After two heats, they finished 4mins clear of Warren Lee and David Lethlean in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 with a further 1:47 ahead of Michael O’Hagan/Eoin Moynihan (Ford Escort)

The event was Round 1 of the Victorian Rally Championship, jointly hosted by the North Eastern Car Club and the Albury-Wodonga & District Car Club and based at Mitta Mitta in Victoria. It was also the opening rounds of the Victorian Club Rally Series and the East Coast Rally Series.

This year the entry number was limited to 60 and contested over seven stages, with three of them new, for 146 competitive kilometres.

The brake fluid in the Stratford/Staltari Fiesta boiled just 10kms into stage, which added ducting at service fixed. Stratford still won Heat 1 and was 1min ahead of Josh Redhead and Ray Winwood-Smith (Mitsubishi Lancer GSR) with 5s to Lee.

Fourth were Darren and Michelle Crozier (Subaru Impreza WRS STi), ahead of Tom Clarke/Ryan Preston (Datsun Stanza), O’Hagan, Brian Hunt/Chandlah Hunt (Evo 3) and James and Mark Leoncini (Toyota Corolla).

Heat 2 also went to Stratford, by 3mins over Lee with Brat Till/Mitch Garrad and Simon and Ian Ellis the next two in their WRXs. O’Hagan was fifth in front of Nick Seymour/Gordon Grant (Fiesta) who lost a drive belt in Heat 1, Jody Mill/Darkie Barr Smith (Evo 2) and Redhead.

The heat took its toll with Hunt out due to overheating, Leoncini (ECU), Clarke (off road) and Crozier (control arm bolt).

The VCRS part was held over five stage and won by Joel Wald and Cathy Elliott (Stanza). They were 48s clear of Brian Semmens and Dan Parry (Nissan 200SX) with 2:19 to third placed Dale Linaker and Craig Thomas (Evo 7).

In the ECCRS, Heat 1 was won by Redhead over Clarke and O’Hagan. The latter bounded back to win Heat 2 over Mill and Redhead to take the round overall.