Saturday the 7th of February, 2009 is a day we will all remember. Not only was it the day that bushfires raged through Victoria, It was the day we all looked forward to, as this was the biggest and best organised Fluffy Duck Classic that event organisers Ron and Jim Pope and Ron Fraser had prepared and promoted. The weather forecasts had been indicating that the day would be hot, and hot it was. As the crews gathered around for the competitors briefing at the start location just outside Wyong, we could feel the heat building and the shady area Jim Pope had selected provided a gentle relief. The assembled crews took notes, asked questions and those who had not performed a milage check were reminded to do so before the start.
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Competitor's Briefing |
With the briefing over the cars began to assemble for the start. We were presented with the usual collection of Peugeots - where do they all come from ? - and a few suprises including Andrew and Nicole Haigh in their Mk2 Jaguar who returned for another crack at the Fluffy. David Mitchell entered the Datsun 260Z and Geoff Thomas brought along Fiat 131 while Gary and Wendy Maher entered their Mk1 Escort. Andrew Carloff and Michelle Atkinson left their historic Celica at home and arrived in their Hyundai shopping trolley because it is fitted with an air conditioner. And just to fly the flag for modern classics, David Parnell and Neville Sutrin entered in a Mini Cooper S. In all, there were 15 starters which was a good turnout considering the conditions forecast for the day. We had representations from AHRG, MGCC Newcastle, WAC, CRC, Jaguar Drivers Club, Triumph Sports Owners Club and MWCC.
Challenges for the crews were not just limited to following the detailed route charts, but also included Photo Points where a photo was to be taken of the view through the front windscreen using supplied disposable cameras. In addition, there were to be unmanned controls that had letter boxes secured to trees or poles and pre-numbered cards were to be posted at each of these. One of the other interesting tasks was the recording of grid references of locations that were included as photos in the route instructions.
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Andrew and Nicole Haigh head out in the Mk 2 Jaguar |
SECTION 1
As crews were handed their instructions at the
start it was clear that the amount of detail that had gone into the
planning and setting was huge and a reflection of the commitment to
the task that Jim Pope has invested in setting an excellent event. The
first section was to be an economy run so after leaving control a
short drive to a nearby Wyong service station was undertaken
where fuel tanks were topped up and odo-readings recorded by control
officials. From there, it was a pleasant drive along the
Yarramalong Valley, up Bumble Hill to Kulnura. After turning south
onto George Downs Drive the cars were diverted through Mangrove
Mountain and back through Central Mangrove, then onto Wisemans Ferry
Road where Dog Trap Road was picked up. This road eventually slips
under the Sydney Newcastle Freeway before meeting up with the
Pacific Highway just north of Ourimbah. From there it was on to
Tuggerah where the route again crossed the Freeway before a quick loop
through Wyong. From Wyong it was onto the Hue Hue Road which took the
cars to the end of Section 1's Economy Run at the service
station in the township of Wyee. Here the cars were refilled with fuel
and the amount of fuel together with the miles/kilometres travelled
were recorded for scoring.
At the end of Section 1 we had Andrew and Nicole Haigh leading in their Mk2 Jaguar with Wendy and Gary Maher a close second. Best in the economy run was Andrew Carloff and Michelle Atkinson in the (modern) Hyundai
Section
2
From Wyee, the cars were taken on a loop around
Mannering Lake which included a short section of the Pacific Highway
through Doyalson, then on to Rutleys Road then re-joined Wyee Road,
this time heading north through Morisset, then a quick deviation
through Cooranbong, back to Dora Creek where Wangi Road was picked up
and then. on through Myuna Bay and Buttaba on-route to
Westlakes Automobile Club's wonderful motorsport venue at Awabawac
Park.
Event favourites, Wendy and Gary Maher stuck trouble on this section when Wendy became ill. This resulted in a penalty. However, the pair still hung on to second place due to most of the crews having navigational blackouts.
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Nigel Nash at Awabawac Park |
Khanacross special tests.
At Awabawac Park, the Fluffy Duck competitors
were given an opportunity to take to the course while other
attendees were able to watch on. The khanacross tests comprised
of three small sections of the course. For those who
participated it was all fun and hot dust. For the spectators it was
more fun and more hot dust and the well prepared and maintained
spectator points provided an excellent view of the cars competing
against the clock.
Surprise of the day was Andrew Carloff
who showed he was no slouch in the Hyundai shopping trolley.
Andrew cleaned up with fastest in both the Khanacross Special Tests.
Well done Andrew. Best placed historic car was Geoff Thomas and Rod
Towers in their Fiat 131, but only just from Barry and Rhiannan
Alder’s Holden Commodore.
Motorkhana special tests.
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Carloff clobbers the ball ! |
After completing their runs at Awabawac Park, there was a transport section to the MG Car Club's Ringwood Park facility, just off the Pacific Highway north of Heatherbrea for the Motorkhana tests. And this is where the heat of the day was at its worst nudging over the 40° mark. Talk about mad dogs and Englishmen ! Nevertheless, the light hot-dog lunch and cool drinks provided by the organisers were a welcome reprieve before tackling the challenging motorkhana tests. These involved some innovations we have come to expect from Jim Pope. They included a run up and down the hillclimb track where navigators had to drop balls in buckets on the course. Then there were the other tests which included a tricky motorkhana which required drivers to run over a tennis ball with the front right wheel before a quick right turn - perfect for handbrake turns which were few and far between - then into a garage where cars had to stop as close to a flag as possible. The distance from or over the flag determined additional points for the event. What fun ! Again, Gary Maher cleaned up with quickest times in all three tests tests whilst Andrew and Nicole Haigh are still in the lead.
Section 4
From the Motorkhana tests, Section 4 was to be tackled.
This section had the cars back on the Pacific Highway for a short
distance before exiting onto The Bucketts Way, then all the way up
through Stroud.
It was near Stroud that an unexpected change had to be made to the
route as Jim Pope discovered to his horror. The closure of a bridge
during the previous week meant that urgent changes had to be made on
the fly directing the crews onto an alternative route to Dungog.
From Dungog, the cars headed south on the Clarence Town Road through Clarence Town, Seaham and Nelsons Plains to control at the BP servo at Heatherbrea for a meal break. It was here that several competitors decided that the heat and scheduled finish time of 8:30 had got the better of them.
It was at the Section 4 Control that
the Mk2 Jaguar ended what was til then a great challenge for outright
win when the oil filter sealing ring sprung a leak. Sadly, despite
their best efforts under trying conditions Andrew and Nicole had to
call it a day and attempt to nurse the car home.
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The winning team of Russell Baldwin & Ern Parsons arrive at M6 |
Section 5
The final section appeared totally daunting when the departing
navigators received their instructions for the final section
of the 2009 Fluffy Duck. As a result each crew was seen to be
fully engrossed in trying to figure out the course they were required
to take. However, once the secret was slowly revealed the course
became clear and easy and all six of the final cars completed this
section without any big concerns or mistakes.
Conclusion
Whilst the day was hot and the rally very challenging,
it was engineered for fun and all who participated had a great time.
All six crews that completed the course were keen to congratulate and
thank Jim Pope for the fantastic amount of work and planning that had
been invested in the event which they all enjoyed immensely.
Outright First Place was eventually awarded to the entry of Russell Baldwin and Ern Parsons who were consistent throughout the event in the rally prepared Cortina.
We can only wonder at the time and effort that Jim and his team put into the planning of this event. The thing that is on everyone’s mind will be "What will he come up with for next year's Fluffy ?"
A big thanks has to be extended to the orgainisers and CAMS officials and especially those who manned the controls and the sweep team who followed the course. Special recognition must go to Westlakes Automobile Club for allowing the Fluffy Duck to be run during the course of one of their club days at Awabawac Park the team who endured the conditions at Ringwood Park.
Finally, congratulations to all who competed and especially the 6 crews that stuck it out to the end. Well done to each of you ! Results follow below.
RESULTS
1st Outright & 1st in Class C - Russel Baldwin
and Ern Parsons in the seriously prepared Cortina.
2nd Outright & 1st in Class B - Simon Brierley and Dave Smith in
their Pug 404.
3rd Outright & 2nd in Class B - David Walshe and Barry Prasil in
the Dolomite.
4th Outright & 2nd in Class C - Geoff Thomas and Rod Towers in the
Fiat 131.
5th Outright & 3rd in Class B - Nigel Nash and Philip Challinor in
their Pug 404.
1st in the Khanacross - Andrew Carloff and Michelle Atkinson in the
Hyundai
1st in Class M - Andrew Carloff and Michelle Atkinson in the Hyundai
1st in the Motorkhana - Gary and Wendy Maher in the Mk. 1 Escort.
1st in the Economy Run - Andrew Carloff and Michelle Atkinson in the
Hyundai
SPIRIT OF THE EVENT AWARD - Andrew and Nicole Haigh in
the Mk 2 Jaguar for never giving in !
© Australian Historic Rally Group Inc. 2009
