1971 BP Rally of Tasmania

The BP Rally of Tasmania was held on 12-13 June. It was the third round of the Tasmanian Trials Championship

The 1971 B.P. Rally tried a new innovation in Tasmania by running two routes consecutively, a ‘no holds barred’ championship event and a tourist route for inexperienced and novice crews. The organisers were rewarded with another entry of 40 crews.

The assembly stage again commenced from Hobart, Launceston and Devonport, converging at Derwent Bridge for a common route to Queenstown.

Division One of the championship event commenced from Queenstown at 6:00pm, and took competitors to Strahan for a two minute return to control along the old railway line. Very few crews lost points here but the following sections through the new Strahan forestry plantation penalised most, with some being bogged in the soft sand for several hours. All cars missed a tricky route check on a little used track.
The old Strahan – Zeehan railway was traversed towards Zeehan where boggy conditions again prevailed, with this section seeing the demise of the leading Taylor brothers due to a holed radiator. The division wended its way through Melba Flats, Wandle River via unmapped roads north west of Guildford, a 75 minute route chart along the Arthur River to Oonah, Yolla and Oldina.

McCulloch/Jago held the championship lead at Wynyard on 119 points, while the ‘tourists’ had some time to wait before the experts arrived.

The championship crews left Wynyard at 3:00am on Division Two, which took them via an extensive sand pit to a slippery hill in Oldina plantation. A route chart through the forest followed which had many crews missing the control before heading east to Isandula plantation, Stoodley and the well used Long Hill. At the Deloraine break Pooley/Tyson had assumed the lead on 213 points, well clear of Gigney/Lobban on 318. The ‘tourists’ were given a much simpler route to reach Deloraine.

The third and final division was in complete contrast being almost a straight forward and easy run to Hobart via Great Lake, Bronte and Tarraleah, concluding with a driving test at the New World Supermarket car park. John Pooley/Bob Tyson retained their lead to take the outright win on 232 points from Gigney/Lobban and Farmer/Webster.