Classic Outback Trial Results

In fact, the Japanese makes were well represented in the final results, with a 1972 Mitsubishi Colt finishing second, and another Colt leading for several stages.

Starting from Condobolin in NSW, the Classic Outback Trial covered more than 2,200 kms, including 21 special stages, on the way to Tweed Heads to link up with Repco Rally Australia, where the entrants had the opportunity to run over several of the WRC event's special stages, as well as the Super Special Stage on the streets of Murwillumbah.

While the timed stages made up only a small portion of the total trial, it was still a competitive event, attracting machines and drivers with long and successful rallying pedigrees.

The Mitsubishi Colt Galants of Steve Ashton/Ro Nixon and David & Kate Officer were the front runners at the end of the first day's loop around Condobolin, with Terry Naish/Ross Runnall's '70 Datsun 1600 close behind. The experienced father/son duo of Pat & Bradley Cole were the best non-Jap entrant at the end of day 1 in their 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda, while the big '69 Mustang of Michael & Peter Arundel surprised - and impressed - many to be near the pointy end of the field.

Day two saw the entrants travel to Coonabarabran for a further four special stages, where the Naish/Runnalls pair leapfrogged the Mitsubishis to claim the overall lead by 23 seconds. The Cole/Cole 280SL Benz climbed to third, while the Ashton/Nixon Colt Galant dropped back to fourth. A casualty of day 2 was the V8 Capri Perana of Paul Benko & Paul Darrouzet, who damaged their rear suspension and had to undertake some "bush repairs" in the form of a tree branch to hobble back to the stage finish. The Arundel Mustang was still in the top ten at the conclusion of day 2 - not bad for an 'auto!

The Officer's Colt Galant struck back on day 3's loop around Coonabarabran to reclaim the lead by 42 seconds from Naish/Runnalls. There were no casualties over the 120km of special stages, but several position changes, with the Cole/Cole 280SL suffering over the final stage's humps, losing seven minutes in the process and finishing late with mechanical damage. The '82 VH Commodore of Michael Pinckham and Tommi Flegl handled the rough conditions better than many and moved up to fifth overall by the end of the day, displacing the Datsun 180B of John & Michael Giddings. The fancied Porsches continued to disappoint, although the Walkem/Cromarty 911 Carrera did finish the day in seventh.

Day 4 saw competitors travel from Coonabarabran to Glen Innes via Barraba and Inverell. Once it again, it was the Officers who led the way over the region's hilly gravel roads, extending their lead to more than two minutes over Naish/Runnalls, who in turn were a further four minutes ahead of the Ashton/Nixon Mitsubishi. The day was a bad one for the Coles, however. Their late finish the day before dropped them back to 28th overall.

Early pace from Pat & Bradley Cole counted for nothing when the father & son duo finished late on day 3 and dropped to 28th position.

All hopes that David & Kate Officer had of winning the Classic Outback Trial evaporated on day 5 after they suffered transmission problems on the morning's Rocky River stage near Glen Innes, dropping them from a comfortable lead to last place. The former Australian Rally Champions came to a halt in the 47 kilometre-long stage, but their service crew had to wait for teammates, Steve Ashton and Ro Nixon in their similar Mitsubishi Galant, before they could help them. Their car was repaired, but the delay dropped them out of contention for not only the win, but any chance of a podium finish as well.

"We're gutted," said David Officer, who with wife Kate won last year's 7,600km Red Centre to Gold Coast Trial in the same car they originally purchased for $50 back in 2003.
"But that's rallying. You have to take your luck as it comes."

The Officer's bad luck left fellow Victorians, Naish & Runnalls, comfortably in the lead, more than three minutes ahead of Ashton/Nixon, with the Pinckham /Flegl Commodore nearly 10 minutes further back in third. The NSW Peugeot 504 Ti crew of Andy Crane and Dave Anderson moved up to fourth, with the Giddings Datsun 180B close behind them in fifth place. The Leeson/Devantier XR Falcon was the best of the 'big' cars in eighth, closely followed by the '67 Mustang of Cochrane/McLane, with the Bashford/Randall Mk1 Ford Escort Mexico rounding out the top ten. That evening, competitors tried their luck on the tarmac Super Special Stage in Murwillumbah, where, unsurprisingly, the big road cars excelled. The Pinckham/Flegl Commodore finished a mere second ahead of the XE Falcon V8 of Peter & Sharyn McAlpine, while the repaired Benko/Darrouzet Capri Perana exploited its V8 power to finish third. The Swan's GTHO and Cochrane /McLane Mustang also performed well, and treated the crowd to some spectacular action.

Day 6, the final day of the Classic Outback Trial, saw entrants compete against the clock at full rally speeds over three of the actual Repco Rally Australia special gravel stages: Lynches (Dayco 1); Eden (Bosch 1); and Hillyards (CTEK West 1).

While the event was Naish/Runnalls to lose, the final day did throw up some surprises. Pinckham/Flegl won on Lynches, while the Coles eased their earlier disappointment with a barnstorming second on Lynches and victory on both Eden and Hillyards stages. Despite those victories, it wasn't enough to reel in Naish/Runnalls, who won the 2009 Frontier Services Classic Outback Trial by a 3min 31sec margin over ever-present fellow Victorians, Steve Ashton and Ro Nixon in their Mitsubishi Colt Galant.

Naish & Runnalls, who were winners of the 1998 and 2000 Alpine Rallies and also won the Victorian Northeast Riverina Rally Series in 1991 and 1992, were always in the frame for victory, hovering near or in the lead throughout the 2,260kms. Ashton and Nixon, who finished third in the 2005 Victorian Rally Championship, were unable to make inroads into the rapid Datsun's lead, and had to settle for a secure second place. New South Wales' Michael Pinckham and Tommi Flegl finished a fine third, 9min 1sec behind, in their 1982 Commodore, with fellow NSW crew, Andy Crane and Dave Anderson, fourth in their Peugeot 504 Ti, a further 7min 39sec behind.

Final results - 2009 Frontier Services Classic Outback Trial
1. Terry Naish/Ross Runnalls 1970 Datsun 1600
2. Steve Ashton/Ro Nixon 1970 Mitsubishi Colt Galant
3. Michael Pinckham/Tomm Flegl 1982 Holden Commodore VH
4. Andy Crane/Dave Anderson 1970 Peugeot 504 Ti
5. Michael Giddings/Peter Giddings 1970 Datsun 180B
6. Graeme Walkem/Bill Cromarty 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera
7. Garry Leeson/Tony Devantier 1967 Ford Falcon
8. Mark Pickering/Dave Boddy 1980 Mazda RX7
9. Peter Cochrane/Gary McLane 1967 Ford Mustang
10. Gerry Bashford/Chris Randall 1972 Ford Escort MkI Mexico

For a full, stage-by-stage results list, technical info, event newsletters and further more details on the 2009 Frontier Services Classic Outback Trial, go to
www.classicoutbacktrial.com.au