The Hunter Safari was held on October 12. Jeff Beaumont tells the story:
VRC Round 6 – 1974 COCV Hunter Safari
It was a long overdue victory for Ted Anderson and Tony Wunderlich in their big engine Datsun 1000 in The Hunter Safari that finished at Carrajung.
In the treacherous conditions, John Coleman and Bernard Peasley brought their Torana home in second place from Bob Bird / Warwick Smith, also in a Torana.
Director Tony Allen had set an ambitious event, consisting of 45 competitive stages in South Gippsland. Boggy conditions added to the challenge. Of the 38 entries, only 17 crews finally got to the finish.
Early in the event Ross Turner / Ian Pearson broke a tie rod, causing their Galant to bump into a tree. Others in trouble included local farmers Bruce and John Tassel who broke an axle in a sandy bog in the APM forest. Bruce Wilson’s Datsun 1600 hit a bank, resulting in retirement.
Late in the event Pierre Dalle / Graham Wallis bogged their Peugeot alongside Bob Bird and Warwick Smith, whose winch had jammed. Sharing one winch they eventually got both cars out of the sandy bog, and back in the event.
Meanwhile Gil Davis / Peter Haas suffered a Halda cable breakage, resulting in some navigation challenges. Their problem contributed to a wrong direction on the Section 30 loop.
With Championship contenders not featuring in the results of this event, Garry Harrowfield and Geoff Boyd were confirmed as this year’s Victorian Championship winners.
