The 1970 Rothmans 12 Hour was an endurance motor race for Group E Series Production Touring Cars. The event was held at the Surfers Paradise International Raceway in Queensland, Australia on 4 January 1970 with the field divided into four classes determined by the retail price of the vehicle.
The race was won by Colin Bond and Tony Roberts driving a Class D Holden Monaro HT GTS350 for the Harry Firth run Holden Dealer Team. The pair, who four months earlier had won the 1969 Hardie-Ferodo 500 at Bathurst, covered 435 laps of the 3.219 km (2.000 mi) circuit for a distance of 1,400.265 km (870 mi).
Classes
Car competed in four price classes:GM-H Wins Surfers (Or Maybe It Was Ford), Australian Motor Manual, March 1970, pages 56 & 57 Class A: Up to 1860cc Class B: $1861 to $2250 Class C: $2251 to $3100 Class D: Over $3100The Motor Manual article does not actually specify the class limits for Class D
Results Position Drivers No. Car Entrant Laps Class A: Up to 1860cc 1 Wally Scott, Eric Olsen 43 Toyota Corolla WJ Scott 398 2 Peter Lefrancke, Blair Salter Toyota Corolla AMI Racing Team 392 3 Lionel Cordingley, Frank Leggatt, Brian Scoffell Morris Mini K LW Cordingley 373 4 Barry Tapsall, Bill Evans Datsun 1000 Datsun Racing Team 329 5 G Geshopulos, D Fraser Hillman GT George Geshopulos 152 DISQ Punch, Simpson Datsun 1000 Datsun Racing Team Class B: $1861 to $2250 1 Dave Morrow, Bob Wootton Datsun 1600 DJ Morrow 413 2 Frank Coad, Jon Leighton Datsun 1600 Datsun Racing Team 408 3 John Roxburgh, Graham Cosworth 31 Datsun 1600 Datsun Racing Team 402 4 Bill Beverley, Tony Basile Mazda 1200 Coupe Bill Beverley Motors 384 5 B Jemison, D Booty Datsun 1600 Windmill Star Service Station 382 Class C: $2251 to $3100 1 Don Holland, Bob Skelton Morris Cooper S Miniland 426 2 Joe Camilleri, John Humphrey Morris Cooper S Grand Prix Auto Service 422 3 Trevor Meehan, T Strickland Morris Cooper S Trevor Meehan 418 4 Ron Kearns, Bob Forbes Fiat 125 Zanardo & Rodriguez Sales and Service 415 5 Terry Friar, Bill Lubke Mazda R100 Terry Friar 389 6 Mick McGregor, Bob Gibson Morris Cooper S Keith Beaney 380 7 Roy Rogers, B O'Brien, F Hunt Mazda R100 Roy Rogers 371 ? George Giesberts, C Wenzel 19 Holden Torana LC GTR ? Jenny Parker, Rod Arthur Morris Cooper S DNF Cronan, Cortese Holden Kingswood V8 Class D: Over $3100 1 Colin Bond, Tony Roberts 5 Holden Monaro GTS 350 Holden Dealer Team 435 2 Bill Gates, Jim Bertram 1 Ford Falcon GTHO McCluskey Ford Pty Ltd 434 3 Barry Arentz, Brian Michelmore 4 Ford Falcon GTHO Central Auto Sales and Service 429 4 Paul Zacka, Graham Perry 6 Holden Monaro GTS 350 New Formula Motors 409 5 Pat Peck, Doug Macarthur 3 Ford Falcon GTHO D & P Traders Pty Ltd 405 6 Keith Williams, Max Volkers 7 Holden Monaro GTS 350 Lockhart Motors 403 7 Glynn Scott, Roy Griffiths 2 Ford Falcon GTHO McCluskey Ford Pty Ltd 398 DISQ Bill Tuckey, Sib Petralia 8 Holden Monaro GTS 350 Boyded
References
A History of Australian Motor Sport, © 1980 Modern Motor, March 1970 Racing Car News, February 1970 The Australian Racing History of Ford, © 1989 The Courier Mail, Monday, 5 January 1970 The Official Racing History of Holden, © 1988