The Mountain Trial was held on May 8.
VCS Round 4 – 1976 SCOTCC Mountain Trial
With sponsorship from Yokohama Tyres, the fourth round of the 1976 Clubman Series was a driver’s event with long mountain stages. Directed by Monty Suffern for the Swinburne Car Club, the event was an interesting combination of twisty gravel roads, a number of competitive tarmac road sections, plus the Maffra Hillclimb.
The rally started at Erica with a competitive along the Marshall Spur, before descending to the Upper Thompson River, then climbing again via The Triangle and McAdam gap up to Matlock.
An early scrap developed between the Stephens / Castelli Torana and the Cortina of John White and Wayne Beaumont.
After a service break near Licola , the competitors had a 22 kilometre run up the bitumen beside the Wellington River.
John Birrell with Rosemary Nixon were running well in their Renault Dauphine. But Janiene Kilfoyle and Joy Wilkinson retired their Corolla with engine gremlins.
A handful of competitors cleaned the long uphill climb to Mt Arbuckle followed by a fast run through the mountain plains before descending to the Moroka River.
John White was in trouble when a bolt dislodged from the alternator, subsequently losing time for repairs and dropping them out of a top position.
It was a very close battle up front and the 15 kilometre twisty run alongside Valencia Creek was won by Ross Neilson, who also claimed fastest time at the Maffra Hillclimb special stage.
The final section was the climb from Seaton to Binns then the brake-punishing downhill run to Walhalla. Again Ross Neilson and Greg Hocken were fastest, confirming his victory in his “home” event.
