A major turnout at the opening round of the 2026 Victorian Rally Championship (VRC) has put the season in a strong position for the remainder of the year.

The Mitta Mountain Rally is a highly-regarded event, launching the championship campaign one hour’s drive south-east of Albury-Wodonga.

Danny Traverso and Anthony Carr led the 50 registered vehicles last weekend in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, winning the event outright by eight minutes (2:03:51), coupled with wins in both heats on Saturday and Sunday.

Rally organisers announced a total of 37 rally crews were entered into the VRC field, as Traverso and Carr put their foot down early in the season, outpacing the Nissan Pulsar outfit of Jake Bramble and Phillip Bonser, who managed a third and fourth-place finish in the respective heats (2:11:33).

“We’re pretty proud of this, it’s the first VRC win outright,” Traverso said.

“I think we’ve come second, third, here and there, and we’ve always been close, but never good enough.

“Whether it’s been ‘Brendo’ (Brendan Reeves) or someone else has got us, Justin Dowel or whoever, so I’m pretty happy about the result and the fight we had to put in today.”

Defending Victorian Champions Reeves and Aidan O’Halloran will look to bounce back in the second round of the championship, with the pair unable to complete either heat after hitting a pair of rocks in the second stage, as well as the final stage of the event.

In the #10 Nissan 180SX, Rowan Quill and Michelle Canning were seeded third out right and first among the Club and 2WD classes (2:11:50). The pair were fifth-quickest for the Saturday Heat before improving to second-fastest on the Sunday, starting off their 2026 campaign in strong form.

Andrew Taylor and Michael Stanbrough went above all else in the Victorian Club Rally Series by four minutes (1:57:31) in the Datsun Stanza over five stages. The pair outperformed Historic Rally Association duo Raymond Garrad and Shane Walters (2:01:29) in their Subaru Impreza, while Datsun 1600 team David Lawrance and Darren Davison finished third outright (2:07:10).

Jeffrey David and Grant Geelan (#13 Porsche 911), and Bramble and Bonser took out wins in the 2WD and 4WD classes respectively for the first round of the East Coast Challenge Rally Series.

Motorsport Australia Victorian State Rally Chair Darryn Snooks, who also fell prey to a stray rock in Stage 4, receiving a tyre puncture and later a lost drive on Sunday, was pleased with the turnout from the weekend.

“The Mitta Mountain Rally is a very respected event on the Victorian rally calendar and participants recognise that each year the championship heads there,” Snooks said.

“The event enjoyed a particularly strong turnout this year, which was great to see. It’s always good to get that first event under the belt and we hope it sets the tone for another successful season to come.”

Further details surrounding the second round of the 2026 VRC season will be released in the coming weeks.

Keep up to date on the Victorian Rally Championship at www.vicrally.com.au