45 replies to this topic

[DJH]

I'm thinking back and recalling Easters at Bathurst .

Two days of motorcycles and two days of cars .

What a terrific era that was .

[Ray Bell]

Absolutely...

One of the major events of every year.

And it's only 45 years since they stopped it. Mind you, my nephew is there this weekend tending someone's car, there's a 6-hour race on with a bunch of supporting events.

[LittleChris]

Easter Mondays at Thruxton. F2 during its prime time. 

[GMACKIE]

Certainly my favorite circuit...especially 'The Esses' [Easter, 1963]:-

[Stinky]

Hi Guys;

Yes some very pleasant memories.

We used to go for the whole weekend.

Watch the bikes on Friday and Saturday and officiate for the cars Sunday and Monday.

Quite a few ales around the campfire in Flaggies Corner and the sing songs that followed.

As the night wore on and the turps took effect the songs as you would guess became ruder and ruder!!

A few not so pleasant memories though.

Being involved in both the Bevan Gibson and Tom Sulman  incidents took the shine off consecutive Easters

But yes, on the whole a heap of great memories.

Cheers.

Roger.

[E1pix]

Certainly my favorite circuit...especially 'The Esses' [Easter, 1963]:-

How come you're running a smaller wheel and tire on the left-front? ;-)

[timbo]

Although I am too young to remember the combined bike/car meeting at Bathurst over Easter (honest), I was there for the last motorcycling only meeting in 2000, which was a brilliant event, but due to circumstances (reneging on deals etc), was a major financial disaster. Such is a pity, but given the so called improvements to the circuit over the years (concrete walls), I wouldn't like to ride a bike around there at speed. Hopefully the proposed second circuit at Bathurst will address the motorcycle safety issues, and racing can continue. I just hope the new track is good enough to avoid people saying "It's just not the same as the real Bathurst".

Edited by timbo, 15 April 2017 - 06:37.

[john winfield]

Like Chris, Thruxton F2 was the Easter treat for us.

Rindt, obviously, Bill Ivy, Ronnie Peterson etc. If only Mike Beuttler and Gerry Birrell had avoided contact in 1973. And Jabouille, driving that beautiful yellow Elf, nearly caught Flammini in 1976....I can still see his airbox in the distance, pirouetting out at Church.

Good Memories. Happy Easter! 

 

(And do you remember those Easters when we used to discuss great Easter motor racing from the past?  Ah, happy days...)

Edited by john winfield, 15 April 2017 - 07:06.

[GazChed]

Although I also have many happy memories of Easter Monday Formula 2 meetings at Thruxton , let us not forget that this Thursday marks the 25th anniversary of the tragic death of Marcel Albers during the 1992 Easter Monday Formula 3 race .

On a happier note , wandering through the paddock after the 1977 Formula 2 meeting and witnessing a very low speed collision between the Formula 2 winning Boxer of Brian Henton and the Ferrari - Porsche Challenge winning Ferrari 312P as both were being pushed through the paddock .

[Stephen W]

One year I attended the Good Friday Oulton Park meeting and headed South to take in the Thruxton Easter Monday F2. In future years I dropped the Oulton Park bash in favour of 2 days at Thruxton and some wandering round Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.

 

I remember chatting to a certain Autosprout photographer whose Easter timetable featured Good Friday Oulton, Easter Saturday & Easter Monday at Thruxton - also I think on the Sunday he went to Snetterton!

[Porsche718]

Certainly my favorite circuit...especially 'The Esses' [Easter, 1963]:-

 

 

How come you're running a smaller wheel and tire on the left-front? ;-)

 

Nah!!!   Greg just wanted to save money on tyre wear.

 

Love the "boost" gauge sticking out the bonnet. Wait a minute! Intercooler in the cool mountain air? No wonder you were ahead of the Val. Sic

Edited by Porsche718, 15 April 2017 - 08:30.

[bill p]

Good Friday F5000 from Oulton Park and Easter Monday Thruxton F2

 

Both on TV, those were the days........

Edited by bill p, 15 April 2017 - 09:06.

[Michael Ferner]

GB vs. US Match Races in England!

[Rob Miller]

Easter in Natal for us in the late '50s and mid '60s was the time of the Six Hour Race at the Roy Hesketh circuit in Pietermaritzburg.  We would park under the trees on the inside of Quarry Curve, from where you could see about one third of the circuit from Henry's Knee on the Durban Straight, down the hill to the fairly sharp left-hander Quarry, out along  the Pietermaritzburg Straight and a short bit later in the lap where the cars went up the hill. If you stood next to the fence on the middle of the curve you could look down into cockpits of the open cars and watch the drivers at work a matter of ten or so feet away.

 

Better than television.

[Lee Nicolle]

As a South Aussie Easter was for decades the historic Race Meet, most of that period run by Austin 7Club SA. For quite a while at AIR and Later at Mallala.

An event I have flagged at, spectated at but never raced at? Now on the Anzac weekend as some interlopers in the Eastern states stole the date!.and I have spectated and competed at that date. And helprun a Mallock too!

[Ray Bell]

Mallala, Lee?

I seem to recall that it was a traditional date there. As it was at Hume Weir, and for a while at Phillip Island. With four days, some would compete at a couple, or spectate at a couple for that matter.

I recall that Peter Brock had been racing at Hume Weir before trekking to Bathurst and witnessing the death of Bevan Gibson.

[GMACKIE]

Nah!!!   Greg just wanted to save money on tyre wear.

 

Love the "boost" gauge sticking out the bonnet. Wait a minute! Intercooler in the cool mountain air? No wonder you were ahead of the Val. Sic

Not sure what you think is the "boost gauge" 718, but VWs didn't even have a fuel gauge back then. No tacho either...I just listened for the cooling fan's whistle.   

 

As well as the heads & cylinders being air-cooled, so was the oil - via the big 'radiator' near the L/H headlight.

 

The Valiant was much faster down Con-rod, and when Des Leonard went past, I tucked in behind and got a good 'tow'. The Beetle clocked 102MPH ! At around the 300 yard marker, the Valiant's brake lights would come on, and I would pass him under brakes. The VW drum brakes [stock, apart from Ferodo linings] would pull up from just past the 100 yard marker.

[fredeuce]

Mallala, Lee?

I seem to recall that it was a traditional date there. As it was at Hume Weir, and for a while at Phillip Island. With four days, some would compete at a couple, or spectate at a couple for that matter.

I recall that Peter Brock had been racing at Hume Weir before trekking to Bathurst and witnessing the death of Bevan Gibson.

Ray,
That is right. The Easter weekend back in the 1960's was traditionally a big motor racing weekend here in SA. There was the hillclimb at Collingrove on Saturday , then the races for cars and bikes at Mallala on the Monday. First of these for me was 1962 ,so I am told. I was a 5 yr. old at the time however attended many of those meetings after that before the venue closed in Dec 1971.  The Historic Races at Mallala on the Easter weekend came along later as described by Lee. 
 
The picture attached ,by Stewart Percival , depicts a view I remember well as we always parked close to the start finish line perhaps 60-80 metres past this point . Even back then there were categories for the vintage racers as this picture depicts. Question . Who are the pilots of these cars? The first appears to  be a six cylinder but can take that one no further. The second appears to be a Bugatti . It appears to be a handicap event. Anyone with a programme from back in the early to mid 60's? The crowds back then were very big as you can gauge from this picture. I also query if this was taken in the first year of Mallala when the long version of the circuit was used? Looking at the cars off in the background suggests this might be so.
 

Edited by fredeuce, 16 April 2017 - 01:47.

[Porsche718]

The Valiant was much faster down Con-rod, and when Des Leonard went past, I tucked in behind and got a good 'tow'. The Beetle clocked 102MPH ! At around the 300 yard marker, the Valiant's brake lights would come on, and I would pass him under brakes. The VW drum brakes [stock, apart from Ferodo linings] would pull up from just past the 100 yard marker.

 

Without going to my RCN's I wasn't sure wether it was Des Leonard or one of Alton Boddenberg;s early cars. I used to work for Leonard's Mufflers at Brookvale. Didn't Des have 6 Amals on the Valiant at one stage?

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by fredeuce
.....The picture attached ,by Stewart Percival , depicts a view I remember well as we always parked close to the start finish line perhaps 60-80 metres past this point . Even back then there were categories for the vintage racers as this picture depicts. Question . Who are the pilots of these cars? The first appears to  be a six cylinder but can take that one no further. The second appears to be a Bugatti . It appears to be a handicap event. Anyone with a programme from back in the early to mid 60's? The crowds back then were very big as you can gauge from this picture. I also query if this was taken in the first year of Mallala when the long version of the circuit was used? Looking at the cars off in the background suggests this might be so.
 

It looks to me like the Bugatti is no longer Bugatti-powered, too. Maybe a Holden?

Is the Wilcox Dodge a possibility for the first car? Though I think that was also Ford-powered in the latter stages.

[GMACKIE]

Could well be John Cummins in the Bugatti Holden.

[cooper997]

Ray,
That is right. The Easter weekend back in the 1960's was traditionally a big motor racing weekend here in SA. There was the hillclimb at Collingrove on Saturday , then the races for cars and bikes at Mallala on the Monday. First of these for me was 1962 ,so I am told. I was a 5 yr. old at the time however attended many of those meetings after that before the venue closed in Dec 1971.  The Historic Races at Mallala on the Easter weekend came along later as described by Lee. 
 
The picture attached ,by Stewart Percival , depicts a view I remember well as we always parked close to the start finish line perhaps 60-80 metres past this point . Even back then there were categories for the vintage racers as this picture depicts. Question . Who are the pilots of these cars? The first appears to  be a six cylinder but can take that one no further. The second appears to be a Bugatti . It appears to be a handicap event. Anyone with a programme from back in the early to mid 60's? The crowds back then were very big as you can gauge from this picture. I also query if this was taken in the first year of Mallala when the long version of the circuit was used? Looking at the cars off in the background suggests this might be so.
 

 

Looking at the front car and I started thinking MG K3.

 

A bit of a ferret and I've found the Easter 1963 Mallala ATCC meeting with a vintage handicap race.

With entrant 'V8' Silver & Killicoat ((T M Bradey) MG/K3 s/c 1086 Blue 0.10 and 'V6' S R Anderson Bugatti T35C 1990 Blue s/c scratch.

 

So Tom and Stuart, if I'm on the right track with christian names and if the Easter 63 meeting fits the bill.

 

Stephen

[bill p]

......Better than television.

When you are 15 years old and live some hundreds of miles from Oulton Park and Thruxton never mind Natal, a TV has to suffice.......

[john winfield]

When you are 15 years old and live some hundreds of miles from Oulton Park and Thruxton never mind Natal, a TV has to suffice.......

 

Bill, living a bit nearer to the circuits, I was at both of those meetings in 1969. Was that first UK F5000 meeting televised, or are you referring to sometime in the 1970s? I've been told that the BBC often used to show the Easter Monday F2 at Thruxton, but I have no memory of it as I was almost always there.

[bill p]

Bill, living a bit nearer to the circuits, I was at both of those meetings in 1969. Was that first UK F5000 meeting televised, or are you referring to sometime in the 1970s? I've been told that the BBC often used to show the Easter Monday F2 at Thruxton, but I have no memory of it as I was almost always there.

John, it was 1969 with the first season of F5000 which was on ITV for the Good Friday race and Brands Hatch on Easter Monday (I think!).

The F2 was on BBC and the special attraction for us Northern Irish folk was John Watson's debut in the Team Ireland Lotus 48 which went very well reaching 5th in the final from 18th on the grid before an accident ended his race.....

Edited by bill p, 16 April 2017 - 14:07.

[john winfield]

Thanks Bill. Yes I do remember seeing John Watson there but, only being eleven at the time, I won't have appreciated how big a deal it was for him racing over in England that Easter Monday. It wasn't until the Motor Sport  'Lunch with...JW' in 2009 that I fully understood. 

[retriever]

Thruxton Easter 1971. A 42 year old with once broken legs wins the F2 race.

[LittleChris]

Thruxton Easter 1971. A 42 year old with once broken legs wins the F2 race.

Remember it well from watching it live on the BBC, I think it was Jeremy Williamson that blocked Ronnie allowing Graham to nip by up Woodham Hill wasn't it ?

1973 was my first trip to Thruxton for the F2 meeting as an 11 year old

[Lee Nicolle]

Looking at the front car and I started thinking MG K3.

 

A bit of a ferret and I've found the Easter 1963 Mallala ATCC meeting with a vintage handicap race.

With entrant 'V8' Silver & Killicoat ((T M Bradey) MG/K3 s/c 1086 Blue 0.10 and 'V6' S R Anderson Bugatti T35C 1990 Blue s/c scratch.

 

So Tom and Stuart, if I'm on the right track with christian names and if the Easter 63 meeting fits the bill.

 

Stephen

And I was quoting late 70s and 80s. One Easter was so hot I drank the Esky dry before Lunch, water, beer, soft drink and Ice. I was NOT a  competitor. But H O T with a  northerly.

And another about 10 deg max.

[fredeuce]

Looking at the front car and I started thinking MG K3.

 

A bit of a ferret and I've found the Easter 1963 Mallala ATCC meeting with a vintage handicap race.

With entrant 'V8' Silver & Killicoat ((T M Bradey) MG/K3 s/c 1086 Blue 0.10 and 'V6' S R Anderson Bugatti T35C 1990 Blue s/c scratch.

 

So Tom and Stuart, if I'm on the right track with christian names and if the Easter 63 meeting fits the bill.

 

Stephen

Stephen,

Thanks for identifying the cars, pilots and the meeting. That means that the long track was no longer in use but despite that there are cars parked some way north of the track. Clearly a very large crowd in attendance. 

[cooper997]

Fredeuce, if you have access to any other photos likely to be of this meeting then it will help confirm or deny my finds. Unless John Medley or others can help?

 

Other cars entered in the handicap include various Alfa, Alvis, Amilcar, Austin Seven,,Bentley &, Frazer-Nash,

 

Of course the running of annual South Australian Easter race meetings go back in the Port Wakefield matched with Collingrove days too.

 

Stephen

[chunder27]

Transatlantic Trophy, one of the best race series ever conceived!

[pete53]

If you couldn't get to a circuit, you could usually rely on BBC or ITV to provide live broadcasts from selected Easter meetings in the UK during the 60s. I particularly recall seeing coverage of the Good Friday meet at Snetterton 1967 when the new 1600 F2 made its first appearance  in the UK, and also the Oulton Park meet on the same day (presumably one was courtesy of ITV and the other the BBC) . The following year I remember seeing the Good Friday races from Oulton Park featuring F3 and Sports Cars and I think Thruxton on the Monday. Indeed I believe the Easter Monday Thruxton F2 event was a regular TV fixture for a number of years.

[DogEarred]

Back in the mid & late 80s, Zandvoort (before it was emaciated) used to hold their (Pinkster?) Easter meeting.

 

Always a great seaside atmosphere, with F3, FF1600/2000 & saloonies.

[D-Type]

As I was growing up in Kenya, to me Easter meant just one thing - The Safari

[Cavalier53]

From somewhere in the 60's, there were both Paas (Easter) and Pinkster (Whitsun) races on the Monday at Zandvoort, usually with all national classes.
 
Once in the early 70's, the complete track was covered in light coat of snow on arrival for practice Saturday morning for the Paasraces. The program was slightly delayed - all non-racing cars were called to drive the track to speed up the thawing of the snow.
 
PS: I just checked: those were the openingraces organized prior to the Paasraces in '72: http://touringcarrac...ningsraces.html

[Dick Dastardly]

Good Friday 1971....a family outing to Oulton Park to see the non-championship F1 race, arrived just as Rodriguez, Gethin & Sir JYS etc thundered under the Bailey Bridge on lap 1.

Don't know if it was shown on TV or not..

3 days later, on Easter Monday, I did a solo trip by bus to Croft to watch the club meeting.... 

[john aston]

Oddly enough I am just writing about that very meeting; marshalling at Deer Leap and my fist sight of an F1 car was JYS , sideways out of Lodge, followed by Pedro's screaming BRM . What a day - thin entry  perhaps but few things since have matched the sheer thrill of seeing that Tyrell just feet away . And I am pretty sure I was at Croft too   

[cooper997]

DCN's take on 'Bygone Easters' at Goodwood.

https://www.goodwood...ings-1949-1966/

 

Stephen

[john aston]

And checking a Croft programme for 1970 season earlier today I note that I saw Messrs H Postlethwaite and P Head in the Clubmans race- did they ever move on to greater things I wonder...? 

[2F-001]

Easter 1969 was quite a big weekend in the UK, with the launch of F5000 here giving us two meetings: Oulton on the Friday and another (I forget where) on the Monday(?). The Oulton one at least was televised.

Edited by 2F-001, 20 April 2017 - 17:06.

[Tim Murray]

The Easter Monday race was at Brands:

http://www.oldracing...php?RaceID=E69B

[bill p]

Easter 1969 was quite a big weekend in the UK, with the launch of F5000 here giving us two meetings: Oulton on the Friday and another (I forget where) on the Monday(?). The Oulton one at least was televised.

See Post #25

[2F-001]

Apologies Bill; I read through the thread and missed that!

[Ristin]

Not sure what you think is the "boost gauge" 718, but VWs didn't even have a fuel gauge back then. No tacho either...I just listened for the cooling fan's whistle. 

In that picture I did also notice an outboard mounted rev counter. But as you say there was none, I had a closer look and I think its just a combination of the wiper base and a reflection on the pasenger seat. Perfect optical illusion...

[bill p]

Apologies Bill; I read through the thread and missed that!

Tony
No problem
Bill

PS. O/T - you should have a Chaparral avatar!!

Edited by bill p, 21 April 2017 - 17:02.