1224 replies to this topic

[Catalina Park]

The tree Tim Mayer hit wasn't that big, as I recall...

© Oldracephotos
 

[ellrosso]

Time to revive the Longford thread......Leo Geoghegan in 1st shot. Dummy grid is Robin Bessant Lotus Cortina, Bruno Carosi ex Jane Jag Mk2, Robin Pare Mustang, Ian Smith Cooper S

Edited by ellrosso, 21 December 2023 - 01:46.

[Ray Bell]

Geoff Smedley in the background of the Leo Geoghegan shot...

 

He was spannering for Leo that weekend.

[SJ Lambert]

Dropped into the Longford Hotel for a wee dram last night - enjoyed the ambience with the Tasman Reports out of The Examiner to absorb throughout!

[ellrosso]

Haven't had a post on Longford for a while......

[ellrosso]

Time for a few more Longford pics......

[malomay]

Thanks once more Lindsay,

 

the clarity of these photos of cars moving at speed is wonderful.

[MarkBisset]

Thanks Lindsay, Mal

 

One's 105 'buried' its nose into the road under hard braking, Hammo's is no exception!

 

Superb shot of Jack shows what a 'prototype' BT23A was for the upcoming, superb, victorious '67 F1 BT24. Engine a 640 rather than definitive 67' 740, but their was still great Tasman testing value in advance of the Grand Prix season.

 

'67 was the only big buck, whole series BRO/Repco Brabham Engines two car attack on the Tasman, that was the year they should have won it. The irony of the RBE 2.5s of course, is that the original purpose for the engine was designed - Tasman 2.5 - didn't meet the mark: no Tasman Cup, only one Tasman round (Longford '67as per the photo above), and no Gold Star either. Four World Championships in 1966-67 was more than adequate compensation...never were four F1 titles bought for  less??

 

m

[Ray Bell]

A part in a Gold Star with Leo Geoghegan, of course, the 39 and 59 each gaining points for him...

 

And a Japan Grand Prix.

 

But it's really interesting that the engine might have been planned for the 2.5-litre formula. This was the shortest stroke version of the engine, or as John McCormack related Phil Irving's words, "Those pistons are only wobbling about in there."

 

The 3-litre's bore/stroke ratio, allied with the rod length/stroke ratio, was more productive than the mix for the 2.5.

[MarkBisset]

Agreed re Leo's Symmons 1970 points, and J.A.F GP win.

 

The Repco 2.5-litre engines had more than enough mumbo to do the job.

 

Repco quotes: they all had the same 3.34/2.16 inch bore/stroke

 

620: 250bhp Phil's design

640: 265bhp @ 9500rpm

740: 275bhp @ 8500rpm

730: 290bhp @ 8600rpm

830: 295bhp @ 9000rpm

 

Why?

 

Tasman:

Jack didn't do the full series in 1966, 1968 and 1969

 

Gold Star

No customer 2.5s in 1966

1967: Martin and Bartlett were mighty fast in BT11As. Leo and Cusack had a Repco win each. Harves BT14 was Repco quick when sorted

1968-69: Bartlett was on another planet to The Rest...simple as that 

1970: Harvey's Jane Repco was a winning car with more reliability. Garrie's 600D Repco was a winning car with a quicker driver.

 

Repco 2.5 V8s, coulda, woulda, shoulda...but sadly didn't as an RBE Cheerleader

[ellrosso]

Slightly off the Longford topic but on the Repco topic, McCormack went the Repco V8 route in his Elfin 600C after trying his old 2.5 Climax four banger from the Brabham at first.

[ellrosso]

A few pics to revive the Longford thread. 1st Viaduct shot is Gene Cook, Darryl Wilcox, maybe Mike McIvor, Graeme Parsons Cortina GT and John Newell at back. 2nd shot into Viaduct braking is taken just before the 1st shot with Graeme Scott Mini Cooper leading John Roxburgh in the works Datsun 1300 SSS

then Cook, Wilcox etc. Barry Cassidy in the brand, spanking new XR Falcon GT 289 can be seen in the background. Alan Ling in the Lotus 23 would have been one of his last outings in the car before handing over the reins to Bruce Gowans - Ling retired from driving in 1968.

Edited by ellrosso, 10 March 2025 - 04:02.

[malomay]

Appropriate weekend to be reviving the thread !

 

Drove up north (NW) over the long weekend. As usual I always point out the remnants of the track to my kids in the car as we drive past.

 

1. Mountford Corner (or approximate location of it)

2. The water-tower

3. The viaduct

and

4. what's left of Tannery Straight.

 

 

regards

 

Mal.

[ellrosso]

Yes Mal, the 60th Anniversary of McLaren's win in the AGP at Longford. Quite a big deal I would have thought but I've seen no mention of it elsewhere. A few pics from that win - some may not have been posted before as the focus is a bit iffy in a couple.

[malomay]

Absolutely.....

 

In honour of that race....this is Dads 8mm movie of that race & some of the drivers.....I love the shared enjoyment on Bruce & Jims faces on the parade lap.

 

https://youtu.be/916Y8yApJXg

 

regards

 

Mal.

 

 

[LittleChris]

Is that the ill fated Rocky Tresise at 24 secs Mal ?

[cooper997]

Correct - Tresise 12 Cooper T62

 

and thanks Mal for posting.the link to your film

 

 

Stephen

[Ray Bell]

Yes, Tresise walking alongside his car to the grid and then getting an absolutely horrible start...

 

Which contributed to his death:

 

The fall of the flag saw the field surge forward almost as one, though Tresise lost ground and dropped several places...

 

...Closing on Scott after his slow start was Tresise, then around Mountford he went for and got first gear for the first time (all weekend). He rocketed out of Mountford and closed the gap rapidly, past the pits he was pulling alongside, but after the grid the track narrowed and Tresise was well to the left.

 

Had I seen that film prior to writing that I would have included the information that after his dreadful start he apparently tried to get out of the way of others, but still baulked Mel McEwin badly. I would also have concluded that he'd taken the start in third gear, believing it to be in first, but that would be guesswork, he might have been in second because he couldn't get into first.

 

Thanks for the link, Mal, very helpful.

[MarkBisset]

Great footage Mal, many thanks.

 

And yep, a poor start indeed...and the rest as Ray said followed.

 

This footage on Sandown and Longford '65 followed on from your link: https://youtu.be/D2A...1NNp_Efg3zyydzx

 

m

[malomay]

So, I've been wondering something for a while, and although I'm sure this information is probably somewhere on this thread, if not the forum, I can't find the exact information I'm interested in.

 

Before I ask, please know that it is not for any macabre reason, but maybe just to get a tiny insight into my Dads experience that day. What I'm wondering is how far along that start - finish straight did the Tresise accident occur ?

 

Dad told me that he saw the crash from his seating position that day in the above Pit grandstand. But how far away it would have been for him, I've never really known.....and I certainly didn't ask him for details.

 

regards

Mal.

[Ray Bell]

A fair way, Mal, but it would have been very visible...

 

Tresise got into trouble when the road narrowed past the start/finish line then went through the wire fence and started tumbling.

 

Imagine where a photographer would be standing to photograph the cars coming through past the control tower, probably with a fairly decent lens. That's where Ray Simpson and Robin d'Abrera were, about half-way between the wire fences, ie. the fence at the road's extremity and the spectator fence.

 

I've changed my mind about Tresise's start, by the way. In the photo of the start used in the AGP book it's clear that Tresise has broken traction with one rear wheel, so it would seem that he took off in first and then muffed the change into second gear. Check his progress with that pic and 'stills' I've taken from your father's film:]

 

 

 

 

[malomay]

Thank you Ray, so after the overpass bridge then ?

 

regards

[Ray Bell]

Yes, that is where the track narrows...

 

At about 45s in your clip you can just see a couple of white figures in that no-man's land maybe 50 metres past the bridge, that might well be them. But somewhere near that point.

[Ray Bell]

This pic from the AGP book might also help...

 

[malomay]

Thank you.

 

By the way, in a sad bit of irony, a very good mate of mine grew up in Bracknell, near Longford.......& was one of the group of young schoolkids that were watching practice from behind a wire fence on the Friday of the 1964 event.

 

He still shudders to think what might have happened if the tree hadn't been there when Timmy Mayer lost control.