Barry Ferguson/Dave Johnson in the Torana GTR – from the 1971 regulations booklet

1970 7 - 11 OCTOBER – PORT MACQUARIE - SYDNEY

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PREAMBLE

The 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 ’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 , 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 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.

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Ferguson/Johnson in the 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 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

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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 (‘HDT’), led by , 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.

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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 ( 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!

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1970 ENTRY ACCEPTANCE LIST – NOT START ORDER – 78 STARTERS 1 Taylor, John SA West, Graham SA Austin 1800 2 Keran, John NSW Bryson, John NSW Holden Monaro GTS 350 3 McLeod, Stewart SA Lock, Jack SA Datsun 1600 4 Watson, Bob VIC McAuliffe, Jim VIC Renault Gordini 5 Holden, Bob NSW Dawson-Damer, John NSW Ford Escort 6 Bond, Colin NSW Shepheard, George NSW Holden Torana XU1 7 McPherson, Mal VIC Sharpley, Robin VIC Renault Gordini 8 Winkless, Max NSW Meyer, Peter NSW Volvo 142S 9 Herrmann, Edgar KENYA Hope, Brian NSW Mazda Capella 10 Cowan, Andrew SCOT Forsyth, Bob VIC Morris Cooper S 11 Collier, Bruce NSW Adcock, Lindsay NSW Renault Gordini 12 Culcheth, Brian UK Bonhomme, Roger VIV Morris Cooper S 13 Chivas, Doug NSW Denny, Roy NSW Morris 1500 14 Garard, Greg ACT Garard, John ACT Holden 15 Singh, Joginder KENYA Halloran, Steve NSW Mazda R100 16 Ferguson, Barry NSW Johnson, Dave NSW Holden Torana XU1 17 Hodgson, Bruce NSW Waldron, Brian NSW Ford Falcon 500 GS 18 Lloyd, Barry NSW Browne, Alex NSW Mitsubishi Colt 1100 SSS 19 Tubman, Ken NSW McLeod, Lindsay NSW Triumph 2.5 20 Johns, Neil NZ Stubbs, B NZ Triumph 2.5 21 Hansen, David NSW Sandeman, David NSW Mitsubishi Colt 1100 SSS 22 Lunn, Rex VIC Jell, J VIC Ford Capri V6 23 Thomson, Murray NZ Johns, Neil NZ Rover 2000 24 Williams, Lionel NSW Stewart, J NSW Holden 25 Michelmore, Brian QLD Sked, J QLD Ford Cortina 26 Mullins, Jack NSW Daihatsu GT 27 Mensell, Graham Datsun 1600 28 Darlington, John Volvo 29 Mecak, Garry NSW Pettit, J NSW Ford Escort 30 Wilkinson, Bruce VIC Inglis, Ian VIC Datsun 1600 31 Harris, Richard NSW Collier, Nigel NSW Mazda R100 32 Houghton, Peter NSW Neilsen, Mick NSW Peugeot 404 33 Green, Evan NSW Brown, Peter NSW Mitsubishi Colt 1100 SSS 34 Constantinides,T NSW Lumby, R NSW Mazda 1200 35 White, Dan NSW White, Rosemary NSW Holden HR 36 Darlington, J NSW McElhinney, Brian NSW Volvo 142S 37 Lang, Peter ACT O’Clery, Ed ACT Datsun 1600 38 Older, Paul NSW Alexander, Colin NSW Volvo 142S 39 Steer, S Cleverly,B 40 Leighton, Jon VIC Graber, B VIC Datsun 1600 41 Garner, Ken NSW Madden, Mike NSW Holden HR 42 Osborne, J QLD Coote, Murray QLD Datsun 1600 43 Marshall, W McIntosh, B Volkswagen 1500 44 Lake, Barry NSW Snooks, Tom NSW Mitsubishi Colt 1100 SSS 45 Hennessey, John Daihatsu GT 46 Riley, Bob NSW Mitsubishi Colt 1100 SSS 47 Jackson, Arthur NSW Adams, Bill NSW Ford Escort TC 48 Keeffe, Lynn NSW Helliwell, Vivien NSW Renault 16TS 49 Smith, A Renault 16TS 50 Horsley, Mal NSW Meahan, Brian NSW 51 Jackson, Ossie NSW Van Loon, Adrian NSW Volvo 122S 52 Elliott, Graham ACT Gregson, Wayne ACT Volkswagen 1500 53 Goetz, Helmut VIC Datsun 1600 54 Laing-Peach, Jim NSW Cooke, Brian NSW 55 Stahl, Max NSW Beaumont, Jeff VIC Renault 10S 56 Carter-Throsby, J Butcher, I Mitsubishi Colt 57 Ashworth, Barbara NSW Collis, Jill NSW Ford Escort TC 58 Moore, Bob NSW Moore, Cathy NSW Morris Mini K

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59 Ross, Ann NSW Van Loon, Sandra NSW Volvo 122S 60 Jensen, John QLD Jensen, Paul QLD Ford Falcon 500 GS 61 White, David NSW Trumpmanis, John NSW Mazda 1200 62 Walder, I Bain, Terry ACT Renault 16TS 63 Hallan, Dave Hallan, J Morris Cooper 64 Neale, Frank NSW Watts, G NSW Toyota Corolla Sprinter 65 Finlay, Murray NSW David, R NSW Ford Falcon GT 66 Hains, E NSW Roser, Graham NSW Ford Cortina GT 67 Thompson, Graham VIC Page, R VIC Mazda R100 68 Williams, H Pearce, T Datsun 1600 69 Mulligan, Ed NSW Lockie, Graham NSW Peugeot 404 70 Franks, Ron NSW Devine, T NSW Volkswagen 1600 71 Wilson, V Wilson, F Valiant Pacer 72 Fraser, R Dunkley, R Peugeot 403 73 Hayward, Alex NSW Nelson, J NSW MG Y Tourer 74 Lidbury, Brian Fowler, J Mitsubishi Colt 1100 SSS 75 Ransom, Sue NSW Vine, Sandra NSW Renault 16TS 76 Lund, Chas QLD Mazda R100 77 Patterson, E Walters, L Morris Cooper S 78 Southwell, Sue Flint, Dianne Fiat 128 79 Geddens, R NSW Mudd, Bruce NSW Renault 16TS 80 Janson, Peter VIC Mitchell, Mike Vic Renault R8 Gordini 81 Buttsworth, J NSW Broad, Les NSW Holden HD 82 Meany, J Foley, J Vauxhall VX 4/90 83 Grimshaw, A Russel, D Hillman Imp GT 84 Cameron, Alan NSW Batten, Mike NSW MG A 1600 85 Seehusen, C Brook, G Volkswagen 86 Boden, Les NSW Atkins, B NSW Peugeot 403 87 Brock, Heather VIC Cash, Jenny VIC Holden Torana GTR 88 Crossey, C Collins, J Peugeot 403 89 Cheeseman, Bruce NSW Thompson, K NSW Volkswagen 1500

THE EVENT

Day 1 – Sydney to Port Macquarie The event started at midday from The Domain in central Sydney and passed through Windsor to the Wisemans Ferry on its way to Newcastle (by which time it was dark), Taree and Port Macquarie. From Newcastle onwards, it soon became very obvious that dust was going to be a problem.

On an early stage the Bruce Hodgson/Brian Waldron’s ex- Ampol Trial Ford Falcon GS broke a stub axle and it was replaced from a local famer’s ‘spare parts bin’, whilst Ken Tubman’s Triumph 2.5 decided that the Ampol Trial, and a couple of days racing at Bathurst the previous weekend, was enough and the gearbox gave in.

Then a little later Max Winkless missed a corner in the dust and speared well off the road and he was thankful for the Volvo’s built in roll over bars, and safety harnesses fitted to the car; Brian Lidbury’s Colt 1100SSS suffered from electrical issues; and Sue Ransom/Sandra Vine put the Renault 16TS hard up against a tree and it lost a mudguard.

New Zealanders Murray Thomson/Neil Johns had water drown the electrics in the Rover 2000 and this was the start of a number of minor problems that made the event difficult for the crew.

On Neaves Road, some 30 kilometres northwest of Dorrigo, there was a tight bend, with a rock-face on one side and a drop on the other. Taylor spun and came within centimetres of crashing into the rock-face and his delay sorting himself out let Bond into the dust-free front position. Herrmann, chasing Culcheth, came upon the bend in dust, hit almost head-on and lost the Cibie lights, a right side front guard and bent the suspension but he made it to the service area at Dorrigo. Watson arrived a little later, hit harder and stayed longer – thus exited two cars from the leader-board.

The front runners were losing little time (that is, not exceeding the times allowed, or only by a minute or two) and good efforts were also being put in by Peter Lang (Datsun 1600), Peter Houghton (Peugeot 404), Stewart McLeod (Datsun 1600), (Renault Gordini) and Bruce Collier (Gordini). Bob Watson’s Renault R8 lost brakes after fluid leaked from a loose bleeder nipple, but was saved by Andrew Cowan who stopped to hand over some 68 brake fluid. However Watson’s rally was over on the final transport into Port Macquarie when the engine digested dust due to a blocked air filter and the engine was ruined.

Full results after night one are not available but Culcheth lost 8 points, Bond 9, Cowan 12, with Herrmann and Taylor equal on 13 and Ferguson on 14. Others who put in a good performance were Rex Lund (Ford Capri V6), Charlie Lund (Mazda R100), Barry Lloyd (Colt 1100SSS) and Graham Thompson (Mazda R100).

Day 1 – Wednesday 7 October Division 1: Sydney to Gloucester Division 2: Gloucester to Port Macquarie Principal stage A lengths (km): 38, 14, 12, 25, 33, 29

Day 2 – Thursday 8 October Division 3: Port Macquarie to Grafton Division 4: Grafton to Port Macquarie Principal stage A lengths (km): 63, 11, 14, 43, 8, 15, 45

Day 3 – Friday 9 October Division 5: Port Macquarie to Tamworth Division 6: Tamworth to Port Macquarie Principal stage A lengths (km): 47, 45, 27, 22, 38

Day 4 – Saturday 10 October Division 7: Port Macquarie to Gloucester Division 8: Gloucester to Sydney Principal stage A lengths (km): 32, 11, 40, 196

Total event distance: 3600 kilometres

Peter Janson/Mike Mitchell – Renault Gordini

Day 2: Port Macquarie - Dorrigo - Grafton – Coffs Harbour – Port Macquarie Getting to Dorrigo, on the northern New South Wales Tablelands was hard work, with a few special sections along tracks that were like driving down a tunnel, with branches and grass brushing the roof and the sides of the cars at the same time.

Northwest of Coffs Harbour a special section contained some very, very steep descents and tight turns – some so tight it was necessary to reverse to negotiate them and the field was spreading out. 11 crews had had enough rallying by this time and started to return to Port Macquarie.

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After a mealbreak at Grafton the course headed back south. One section contained a creek crossing which required cars to be in first gear for the exit, a host of turns and a tight time allowed, so tight, that the best was Ferguson’s 8 points loss, followed by Cowan, Riley and many others on 9.

Major points losers were Herrmann, Cheeseman (VW), Thompson (Rover) and Hodgson. Cheeseman tried to pass another car in the dust on the run to Dorrigo and the VW went too close to the edge and over it went – plunging some 25 metres down – but there was surprisingly little damage to the car and none to the crew. But it was a long walk for help with a winch!

Cowan (23 points) was best on the night followed by Bond (28), Culcheth (29), Ferguson (31), Green (33), Harris (36), Bob Riley (39) and Ossie Jackson/Adrian van Loon in their Ford Escort TC on 41.

Evan Green/Peter Brown – Morris Cooper S

Results at end of night two: 1 Andrew Cowan Bob Forsyth Morris Cooper S 35 =2 Colin Bond George Shepheard Holden Torana XU1 37 =2 Brian Culcheth Roger Bonhomme Morris Cooper S 37 4 Barry Ferguson Dave Johnson Holden Torana GTR 45 5 Evan Green Peter Brown Morris Cooper S 49 6 Richard Harris Nigel Collier Mazda R100 56 7 Graham Elliott Wayne Gregson Volkswagen 1500 63 8 Arthur Jackson Bob Adams Ford Escort TC 65 9 Bob Riley Barry Field Mitsubishi Colt 1100 SSS 70 10 Barry Lloyd Albert Browne Mitsubishi Colt 1100 SSS 73

Day 3: Port Macquarie – Tamworth – Port Macquarie After a day’s rest the crews had a one hour service period before starting on Day Three. Harry Firth pounced on Bond’s Torana and fitted new brakes and tyres and almost a new front end.

From Port Macquarie the field headed west to Wauchope and Cowan missed booking into a passage control, although the route instructions directed the crews to its location. However, the official in charge saw the car pass through and noted it on the paperwork; the Stewards subsequently decided to penalise only for an incomplete route card, for which there was a penalty of 10 points instead of the 25 for missing a passage control.

On this third night Ferguson put in a great effort to only lose 16 points, followed by Bond with 18, Green and McLeod 21, Cowan 24 (plus a 10 point penalty to be 34). Without the 10 point penalty Cowan would have held the lead over Bond.

For the night’s run Bond dropped 18 points, and took the lead, Cowan 20 and fell back to second, then Ferguson, Green and Harris lost 21, Jackson 28 and Elliott 37. Culcheth, equal second after Day Two, fell out of the top ten, as did Riley, allowing Older and Houghton in. Culcheth’s demise was a crash in his Mini Cooper.

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Richard Harris/Nigel Collier, in their Mazda R100, stayed in the top ten after the first night

Brian Culcheth examines the damge to the Cooper S

Results at end of night three: 1 Colin Bond George Shepheard Holden Torana XU1 55 2 Andrew Cowan Bob Forsyth Morris Cooper S 59 3 Barry Ferguson Dave Johnson Holden Torana GTR 66 4 Evan Green Peter Brown Morris Cooper S 70 =5 Richard Harris Nigel Collier Mazda R100 87 =5 Paul Older Colin Alexander Volvo 142S 87 7 John Taylor Graham West Austin 1800 95 8 Graham Elliott Wayne Gregson Volkswagen 1500 100 9 Peter Houghton Mick Nielsen Peugeot 404 101 10 Arthur Jackson Bob Adams Ford Escort TC 103

As the crews settled in for the day’s rest Harry Firth was confident his team could hold their lead (1st and 3rd) whilst BMC Leader Gus Staunton was equally confident that the Minis (2nd and 4th), with only 15 points between first and fourth, could out-handle the Toranas on the final night.

Day 4: Port Macquarie – Gloucester - Sydney 60 plus cars started the last night.

There were 1100 kilometres to go, of which approximately 650 were competitive, and one was about 200 kilometres long, and had been advertised as the roughest, toughest stage ever seen in any rally in Australia. So the pattern was set for the Torana cars to hold their lead and the Minis to go for broke.

The Minis slowly gained on the Toranas and Cowan eventually took the lead on the road and 10 minutes ahead of Ferguson, as Bond had ripped the exhaust off his Torana and lost the speedometer drive, allowing Green to pass. The Cowan Mini approached a control but didn’t slow down at the flying finish point - the brakes had gone – and Cowan flung the Mini sideways to take a corner at the control but found the left front wheel banging on some twisted suspension after hitting a bank. Culcheth soon arrived and, being out of the running, allowed his Mini to be cannibalised but time was the enemy and Cowan lost an hour. 71

Then came the long and tough stage near Nundle with, in parts, tracks marked on maps as suitable for four wheel drive vehicles only. The road was going to be very difficult and many competitors were expected to bypass it, taking the penalty for a missed control. So that these competitors did not gain an advantage the Director put several passage controls along the correct route so that penalties would be greater for those who bypassed it.

16 crews tackled the stage, the rest bypassed and took penalties accordingly. Those who tackled it managed to scramble over the gutters and down the rutted mountainside which dropped 1200 metres in 10 kilometres. Points lost show how tough it was – McLeod 52, Bruce Wilkinson 58, Richard Harris 72, Ferguson 87.

One controversy from this stage stayed within the sport for many years. Evan Green came across Barry Ferguson’s Torana bogged sideways on the road. Green, and navigator Peter Brown, helped the Torana’s crew on its way then restarted the Copper S only to immediately get bogged themselves, as Ferguson sailed away into the distance. Ferguson couldn’t see rearwards as the back window of the Torana was covered in mud, and didn’t think that the Mini would be delayed. Evan Green was very bitter about this incident, apparently Barry had agreed to wait and help Evan through.

Then it was a long transport to the finish in Sydney, at Hornsby’s Westfield Shopping Centre.

So, on this last night, five of the top ten at the end of the third night dropped out – Cowan, Taylor, Elliott, Houghton and Arthur Jackson to let in McLeod, Wilkinson, Lloyd, Lunn and Arthur’s father Ossie. Ferguson lost 94 points, followed by Green with 114, then Harris 119 and Older 147. Bond dropped 200 points to fall from 1st outright to 8th outright at the finish.

The Final Ten – Jackson out and Jackson In! Arthur Jackson/Bob Adams in the Ford Escort dropped out of the top ten on the last night but Dad Ossie, with Adrian van Loon, took his Volvo 122S into 10th place.

Final results in Sydney: 1 Barry Ferguson Dave Johnson Holden Torana GTR 160 2 Evan Green Peter Brown Morris Cooper S 184 3 Stewart McLeod Adrian Mortimer Datsun 1600 186 4 Richard Harris Nigel Collier Mazda R100 206 5 Paul Older Colin Alexander Volvo 142S 234 6 Bruce Wilkinson Ian Ingliss 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

Barry Ferguson/Dave Johnson on their winning way in the Holden Torana GTR 72

EVENT SIDELINES

Joginder Singh The first Sikh driver ever to win an international rally, and also the first man to win the Safari Rally three times, he was known as the ‘Flying Sikh’ for his exploits behind the wheel. Although Ugandan rival Shekhar Mehta had more outright victories in the event (4), Singh's record of 19 finishes in 22 attempts was an unprecedented feat of consistency in what has been long regarded as the world's toughest rally, where the attrition rate often exceeded 90%. Allan Lawson used the same Mazda R100 driven in the Southern Cross International Rally by Singh to set the event’s course and also used it in Queensland rallies.

Andrew Cowan’s Cooper S Brian Culcheth’s Cooper S

The 1970 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.

• A ‘modern’ approach to rallies for this year’s event was a special 24-hours a day progress points telephone service being introduced. Based at the Westfield Plaza at Sydney’s Hornsby was a team of people taking scores by telephone from the results centre in Port Macquarie, which were transcribed onto a large scoreboard. People could call in on a special ‘hotline’ (a term not then invented!!) to get information. • A further ‘modern’ innovation was the issuing to crews of progress scoresheets, by courtesy of Roneo-Vickers (portable photostat machines were just coming onto the market), at the start of each division, very handy for crews to see how they stacked up against the opposition stage by stage! • The major controversy of the event was Cowan/Forsyth ‘missing’ a passage control in Wauchope just after the start of the third night. The instructions directed crews to the route check area but Cowan (with some others) drove passed and didn’t stop to have his road card marked (there were many people spectating at the refuel point where the passage control was located). However, the official had seen them all pass and noted this fact on his control card; so the Stewards later determined to rescind the penalty for a missed control and apply one for an incomplete road card, for which a 10 point penalty was applied (instead of 25 points). At the time the incident created a high degree of angst but in the end, with Cowan dropping out, it didn’t matter – other than to get the situation sorted out in regulations for another year. • Peter Brown, navigating for Evan Green in a Mini Cooper S, vividly recalls the very first competitive stage on the rally with Evan. “That was my very first experience in a full-on works rally car. I mean, I’d been with club fellas who were quick or whatever, but to actually drop the clutch and take off in a works car, you suddenly realise that nothing stands in your way. You’re bouncing over rocks that you would otherwise have slowed down for and crawled over, and he’s just going straight at it, foot flat to the floor, and you think, wow, no wonder they get the times they do.” #

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• The word had spread that Lynne Keeffe (Jarman), after winning her class four years in a row in the event, had a mortgage on the event so a number of ladies teams entered to wrest the crown from her. These included Sue Ransom/Sandra Hines/Hazel Phillips (Renault 16TS which Sue used in the 1970 Ampol Trial), Ann Ross/Sandra van Loon (Volvo 122S), Sue Southwell/Dianne Flint (Fiat 128) and Heather Brock/Jenny Cash in a Holden Torana GTR). They all turned on a most spirited battle and eventually the Brock/Cash crew came out in front.

Heather Brock/Jenny Cash in a Holden Torana GTR) • The ride with Green was almost a fairy-tale debut for Peter with the team, finishing second. Rain on the 100- mile section over the Barrington Tops National Park late in the rally saw many competitors fail to complete the event. “Barry Ferguson and Dave Johnson won it, but only after we pushed their HDT Torana out of a bog”, Peter reveals. “We got into the Barrington Tops and I think there were only 14 cars of the original starters that got through that final section. Ferguson left four points and about six minutes on the road ahead of us. When we got to him stuck in the bog, it made us the leaders by two minutes. We pulled up and I said, Evan, that’s Barry, we’re in front, you’ve got to go around him. He said, I can’t, there’s no room. With a huge drop-off on the left, it meant we had to get out and push him out, which we did. Then we jumped back in our car and got stuck in the same bog. I called out for them to come and help us, and the rules said that they should have lent assistance to us, but whether they didn’t realise or whatever, they took off, and that’s what cost us the Southern Cross International Rally that year.” #

# Acknowledgement of above to ‘The BMC Experience, Issue 22’

Graham Elliott/Wayne Gregson VW 1500

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