The Yulunga Trial was held on March 26.
VCS Round 3 – 1977 HDCC Yulunga Trial
Director Max Sharrock had set a challenging event which ran from Ararat out to the Grampians and back and attracted 29 starters.
The rally started from the main street of Ararat in pouring rain. Initially the rally ran through Moyston in very slippery conditions, with “spinning” being a popular comment.
The route then continued on to Lake Fyans. After a complaint from a local farmer, the police stopped the field briefly, wondering why 29 cars were driving around late at night. They then allowed the cars to continue on to Halls Gap.
At the half way break, a bunch of crews were on single digit points losses, with Richards / Leitch (Cortina) in the lead. Quite a few crews had scored a WD at Control 6, with less than half the field getting it right.
Division Two took crews out to Lake Bellfield and towards Mt Victory, along Victoria Valley Road and down via Moora Reservoir with some fine, fast stretches.
Denis Baker / Wal Rickard bogged their XU-1 in the sand, which also claimed Jean Jones and Joan Bennett, who had previously broken a windscreen on a low branch.
Midway through this Division disaster struck for Hughes / Fiddyment when their XU-1 caught fire due to a fuel leak. Sadly, the rally car quickly burnt extensively, as the crew had trouble controlling the inferno.
The balance of the competitors continued up the Sierra Range and back, then onto Victoria Valley Road, before the final downhill blast to the Mirranatwa finish, where coffee and sausages were served.
