1975 Southern Cross Rally Event Story

Day One

The 79 starters headed north from the Hyde Park start, picking up the short daylight stage at Jewells Beach enroute to a brief stopover at Garden Suburb shopping centre in Newcastle and then to the Stroud Showground. As the sun set the competition began in earnest with a series of four stages in Craven and Nerong Forests to a refuel at Booral. Two stages in Wang Wauk led to the next brief service then three more stages in quick succession took crews to the Taree refuel. Kallstrom had taken an early lead from New Zealand’s Mike Marshall with Cowan third, Fury fourth and Greg Carr fifth in the “loaned” works 180B SSS. Ross Dunkerton was out in the works 240Z after having an accident with a spectator and was critical of the constantly tight times on transport sections.

Three stages took crews to Port Macquarie during which Kallstrom punctured and Marshall lost a wheel. It had been a hectic and tough night.

George Fury (44) was in the lead from Cowan and Carr (47) with Kallstrom tied with Mikkola for fourth (48). Following them were Ferguson (50), Shinozuka (54), Riley (58), Watson(59) and Aaltonen (65), who had lost a wheel and some time in the 710. Evan Green’s Alfetta had broken a driveshaft and a similar fate befell the Subaru of Yoshio Takaoka. Robert Jackson/Ross Jackson (no relation) XU1, Taylor’s Civic and Wayne Bell’s Galant all retired with engine problem. A number of other top runners were delayed by boggy creek crossings.

Day Two

Engine problems best the Datsun team, running the twin-cam model in several of their 710s. Aaltonen’s was first to go on the second night with a broken piston, a fault which later struck Kallstrom’s 710 as well. The focus was now on Fury who was storming away with his dust free position at the head of the field. Just when it seemed he was escape the fate of his team mates he also stopped with engine failure. The Datsun team had be decimated and it fell to Carr in the “old” 180BSSS running the single cam engine to carry the flag.

The Lancers were suddenly in control, but during the night Mikkola rolled his and retired because it was impossible to continue in the choking dust without a windscreen. Others to retire included Stewart McLeod who crashed into a tree, and Ian Hill who rolled, restarted and then hit a bank. Kanno had the first of two rollovers, although he managed to get the battered car to the finish. Bruce Cheeseman rolled his Lancer also but was able to continue. Even rally leaders Cowan/Gocentas had a drama when they lost the brakes and went off the road down an embankment and had to winch back onto the road (Cowan had carried a winch for years but had no idea how to use it but was amazed when Gocentas had the car back on the road in 10 minutes).

They finished the night equal leaders with their team mates, Ferguson/Adcock (109). Carr (120) was third after several punctures, followed by Watson (143) who had had alternator and throttle problems with the Escort. Fifth was Shinozuka (146) despite gearbox problems, followed by Doug Stewart (147), Dean Rainsford (167), Iwashita (178), Ishigaru (180) and James Laing-Peach (183). Colin Taylor was next despite losing time in a bog, then came Hirabayashi (Subaru) and Rod Millen, who was suffering suspension problem in their RX3 having not been allowed to run the same strengthening modification that were permitted in New Zealand.

Day Three

As so often seemed to happen in the Cross, after the dramas of the second night, the third leg saw crews just trying to stay out of trouble and consolidate their positions. Although the shortest leg overall, it had the highest proportion of competitive stages (over 80%). Despite having a tree branch become entangled under the car at one stage, Cowan (138) brought the Lancer back to Port Macquarie in the lead, opening a 4 point gap on team mate Ferguson (142).

The remaining positions were largely unchanged: Carr (160), Watson (177), Shinozuka (182), Stewart (194), Rainsford (223), Iwashita (234), Ishigaru (244) and Laing-Peach (273), who rolled down an embankment but was pushed back on the road by enthusiastic spectators and managed to bring the battered Subaru back in tenth. The stars of the night were Bruce Hodgson and Chris Heaney who had had electrical problems early in the event but consistent quick times saw them charge up the leaderboard (11th?). Most other positions remained unchanged except Laing-Peach

Day Four

For the front runners the final leg was an exercise in preservation and maintaining positions. Watson was well placed but the Escort expired in a cloud of smoke and steam with a blown head gasket. Rainsford drove his Porsche into a creek bed, badly lacerating his hand while trying to get the car out. One of Japan’s most consistent performers, Yoshio Iwashita, went out with transmission failure in the Subaru and Colin Taylor’s great run came to an end with a collapsed rear suspension on the Escort.

There were 32 cars officially classified as finishers but only 14 had done the entire course, both figures a substantial improvement on the previous year.

The dramas were not quite over with fourth place Shinozuka being disqualified for modifying a broken Wishbone, allowing the third team Lancer of Doug Stewart up into fourth and the fast charging Hodgson into fifth. Laing-Peach recovered well to finish sixth. Tenth placed Rod Millen was also excluded for adding strengthening to the front suspension during the event, a sad end to a gallant effort.

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