The Midwestern Trial was held on September 28.
VCS Round 7 – 1974 LCCA Midwestern Trial
Jeff Beaumont tells the story…
The Light Car Club Ballarat Branch conducted this Clubman round with a concept having straight forward navigation mixed with route charted sections. and giving the drivers a reasonably good challenge over reasonably smooth roads. In this regard the rally was considered a big success.
Starting from the clubrooms at Ballarat Airport, the crews headed to Italian Gully for the initial four competitive stages.
Scarsdale Plantation was used next, with three navigational competitives using grid references.
Then on to Beaufort for the half way break, where the leaders were Ian Nalder / Paul Paterson from Bruce and John Tassell’s Cortina. Then followed Stapleton / Lakerink, Birrell / Vaux and Len McKay and his Queensland navigator John Souminen.
The second Division took crews into the Ben Major area, where the highlight was a run (slide ?) down Steep Link Track.
A nominated photographer’s spot saw action when Mike Baxter / Tom Cox lost control after going through the water and speared off the road and into a grassy drain, where they became seriously bogged.
The final stages included a blast through the Creswick Plantation, then onto Saw Pit Gully Road and into Lady Peacock Plantation.
The rally concluded back at the Clubrooms at Ballarat Airport, where crews gave the event a big “ thumbs up”