Highlights
The Victorian Trials Championship was won by Mal McPherson in his Renault R8 Gordini. His navigator, Roger Bonhomme, who missed the first round, finished second in the navigators’ championship which was won by Peter Haas, navigating for Gil Davis who placed second in the drivers’ championship. Haas won after taking a successful appeal to the Australian Motor Sports Appeal Court over a deleted passage control in the North Eastern Trial.
Other events of note in 1971 were the BP Rally, won by South Australians Stewart McLeod and Jack Lock in their Torana XU-1, and the first Dulux Rally, which ran in August, and the Alpine Rally which ran at the end of November as a non-ARC open event.
Australian Rally Championship
Victoria hosted two rounds of the Australian Rally Championship, the Classic Rally and the Akademos. Reigning Australian Champion, Bob Watson, continued his form to win the Classic Rally while fellow Victorian, Frank Kilfoyle won the Akademos. The 1971 ARC was won by Colin Bond and George Shepheard, who won both NSW rounds and the Queensland round.
