1979 The BP tradition revived
(We have no photos of the victors, which normally go here. Can you help?)
Six years after the final BP Rally of South Eastern
Australia in 1973 a group of LCCA members headed by Director Peter Haas with
assistant Bob Watson thought they should attempt to recreate a 1959 style BP
Rally. Ye Olde BP Rallye would be
shorter that the original at 1720 km and the only permitted maps would be
Broadbents Western Half of Victoria (320) and 150 km Around Melbourne (301)
with the organisers throwing in the occasional more detailed survey map from
that era. The original flavour was bound
to be preserved by checkers Don Thomson and John Pryce.
Preference was given to original BP competitors, and 33
obliged of the 57 strong entry, including representatives of seven past
victorious crews.
The event started at 6pm on Friday 30 November from the
Melbourne Zoo with a 100 km assembly stage to just south of Woodend. Division 1
took crews through Trentham forest, Taradale and Baynton to Heathcote BP. Portman/Runnalls, the young hotshots who had
won the Alpine International Rally the year before were clean here to
Gigney/Kelly 3 and Nalder/Richards/Richards 4.
Division 2 headed into the forests between Costerfield and
Whroo on the way to Bendigo.
Nalder/Richardsx2 were best on this division and moved into the lead on
8 to Portman/Runnalls 9 and McKinnon/Smith 22.
Division 3 included traditional locales of Tarnagulla,
Moliagul, Lamplough and Waterloo to breakfast at Ararat. Nalder/Richards fell victim to Tarnagulla
losing the lead to Portman/Runnalls who had moved from 52 at the start to first
on the road by the time the sun had risen, while Harrowfield/Boyd moved into
third position.
Division 4 to St Arnaud had to be shortened as crews were
taking longer than planned to find their way.
13 crews cleaned so little change to the leaders.
Division 5 took tiring crews west into the southern Mallee
to the overnight stop at Horsham. Nalder/Richards
were best on the division, but Portman/Runnalls led on 23 to Nalder/Richards 69
and McPherson/Ellis 96.
The social gathering was not a lively affair as the 24 hour
run had taken its toll on crews, but a good night’s rest meant all were eager
to go again next morning on the final division through the Grampians then the Western District to the forests south of
Ballarat and a final tricky section east of Mt Egerton. Nalder/Richards were again best for the
division, but a total of 75 was not enough to catch Geoff Portman/Ross Runnalls
on 35. Ellis/Maude snuck up into third
position on 105.
Nine of the 57 starters failed to finish.
Documents:
No Entry List (see Results)
Set up notes including draft route instructions and sketch route maps (P Haas?)
Route Instructions (littered with Runnalls scrawl)
No Director's summary or Haas philosophy on navigation exercises promised in Results
Event Reports:
None except for Ian Richard's recollection in his reflections on retirement from rally competition
(We need additions to our sole record here)
Video:
Home video, with a lot of familiar faces, but lacking sound fortunately, going by the lip reading. This gem popped up by accident as it was labelled 1984.
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