Barry Ferguson/Dave Johnson in the Holden Torana GTR – from the 1971 regulations booklet 1970 7 - 11 OCTOBER SYDNEY – PORT MACQUARIE - SYDNEY 62 PREAMBLE The New South Wales tourist resort town of Port Macquarie became the host town to the 1970 Southern Cross International Rally, again directed by Alan Lawson. In between starting and finishing in Sydney, the event spent three nights at Port Macquarie, with its thousands of square miles of adjacent forests, ideal for the way rallying was developing now that shire roads were not readily available. The new area allowed for an event in excess of 3000 kilometres and was considered to be able to provide competition at least half as tough again as previous events, although 1969 was not considered to be as tough as the first three years, when the event passed through the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. The Southern Cross International Rally was becoming a major undertaking, and one that brought rewards to entrants and competitors, and also to the commercial and tourist interests who supported it. With this kind of support, the event looked forward to be being Australia’s answer to some of the top overseas events. The starting order was by ballot within five categories, which unlike previous years, reflected the increasingly international status of the event. The first category was drivers who had placed up to 6th in an international rally. The second category was for drivers placed up to 12th in any international rally or up to 6th in a national championship rally. The third category was for drivers who had placed up to 3rd in class in an international rally or up to 12th in a national championship rally. The fourth category was for drivers who had completed the course of an international rally or national championship rally. The fifth category was for unclassified drivers. Crews were required to report to at least forty percent of main controls in each division to be eligible for general classification and awards. SUMMARY One of the favourites to win the event, 1968 winner John Keran, was the victim of a sensational crash in a LC Torana in the ‘Hardie-Ferodo 500’ conducted the weekend before the Southern Cross International Rally, in which he broke one of his legs. 78 crews started the event, and after a great see-saw battle between internationals Andrew Cowan and Brian Culcheth (both in Cooper S’s) and locals Barry Ferguson, Stewart McLeod, Colin Bond and Evan Green, Ferguson emerged the winner. A controversial ‘horror section’ on the last night on the way back to Sydney put Evan Green and Stewart McLeod into the minor outright places. Mechanical problems forced the retirement of most of the internationals, including Edgar Hermann, a recent East Africa Safari winner, and co-winner of the 1970 Ampol Round Australia Trial conducted a few months earlier. It was the second time that Barry Ferguson and David Johnson won the event, having won it in 1967 in a Volkswagen, but it was the third time for Johnson as he navigated for Andrew Cowan in 1969. Whilst Ferguson emerged as the winner it was only over the closing 250 kilometres of the event that he assumed this position, previously not seeming to be any more than a good chance against Andrew Cowan and Colin Bond, and even Evan Green. But he had great ability to pace himself and contain his driving over the distance. 63 Ferguson/Johnson in the Holden Torana GTR The demise of the internationals allowed the Australians to stream home behind Ferguson in second to sixth places respectively – Evan Green/Peter Brown (Cooper S), Stewart McLeod/Adrian Mortimer (Datsun 1600), Richard Harris/Nigel Collier (Mazda R100), Paul Older/Colin Alexander (Volvo 142S) and Bruce Wilkinson/Ian Inglis (Datsun 1600). In fact, local crews fill the first twelve places, before the first international, Joginder Singh, the 1965 East African Safari winner. After sharing the lead for the first three nights the internationals Cowan and Culcheth fell victim in their Cooper S cars to various dramas, and with them went their major rival for most of the distance, Colin Bond, in a Holden Torana XU1. Edgar Hermann started the rot when he stacked his Capella into a bank on the second night. Final Placings 1 Barry Ferguson Dave Johnson Holden Torana GTR 160 pts 2 Evan Green Peter Brown Morris Cooper S 184 3 Stewart McLeod Adrian Mortimer Datsun 1600 186 4 Rex Harris Nigel Collier Mazda R100 206 5 Paul Older Colin Alexander Volvo 142S 234 6 Bruce Wilkinson Ian Inglis Datsun 1600 243 7 Barry Lloyd Andy Browne Mitsubishi Colt 1100 SSS 251 8 Colin Bond George Shepheard Holden Torana XU1 255 9 Rex Lunn John Hall Ford Capri 311 10 Ossie Jackson Adrian van Loon Volvo 122S 351 Group 1 Class Placings A Up to 1000 cc Mal Horsley Rod Horsley Honda B 1001 to 1300 cc Barry Lloyd Albert Browne Mitsubishi Colt 1100 SSS C 1301 to 1600 cc Stewart McLeod Adrian Mortimer Datsun 1600 D 1601 to 2000 cc Richard Harris Nigel Collier Mazda R100 E 2001 to 3000 cc K. Gardner M. Madden Holden HR F Over 3000 cc Murray Finlay Arthur Davis Holden Monaro 186 Group 2 Class Placings G Up to 1300 cc Arthur Grimshaw Dennis Russell Hillman Imp H 1301 to 1600 cc T. Constantinides Robert Lumby Mazda 1200 I 1301 to 1600 cc Bruce Wilkinson Ian Inglis Datsun 1600 J 1601 to 2000 cc Paul Older Colin Alexander Volvo 142S K 2001 to 3000 cc Colin Bond George Shepheard Holden Torana XU1 L Over 3000 cc Bruce Hodgson Brian Waldron Ford Falcon Group 5 Class Placings P Up to 1600 cc Evan Green Peter Brown Morris Cooper S R Over 1600 cc Barry Ferguson David Johnson Holden Torana GTR Manufacturers Award: Mazda Ladies Award: Heather Brock/Jenny Cash - Holden Torana 64 VEHICLE ELIGIBILITY Vehicle eligibility was based on FIA Groups 1 (Series Production Touring Cars – 5000 units produced a year), Group 2 (Special Touring – 1000 units produced a year) and Group 5. The Group 2 designation was now applied by the FIA to production based Touring Cars, and characterized as a mixture of the old 60's Group 2 and Group 5 rules (the old Group 5 ended at the end of 1969). 1000 cars still had to be produced, but these could be modified quite freely compared to the previous Group 2 regulations. EVENT DETAILS/ ORGANISING TEAM Event Details Total distance was some 3600 kilometres, starting in Sydney and finishing at Hornsby, Sydney. Crews were required to report to at least forty percent of main controls in each division to be eligible for general classification and awards Organising Team Organising Committee: • Monty Love • John Whitton Port Macquarie Headquarters • Port Macquarie – ‘Travelodge’ Motel Sponsor • Westfield Shopping Centre Director: Allan Lawson Secretary: John Arter ENTRIES There were 78 starters in the event, including three overseas drivers (Andrew Cowan, Brian Culcheth and Edgar Herrmann). Approximately 55 crews finished. Brian Culcheth (UK) Many new model cars made their first appearance in the event this year. Not least was the Holden Torana XU1 of the newly formed Holden Dealer Team (‘HDT’), led by Harry Firth, for Colin Bond, with George Shepheard navigating. A Holden Torana GTR was crewed by Barry Ferguson (to date five times NSW Rally Champion) and Dave Johnson, and John Keran/John Bryson were entered in a Holden Monaro GTS350. Rotary-engines were new and a Mazda Capella, which went on sale to the public just prior to the event, was crewed by Kenyan Edgar Herrmann (co-winner of the 1970 Ampol Round Australia Trial conducted earlier in the year), with Brian Hope. Also in a rotary machine was Joginder Singh (Mazda R100), with Steve Halloran. Richard Harris/Nigel Collier rallied another R100. This group formed the Amoco Rally Team and took out the Manufacturer’s Award. 65 1965 East African Safari winner Joginder Singh in the Mazda R100 – see highlights Following a clean sweep of the Victorian Rally Championship and victory in all but one event of the 1970 Australian Rally Championship, were the Kay’s Team of Renault Gordinis, driven by Bob Watson/Jim McAuliffe, Mal McPherson/Robin Sharpley and Bruce Collier/Lindsay Adcock. Also in a Kays Team Renault 16TS was Lynne Keeffe, with Viv Helliwell. Lynne had won the ladies team prize in the first four events. Andrew Cowan/Bob Forsyth British Leyland Corporation continued its attack on the event with Morris Cooper S cars for Scotsman Andrew Cowan with Bob Forsyth, the UK’s Brian Culcheth, with Roger Bonhomme, and Evan Green/Peter Brown; plus an Austin 1800 (1969 Southern Cross International Rally winning car) for John Taylor/Graham West. A Morris 1500 was prepared for former NSW Champion Doug Chivas/Roy Denny, with a five-speed gearbox which Green drove in that year’s Papuan Safari. The Southern Cross International Rally, and the International Rally of the Hills a few weeks later, were the last two events contested by works Mini Coopers – they were now considered to be no longer a serious contender for winning important rallies. Mitsubishi entered Colt 1100 SSS cars for Bob Riley/Barry Field, Barry Lloyd/Albert Browne and David Hansen/David Sandeman (resulting in first and second in class). Other entries included John Taylor/Graham West (Austin 1800), Peter Houghton/Mick Neilsen (Peugeot 404), Bruce Hodgson/Brian Waldron (ex-Ampol Trial Ford Falcon GS), Max Winkless/Peter Meyer (Volvo 142S), Ken Tubman/Lindsay McLeod (Triumph 2.5 Pi), Stewart McLeod/Adrian Mortimer (Datsun 1600), Bob Holden/John Dawson-Damer (Ford Escort), and future Southern Cross International Rally Director, Dan White, with wife Rosemary, in a Holden HR! 66 1970 ENTRY ACCEPTANCE LIST – NOT START