Again, crews came from almost every state. For the third year running, Hopkirk appeared in a BMC Cooper S, with local Evan Green also in a Cooper S. They were joined by strong factory teams from Ford, Holden and Mitsubishi. The previous year's winning crew of Ferguson and Johnson were in London preparing for the Marathon.
Day One
The colourful start in Martin Place at 12:30 on a Wednesday attracted a big crowd. The field of just over 60 cars were sent on their way to the Amaroo Park racing circuit for the first special stage of the 2100 mile classic.
Martin Place start
Two stages were held at Amaroo, the first on the hillclimb and the second around the dirt circuit. The event started badly for BMC and Evan Green when the Mini's gearbox failed on the very first stage. Somewhat similarly, Mal McPhersons Reanult Gordini also retired with transmission failure. Renault had some joy with Collier and Watson being fastest on the dirt circuit and taking an early lead.
Few cars lost points on the dinky stage at Wollongong or on the stage south from Nowra. Through the Yerriyong Forest it was Kilfoyle, Collier, McLeod, Roberts, Firth, Keran, Hopkirk and Watson setting the pace then on the run into Milton the same group led except for McLeod who was a minute slower. So at Milton, Watson and Collier maintained their narrow lead from Kilfoyle, Keran and Firth.
The competition became more serious after Milton with a series of six stages to Moruya, although one stage was cancelled possibly due to fallen trees. Only Keran cleaned the first then the same lead group cleaned the run down to Shallow Crossing on the Clyde River, joined by the Colts of Bond and Stewart. Keran and Kilfoyle were fastest on the stage to Nelligen. Kilfoyle beat Keran on the stage down the never ending twists and turns of Runnyford Road, although Ford's hopes were dashed when Firth's Cortina broke an axle. The final stage before the Moruya refuel was Keran's, giving him a slender lead. The clutch on McLeod's Alfa was failing and cost considerable time.
The night's longest stage up Araluen Road was cleaned by most cars but the special section to Monga saw Keran fastest again with Watson a minute behind and Kilfoyle inexplicably down two on Keran. After Braidwood the section through the Tallaganda Forest again saw Keran fastest with Firth (having repaired the Cortina), Hopkirk, Winkless, Bond, Bonhomme and Hodgson. Kilfoyle, Roberts and Watson were a minute adrift, among others. No points were lost on the final stage at Queanbeyan.
At Canberra Keran led with a loss of 16 points from Kilfoyle on 23, Winkless 25 and Colin Bond, equal with Paddy Hopkirk on 26. Hopkirk was driving with a degree of caution, more mindful of the tricky conditions. Next came Watson on 27, Roberts 31, Stewart 32, Hodgson 39 and Harris 45.
Day Two
Dampness gave way to dust at the start of the second night, but less than 2 miles into the first stage on Angle Crossing Road was a long deep crossing of the Murrumbidgee River. Most cars got through OK but Hopkirk had difficulties and burned out the Mini's clutch, ending his run. The lead group of cars all cleaned that stage. Two more competitive stages took crews southwards down Bobyan Road and almost to Adaminaby. Kilfoyle was quicket on the first with Keran, Watson, Roberts, Winkless and John Garard a minute behind. The lead group cleaned the second stage.
After a refuel break in Berridale the route essentially toured down through Dalgety and on to Ingebyra where the competition resumed down the Barry Way which was broken into three seperate stages - to Willis, then to Suggan Buggan and then to Wulgulmerang.The lead group cleaned the first two and were all equal on 2 minutes late on the third. But the weather was changing with a wet and windy front passing through. On the long slippery run down Tulluch Ard Road to Buchan, Keran was flying and cleaned, 2 minutes clear of Kilfoyle, Watson and Roberts, with Firth and Bond a further minute adrift. Keran was stamping his authority on the event.
After Buchan, the organisers were facing a lot of challenges with fallen trees and impassable roads. The next stage through to Wairewa had to be deleted after the leaders were stopped at a large fallen tree. After a reful at Nowa Nowa, a stage was contested across to the Omeo Highway north of Bruthen with Keran again quickest with Watson and Bond, Kilfoyle and others a minute adrift.
The event was now moving into Kilfoyle's backyard with stages planned across through Bullumwaal, Walhalla, Tanjil Bren, Noojee and Powelltown, but it was not to be. Conditions had deteriorated with many fallen trees and the organisers were forced to abandon the division and cars transported into Melbourne for breakfast at the Light Car Club and then on the the parc ferme in the underground carpark of the National Gallery. Keran had only dropped 4 on the run from Canberra, two less than Kilfoyle, Watson and Roberts, so the overall placings in Melbourne were Keran on 21, Kilfoyle 29, Waston 33, Winkless 35, Bond 36 and Roberts 37.
Day Three
The first section out of Melbourne was a muddy loop out of Buxton and Keran set the pace, gaining a further 2 points on Kilfoyle. Only Roberts was between them, a minute down on Keran. Kilf and Keran tied on the fast run through Maintoongan Road to Bonnie Doown then did so again on the run to Whitfield, but were joined by a swag of other cars including Roberts, Watson, Firth, Winkless, Bond and Stewart.
Kilfoyle was in familiar country on the run across through Upper Carboor and Bread and Butter Gap deep into the heart of Merriang Plantation, taking two minutes off Keran who was hampered by a broken throttle linkage. Watson and Firth were the only others to match Kilf's time on the long section. Winkless broke the rear suspension and dropped from contention. The short loop through Running Creek saw Kilfoyle and Keran equal again, the only ones to clean, but most then cleaned the quick run up Slaughteryard Creek Road. A loop over Mount Porepunkah was deleted due to fallen trees so crews headed into Bright for a mealbreak.
What was to be an arduous second half of the night was drastically cut when fallen trees caused the cancellation of the stages over Trappers Gap, Connels Peak and Cravensville so crew headed up to Tallangatta for a stage over Jarvis Creek where Keran and Kilfoyle were again tied, but joined by Roberts, Firth, Watson, Winkless, Bond, Stewart, Hodgson, Bonhomme and Lloyd. Stewart made a navigational error on the way to Bethanga and dropepd about 20 minutes. A final short one minute stage at Bethanga saw Keran put in a flyer to pick up another minute on everyone else.
So at Albury, Keran had widened his lead over Kilfoyle by a minute, down 26 and 35 respectively. Next was Watson on 42, Bond and Roberts both on 46, Hodgson 66, Stewart 86, Greg Garard 92, Bruce WIlkonson 93 and John Talyor into the top ten on 94.
Day Four
The final night was the decider. After a special stage on the Hume Weir racing circuit, a long transport took crews back into NSW and to the town of Tumbarumba. Winkless had effectively retired with a broken gearbox but would limp to the finish missing numerous controls. Tumbarumba again threw itself open with main street festivities and multiple loops in the surrounding forests.
On the two short sections to the south of the town. Keran and Kilfoyle were level pegging, only matched by Roberts.The loop of three sections to the east were much longer. On the run to Granite Mountain mostly up the Powerline Road, Keran took another minute from Kilfoyle. Keran was only matched by Roberts and Watson. But on the longer run up past Hardy's Mill, Keran had failing shock absorbers and dropperd 5 minutes to Kilfoyle who was only beaten by Roberts. Back in Tumbarumba the Volvo got new shocks and on the short loop south of the town Keran picked up a minute on Kilfoyle to bring the gap back to 6 minutes.
Another long transport took crews up through Batlow for a lovely run across to Argalong where Keran, Kilfoyle, Roberts, Watson, Bond and Hodgson all cleaned. The much longer meandering section up to Adjungbilly through the Billapaloola and Red Hill Forests again saw Keran, Kilfoyle, Roberts and Watson the only ones to clean, a minute ahead of Bond and Hodgson. The somewhat competitive run up to a refuel at Jugiong presented no problems for the leaders.
The long run across to Bevandale appeared to be a navigational section but presented no problems for the leaders except for Roberts who dropped 11 minutes, putting them behind Bond. It's not clear if it was a navigational error as the instructions were a little open to interpretation and some alternate routes may have been explored! A quick run up to Narrawa again saw most of the leaders clean except for Watson, who broke a rear spring on the Holden, dropping 4 minutes. Furthermore, he would struggle on to the end of the event dropping time to the leaders on most sections, finally finishing sixth behind Hodgson,
After a transport across through Crookwell and almost to Wombeyan Caves, the final group of competive sections wound their way up through Mount Werong and the forests around Shooters Hill and Black Springs. Bond and Hodgson were fastest up to Mount Werong, a minute quicker than Keran and Kilfoyle, while Watson was struggling, 13 minutes adrift. Most of the leaders, except Watson, cleaned most of the remaining sections, altough Bond threw the little Colt through the final section to be a minute clear of his rivals, cementing his fine third place.
The event was all but over, with breakfast in Katoomba, a quick spectator special at a motorcycle scramble track at Bilpin and the run into Sydney for the finish. Keran led 47 triumphant crews to the spectacular finish at Bondi Beach, and along with the welcome from several thousand people, "Miss World" presented the trophies to the major placegetters.
Full section by section results are available here.
