Public F1 Promo Display: Noarlunga, Adelaide

After another public F1 display last weekend and a few news sites proclaiming this to be a new 'trend', I was able to recall one that occured in Adelaide some time during the 1980s.

Where better to ask but TNF?

Obviously it was around the time before the Adelaide F1 GP in Adelaide. I cannot recall the year or the driver, but my memory tells me it was a Brabham of the turbo derivative (BMW). There may have been more than one car but my memory is too hazy.

I also remember the car driving around the public streets with just a strip of bunting keeping the crowds at bay.

Can you tell me more about this event and any others that occured during the Adelaide years?

I can't remember who was at the Noarlunga demo, but I do remember a spectator being injured by a speedway sprint car that went out of control

There were also a couple of demos in the north eastern suburbs.

One of them was held immediately prior to the opening of McIntyre Road (Modbury), and involved a Brabham. David Brabham was supposed to drive the car, but for a reason I can't remember now, he could not make it, and none other than current V8 Supercar driver Mark Skaife drove the car ?! Anyone familiar with the condition of McIntyre Road now would hardly believe that it was once smooth enough for an F1 car to use at speed

There was also a display in the car park of the Tea Tree Plaza Shopping Centre, and I think it was Martin Brundle who took part in that one.

One year, they also had a "family day" at Victoria Park racecouse on the day of the Japanese Grand Prix, where in addition to other activities and demos, you could sit in the Grand stands on Pit Straight and watch the running of the Japanese GP on the superscreens. That was the really wet race in Japan, where results were determined on aggregrate times.

It was also damned cold in the stands too IIRC as a change has swept in during the day.

I don't recall that Modbury event. Are you sure that the Noarlunga one occured and that I don't have them mixed up?

I do recall the Japanese GP show. They had already assembled the stands and screens before the Aus GP.

And such events as RSPCA dog walk down pit straight. What odd things we used to do at our GP track!

Originally posted by zac510
I don't recall that Modbury event. Are you sure that the Noarlunga one occured and that I don't have them mixed up?

The first of these displays was the one at Tea Tree Plaza and the following year was the one McIntyre Road.

The Noarlunga one was the last of these events held a couple of years later, and IIRC, it was just at just about the end of the run of GPs in Adelaide

Maybe it was later than I remember. It must have been the year that David Brabham drove for the team of his father's name, so 1990. Skaife was a regular in the Australian motorsport scene by then too but was driving the Skyline GT-R, not a V8.

I actually took some photos of that event. Would have been around 1993 (?). If any are interested keep an eye on my smug mug account at jonpanoff.smugmug.com 

I will be putting up some photos on the event (under rare and exclusive photos) and you can also buy some prints if you feel inclined. The first one up is of Eddie Irvine who drove a Sasol sponsored car around Noarlunga. I also have rare pics of Mark Skaife Taking an F1 car of a spin around the back streets of Noarlunga as well... And also Michael Schumaker made an appearance at Benneton at Burnside so have some pics of him when he drove for Bennetton. These photos have never been published. Stay tuned and hope you enjoy them..

 

The Collonades [Noarlunga] displays happened for about 3 years from memory.

I cannot remember which car or who drove the F1 in attendance but I do remember the accident.

 

The course had been set up wrong, the corners had waterfilled barriers set up for cars that turned right, not left as the Speedway cars do. a big Ooops. The course was a small undulating block similar to a metro block and probably about a mile all up. With 4 90 degree corners

 

I was at the drivers briefing as an interested onlooker. There was Sprinters, a Super Sedan, Formula 500s plus road race cars of several styles, off road racers, Bash cars and more. The drivers were told to 'put on a display' though to be sensible. I had been asked if i wished to partake but my [road race] car was in bits at the time.

 

Most drivers were playing too the crowd, Sprinters wheelstanding, Bash cars sliding around & etc Plenty of noise and motion.

The car involved, a Formula 500 driven by Ian O'daniel whom I know came down from a small elevation and as he turned in it 'bicycled' [up on two wheels] he pulled it down as is the natural reaction and in effect went into the crowd at about a 45 degree angle. IF the barriers had been where they should have been he would have hit the barrier and no injuries would have occured, as it was it was there was that red stringy net fencing that was all that was between the crowd and the car.. Only about 2 metres from the kerb. The car was running too low a tyre pressure, the walls were wrinkling as they do cold with those tyres. I had told him to pump them up [lot more grip on bitumen] but I cannot remember it happening.

Really he was not driving stupidly, putting on a display was all and it was a very unfortunate accident.

 

The ensuing court case cost him a lot of money and also made a few respected people make dicks of them selves as  so called proffesional witnesses. Mainly to do with the fact that like most of those cars it had an offset [to the right]  engine and the driver sat to the left of it. They could not understand that the driver is a good deal heavier than the engine!

 

That was the last of those displays which was a pity because they were great community events. Intended as good publicity for the Shopping Centre as a free event.

I know there was similar in other areas of the metro but I never attended them. And after that I feel sure they never happened either.

Edited by Lee Nicolle, 21 May 2015 - 00:52.

Maybe it was later than I remember. It must have been the year that David Brabham drove for the team of his father's name, so 1990. Skaife was a regular in the Australian motorsport scene by then too but was driving the Skyline GT-R, not a V8.

Skaife was also a Formula Holden driver, in fact he won that championship at least once.

Hi Lee

 

I remember doing that demo in 1991, If I remember correctly the Brabham was driven by

David Brabham,      Mike Drewer and my self drove F2 Cheetahs and there were a few other cars I do not remember.

I do remember however how dangerous it was driving around virtually public roads with bunting and spectators

right on the edge, stone cold tyres, high kerbs and 90 degree corners.

Originally posted by Karen Hyland
.....One year, they also had a "family day" at Victoria Park racecouse on the day of the Japanese Grand Prix, where in addition to other activities and demos, you could sit in the Grand stands on Pit Straight and watch the running of the Japanese GP on the superscreens. That was the really wet race in Japan, where results were determined on aggregrate times.

It was also damned cold in the stands too IIRC as a change has swept in during the day.

1976, incredibly enough...

It would be another six years before we got regular telecasts of F1 events in Australia, this was a one-off.

1976, incredibly enough...

It would be another six years before we got regular telecasts of F1 events in Australia, this was a one-off.

The Japanese GP at the Adelaide GP site happened a few times I believe.

I never attended.

That was the really wet race in Japan, where results were determined on aggregrate times.

That would make it 1994.

Whoops... I got the wrong Japan GP there...