Darwin to Townsville
Crews left Darwin on Monday morning, August 13th, 1979 for the run across Arnhem land, the Gulf and north Queensland. Short breaks were scheduled in Borroloola, Mount Isa and Cairns. The first car reached Townsville on Wednesday morning for a daytime break. The route is shown below.
The route comprised 8 trial stages totalling 1,411.9 km and 13 transport stages totalling 1,835.5 km for a total division distance of 3,247.4 km of which 43% was competitive.
Detailed descriptions of the stages, conditions and stories are split into four parts:
Full route instructions are available here.
The division included some fabulous stages and some incredibly beautiful scenery. However the organisers had either misjudged the capability of competitors or had surveyed the route in very bad conditions, because they set target times that were far too easy on all but one stage. The three Commodores as well as the Nalder Celica cleaned all but one stage. That stage was immediately after Mount Isa and Ferguson beat Brock by 4 minutes and took a one minute lead into Townsville. Cowan broke a drive shaft on the first stage out of Darwin and retired. Carr had further mechanical problems with the Cortina and dropped over 3 hours falling just behind Nalder into sixth place. Dunkerton broke the rear end on the Volvo after Mount Isa but recovered well, losing less than an hour and moving into fourth.
A rare opportunity to see all the remaining cars together in daylight at the Townsville Impound
(Photo courtesy of Ray Berghouse, Chevron Publishing)
By Townsville only 15 cars had done the entire route. Rowney missed a single control (did not do the last trial stage). Only Portman and Hilton would drop from from the list before the finish. The scores:
- Ferguson/Bell/Boddy (Commodore) 2.15.39
- Brock/Philip/Richards(Commodore) 2.16.06
- Mehta/Aaltonen/Lake (Commodore) 3.50.38
- Dunkerton/McKay/Jones (Volvo 244) 7.34.08
- Nalder/Richards/Boyd (Celica) 8.16.02
- Carr/Morrow/Gocentas (Cortina) 8.38.41
- Barth/Kushmaul (Porsche 924) 8.59.07
- Portman/Thompson/Hammond (Stanza) 10.00.55
- Loader/Hill/Neale (Lancer) 10.01.28
- Herrmann/Rainsford (Porsche 911) 10.43.40
- Davis/Eather/Toner (Datsun 180B) 10.49.17
- Watson/Harrowfield (Peugeot 504 Diesel) 12.06.23
- Mizel/Hall/Fricker/Mortimer (Chevy Blazer) 18.57.38
- Hilton/Bourke/Pattenden (Celica) 19.42.20
- Jackson/West/Jackson (Commodore) 22.45.38
The results on the division from Darwin to Townsville reveal some strong performances by some crews that had previously missed controls. In all 25 cars completed Division T without missing a control. Scores (in hours and minutes):
- Ferguson/Bell/Boddy (Commodore) 0.03
- Mehta/Aaltonen/Lake (Commodore) 0.06
- Brock/Philip/Richards(Commodore) 0.07
- Nalder/Richards/Boyd (Celica) 0.14
- Barth/Kushmaul (Porsche 924) 0.26
- Loader/Hill/Neale (Lancer) 0.45
- Dunkerton/McKay/Jones (Volvo 244) 0.56
- Herrmann/Rainsford (Porsche 911) 1.16
- Davis/Eather/Toner (Datsun 180B) 1.33
- Roberts/Waterson/Carrol (Commodore) 2.18
- Watson/Harrowfield (Peugeot 504 Diesel) 2.24
- Fury/Bonhomme/Suffern (Cortina) 2.32
- Carr/Morrow/Gocentas (Cortina) 3.02
- Portman/Thompson/Hammond (Stanza) 3.08
- Mizel/Hall/Fricker/Mortimer (Chevy Blazer) 4.59
- Hurrey/Geddes (Celica) 6.01
- O'Donnell/Geissler/Gibson (LX Torana) 6.44
- Finlay/Sullivan/McLeod (Commodore) 6.52
- Hilton/Bourke/Pattenden (Celica) 6.56
- Jensen/Johnson/Wellington (Volvo 242) 7.30
- Jackson/West/Jackson (Commodore) 10.00
- Penny/Kennard/Brown (LH Torana) 10.08
- McDiarmid/Phegan/Travis (Datsun 180B SSS) 10.53
- Lahiff/Beath/Clarke (HR Holden) 11.08
- Miettunen/Morgan/Suominen (Volvo 244) 11.26
There were 96 cars classified as still in the event at Townsville, plus Carter/Stephens/Draper (XC Falcon) running under protest (they had missed 8 controls on Division T). The 81 cars that had missed controls were as follows:
- Missed 1 control:
Rowney/Wilson/Tyson (Datsun 180B)
Roberts/Waterson/Carrol (Commodore) - Missed 2 controls:
Jensen/Johnson/Wellington (Volvo 242) - Missed 3 controls:
Finlay/Sullivan/McLeod (Commodore)
Clarke/Davis/Burge (Datsun 180B) - Missed 5 controls:
Hurrey/Geddes (Celica)
Miettunen/Morgan/Suominen (Volvo 244)
Beveridge/Heaney/Jarman (Volvo 244)
Murray/D'Albora/Murray (Commodore) - Missed 7 controls:
McCubbin/Kelly/Guyatt (Monaro GTS)
Giddings/Jones/Seaman (Datsun 200B) - Missed 8 controls:
Faulkner/de Vaus/Bateson (Peugeot 504) - Missed 9 controls:
Fury/Bonhomme/Suffern (Cortina) - Missed 10 controls:
Birrell/Smith/Nixon (Renault 16TS)
McDiarmid/Phegan/Travis (Datsun 180B SSS) - Missed 11 controls:
O'Donnell/Geissler/Gibson (LX Torana) - Missed 12 controls:
Johnson/Vanderbyl (Volvo 242) - Missed 13 controls:
Lloyd/Crockenberg/Dick (Colt)
Maloney/Vitnel/Daley (Leyland P76) - Missed 14 controls:
Sheridan/Reid (Datsun 1600) - Missed 16 controls:
Lahiff/Beath/Clarke (HR Holden)
Goldsborough/Flanagan/Ground (Commodore)
Tattingham/Geue/Kemp (EH Holden) - Missed 17 controls:
Lockhart/Dunstan/Finlayson (Commodore)
Penny/Kennard/Brown (LH Torana) - Missed 18 controls:
Boys/Vonthien (Ford F100)
Koseki/Takaoka (Subaru Leone) - Missed 20 controls:
Lance/Craft/Robinson (Commodore)
Nicholson/Crawford (Lancer)
Wilson/Baker/Freeze (Mercedes 280S) - Missed 22 controls:
Richardson/Daniel/Fullerton (XD Falcon)
Heaton/Shepherd/Mann (HJ Holden Panel Van)
Foden/Baker/Young (Leyland P76) - Missed 24 controls:
Farmer/Farmer/Fraser (Leyland P76)
Turner/Donohue/Sparrow (Leyland P76) - Missed 25 controls:
Herdy/O'Kane/Gramenz (Peugeot 504) - Missed 27 controls:
Kahler/Partridge/Simeon (Mazda RX4) - Missed 28 controls:
Walker/McCann (Renault 12)
Caudle/Drew/Elsden (Datsun 1600) - Missed 29 controls:
Taylor/Hunt (Rover 3500) - Missed 30 controls:
O'Shanesy/Dean/O'Shanesy (Fiat 131)
Potter/Bain (Mazda RX3)
Ingerson/Wilson/MacCulloch (Peugeot 404) - Missed 31 controls:
Stockley/O'Neill (Porsche 911E)
Minett/Chapple/Watson (Datsun 1600) - Missed 32 controls:
Meehan/Gifford/Gardiner (Monaro GTS) - Missed 33 controls:
Neilson/Stewart/Tyre (HQ Holden)
Boaden/Pritchard/Atkin (Mazda RX4) - Missed 35 controls:
Easton/Rayner/Bell (Datson 1600)
Caddey/Mulach/Hanrahan (Fairmont) - Missed 36 controls:
Myers/Myers/Sinfield (Peugeot 504)
Colless/Johnston/McCoy (Datsun 1600) - Missed 38 controls:
Roggenkamp/Adair/Eakin (Escort)
Hayden/Phillis/Hogan (Mazda RX2) - Missed 39 controls:
Bray/McMahon/Smith (Valiant Charger 770) - Missed 40 controls:
Rayner/Campbell/Loader (HT Holden)
Clyborne/Hayes (Ford Pickup) - Missed 42 controls:
Koch/Darling/Koch (Commodore)
Donoghue/Logan/Grace (Celica)
Gough/Hutton/Bishop (LJ Torana) - Missed 43 controls:
Darby/Clark/Stewart (HR Holden) - Missed 44 controls:
Bolch/Keane/Owen (Monaro HJ GTS)
Jones/Jones/Webber (Riley) - Missed 45 controls:
Tholstrup/Perry (Chevvy Pickup)
Lunney/Tyler/Tyler (Peugeot 504) - Missed 46 controls:
Glover/Burke/Hather (VW) - Missed 47 controls:
Ferrier/Smith (Honda Civic)
Moore/Sethna (VW Beetle) - Missed 50 controls:
Garner/Madden/Corban (Torana) - Missed 51 controls:
McArthur/McArthur/McArthur (XY Falcon) - Missed 55 controls:
Spanbroek/Compton/Plywright (Datsun 240K)
Reinders/Lewis (FJ Holden) - Missed 56 controls:
Bird/McKinnon (Corolla) - Missed 59 controls:
Cafe/Gurney/Dawson (Mazda RX4)
Fullagher/Fullagher/Fullagher/Fullagher (Monaro GTS) - Missed 61 controls:
Webster/Jolly/McIntyre (FJ Holden) - Missed 63 controls:
Hall/Smith/Lott (Escort) - Missed 66 controls:
Sparkes/Clayton (Ford Fairmont) - Missed 70 controls:
Bryson/Cable-Cumming (Escort) - Missed 71 controls:
McTigue/Sheridan/Wilson (HQ Holden Panel Van) - Missed 78 controls:
Parsons/Parsons (Mazda 323)
Retirements on Division T were as follows:
- Cowan/Reddiex/Beaumont (Citroen CX) - broken drive shaft on Goodparla stage
- Bond/Riley/Dawson-Damer (Cortina) - broken engine near Nathan River
- Pittaway/Boston (XY Ford Ute) - broken oil pump, location not known
- Mason/Hicks/Horley (Commodore) - no details
- Walsh/Whitby/Wunderlich (Ford 'Grey Ghost') - broken crank, Challenge Australia suggest near Newcastle but there were no results after Darwin
Next: Division Q
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