Look back in history Sunday: The Coronet Peak Hillclimb - The Early Years.

The road to the Coronet Peak ski field is sealed all the way from the bottom to the top. It presents an ideal 2.7km hill climb competition that has been running since 1972.

The Queenstown Car Club was initially formed as the Wakatipu Car Club in order to encompass the whole district and not just the Queenstown area. The first major event was the Coronet Hill Climb and while the club was not officially affiliated to MotorSport NZ, the permit was applied through the Southland Sports Club and went ahead in 1972.

Here’s a brief history from Rouyden Osment from the South Island Motorsports Facebook page. Photos by Terry Marshall.

This event was first run in 1972 and won by Jim Tschursinov of Dunedin in a Lotus 20B Formula Ford. Pat Monaghan was second in a Ford Falcon GTHO.

By 1973 interest in the event had spread throughout the South Island and the winner was Timaru’s Leo Leonard. Pat Monaghan was again second and Jim Little third. All three where driving E49 Charger’s.

Inky Tulloch competing at Ruapuna in the GWD-Russells Ltd Camaro during the 1976/77 summer

The 1974 event saw Inky Tulloch enter for the first time. He was placed 3rd in his Ford Falcon GT behind Neil Kidd in a Begg FM3 and Oamaru’s John Rush in a Mini De Joux.

A Formula Ford won again in 1975, this time it was Neil Whittaker’s turn. Inky Tulloch was second, this time in a E49 Charger. Gary Sprague was third in another E49 Charger.

1976 marked the start of the Inky Tulloch domination of the event. For the next six years, firstly in his Z28 Camaro and from 1978 in his Chev V8 powered Cologne Capri, Tulloch was unbeatable at Coronet Peak.

The winning was never easy, drivers came from all over New Zealand to beat “The King of Coronet”. Reg Cook, Tom Donovan, Carl Rabbidge and many other top NZ drivers all tried and failed.

Trevor Crowe’s Toyota Starlet during the 1981/82 summer series

It took until 1982 before Tulloch was finally beaten by Trevor Crowe in his V8 Starlet. But it was a somewhat hollow victory. Tulloch had set his fastest time ever in practice, 92.2 seconds, but then crashed on his official run.

Crowe posted a time of 94.01 seconds and then put the car on the trailer. These two cars were the fastest Sport Sedans in the country at the time and the spectators had been looking forward to a head to head battle. Sadly this did not eventuate.

1983 saw Inky Tulloch win for the last time. The famous ex-Paul Fahey Capri was sold, leaving the title open to all comers…….