Over the Melbourne Cup long weekend Greg Keene / Katie Keene, in the competition debut of the 2001 Porsche GT2, won The 3 Peaks Rally by the narrowest of margins from fellow South Australians Doug Lehmann / Philip McLeay (Mitsubishi EVO IV) with Gary Woodyard / Norm Sharp (Austin Healey V8) taking third place Outright and The 3 Peaks Classic Trophy.

Keene has now won both the Grand Prix Rally and The 3 Peaks in the same year, the first time this has been achieved, as he prepares for Targa Tasmania.

Run in North Eastern Victoria and based in Bright, the seventh running of The 3 Peaks Event was one of the most competitive yet with a variety of cars including the GT2, a 48/215 (FX) Holden, Ferrari F355 Challenge,

Falcon GT, HSV, Austin Healey, Mustangs, E Type Jaguar, Jensen, BMW, Alfa and MGB.

Day One

Day One Speed Events at DECA set the pace for the duration of the Rally, Keene under pressure from Lehmann and Bill Regan/John Regan in their very rapid supercharged V8 Austin Healey. A quick half spin by Lehmann in the Loop de Loo second stage allowed both the Regans and Furmedge (Mustang) into the top four.

The Navigation from DECA to Bright showed the benefit of experience with real navigation as Kaye Kilsby navigating for Brian Jenkins in the EType tied for top score with Phil McLeay in the passenger seat of the Lehmann EVO IV.

Day one results had the Keenes from Lehmann/McLeay, Peter and Cameron Furmedge and the two V8 Healeys of the Regans and Woodyard / Sharp filling the top five spots.

Day Two

Day two started with a navigation section to Tallangatta to fill and seal fuel tanks before the Granya Closed Road Stages. Conducted as Medium Timed Events, the Murray River Road at Granya snakes its way from the Hume Dam to the Firebrace Track, with two competitive sections over the nine km climb. The Gary Jackson / Carl Neill MGB suffered electrical dramas and had to cut and run to Tallangatta.

By either good management or good luck, Keene again took top honours at Granya but this time was followed by the Davis BMW 2002, Hume/Kennedy Ferrari and the very well driven 1968 911 Porsche of Bruce Power / Peter Jordan. The Clempson / Kinivan Mustang Fastback came to grief against a bank in the first of the stages taking out the left front suspension but with help from some Mustang enthusiasts in Albury-Wodonga, the car and crew were able to start day three. Day two also had a Fuel Economy section, this was won by Jon Parker / John Dunkley (MX5), and the "Blind Navigation".

This event is where the Navigator is behind the wheel, blindfolded and the driver has to call the instructions through the course. Justin and Larry Walsh, (EB Falcon GT) had the fastest time but a penalty dropped them back to second, Lehmann / McLeay top scored with the Regans in third.

Rally Leaders day two, Keene was just holding on from Lehmann/McLeay and the Regans, but only 11 points covered 1^st to 3^rd and the Furmedge Mustang and Woodyard/Sharp Healey were staying close.

Day Three

Day 3, and final day, started with two stages on the Myrtleford Speedway, the 4WD of the EVO IV helping Lehmann to two FTDs. Tony Esplin in the 300kw HSV GTS showed great style and control to take a 2^nd and 5^th fastest time but the real show was by Bruce Power in the early Porsche and the local crowd favorite Ian Downs in the FX Holden, both putting on displays of power slides for full laps of the circuit.

A short Navigation to the Wangaratta Sale-yards saw most clean the stage before two Auto-Tests in and around the sale-yard Complex. Despite the tightish layout, Keene displayed the awesome power and braking capability of the Mega Porsche to put his stamp of authority on the Event. A missed gate by Lehmann stopped his challenge for the lead and he now had to look over the shoulder to the Regan and Woodyard Healeys, these V8 powered Classics being well suited to the grunt nature of the course. Then it all turned pear shaped for the Regans.

Only 60 meters from the finish garage of the final speed event, a loud bang and smoke appeared. Driver John Regan de-clutched and took the final turn into the garage to still record the 3^rd fastest time but the big Healey had snapped the crank and was out of the Event.

To complete The 3 Peaks for 2001, competitors were faced with a challenging Observation section from Wangaratta back to Bright for the Finish and end of Event Festivities. Offering up to 46 points, Keene needed at least 24 points to take out the Event. He got 30!