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Australian Motorsport History 1960-1975


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#1 Steve Carter

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Posted 13 March 2004 - 08:09

What an absolutely wonderful site. Apart from a long career in the music industry and now an independant music label owner Ive started a production company venture concentrating on some of the classic periods of motor sport that havent been documented well or in some cases not at all. The first project is documenting the CAN AM series from 1966-74 working in conjunction with US based Marilyn Halder (then spouse of Lothar Motchenbacher - the most prolific racer of the series 52 races from 71 events). Its a combination of hours of excellant super 8 and 16mm 'home movie' footage from Marilyns collection + actual network footage & stills from that period - were looking to release that in most global markets early 2005. The second project Im researching now is the history of motor racing in Australia from 1960 - 1975 specifically the Tasman Series - Gold Star - Australian Sports Car Championships - Australian Touring Car Championships. As with the CAN AM project Im interested in any 'home movie' footage or network footage, video footage and/or still photography from the above period for inclusion in the program. If theres anyone out there who can help or point me in the right direction please by all means email me on steve @capricornmedia.com.au
Oh if you want a great read - get Doug Nyes new book on a great champion Sir Jack Brabham - fantastically documented with some priceless colour and B&Ws - I believe theres one out on Lex Davidson also.

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#2 David Shaw

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Posted 13 March 2004 - 10:20

I for one, as well as many that visit here, would welcome such a contribution as the one you propose on Australian racing. The problem is though, that there seems to be very little material around any more, if there ever was. There are the excellent 'Racing with Alec Mildren' volumes 1 and 2, Long Weekend at Longford etc., but not too much else.

The race which has been regarded as the best ATCC race ever (Bathurst Easter 1972) wasn't even televised, let alone still around on tape somewhere, although that could probably put down to the size and remoteness of the circuit.

I wish you all the best in your endeavours, and would love to see some great results from your efforts.

#3 Ray Bell

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Posted 13 March 2004 - 21:38

The size of the circuit wasn't a problem, David... after all, the Armstrong 500 had been televised each year from 1963 and the 1958 Australian GP was televised at the same circuit...

There will be lots of amateur movie around, I'm sure. Finding it is the issue. Mine was all destroyed by an errant wife over thirty years ago, unfortunately... but I'm sure that John Medley and others will know where there's some to be found.

BP and Shell are likely to have some stuff in their archives, the Mildren stuff has been mentioned, Scott Polkinghorne (is he still about) footage should be sought too, there might just be some racing footage among that.

I'm sure more people will come forward... you might check with the SCC of SA for members there who have movies, or even to see if their library has any. And there's a prospect that John Blanden has gathered up some of it somewhere.

All I can help with is first class movie of the 1955 and Moomba 1956 Albert Park meetings on 16mm...

#4 David Shaw

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Posted 13 March 2004 - 22:35

I was thinking more of the size and location being a hindrance to it being economically viable, rather than an impossibility. I think the television stations would have thought the audience would not have been large enough to consider sending a crew to Bathurst.

#5 Ray Bell

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Posted 13 March 2004 - 23:04

More a case of small-minded thinking by the ARDC, I'm sure you'll find...

They would have been against television because it might detract from paying crowd figures... the Armstrong 500 was different (yeah, Hardie Ferodo by then...) because it was required to be televised by the sponsors.

#6 Falcadore

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Posted 13 March 2004 - 23:40

There are a couple of excellent Tasman sites about the place already so they would be natural starting points, I'd provide links but I'm using my laptop today and the links are in my desktop.

There are several books produced by Chevron over the years which cover the era your after of course as well, most of these are out of print. The 50 event Australian Grand Prix book, the 25 year ATCC book, competition histories of Ford and Holden volumes and the Bathurst, Australias Greatest Motor Race compendiums (not so much the annuals whoich only started in 1981) and the early Australian Motor Racing Yearbooks.

The current custodians of the Australian Grand Prix and the Australian Touring Car Championship are not great respecters of their own history, and the Gold Star is too busy clinging to life to do much historically, and of course the Australian Sports Car Championship is long dead, killed by small fields, dull racing, a lack of competition for John Bowe and the awesome Veskanda-Chev, and the expense of trying to reach the Veskanda in performance.

#7 David Shaw

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Posted 14 March 2004 - 02:50

Here are the Tasman sites links:

http://www.tasman-series.com/
http://www.sergent.com.au/tasman.html

#8 Steve Carter

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Posted 14 March 2004 - 03:50

Hey David - thanks for those Tasman sites - Ive posted on the Tasman-series one which looks the goods.
Ray - yes thats my thoughts on the home movie footage - there will be hundreds of people around whos dad or uncle shot footage - its just a case of getting the word out that Im looking for it. The good thing is we can treat the film, grade it, put washes through it then bump it up to broadcast standard and it adds a different perspective to the overall look and feel of the project outside what I can track down from original footage.
Im aware of the Mildren footage (whats the Weekend at Longford one David??) - and I know Castrol have or had loads of different footage from Brabham o/s to Tasman series to Gold Star and Sports Car championship - whether or not its still around is something else. I am approaching Shell, BP, Dunlop, Goodyear also - they have similiar historical vaults.
The Australian Film Archives have 840 different pieces of film on Australian Motorsport but with a charge of $30 per second to use - I think I will be talking to them about licensing at a realistic rate.
Ray - I dont know of John Medley, Scott Polkinghorne or John Blanden - who are they and are they contactable??
Falco - which magazine do you write for??
As this project will take some 12 months or more to complete Im a patient chap so if anyone comes across anything or someone who has old footage (including home movies) get them to contact me on steve@capricornmedia.com.au.

#9 David Shaw

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Posted 14 March 2004 - 04:46

'Long Weekend at Longford' covers the Tasman Series round at Longford Tasmania from 1965 (I think). It has mainly footage of the Tasman cars, but some also of the sports cars, touring cars and motorbikes. All in colour. Available from the usual outlets like the Technical Bookshop in Melbourne, where I got mine.

#10 Falcadore

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Posted 14 March 2004 - 15:03

Originally posted by Steve Carter
Hey David - thanks for those Tasman sites - Ive posted on the Tasman-series one which looks the goods.
Ray - yes thats my thoughts on the home movie footage - there will be hundreds of people around whos dad or uncle shot footage - its just a case of getting the word out that Im looking for it. The good thing is we can treat the film, grade it, put washes through it then bump it up to broadcast standard and it adds a different perspective to the overall look and feel of the project outside what I can track down from original footage.
Im aware of the Mildren footage (whats the Weekend at Longford one David??) - and I know Castrol have or had loads of different footage from Brabham o/s to Tasman series to Gold Star and Sports Car championship - whether or not its still around is something else. I am approaching Shell, BP, Dunlop, Goodyear also - they have similiar historical vaults.
The Australian Film Archives have 840 different pieces of film on Australian Motorsport but with a charge of $30 per second to use - I think I will be talking to them about licensing at a realistic rate.
Ray - I dont know of John Medley, Scott Polkinghorne or John Blanden - who are they and are they contactable??
Falco - which magazine do you write for??
As this project will take some 12 months or more to complete Im a patient chap so if anyone comes across anything or someone who has old footage (including home movies) get them to contact me on steve@capricornmedia.com.au.


The Magazine Writer tag on my avatar indicates I'm part of Atlas' staff, where I co-write the Elsewhere in Racing column. As a separate issue I'm a freelance contributor to Motorsport News and other specialist magazines.

#11 Ray Bell

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Posted 16 March 2004 - 00:36

Originally posted by David Shaw
'Long Weekend at Longford' covers the Tasman Series round at Longford Tasmania from 1965 (I think). It has mainly footage of the Tasman cars, but some also of the sports cars, touring cars and motorbikes. All in colour. Available from the usual outlets like the Technical Bookshop in Melbourne, where I got mine.


Sincerely doubt that it's 1965... probably 1967 or 1968.

I've never seen it, however. But you can bet that if it had been 1965 it would have won an Academy Award... and not for acting!

#12 David Shaw

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Posted 16 March 2004 - 07:39

I have just checked Ray, and it's 1964.
Graham Hill won the Gold Star race in the SV Brabham.
Even has a shot of them unloading the Galaxie that Beechey drove, in Neptune colours. (Was it Len Lukey's?)

#13 Ray Bell

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Posted 16 March 2004 - 12:09

Yeah, it was Len Lukey's... was red to start with, got Neptune team colours very briefly.

I knew it wasn't '65. And yes, it was a Gold Star race, but Graham Hill didn't win the Gold Star points... he won the 'Longford International' or whatever it was, the first CAMS licenceholder home won the Gold Star event.

#14 275 GTB-4

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Posted 15 December 2004 - 09:53

Originally posted by Falcadore
There are several books produced by Chevron over the years which cover the era your after of course as well, most of these are out of print. The 50 event Australian Grand Prix book, the 25 year ATCC book, competition histories of Ford and Holden volumes and the Bathurst, Australias Greatest Motor Race compendiums (not so much the annuals whoich only started in 1981) and the early Australian Motor Racing Yearbooks.


EASTER BATHURST....I have a renewed interest in the stuff I mainly took for granted at the time and just enjoyed each moment like there was no tomorrow......well here I am and its tommorrow!!

I found a good site for October Bathurst results:

http://www.maelstrom...ory/history.php

and there is always the RCNs of the time (but I hate that library reading room!!)

However, have the results of the non-October Bathurst and other open wheel, sportscar and touring car rounds been published on the net (as opposed to discussed) either here or elsewhere??

I know I'm just a semi-mental old fool living in the past........but hey!!.......its OK!!! :clap: :up:

#15 Falcadore

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Posted 15 December 2004 - 10:21

There are some accuracy issues I have with that site, that I wouldn't recommend it.

There are better.

#16 David Shaw

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Posted 15 December 2004 - 10:39

There is the 'Australian Touring Car Championship 25 Fabulous Years' which covers 1960 to 1984 which I have, and I believe it was succeeded by '.......... 30 Fabulous Years'.

Can't find the book on the internet though, maybe it is no longer produced.

I can start with a few:

February 1, 1960. ATCC Gnoo Blas circuit, Orange NSW 75 miles approx.

1. David McKay 0h 54m 19s Jaguar Mk I 3.4litre Grey
2. Bill Pitt 0h 54m 25s Jaguar Mk I 3.4litre Black
3. Ron Hodgson 0h 55m 42s Jaguar Mk I 3.8litre Red

September 3, 1961. ATCC Lowood, QLD

1. Bill Pitt 0h 38m 20.7s Jaguar Mk I 3.4litre Black
2. Ian Geoghegan Jaguar Mk I 3.4litre Black
3. Ron Hodgson Jaguar Mk II 3.8litre Red

March 1962. ATCC Longford, TAS 67 miles approx.

1. Bob Jane 0h 47m 48.2s Jaguar Mk II 3.8litre White
2. Bill Pitt 0h 48m 12.0s Jaguar Mk I 3.4litre Black
3. Bill Burns Jaguar Mk I 3.4litre Red


#17 Falcadore

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Posted 15 December 2004 - 11:49

1960
4th Max Volkers (Holden)
5th Jan Harris (Holden)
6th Ralph Sach (Holden 48/215)

1961
4th Bill Burns (Jaguar Mk. I 3.4)
5th Bob Holden (Holden FJ)
6th Muir Daniel (Austin A105)
7th Cecil Reid (Holden FJ)
8th Ken Brigden (Peugeot 403)
9th Viv Eddy (Morris 850)
10th J.D. Sherman (Ford Falcon XK)

1962
4th Ken Brigden (Peugeot 403)
5th Des West (Holden)
6th Peter Manton (Morris Cooper)

#18 275 GTB-4

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Posted 15 December 2004 - 12:00

Originally posted by Falcadore
There are some accuracy issues I have with that site, that I wouldn't recommend it.

There are better.


Yep....looks like the results have been scanned and the character recognition has fouled up....still it is the sort of thing I'm looking for.....why isn't there an Australian Motor Racing Almanac!!! :(

#19 Falcadore

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Posted 15 December 2004 - 23:04

It's old and poorly laid out...

http://www.ecn.net.au/~amib/

I always intended to put more stats in and lay it out better.

There is another site called Chequered Flag which has some good stats.

Also purely for the more recent V8Supercar stuff

http://www.conrod.com.au/stats/

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#20 275 GTB-4

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Posted 16 December 2004 - 10:27

Originally posted by Falcadore
It's old and poorly laid out...

http://www.ecn.net.au/~amib/

I always intended to put more stats in and lay it out better.

There is another site called Chequered Flag which has some good stats.

Also purely for the more recent V8Supercar stuff

http://www.conrod.com.au/stats/


Falc.........this one looks suss.....

1973 Australian Touring Car Championship
1st Allan Moffat Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase III 80pts
2nd Peter Brock Holden Torana LC XU1 57pts
3rd Graham Ritter Ford Escort Twin Cam 54pts
=4th Bob Holden Ford Escort Twin Cam 23pts
=4th Eric Olsen Ford Escort Twin Cam 23pts
6th Fred Gibson Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase III 19pts
7th Murray Carter Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase III 18pts
=8th Lawrie Nelson Chrysler Valiant Charger E39 15pts
=8th Ian Geoghegan Chrylser Valiant Charger E39 15pts
10th Bob Morris Holden Torana LC XU1 13pts

I remember Leo as the "Charger" man, obviously Big Pete also had a go in the Charger.... :)

#21 Falcadore

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Posted 16 December 2004 - 14:17

The suss bit is Brock in an LC...reeeeooong.


By 1973 Leo Geoghegan was done with Chargers. Chrysler's interest was waning and the E55 V8 was sadly not to be the car it could have been. By Bathurst time Leo was a second stringer for the Holden Dealer Team while 'Pete' raced off to win the race they never could together.

Pete missed the series opener at Symmons Plains with the car not ready having been forced to abandon the Super Falcon to the rule changes. At Calder the Grace Bros Charge climbed from rear of grid to fourth before retiring. He would not finish a race until Adelaide Round 5 where he drover around Moffats GTHO to finish second to Brock. His ony other finish was a third at the series finale at Oran Park behind Brock and Bob Morris on a day when Ford simply went missing. By the enduros the Charger was gone and the blue oval was again adorned to Ian Geoghgean.

#22 David Shaw

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Posted 23 December 2004 - 07:06

Originally posted by Ray Bell


Sincerely doubt that it's 1965... probably 1967 or 1968.

I've never seen it, however. But you can bet that if it had been 1965 it would have won an Academy Award... and not for acting!



I received a DVD from here yesterday, Volume 3 the "Repco Brabham Story" which definitely has footage of the '65 AGP.
http://www.throughth...Motorsport.html
It doesn't cover it as well as it could from what I have read, but it was great watching.

#23 Ray Bell

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Posted 23 December 2004 - 07:12

You're privileged, David, I can tell you that...

To just see a small part of that race again. A bloke's life would be complete.

#24 David Shaw

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Posted 23 December 2004 - 07:40

Well now that I have remembered to put the link in, for $35 we can all enjoy it, on DVD or VHS.

#25 Falcadore

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Posted 23 December 2004 - 11:57

Originally posted by 275 GTB-4


Falc.........this one looks suss.....


Corrected, for what its worth :p

Also: Chequered Flag results:

http://cfm.globalf1....chive/index.htm

#26 275 GTB-4

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Posted 23 December 2004 - 12:25

Originally posted by Falcadore


Corrected, for what its worth :p

Also: Chequered Flag results:

http://cfm.globalf1....chive/index.htm


Ergh thanks Falc....but what was corrected.....awhhh don't bother!! :rotfl: Merry Xmas :up:

#27 Ray Bell

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Posted 23 December 2004 - 12:34

Let's just hope he didn't speak ill of the dead and simply corrected the Torana model...