | 19 | 202.63 km |
7 | 21 November | 22 November | ![]() | Bancroft, Ontario | MLRC | Gravel | 15 | 170.72 km |
8 | 07 December | 09 December | ![]() | Kelowna, British Columbia | WCRA | Snow / Ice | 12 | 190.65 km |
Round | Event | Winning driver | Winning co-driver | Winning car | Winning time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 1:52:04.1 |
2 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 1:33:17.2 |
3 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 2:11:57.0 |
4 | ![]() | ||||
5 | ![]() | ||||
6 | ![]() | ||||
7 | ![]() | ||||
8 | ![]() | ||||
Each driver earns 1 point for starting a rally and 1 additional point for finishing it. Position-based points are awarded according to standard CRC regulations.
Points for co-drivers are awarded using the same system as the drivers' championship.
Points for the Manufacturers' Championship are awarded based on the best-placed entry for each manufacturer at each event, using the standard Canadian Rally Championship points system.
Pos. | Manufacturer | RPN![]() | PFR![]() | BDC![]() | DPN![]() | RMR![]() | RDC![]() | RTP![]() | BWR![]() | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 44 | ||||||||
2 | ![]() | 39 | ||||||||
3 | ![]() | 33 | ||||||||
4 | ![]() | 21 | ||||||||
5 | ![]() | 10 | ||||||||
6 | ![]() | 3 | ||||||||
7 | ![]() | 2 | ||||||||
Pos. | Manufacturer | RPN![]() | PFR![]() | BDC![]() | DPN![]() | RMR![]() | RDC![]() | RTP![]() | BWR![]() | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 52 | ||||||||
2 | ![]() | 27 | ||||||||
3 | ![]() | 21 | ||||||||
4 | ![]() | 20 | ||||||||
5 | ![]() | 12 | ||||||||
6 | ![]() | 10 | ||||||||
7 | ![]() | 8 | ||||||||
The Novice Cup in the Canadian Rally Championship is awarded to eligible new drivers who have competed in fewer than six performance rallies before the start of the season. Points are awarded based on a different system as the main drivers' championship, 9 points = 1st, 6 points = 2nd, 4 points = 3rd, 3 point = 4th, 2 points = 5th and 1 points = 6th. Only novice drivers are ranked in this category, and the top-placed novice at each event earns points from their overall position in the rally.
In the realm of the Canadian Rally Championship, the Ladies Cup represents a special recognition for women behind the wheel. Using a points system aligned with that of the novice category, female competitors collect scores based on how they place among other eligible participants. This class is designed to foster inclusion, encourage more women to take part in rallying, and highlight their ongoing contributions and competitive consistency throughout the series.
Year | Driver | Co-Driver | Marque |
---|---|---|---|
1957 | Leslie Chelminski | Les Stanley | Volkswagen |
1958 | Leslie Chelminski | ||
1959 | Art Dempsey | Bill A. Silvera | |
1960 | Art Dempsey | Bill A. Silvera | |
1961 | Bill A. Silvera | ||
1962 | George A. Merson | John C. Wilson | |
1963 | John Bird | Volkswagen | |
1964 | John Bird | Volkswagen | |
1965 | John Bird | Volkswagen | |
1966 | Bruce Simpson | Volvo | |
1967 | Klaus Ross | Paul S. Manson | Datsun |
1968 | Keith Ronald | John Slade | Volkswagen |
1969 | Bruce Schmidt | Betty Schmidt/Paul S. Manson | Datsun |
1970 | Walter Boyce | Doug Woods | Datsun |
1971 | Walter Boyce | Doug Woods | Datsun |
1972 | Walter Boyce | Doug Woods | Datsun |
1973 | Walter Boyce | Doug Woods | Fiat |
1974 | Walter Boyce | Doug Woods | Toyota |
1975 | Jean-Paul Perusse | John Bellefleur | Fiat |
1976 | Jean-Paul Perusse | John Bellefleur | Fiat |
1977 | Taisto Heinonen | Tom Burgess | Toyota |
1978 | Taisto Heinonen | Tom Burgess | Toyota |
1979 | Taisto Heinonen | Tom Burgess | Toyota |
1980 | Taisto Heinonen | Tom Burgess | Toyota |
1981 | Randy Black | Bob Lee | Toyota |
1982 | Taisto Heinonen | Tom Burgess | Toyota |
1983 | Randy Black | Tom Burgess | Nissan |
1984 | Tim Bendle | Mary Crundwell | Toyota |
1985 | Tim Bendle | Louis Belanger | Toyota |
1986 | Bo Skowronnek | Terry Epp | Volvo |
1987 | Alain Bergeron | Martin Headland | Toyota |
1988 | Alain Bergeron | Raymond Cadieux | Toyota |
1989 | Paul Choiniere | Martin Headland | Audi |
1990 | Tom McGeer | Trish Sparrow | Audi |
1991 | Frank Sprongl | Dan Sprongl | Audi |
1992 | Tom McGeer | Trish Sparrow | Audi |
1993 | Tom McGeer | Trish Sparrow | Subaru |
1994 | Frank Sprongl | Dan Sprongl | Audi |
1995 | Frank Sprongl | Mike Koch | Audi |
1996 | Carl Merrill | Yorgi Bittner | Eagle |
1997 | Frank Sprongl | Dan Sprongl | Audi |
1998 | Frank Sprongl | Dan Sprongl | Audi |
1999 | Frank Sprongl | Dan Sprongl | Audi |
2000 | Tom McGeer | Mark Williams | Subaru |
2001 | Tom McGeer | Mark Williams | Subaru |
2002 | Patrick Richard | Ian McCurdy | Subaru |
2003 | Tom McGeer | Philip Erickson | Subaru |
2004 | Patrick Richard | Nathalie Richard | Subaru |
2005 | Peter Thomson | Rod Hendrickson | Subaru |
2006 | Antoine L'Estage | Ole Holter | Hyundai |
2007 | Antoine L'Estage | Nathalie Richard | Hyundai |
2008 | Patrick Richard | Alan Ockwell | Subaru |
2009 | Patrick Richard | Alan Ockwell | Subaru |
2010 | Antoine L'Estage | Nathalie Richard | Mitsubishi |
2011 | Antoine L'Estage | Nathalie Richard | Mitsubishi |
2012 | Antoine L'Estage | Nathalie Richard | Mitsubishi |
2013 | Antoine L'Estage | Nathalie Richard | Mitsubishi |
2014 | Antoine L'Estage | Alan Ockwell | Mitsubishi |
2015 | Antoine L'Estage | Alan Ockwell | Subaru |
2016 | Antoine L'Estage | Darren Garrod | Subaru |
2017 | Antoine L'Estage | Alan Ockwell | Subaru |
2018 | Karel Carré | Samuel Joyal | Subaru |
2019 | Karel Carré | Samuel Joyal | Subaru |
2021 | André Leblanc | René Leblanc | Subaru |
2022 | Jerome Mailloux | Philippe Poirier | Subaru |
2023 | Jean-Sébastien Besner | Yvan Joyal | Ford |
2024 | Jean-Sébastien Besner | Alan Ockwell | Ford |
The following standings are based on an individual's placings in the first six overall positions on all Canadian Championship Performance Rallies from 1973 to 2024. There are 14 drivers who have attained Grand Master status (>2000 points)
Driver | Lifetime Points | CARS Points | Career Wins |
---|---|---|---|
Antoine L'Estage | 6930 | 1537 | 56 |
Taisto Heinonen | 5580 | 1110 | 40 |
Frank Sprongl | 5060 | 1079 | 36 |
Tom McGeer | 4990 | 1053 | 21 |
John Buffum | 4900 | 778 | 43 |
Patrick Richard | 4160 | 894 | 22 |
Jean-Paul Perusse | 3860 | 784 | 21 |
Walter Boyce | 2920 | 593 | 12 |
Randy Black | 2880 | 570 | 10 |
Jean-Sebastian Besner | 2630 | 614 | 3 |
Sylvain Vincent | 2540 | 571 | 1 |
Bo Skowronnek | 2390 | 503 | 5 |
Carl Merril | 2350 | 382 | 8 |
Bjorn Anderson | 2120 | 420 | 6 |
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