The Alpine Rally was held on 25 – 26 November.
1972 ARC 6 – LCCA Alpine Rally
Jeff Beaumont tells the story…
After 800 miles of rugged rallying in Victoria’s North East, Victorian drivers Frank Kilfoyle and Peter Janson, both driving XU-1 Torana’s, finished on the podium, in first and third places, in the final ARC event for 1972.
Doug Stewart was leading towards the end of the event but dropped 34 minutes after they were lost in the Merriang Plantation.
Victorians Helmut Goetz and Mike Mitchell finished in a fine 6th placing, behind the two factory Galants of Doug Chivas and Bob Riley.
Director Bruce Ford had set one of the toughest and most competitive Alpine’s yet held.
Forty crews transported to Lake Buffalo, where the rally got underway with sections in the Merriang, Running Creek and Hurdle Flat plantations.
Doug Stewart led initially from Bruce Hodgson, Kilfoyle, Janson and Peter Lang.
Further competitive sections ran through Koetong and Beetoomba forests and finally to Mitta Mitta for a break.
Then the field looped south to Omeo and Hotham Heights.
The final Division began with a run across Hotham to Harrietville and then ran back through the typical plantations around the town of Bright, Ovens, Porepunkah and Merriang.
Third placed Bruce Hodgson lost a wheel off his Escort on the descent to Harrietville, but managed to avoid the car following the errand wheel off the edge!
After 20 hours of running, the Alpine finally finished back at Bright.
Eventually Kilf won comfortably, his fifth Alpine victory, with the unlucky Doug Stewart finishing in 2nd place after losing time late in the event in Merriang Plantation.
Mitsubishi Galants proved their reliability, with their three cars in the top five placings.
