1973 Australian Rally Championship
Encyclopedia
The 1973 Australian Rally Championship
was a series of six rallying
events held across Australia. It was the sixth season in the history of the competition.
Peter Lang and navigator Warwick Smith in the Holden Torana GTR XU-1
were the winners of the 1973 Championship.
and Victoria
and one each in Queensland
and South Australia
. The series saw more domination from the Holden Torana GTR XU-1's
which won all six rounds, two wins each for Colin Bond
/George Shepheard and Peter Lang/Warwick Smith, and a win each for Steward McLeod/Adrian Mortimer and Frank Kilfoyle/Mike Osborne. Lang and Smith managed high placings in the events that they didn't win and thus convincingly took out the 1973 championship.
Round Four - Bega Valley Rally
Australian Rally Championship
The Australian Rally Championship is a 6 Round National motorsport Championship run in forested countryside throughout Australia.-Current Competition:...
was a series of six rallying
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
events held across Australia. It was the sixth season in the history of the competition.
Peter Lang and navigator Warwick Smith in the Holden Torana GTR XU-1
Holden Torana
The Holden Torana is a car which was produced by General Motors–Holden's , the Australian subsidiary of General Motors from 1967 to 1980. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "to fly". The first Torana appeared in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle that had its origins in the...
were the winners of the 1973 Championship.
Season review
The sixth Australian Rally Championship was decided over six events, staged across the Eastern States of Australia with two events each in New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and one each in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. The series saw more domination from the Holden Torana GTR XU-1's
Holden Torana
The Holden Torana is a car which was produced by General Motors–Holden's , the Australian subsidiary of General Motors from 1967 to 1980. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "to fly". The first Torana appeared in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle that had its origins in the...
which won all six rounds, two wins each for Colin Bond
Colin Bond
Colin John Bond is a retired Australian racing driver. Bond reached the highest levels in Australian motorsport in 1969 when he was recruited by Harry Firth to the newly formed Holden Dealer Team...
/George Shepheard and Peter Lang/Warwick Smith, and a win each for Steward McLeod/Adrian Mortimer and Frank Kilfoyle/Mike Osborne. Lang and Smith managed high placings in the events that they didn't win and thus convincingly took out the 1973 championship.
The Rallies
The six events of the 1973 season were as follows.| Round | Rally | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uniroyal Southern Rally (SA) | |
| 2 | Classic Rally (VIC) | |
| 3 | Bunbury Curran (NSW) | |
| 4 | Bega Valley Rally (NSW) Bega Valley Rally The Bega Valley Rally is one of the main car rallies held in Australia and has a history dating from the 1960s when it evolved from the Snowy Mountains Rally. It was centred in the New South Wales town of Bega since 1973 and used roads and forestry tracks in the Southern NSW/Victorian Border... |
|
| 5 | Warana Rally (QLD) | |
| 6 | Alpine Rally (VIC) |
Round Four - Bega Valley RallyBega Valley RallyThe Bega Valley Rally is one of the main car rallies held in Australia and has a history dating from the 1960s when it evolved from the Snowy Mountains Rally. It was centred in the New South Wales town of Bega since 1973 and used roads and forestry tracks in the Southern NSW/Victorian Border...
| Position | Driver | Navigator | Car | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Lang | Warwick Smith | Torana GTR XU-1 | 79 |
| 2 | Colin Bond Colin Bond Colin John Bond is a retired Australian racing driver. Bond reached the highest levels in Australian motorsport in 1969 when he was recruited by Harry Firth to the newly formed Holden Dealer Team... |
George Shepheard | Torana GTR XU-1 | 84 |
| 3 | Ed Mulligan | Mike Batten | Mazda RX-2 Coupe | 85 |
| 4 | Stewart McLeod | Adrian Mortimer | Torana GTR XU-1 | 97 |
| 5 | Tony Roberts | Jeff Beaumont | Saab Saab Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska... |
103 |
| 6 | Roy Denny | Richard Denny | Triumph 2.5 PI | 181 |
Peter Lang - Champion Driver 1973
| Position | Driver | Car | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Lang | Torana GTR XU-1 | |
| 2 | Colin Bond Colin Bond Colin John Bond is a retired Australian racing driver. Bond reached the highest levels in Australian motorsport in 1969 when he was recruited by Harry Firth to the newly formed Holden Dealer Team... |
Torana GTR XU-1 | |
| 3 | Stewart McLeod | Torana GTR XU-1 | |
| 4 | Frank Kilfoyle | Torana GTR XU-1 | |
| 5 | Ed Mulligan | Mazda RX-2 Coupe | |
| 6 | Tony Roberts | Saab Saab Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska... |
|
Warwick Smith - Champion Navigator 1973
| Position | Navigator | Car | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warwick Smith | Torana GTR XU-1 | |
| 2 | George Shepheard | Torana GTR XU-1 | |
| 3 | Adrian Mortimer | Torana GTR XU-1 | |
| 4 | Mike Osborne | Torana GTR XU-1 | |
| 5 | Mike Batten | Mazda RX-2 Coupe | |
| 6 | Jeff Beaumont | Saab Saab Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska... |
|
External Links
- http://www.begavalleyrally.com.au/history/ Results of Snowy Mountains Rally and ARC results.