The Olde BP Rally was organised by the Historic Rally Association and conducted on March 20-22. The Director was Bob Watson, assisted by Rob Knight and Ray Daniel.
BP revived by the HRA
After a nine year gap which had also seen the demise of the Light Car Club of Australia, the promoters of the BP since its inception in 1958, the Historic Rally Association came to the rescue of those wanting to see the BP tradition kept alive.
Peter Haas was no longer there, so Bob Watson stepped up as director assisted by Ray Daniel and Rob Knight, to run the Olde BP Rally 1998 over 20 to 22 March.
The basic format of the event was unchanged, being 1500 km over Friday night and all Saturday to an overnight stop, then run back towards Melbourne on Sunday. Entries were confined to pre 1976 vehicles only, and while the start point would be BP Somerton again, there would be no traditional rally stage.
Division 1 took in Myrniong, Llandeilo, Meredith (for fuel), Grenville, Dereel (where many missed a sneaky passage control), Berringa, Illabarook, Lismore and Vite Vite to Hamilton. Leaders there, but retired soon after with mechanical issues, were McLaughlan/Floyd 22, Laidlay/Upton 32, Fernie Smalley 35.
Division 2 would take crews through the early hours to breakfast at Hopetoun, via Glenisla in
the Grampians (where just a few got one passage), Cherrypool, Kanagulk, Mockinya, Horsham (for fuel), Wail, Lorquon, Pella, and across the dry Lake Albacutya. Naish/Runnalls came to the fore, after realising at Horsham that they had incurred penalties for easily cleaning sections, to be down 119 to Wallis/Nicholas 131 and Upton/Laidlay 156.
Division 3 a daylight run through Dattuck, Turriff, Chinkapook, Ryanby (where many got the passage but missed the info) and Goschen, across to Swan Hill took its toll on those down the field, but the leaders were unchanged with Naish/Runnalls 137, awarded the City of Swan Hill trophy, Wallis/Nicholas 167 and Upton/Laidlay 184.
The organisers must have enjoyed the social gathering and catch up with previous BP competitors as someone took off with the Division 4 route instructions, so it was transport down to Kerang, and probably avoided being shot up by keen shooters out for duck opening on the many inland lakes between Swan Hill and Kerang. Once regrouped the field explored Appin, Sylvaterre, Elmore (for fuel), Roslynmead, Runnymede, Toolleen, Heathcote and Carlsruhe on the way to the finish at the Diggers Rest Hotel. Devenish/Wylie won the division and moved up into third on 223, while first remained Naish/Runnalls on 155 and second Wallis/Nicholas 180.
Many of the same locations from previous BPs were visited, but with the passing of time, no one seemed to notice.
23 out of 37 finished.
