Previously the Castrol International Rally was held in much the same area utilising some of the same stage roads.
The initial event was won by that year's national champion, Queenslander Murray Coote aboard a Mazda 323 GTX.
The nature of this combination has given rise to a rivalry between APRC and ARC competitors as to who can complete the event in the shortest time.
[3] One of the biggest attractions of the Rally of Canberra, and the Castrol International before it, is the special stage called 'The Mineshaft'.
Over the years the section has been regraded, softening the plunge but it is still a favourite for spectators, who grade the drivers going over the drop with scorecards, a tradition dating back to the Castrol International which has been attributed to an infamous troupe of Bathurst-based rally officials and competitors known as the Killer Mullet Rally Team.