Niel Allen and Ken Ward?

Certainly looks like an E-type next to the Morgan...

... and a Turner

That would be the late Wal Donnelly...

Actually, Ken Ward is now among those who've passed on too. Niel E is alive and well, however.

Neil A?....man....I'd love to talk to the man and hear what the McLaren was like around the mountain....it must have absolutely shot up the hill, tip toed carefully across the top then got all floaty down Conrod....

No, Niel A

No... no! Niel E!

N E Allen Competition Ltd
N E Allen Constructions Ltd
N E Allen Leasing Ltd
N E Allen Developments Ltd
N E Allen Holdings

etc...

However, your correction of the i before e is appreciated. As for talking to him, yeah, I phoned him a few months ago when I found out where he was, simply said, "It's Ray Bell here, Niel."

"Ray... it's been a long time!" came the reply. After over twenty years. I've got to get back to him some time. But I've got to say, until I read on this forum about the rivets popping, I barely gave any thought to the M10B at Bathurst as a major topic.

Pukekohe would be a serious contender for first priority, I'd say. Or the day the world collapsed on him at Sandown, the week before that at the Farm, the challenge he was going to mount in the Lola, too. Then there's the E-type and the Mini, the transition to the Elan, the brief foray in the 23B.

What kind of man is it that spends his weekdays working endless hours in a high-pressure high-risk business and then goes out weekends and issues the most serious challenge going to the top sports car, openwheeler and touring car drivers of the day... as if it was his first task?

I was trying not confuse 275 any more than necessary ;)

275 is always confuse ........ David

Just mumble amongst yourselves until I think of something half witty to say

Who holds the outright lap record at Catalina??

Frank Matich in the SR4? Leo Geoghegan had the record at 53.6 set on 9-6-68 in the Lotus 39 Repco V8, but I have a faint recollection that Matich set a new record with the SR4 on 26th January 1969.

I am sure it is Frank Matich in his SR4 with a time of 53.4.

I was just glad to get into the mid 60s!

The full progress of the Catalina Park outright lap record is duly recorded in the Closed Circuit article in Motor Racing Australia... right from the very first race...

What were the Mini Coopers doing around there?

A mate and I make a trip up from Penrith every few months for the main reason of walking the track, wondering what it would have been like to drive, spectate etc etc, a great place even for a walk.

A few weeks back we turned up to see cars parked in the old paddock area/pit area and the gate blocking entry to the circuit open wide, yet not a soul in sight. A lap was walked and still not anyone seen, so we just couldn't help ourselves. Just the one tour at a modest pace to avoid attention, but much more exciting than walking The place is gradually getting more run-down (as the washaway picture shows), and the track is growing over quite severely over the hill towards the first lefthander, the rest of the track is much better though.

You can even still walk the old Rallycross track. Most of it is a narrow walking track (i'm told it was used for local primary school cross-country races) but some guardrails still remain.




You can make out the Craven A sign on that barrier today.

Yes....not to mention the lightweights like the Broadspeed GT...where's my RCNs

At the meeting on June 15 1969, Foley did a 1:04.5 in his Cooper S.

The Outright Lap Record:

12.2.61 Ron Hodgson (Jaguar 3.4) 1:16.4 98.48kmh
12.2.61 Leo Geoghegan (Lotus Elite) 1:14.2
12.2.61 Paul Samuels (Lotus 18 FJr) 1:07.3
12.2.61 Frank Matich (Lotus 15 2.5FPF) 1:02.9 (119.69kmh)
9.7.61 Frank Matich (Lotus 15 2.5FPF) 1:01.5
20.5.62 David McKay (Cooper Climax*) 1:00.8
20.5.62 Frank Matich (Lotus 19 Climax 2.6) 1:00.5
26.10.62 David McKay (Cooper Climax*) 1:00.2
26.10.62 Frank Matich (Lotus 19 Climax) 59.4
23.11.62 Frank Matich (Lotus 19 Climax) 59.2
10.11.63 Frank Matich (Lotus 19B Climax 2.6) 58.7
27.1.64 Leo Geoghegan (Lotus 27 1.5 TC) 57.7 130.4kmh)
17.5.64 Frank Matich (Brabham Climax 2.5) 56.7
13.6.65 Leo Geoghegan (Lotus 32 1.5 TC) 56.2
7.11.65 Spencer Martin (Brabham Climax 2.5) 56.1
30.10.66 Leo Geoghegan (Lotus 39 Climax 2.5) 55.7
28.1.68 Leo Geoghegan (Lotus 39 Repco 2.5 V8) 55.6
9.6.68 Leo Geoghegan (Lotus 39 Repco 2.5 V8) 53.6
26.1.69 Frank Matich (Matich SR4 Repco 5.0 V8) 53.4 (141.01kmh)

Hard to believe, looking back on it, that Frank Matich never held the record for such a long period... June '65 (when he was out of action) to January '69. I'm sure he ran the 'Traco Olds' there at some time, and Niel Allen certainly did. Yet, on such a power circuit, the openwheelers had their dominance during that period.

Thanks for that Ray

Think practically nothing of it...

Want the Lobethal lap record list too?

Catalina Park - May 2007 (sad post/mixed emotions/stirred up some great memories)

Start of a Lap











Craven A Corner







Entering the Tunnel of Love





Exiting Tunnel of Love



Back down the Start/Finish Straight

I am glad I didn't go up there today.

Wow. I'm so glad that old thread was mined out from the cobwebs.
Catalina was one of the best drivers' tracks in Aust. I used to love the place and it gave such a sense of satisfaction to do a good lap there. With absolutely no room for error anywhere it sure sorted the men from the boys. And, as much fun also were the amazing weekends at the Carrington Hotel where everyone either tried to stay or at least spent a good part of the evenings.
What an absolute tragedy that it has been allowed to deteriorate to the level shown here. If it was any other sporting icon it would have money thrown at it lest it deteriorate....

Christ it really is falling apart isn't it

Yeah... though Mick has mixed up and put a pic of the run from Dunlop up towards Craven A in there in place of a shot of Bosch...

Ray, I thought that he had mixed them up too but on closer inspection he is right. It is not the sweeping right up to Craven A, it is the exit of Bosch at the back of the pits heading up to the Tunnel. (It all looks like a tunnel now )

When I was still living up there I used to walk the track every couple of weeks. On my walks I used to pull the weeds and saplings to stop them from getting out of control. I have been gone for 7 years. When I moved away I was angry for the way that a generations work had been left to rot away.

The shadows and presence of Armco say otherwise...

Construction started about 1957, by the way.

Planning started in about 1946.

Part the track was built on market gardens, a bit was owned by Horrie Gates who owned the pool alongside the track and a bit of the track was built on an aboriginal camp (they moved in during WW2). Nowadays the aboriginals claim the whole place and the greenie tree huggers are supporting them. The council has spent 30 years not knowing what to do with it so they gave it to the former owners

Exiting Craven A



Incredible that the sign is still there....the greenies would have a heart attack/would have defaced this sign years ago if they knew what they were looking at....



Exit of Craven A...Oh Dear :\

Very sadly, Dust to DUST ? ..................................

When I visited Oz last year the old circuit was part of Frank Walford Park. Has that always been the case and was it just the circuit that was called Catalina Park, or has there been a name change? Katoomba also looked like it had seen better days.

At Orange it was heartening to see the Sir Jack Brabham Park, between the Huntley and Forest Roads. On a very warm day in November Orange appeared to be a pleasant town. The day after I left it was covered with snow!

It was officially the Catalina Road Racing Circuit inside the Frank Walford Park. Us kids that grew up next to it just called it Catalina Park.
The Catalina name came from the pool next to the track that was once the resting place of a PBY Catalina.

Quote from Ausmini.com.........

The last competition use of the Catalina Pk track was a lapdash run by the Mini Car Club of NSW on the 9th December 2000.

For the best part of 40 years, Catalina Pk at Katoomba had been part of the motorsport scene. So named because of the Catalina flying boat that was once moored on the adjoining pond at the edge of the park boundary.

In it's heyday it saw Australia's best drivers competing in full races on the circuit, or on the rallycross track that made up part of the complex.

It seemed right that it was the Mini Car Club who were to compete at Catalina for the last time, for the MCCNSW link to the circuit is strong. Gus Staunton for many years ran the rallycross events, which for a time were so successful they were telecast on Ch 7, and the circuit was also utilised for the Mini Monte Rallies of the 60's.

The records show that at the last Catalina Pk Lapdash Geoff Mills in his PRB was fastest of the day with Chris Adlam second outright in his Mini sports sedan.

What the records may not show is that Chris Adlam in his Mini undertook the last competitive lap that Catalina ever saw. A most appropriate way for the curtain to come down on significant chapter of Australian motorsport.

On 11th February 2001 there was an event at the circuit to celebrate Catalina Pk's 40th anniversary. I remember the day had a great gathering of race cars old and new. There was a show 'n' shine and a parade lap around the track.

Hope this bit of info helps.
_________________
Julie.............

Have any books been written on Catalina?

I have a silly question.
Can one drive around the circuit without being stopped by the local authorities ??

Never...

Yes...then run like hell

I've had a look several times over last few years the gate is always open ! Just remember it is a dog exercise course now-any spirited driving or more than a couple of slow laps might mean the gate gets permanently locked especially if you run over the Mayor and his Schnauser!

On one of the rare hot days when meetings were held,swam in the big pond-entry to the track got you in free-very pleasant.Another time a dozen of us camped in the scrub adjoining the carpark inside the track,campfire,BBQ GROG...Ran out of cigarettes about 10 pm-a search of Katoomba found no shop,servo or pub open.The old days were different.

From my perspective as a civil engineer the track is not that "gone" except the slip of fill material just out of Craven A on the run down the hill.It is fixable technically,but politically god knows.Thats 2007 for you.The secret is to never quite close these places or thats it !!!

Easy to say--How would Oran Park be saved for example ?

Easy to say--How would Oran Park be saved for example?

I suggested elsewhere that we could put a dome over the whole short circuit...maybe even build some facilities for the spectators at the same time!!

Catalina Park...two of my hero Mini pedallers - John Leffler, maybe Mal in the ex-Lynn Brown behind...dunno whos in the anglebox.



[photographer unknown - obtained on a visit to Mal Brewsters ]

Just as a further to this I was watching a DVD on Open Wheeler racing in the 50's yesterday. Will Hagon mentioned that Jack Meyers was killed at Catalina. Can anyine shed some light on that one at all??

Thanks

from the CAMS Website....

The late Mr JACK MYERS

(The late) Mr Jack Myers’ contribution to motor sport was through dedicated involvement as a competitor, club administrator and member of the NSW CAMS Board of Management.

His first competition was in 1952 in a first series model Holden sedan. He then progressed to the jointly modified Waggott Myers WM Holden Special twin cam engine race car and finally to the twin Triumph motor cycle-engined race, sprint and hillclimb special. It was in this vehicle that he suffered his fatal race accident while competing at Catalina Park Katoomba NSW in 1962.

As Vice President of the Australian Racing Drivers Club, President of the Vintage Sports Car Club of Australia and member of many other CAMS clubs, his name was a byword for good sportsmanship, unparalleled generosity and unceasing efforts for the betterment of the sport.

His service to motor sport is synonymous with fairness, enthusiasm, foresight and objectivity.

Give my regards to Mal next time you speak to him - it's been a long time....Glad to hear he's still seeing daylight too... That'd be Jesse Griffiths in the Angular wouldn't it..?

Thanks for that. What part of the curcuit did the accident happen at?

David...D.I.Y. next week.... Mal usually does the Driver "track walks"

HSRCA Eastern Creek - 15-16 September 2007

It was before my time, however I feel sure that the Jack Myers crash was somewhere in the vicinity of the pits, probably in the Tunnel of Love...

He was driving his twin-Triumph engined Thunderbird.

Form what I was told by the old-timers, it was Thomas Rich that was killed coming onto the straight and Jack Myers was killed up the back of the track. I have been told that it was the exit of the uphill right hand corner well before Craven-A and I was also told it was on the downhill Castrol Curve well after Craven-A. His car run up the outside bank and rolled onto him.

Thanks - But I'm in Brisbane....hi Mal

There's basically no bank to run up on the way down from Craven A... and the only curve that's named in that area is Bosch...

Jack Myers accident was on the approach to Craven A. I was watching from Craven A.
I am not sure now what instigated it, but I seem to remember he clipped wheels with another car.

Anyone know where Peter and Lois Myers ended up ?