Home Site of the Principality of Hutt River REPCO Reliability Trial DAILY REPORT

Welcome To The Principality of Hutt River www.principality-hutt-river.org/sports
VISIT HERE!	*PRINCIPALITY MOTOR SPORTS* Trial Reports as received from the course! 30th Anniversary Re-Run of the : REPCO Reliability Trial. 1979 - 2009 08 - 17 August 2009				VISIT HERE!


PRINCIPALITY OF HUTT RIVER ROYAL RALLY TEAM! CONSISTING: Car 8 HRP - 096 (1969 Peugeot 404 2 litre - Jeff & Joy Graham) Car 88 (EH 202 Holden sedan - Gerry Crown/ John Bryson) Car 17 (1979 6 cylinder Holden Commodore - Barry Ferguson/Dave Johnson) Trial Reports as received from the course! Comments in brown italics & photos from Jeff & Joy Graham Car 8 on route! AUGUST 8 - Day 1 • Start at Melbourne Showgrounds • Jim Maude Memorial Lunch at Tooborac • Autocross sub event at Bagshot, NE of Bendigo • Drive to Ballarat overnight stop via Maryborough and Creswick Special Stage. • Dinner at Ballarat Sailing Club Display at start was impressive, several bits of Hutt River memorabilia on display including photos. Our entry and the PHR plates has generated much interest. The mention of PHR brings an immediate smile to past competitors faces and always brings the same question … how is prince Leonard?.. He certainly made an impression on many people and they all remember him with fondness! Many pass on regards. *Flagged away from Melbourne showground's 9.38 Sat morning.* Jeff Graham and Car 8 Day 1 (CLICK THUMBNAIL FOR LARGER VIEW) Sunday Morning, Ballarat, Victoria. Start of day 2 Temp -2C AUGUST 9 - Day 2 • Khanacross sub event at Ballarat Airport • Khanacross sub event at Dunkeld • Optional navigation sub event to Mount Gambier • Tour Heywood Special Stage for those not doing navigation sub event. • Autocross sub event at SEAC Park, Mount Gambier. • Dinner in Mt Gambier, including Rally Forum featuring well known rally competitors. Have teamed up with Barry Ferguson / David Johnson (car 17) and Gerry Crown / John Bryson (car 88). Car 17 is the original Holden dealer team Commodore that led much of the original event in 1979, eventually finishing 2nd outright (B Ferguson lead driver). John Bryson (Ford) also David Johnson (Volvo) also competed in the original event. Both recognized as 2 of the worlds leading navigators with vast international, experience and success (London to Sydney Marathons, world cup marathons, Peking to Paris, several Redex trials.) Between them, they have both co-driven with a who's who of the motoring world, including, the late & great "Gelignite" Jack Murray, Roger Clark, Andrew Cowin (London-Sydney winner) Doug Stewart, Colin Bond, Evan Green and many other State, National and International Champions. Barry Ferguson has several marathon placings, including 68th London to Sydney, 1977 State Championships, Southern Cross victories and has consistently been in the top 5 all time Australian trials drivers. Gerry Crown is also an experienced competitor from the 60’s and early 70’s having driven for works teams in state and national championships. Gerry has competed and finished in the last 2 grueling Peking to Paris rallies. *Bearing this in mind we are looking forward to an interesting time and are happy with our progress at the end of day one sitting comfortably in mid-field after the first sub event.* Regards Jeff & Joy Aug 9 2009

ABOVE: Car 8 Jeff & Joy on the track between Hamilton, Victoria and Mt Gambier, South Australia Day 2
(CLICK THUMBNAILS FOR LARGER VIEW)
Monday Morning, Mt Gambier, South Australia. Start of day 3 AUGUST 10 - Day 3 • A touring day but plenty of challenge! • Competitive stages driven today include: Introductory Trial Stage, Tarpeena Trial Stage, Wrattonbully Transport Stage (counts as competitive as it had a 100km/h average and was where everyone got bogged just before Bordertown!), Moonlight Mud Trial Stage (deleted in 1979 due to wet weather) and Mallee Root Trial Stage. • Dinner at Renmark Club. We started the trial a little carefully with a new car under our feet etc and finished day one in 34th place out of 42. Now we are getting more competitive as we get the feel of things and are steadily moving up the field, finishing 29th into Mt Gambier last night. This morning we head out from Mt Gambier to Renmark South Australia. Our team of 3 vehicles are all on board and excited and we now look to a suitable name for our team. Regards Jeff & Joy Aug 10 2009 Tuesday Morning, Renmark, South Australia. Start of day 4 AUGUST 11- Day 4 *This morning we* are in a hurry to get to the start line, have moved up to 27th place now and hope to have gained a few more today, will report again later today.........JG. • Starts with Riverland Transport then most of the Murray Flats Trial Stage, the end of this stage has been diverted to Tailem Bend so that we can hold a sub event at the old Rallycross track where Larry Perkins won the Australian Championship in 1979. • Transport via Mannum and Sedan to Walky Park for a Autocross sub event. • Overnight at Nuriootpa, dinner at the Vine Inn Tuesday Evening in the Barossa, South Australia. Start of day 4 After a days hard work we have moved up to 25th place and heading ever onward! Our team mates Car 88 (Jerry Crown/ John Bryson not far ahead in 22nd position Car 17 (Barry Ferguson /David Johnson) has entered the top 10! (Car 88 broken spring but repaired and back on track) Tonight in Barossa Valley, a team meeting to finalise our team name and then tomorrow, on to Broken Hill N.S.W. *More photo's later!* Regards Jeff, Joy & Team Aug 11 2009

ABOVE: Principality of Hutt River Rally Team! (PHRRT) from Left to Right Car 88 (EH 202 Holden sedan - Gerry Crown/ John Bryson) Car 17 (1979 6 cylinder Holden Commodore - Barry Ferguson/Dave Johnson) Car 8 HRP - 096 (1969 Peugeot 404 2 litre - Jeff & Joy Graham)

John Bryson overseeing repairs to Car 88 (broken spring) in outback S.A.	Crossing the Murray River by ferry at Mannum SA		Car 8 (Jeff & Joy) in action at Tailem bend SA		PHRRT team leader car 17( Barry Ferguson) and car 8 (Jeff Graham) lined up waiting for Walky Park sub event, a 5km special autocross stage through bush timed to 1/10th of a second!
(CLICK THUMBNAILS FOR LARGER VIEW)
Wednesday evening, Broken Hill N.S.W. end of day 5 AUGUST 12- Day 5 • Collingrove Hill climb sub event first up then transport to Burra. • Modified South Flinders Trial Stage will form the basis of a regularity sub event which finishes at Yunta, fantastic scenery and driving. • Transport to Broken Hill. Finished the day in 17th spot, the car is performing well, Joy and I are getting faster! Regards Jeff, Joy & Team Aug 12 2009

Car 8 at Collingrove Hill Climb S.A. sub-event (near Adelaide). 1st run came outright 14th, quickest Peugeot 404 and fastest PHRRT car! (just pipping the legendary Barry Ferguson in Car 17!)
	(CLICK THUMBNAILS FOR LARGER VIEW)

Thursday, Broken Hill N.S.W. AUGUST 13 - Day 6 • Free time in Broken Hill for the first half of the day. • Broken Hill Road Sections sub event starts 80km east of Broken Hill late afternoon and finishes back at Broken Hill by mid evening for a meal at the Mulga Hill Tavern. Morning to rest and check & service vehicles, team has bonded well and we are staying fairly close together. Places at the start of today's competition are: Car 17 (1979 6 cylinder Holden Commodore - Barry Ferguson/David Johnson) in 11th position. Car 88 (EH 202 Holden sedan, Gerry Crown/ John Bryson) currently in 15th position. Car 8 HRP - 096 (1969 Peugeot 404 2 litre - Jeff & Joy Graham) in 18th position. Thursday evening, Broken Hill N.S.W. end of day 6. Car 8 scored 8th quickest over one of the night stages north of Broken Hill, which included some tricky navigation. Our team had sourced a local larger scale map and the 3 navigators spent the morning in conference. A light team morale boosting lunch followed before setting off. After night stage: Car 17 - 9th Car 88 - 14th Car 8 - 17th Regards Jeff, Joy & Team Aug 13 2009
Friday night, Parachilna S.A. end of day 7. Last day of official competition! AUGUST 14 - Day 7 • Transport to Olary then tour a modified Mingary Trial Stage in reverse to Curnamona Station for lunch and a Motorkhana sub event. • After some transport to Frome Downs the Blinman Trial Stage takes us to Blinman, via superb scenery, then a transport down to Parachilna for the overnight stop and awards presentation dinner. • There will be an optional Motorkhana sub event at Parachilna, navigators to drive. *Today* we had to go thru station country towards the isolated Frome Downs. Well received by station folk with morning tea and lunch stops. Car 8 was last on the road after a late start (had to make 1st control point in 30 min (68km away) arrived 1 min late). Went well in first timed section dropping 2 min 1 sec but being last car into the Curnamona Station Motorkhana (sponsored by PHR) found surface cut up and boggy and could only manage 24th . Moved up thru field using classic flinders ranges marathon roads and was car 2 on the road following the legendary and wiley Barry Ferguson and Dave Johnson in Parachilna. Winner of the PHR sponsored Curnamona Station Motorkhana event held on the last official day of competition was Mr. Paul Hogan driving a BMC Austin 1800, seen below being presented with a Principality winners certificate and set of PHR vehicle registration plates etc at the Awards presentation dinner held at Parachilna, (apologies for the blurry shot a result of some lovely reds!) *CONGRATULATION Paul Hogan!* Paul Hogan receives his winners prize from PHR Rep & Driver, Jeff Graham. (CLICK THUMBNAIL FOR LARGER VIEW) Final placings for Principality of Hutt River Rally Team: Car 17 - 9th, Car 88 - 13th, Car 8 -20th. Big news is that the Principality of Hutt River Rally Team came second in the teams award. (very well received by the crowd!!)

AUGUST 15 - Day 7 • Travel to Maree then via Boggy Detour Trial Stage to Coober Pedy for overnight. AUGUST 16 - Day 8 • Travel to Kingoonya, where the Repco headed west, then south via Mt Ive to Iron Knob and Port Augusta for a farewell dinner. Car 8 entering the Birdsville Track! (CLICK THUMBNAIL FOR LARGER VIEW) Other news is and probably our proudest achievement is that we were one of only 7 cars that actually finished entire route (including last 2 very rugged days thru to Coober Pedy on Oodnadatta track and then through very rough 400kms thru Gawler Ranges past Lake Torrens and Lake Gardiner coming out at Iron Knob and into Port Augusta. Our windscreen fell out 30kms before Kingoonya (near Woomera) and Joy and I had to reach out and hold into place until checkpoint , until service crew could refit. Very rough tracks, hence most crews playing safe and cutting directly to Port Augusta via sealed roads thus not completing the optional course end. Good event and well satisfied with results! Regards Jeff, Joy & Team Aug 17 2009
A few more shots from the rerun below. (CLICK THUMBNAILS FOR LARGER VIEW)
Car 8 "Out there!"		Barry Ferguson, Gerry Crown David Johnson		Car 17 1979 Holden Commodore Barry Ferguson/David Johnson
PHR Rally Team All three vehicles		Jeff & Joy Graham CAR 8		Car 8 at Lake Eyre
Jeff & Joy Graham CAR 8

KEEP WATCHING AS THIS PAGE IS UPDATED OVER THE COMING DAYS! We will be reporting HERE on the progress of the Trial as the Graham's report in from the track!
© 2004 - 2018 Ministry of Electronic Communications Principality of Hutt River Unauthorized reproduction prohibited