Marathon Wipes
p. 36 · Read in the full issue
Them Out
Prom a Noumea correspondent Forty-one at the starting line, twenty-six at the finish —this was the official result of the rugged New Caledonian Safari for car enthusiasts , held around the island over the last weekend in December.
Visiting rally enthusiasts were exuberant over the tough 900-mile course around Caledonian mountains and nickel mines. Just over 100 miles was run on sealed road, with the rest a trial through tropical storms and floods on the East Coast, gruelling one-way passes in the central mountains and red nickel dust around the mines.
Twelve Australian teams flew oyer for the Safari, two crews entering with Caledonian partners. One metro politan French pair also participated, after competing in the London to Sydney marathon.
The two-day endurance test was won by the metropolitan French team—Jean-Claude Ogier (driver of Lucien Bianchi’s Citroen in the fate ful London-Sydney crash out of Sydney) and Miss Lucette Pointet.
They drove the luxury Citroen DS lent by Caledonian mining tycoon Edouard Pentecost.
Australians Colin Bond and Brian Hope came second in a Japanese Colt, with Caledonians Edouard Boissery and Jean-Pierre Frarhy third in a Renault Rl6.
Australian champion Bob Holden, who finished sixth in a Fiat, agreed that this second Caledonian Safari had reached international standard.
New Caledonians now hope more Pacific visitors will enter in the third Safari, which the sponsors, Total and La France Australe news paper, hope to hold next December.