The Invitation Rally was held on (date TBA).
1970 VTC Round 1 – HAC-GCC Invitation Rally T
A countback was needed to decide the winners of the HAC – GCC Total Invitation Rally after 350 miles through Gippsland, starting at Traralgon and finishing at Morwell The event Directors were David Long, John McMillan and Roger Bonhomme and the rally attracted an impressive number of 62 starters.
Almost immediately after the start Watson / McAuliffe struck trouble with a puncture, then a short detour down a wrong road. Undeterred they recovered well with a quick time down the Grand Ridge Road, followed by smooth, flowing roads to Carrajung.
The Rally then ran to Willung, where six cars were bogged in sand in “the world’s longest sand trap”. Then crews attacked a maze of tracks in and around a quarry east of Willung, which caused considerable confusion, then on to the break at Sale.
Alexander / Haas had an excellent run to lead on just 2 points lost clear from David Forster / Geoff Sproat on 8 points. Young gun Peter Brock, with Charlie Davis navigating, was enjoying his first rally in the Diamond Valley Speed Shop EJ Panel Van, despite a miscue on a slippery road early in the event.
Watson needed to catch up and put up several very quick times during the second Division, with sections to Livingston, then a quick blast to Dingo Creek and Morwell River Roads.
The final stages looped up into the hills and around Moondarra Dam, then back to the finish at Morwell.
Finally Watson and Forster had tied on 12 points lost but a countback of cleaned stages gave the win to the Renault Gordini crew. Geelong crews Graham Alexander (with Peter Haas) and Rex Lunn / John Hall finished on the leader board in third and fifth places respectively.
