1980 Southern Cross International Rally

Table of Contents

Organisation
Regulations
Entries
Route
Event Story
Results
Other event documents
Personal Stories
Photo Galleries

This year’s Southern Cross Rally was held on October 18-22.

Dunkerton wins the last Cross

Finnish ﬂyer Ari Vatanen was the next world-renowned international to fall to the Australian Datsun Team onslaught as four-times Australian Champion Ross Dunkerton took his Stanza to a close but convincing victory over his Ford Escort rival Greg Carr. Dunkerton took the lead on the ﬁnal night, when team mate George Fury, on a hat trick and leading comfortably, lost the engine of his Stanza.

It was a low budget “Southern Cross” this year, being organised by the CAMS when staff and ﬁnancial difﬁculties beset the A.S.C.C. Thus the only international visitors were Vatanen in a Ford Team Escort and from Japan, Tajima (Datsun 1808), Nakamoto (Datsun Sunny) and Yafune (Datsun Sunny).

Greg Carr (Escort) took an early lead at Amaroo, but Vatanen hit his straps in the forest and cleared away from the new Datsun Team member, Geoff Portman, Dunkerton, Fury and Bell (Gemini), while Carr dropped back with a puncture and damaged brakes. Vatanen hit a tree, but still led into Port, while Bell dropped back some twenty places with a broken ignition lead. Drama struck the Escorts in the second division when Carr broke a fanbelt and Vatanen’s alternator failed. Portman hit the front from Fury and Dunkerton, with Carr fourth and Vatanen, whose car caught ﬁre when the exhaust pipe was pressed against the ﬂoor, now back to ﬁfth.

Portman led away on the third leg, but in the third special stage his Datsun ﬂew off the edge, wrecking the front suspension, costing him 30 minutes as he made emergency repairs. Both Carr and Vatanen left the road too, and though they stayed third and fourth – in front of Ian Hill (Escort) now ﬁfth and Portman sixth – Fury and Dunkerton were clearing further away in the lead. Early in the final division, Carr hit a bank in his bid to catch up to the leaders, but continued on, with a front wheel badly askew, Fury’s engine let go soon after, leaving Dunkerton well out in front to cruise home. Then, an electrical fault and a sticking throttle slowed the Datsun, and Dunkerton drove 15 km on the ignition switch while Carr was closing the gap to be just 3 minutes behind at the ﬁnish.

Racing Car News report

A short video of the 1979 Cross.

Organisation

With the A.S.C.C. experiencing difficulties, the final Southern Cross Rally was organised by a committee directly answerable to CAMS. The rescue effort only really began 8 weeks before the event with Geoff Sykes being appointed full-time Clerk of Course.

Organising Committee

Chairman: David Johnson

Clerk of Course: Geoff Sykes

Secretary: Tiki Friezer

Assistant Director: Bob Halpin

Assistant Director: Allan Denny

Checker: Peter Lambie

Competitor Liaison: John Arter

Public Relation: Ian MacKenzie-Smith

Steve Halloran

Craig Tapper

Scoring: Greg Lunney

Rally Headquarters
Port Macquarie Sandcastle Motel

Sponsors
Port Macquarie Business Houses
Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation (‘Travelodge’)

Regulations

If you have a copy of these regulations we would like to hear from you!

It is assumed that there were virtually no changes to the regulations this year from 1979.

Entries

The final Southern Cross attracted 45 entries with only two factory teams. The only significant international was the renowned Ari Vatinen, heading the Ford assault and ably backed up by Greg Carr, both in Escort RS1800s. Nissan fielded a three car team of Datsun Stanzas for Fury, Dunkerton and Portman. The single semi works Holden entry was a Gemini for Wayne Bell. The Japanese contingent was limited to Monster Tajima, Michchio Nakamoto and Takashi Yufune.

No.	Entrant	Driver	Cty/St	Co-driver	Cty/St	Car
1	Ford Motor Co. of Australia	Ari Vatanen	Fin	David Richards	UK	Ford Escort RS 1800
2	Nissan Motor Australia	George Fury	Vic	Monty Suffern	Vic	Datsun Stanza
3	Ford Motor Co. of Australia	Greg Carr	ACT	Fred Gocentas	ACT	Ford Escort RS 1800
4	Nissan Motor Australia	Ross Dunkerton	WA	Jeff Beaumont	Tas	Datsun Stanza
5	Nissan Motor Australia	Geoff Portman	Vic	Ross Runnalls	Vic	Datsun Stanza
6	Team Castrol Gemini	Wayne Bell	NSW	Dave Boddy	NSW	Holden Gemini
7	Ronald Ferris	Bob Watson	Vic	Wayne Gregson	ACT	VW Golf
8	Opposite Lock Accessories	Ed Mulligan	NSW	Chris Heaney	ACT	Ford Escort RS2000
9	Gosford Dyno Tune Centre	Ian Hill	NSW	Ann Heaney	NSW	Ford Escort RS1800
10	IMSC Monster	Nobuhiro Tajima	Jap	Kiyoshi Kawamura	Jap	Datsun
11	Frank Johnson	Frank Johnson	WA	Steve van der Byl	WA	Mazda 3232
12	Kambrook Distributing P/L	David Jones	Vic	Ian Pearson	Vic	Holden Commodore
13	Race & Rally Sales P/L	Gordon Leven	NSW	Robert Wilson	NSW	Datsun
14	Gosford Dyno Tune Centre	Dale Loader	NSW	Brian Cox	NSW	Mitsubishi Lancer
15	Whalebone Wharf	Dan White	NSW	Steve Griffiths	NSW	Ford Escort RS2000
16	Citizen Watches Australia	Peter Nelson	NSW	Grahame Moule	NSW	Datsun
17	Stephen Blair	Stephen Blair	NSW	Raymond Stubbs	NSW	Datsun Stanza
18	Rod Jones	Rod Jones	NSW	John Latham	NSW	Datsun
19	Paul Bramble	Paul Bramble	NSW	Arthur Evans	NSW	Mitsubishi Galant
20	Apex Batteries P/L	Gary Meehan	NSW	Greg Gifford	NSW	Toyota Celica
21	Max Roberts	Max Roberts	NSW	Tony Carroll	NSW	Datsun Stanza
22	Mazcars Croydon	Gary Mecak	NSW	Ron Marks	NSW	Mazda 323
23	Team Enkei	Michio Nakamoto	Jap	Toshiaki Fukui	Jap	Datsun Sunny
24	Stones Corner Motors	Hank Kabel	Qld	Gary Kabel	Qld	Mazda 323
25	Christan Autosports Club	George Kahler	NSW	Greg Weale	NSW	Mazda RX7
26	Bathurst Light Car Club	Graham Clark	NSW	Arthur Davis	NSW	Datsun 180B
27	G.J. Berne	John Berne	NSW	David Peiti	NSW	Ford Escort 2.0
28	Ron Creman	Ron Creman	NSW	Craig Norris	NSW	Datsun 180B SSS
29	Bob Holden	Bob Holden	NSW	Ken Smith	NSW	Ford Escort 2.0
30	N.D.C Tokyo	Takashi Yufune	Jap	Yukiaki Aida	Jap	Datsun Sunny
31	George Rugg	George Rugg		TBN		Mitsubishi Galant
32	John Murray	John Murray	NSW	Jeff D’Albora	NSW	Holden Commodore
33	Alan McLucas	Alan McLucas		Derek Hunter		Datsun 1600
34	Citizen Watches Australia	Donald Booker	NSW	Vincent Mamone	NSW	Mitsubishi Lancer
35	Gosford Dyno Tune Centre	Warren Ridge	NSW	Dave Thorncraft	NSW	Mitsubishi Lancer
36	Col Parry	Col Parry	NSW	Philip Speer	NSW	Holden Commodore
37	Maurice Walsh	Maurice Walsh	NSW	TBN		Datsun
38	Wayne Pritchard	Wayne Pritchard		Garry Pritchard		Ford Escort
39	Terry Boardman	TBN		TBN		VW Golf
40	Margaret Davis	Meg O’Shanesy	NSW	Christine McKell	NSW	Fiat 131
41	Stephen Annabel	Stephen Annabel		Fran Fifield		Mazda RX3
42	North Shore Sporting Car Club	Andrew Blunden	NSW	Dallas Dogger	NSW	Mitsubishi Lancer
43	Mini Car Club of NSW	Murray Cleworth	NSW	Kim Bellestrin	NSW	Mini Clubman GT
44	Craig Hunt	Craig Hunt		TBN		Volvo
45	John Darby	John Darby	NSW	Colin Stewart	NSW	Holden

Route

he 1980 event followed the now familiar four day format with a Sydney (Amaroo) start and a Port Macquarie base. Each afternoon included a number of daylight stages although the first afternoon and evening were cancelled due to high fire risk in the Newcastle Forestry District. The final morning also included two daylight special stages, originally intended to be four but two stages were brought forward to the first day. Overall, the route was shorter and more compact, using very few shire roads, and daylight stages that were easily closed. This reflected the attempt to make the event more sustainable into the future.

	Special Stages		Liaison	Total	Competitive	Longest SS
Day One	7	139.79 km	409.77 km	549.56 km	25.4%	57.18 km
Day Two	9	306.11 km	352.28 km	658.39 km	46.5%	114.03 km
Day Three	10	289.59 km	372.84 km	662.43 km	43.7%	103.96 km
Day Four	9	363.05 km	382.76 km	745.81 km	48.7%	138.94 km
Event	35	1098.54 km	1517.65 km	2616.19 km	42.0%	138.94 km

Itinerary and route plot

Day One

After a publicity start and Sydney’s Bankstown Square, the event officially began with two runs, one in each direction, over a special stage at Amaroo, including the infamous jump. The remaining special stages for the afternoon and early evening were cancelled due to withdrawal of approval from the Newcastle Forestry District because of a very high fire danger. To make up for some of the lost competition, two special stages (Cowarra and Bonny Hills) were brought forward from the end of Day 4 to the end of Day 1. The other three specials used traditional Southern Cross territory in Kiwarrak Forest south of Taree and then the Coopernook, Lansdowne, Kerewong and Lorne Forests.

Route Instructions

Day Two

Day 2 began with four daylight specials, including the first run through a short stage near to Port Macquarie. The remaining stages took crews south to a refuel and mealbreak at Taree-Wingham. Five long night stages followed, taking crews generally north through the Lansdowne and Kerewong Forests again, to a refuel at Wauchope. Concerns over damage to roads in the Hastings Forest area to the west resulted in a long transport out the Oxley Highway to Yarras then north before the long 114 km stage north east through the Mount Boss and Kippara Forest to another refuel at Kempsey. Two more stages to the north traversed the Collombatti and Tamban Forests before the long liaison back to Port.

Route Instructions

Day Three

Day 3 began with a reverse run over the short special near Port Macquarie then three more daylight stages north of Kempsey in the Yarrahapinni (Way Way), Newry and Pine Creek Forests. After a refuel and mealbreak in Coffs Harbour came a long stage through Wedding Bells Forest then a shorter one through Bucca before passing through Coffs once again. Heading southwards the crews tackled two short specials in the Bundagen and Hydes Creek Forests. Then came the night’s longest stage, 104 km along the Horseshoe Road, finishing down Mackays and Kosekai Roads to Utungan. The night’s final special was a fairly direct run through the Ingalba and Tamban Forests to Kempsey then down the highway to Port.

Route Instructions

Day Four

The final day began with three short daylight stages southwards to a refuel and mealbreak at Taree-Wingham. The first was a traditional run along Rollover Road, then Burrawan Forest (the exact reverse of the stage run at the end of the first night) then Coopernook Forest (the reverse of the short stage run on Day 2). The night stages began with the traditional run along Black Flat Lane then a long 114 km stage northwards through Dingo Tops and some little used roads near Yarrowitch to the Oxley Highway at Myrtle Scrub. The next short (18 km) stage around Seaview Road was cancelled due to fallen trees following a bush fire. However, there was plenty more competition to follow with the event’s longest stage (139 km) taking crews southwards again through the Bulga and Dingo Forests back to another refuel at Wingham. After a lengthy liaison northwards to Comboyne was the night’s final stage back through Kerewong Forest to a breakfast break back in Port Macquarie. Two daylight stages remained on the Wednesday morning – Rollover Road (the reverse of the stage run earlier) and Bird Tree (the reverse of the stage run on Day 2). The final two stages through Cowarra and Bonny Hills were not run again as they had been used at the end of Day One as well as at the start of Days 2 and 4.

Route Instructions

Results

There were 24 finishers.

Place	Driver	Co-driver	Car	Time
1	Ross Dunkerton	Jeff Beaumont	Datsun Stanza	13:56:26
2	Greg Carr	Fred Gcentas	Ford Escort RS1800	13:59:26
3	Ari Vatinen	Dave Richards	Ford Escort RS1800	14:23:29
4	Ian Hill	Ann Heaney	Ford Escort RS1800	14:58:52
5	David Jones	Ian Pearson	Holden Commodore	15:33:22
6	Frank Johnson	Steve Vanderbyl	Mazda 323	15:36:33
7	John Bearne	David Peiti	Ford Escort RS2000	15:50:07
8	Gordon Leven	Robert Wilson	Datsun	16:04:34
9	Graham Clark	Arthur Davis	Datsun 180B	16:14:43
10	Gary Meehan	Greg Gifford	Toyota Celica	16:17:36
11	Gary Mecak	Ron Marks	Mazda 323	16:24:27
12	Max Roberts	Tony Carroll	Datsun Stanza	16:37:30
13	Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima	Kiyoshi Kawamura	Datsun	16:44:24
14	Wayne Pritchard	Garry Pritchard	Ford Escort	16:52:01
15	Alan McLucas	Derek Hunter	Datsun 1600	17:05:35
16	Peter Nelson	Grahame Moule	Datsun	17:14:16
17	Col Parry	Philip Speer	Holden Commodore	17:18:26
18	Hank Kabel	Gary Kabel	Mazda 323	17:31:07
19	Dan White	Steve Griffiths	Ford Escort RS2000	17:51:29
20	John Murray	Jeff D’Albora	Holden Commodore	17:52:04
21	Steve Annabel	Fran Fifield	Mazda RX3	17:56:45
22	George Kahler	Greg Weale	Mazda RX7	18:54:25
23	Takashi Yafune	Yukiaki Aida	Datsun Sunny	19:47:56
24	George Rugg	??	Mitsubishi Galant	20:07:45

Teams award: Commodores – David Jones, John Murray & Col Parry

Ladies Award: Ann Heaney

Class Awards

Group 1: Alan McLucas / Derek Hunter, Datsun 1600

Group 2: Nobuhiro Tajima / Kiyoshi Kawamura, Datsun

Group 3: Ross Dunkerton / Jeff Beaumont, Datsun Stanza

Personal Stories

None yet!

Photo Galleries

General Photo Gallery

1980 Southern Cross International Rally

Dunkerton wins the last Cross

Organisation

Organising Committee

Regulations

Entries

Route

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four

Results

Class Awards

Other event documents

Personal Stories

Photo Galleries