Bob Watson and Jim McAuliffe were odds on favourites to take a third successive VTC in their Renault Australia’s R8 Gordini. The little yellow Renault was upgraded with the latest factory performance Engine kit from Gordini in France. It would be a particularly busy year for Watson, as he would be running the Rallycross series at Calder and Catalina, as well as the Australian Rally Championship.
Graham Alexander, with Peter Hass, had been successfully running the big Monaro the previous season but upgraded to a new, modified Torana, again entered by Geelong Holden Dealer Winter & Taylor. Another Geelong crew, Rex Lunn and John Hall, would be running in most Victorian events in a variety of Ford models and were considered to be challenging for top placings in all events.
David Forster had been doing a great job over the past few seasons in his Holden then Cortina, with regular top placings, including an outright win in the 1968 Cooper Memorial. In 1970 he would campaign a newly purchased Cortina GT 500, with Geoff Sproat navigating. A strong combination in Bob McInnes and Bob Forsyth could be expected to be front runners in their well prepared Mini Cooper S.
Young gun circuit racer Peter Brock would make his debut in Rallying, in the Diamond Valley Speed Shop Holden Panel Van, with Charlie Davis navigating. Another young driver Gil Davis upgrade to a newly built Cortina, replacing his trusty Ford Anglia.
With a good mix of rallies, the seven event series promised to be exciting and challenging. But ultimately Watson and McAuliffe were dominant, securing the title with five straight round wins.
… Jeff Beaumont.
To see what else happened during 1970 in Victorian rallying, go to the 1970 year page.
To see other years of the Victorian Rally Championship, go to the VRC page.
