1969 A Dusty Ford Whitewash
An unchanged
directing team planned a Trial route entirely within Victoria, and anticipating
wet conditions, so it turned out a little easier when the rain did not
eventuate. In response to the changing
rally environment, service crews were catered for with their own
instructions. Fourteen crews took up the
offer
Six SA crews
started from Adelaide, nine NSW crews from Wodonga and the remaining 24,
including one from Tasmania, from Melbourne on a 500 mile Assembly Stage that
converged at Warracknabeal, for Stawell.
The 1555 mile
Trial Stage consisted of six Divisions, departing Stawell at 10 am Thursday 8
May via Hopetoun to Swan Hill for an overnight break (depart 9 am Friday),
Wangaratta (depart 7 pm), back to Wangaratta (depart midnight, Bright (depart
midday Saturday), Mt Buller for an overnight break (depart 9 am Sunday), BP
Village Green, Glen Waverley (depart 3 pm to Chadstone).
The first
section out of Stawell south of Dadswells Bridge created great controversy when
crews came to a gate on what they thought was a private road that did not have
a rally entry marker on it. The
organisers reckoned that it was a public road.
Forests were often gated back then as they served as stock leases as
well. Only six crews emerged unscathed,
and many took WDs.
At Swan Hill,
four crews were clean, down to two at Wangaratta, Firth and Vaughan.
On the night
loop out of Wangaratta, dust obscured the right track out of the Warby Ranges
to Taminick, with Firth losing 25 and only four coming through clean.
Vaughan/Forsyth
were still clean second time into Wangaratta.
The late night early morning took its toll through Eldorado, Indigo and
Stanley, but Vaughan still led at Bright, down 6 to the little Colt Fastback of
NSW crew Bond/Hope 13, and Watson/McAuliffe 15.
These positions were unchanged at Mt Buller.
On the Sunday
run, the Strathbogies did not extract their normal casualties, but the drop off
route chart into Wilhelmina falls saw Watson and Janson have a head on in
identical Walton’s Team Renault TS16s.
Peter Janson is quoted as saying that it was like hitting a mirror, but
harder. Both still got to the finish.
Watson/McAuliffe
still retained third outright behind Bond/Hope in the Mitsubishi and the
victorious Vaughan/Forsyth.
Ford also
picked up the Manufacturers Award, Teams award with first, fourth and fifth,
and the Ladies Award, going to Ian Vaughan’s wife. Susie with Jenny Cash
in a Cortina.
40 crews
started and 28 finished.
John Bryson
from NSW, finished 16th and was quite complimentary of event
organisation in his write up for Racing Car News, whereas a column from Harry
Firth was much sour grapes. Probably time he gave up driving and changed to
team management.
Details:
General Supplementary Regulations
Final Supplementary Regulations
Assembly Stage and Trial Stage Route Instructions
Route map
Comprehensive Results section by section
Media
reports: Racing Car News June1969
BP Inhouse UK "Four Hectic Days" story 1969
Photos
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