The 11th BP Rally, organised by the Light Car Club of Australia, was held from May 1 to 5. The Directors were Tony Theiler and Graham Hoinville, with the ever present assistance of John Pryce.
SA Alfa Romeo wins under new event management
At their fourth attempt, Stewart McLeod and Jack Lock in an Alfa Romeo Giulia broke through for a win, the second from SA after AJ Theil and Gary Chapman in 1959.
This was Tony Theiler’s first effort as Director, and as good as it was, those competitors that reportedly considered it the best ever must have had something against DKT. Pryce and Hoinville continued as assistant directors, and it appears that Kilfoyle may have been part of the organising team as well.
Seven crews entered and started from NSW, six from Adelaide, and two from Tasmania, that started from Melbourne with the local 16 crews.
The Assembly Stage converged at Heathcote and proceeded to Shepparton. The 1463 mile Trial Stage consisted of six Divisions, departing Shepparton at 10.30 am Thursday 2 May to Wagga Wagga for an overnight break (depart 7.30 am Friday), Adaminaby (depart 2 pm), Merimbula (depart 11 pm), Buchan (depart 9.30 am Saturday), Benalla for an overnight break (depart 8 am Sunday), Bayswater (depart 2 pm to Chadstone).
The initial going looked easy with 13 crews clean at Wagga, 7 at Adaminaby and 3, all from different states clean at Merimbula. Crews had to find their way through Nungatta Station in the dark into Victoria, before Murrungowar took its toll. McLeod led on one point lost at Buchan. On the daylight run across the foothill forests through Tabberabbera to Dargo, Bob Holden and Lindsay Adcock in second place had a head on with Barry Ferguson and Dave Johnson, fortunately without injury. After crossing the Dargo High Plains to Myrtleford, Carboor Upper took 32 points off McLeod dropping them back to fourth position.
The last Division from Benalla was full of surprises, with finding the way out of the Strathbogies, this time to Lima East taking points from all but three crews, putting McLeod back in contention, then Xylophone Bridge, close to the finish, determining the major placings.
John Taylor and Graham West in a Mini Cooper S, ended up second, and Harry Firth and Gary Chapman in a Falcon XT, third outright.
Ford again picked up the Manufacturers Award.
31 crews started and 23 finished.
