10 replies to this topic

[TerryS]

Yesterday (Easter Sunday) I went out to Towac Park in Orange (Central west NSW)to watch the CAMEL RACES. A great day.

There was no betting as the camels don't have form, but there were sweeps available. About 10 camels in each race, and eight races There were thousands of people there.

The reason for raising it here is that the last time I attended in the mid 60's there was motor racing there. There was a track completely inside the horse race tracks.

The bitumen can still be seen after all these years. The meeting was organised by the Orange Light Car Club, which had previously run Gnoo Blas.

Originally the track had kink or "dimple" on the back straight to go into the infield and add length. I understand this was eliminated at the end of 1964 as it caused some spectacular roll overs entering and leaving

See this photo where bitumen clear:

https://www.google.c...f=1555906072320

Most of the top NSW drivers competed there but no National championships held. There were 4 or 5 races for each class, and a real action packed day. Real value for money. They were real fun days, and not as "pukka" as Warwick Farm. They seemed to receive little publicity in Racing Car News, which never seemed to like grass roots racing.

One of the stars was Max Stewart in his Rennmax Ford 1100 and his Triumph 2000.He was the Orange dealer for Australian Motor Industries (Toyota and Triumph).

The lap record holder prior to the kink being eliminated was Leo Geoghegan in his Lotus 22.

The circuit closed in about 1967 as I understand it due to lobbying by the Mayor of Bathurst with state politicians. He wanted no competition for his beloved Mount Panorama. He had previously done the same with Gnoo Blas. That admittedly was on public roads, whereas Towac completely inside the race course and far from housing (even today).

Many drivers started their careers here or enhanced their skills. I would love to hear from drivers who competed at Towac, both about their adventures and the camaraderie in a country town on race night. This circuit almost feels forgotten.

Anyway I can now cross "watching camel races" off my bucket list.

Edited by TerryS, 22 April 2019 - 05:16.

[Ray Bell]

I also went there, just once, in the mid-sixties...

The commitment the Orange Light Car Club had to Total was the reason the circuit existed. They had signed a contract with Total for a number of years of signage etc in return for Total paying for the timber fencing required at Gnoo Blas when the Speedways Act came in.

When Gnoo Blas was no longer possible, they did the deal to use the Towac infield and Total were appeased.

I don't think RCN downplayed it at all. At least they carried race reports on every meeting.

[ed holly]

Towac must have been pretty popular with the mid - 60's racers......3 of the cars I have ran there - Lotus 20; 20-J-960 24/5/64 with Terry Rogers - Lotus Seven SB1938 28/2/65 with Ron Mason - Lotus Eleven chassis 538 22/5/66 with John Partridge. 3 other cars I have owned 2 of which ran at the same meeting under Mildren's were Elfin Catalina chassis 625 with Ralph Sach and Brabham BT6 FJ-9-63 with Charlie Smith on the 27/5/64. the third was Lotus 20 20-J-908 which ran there 2/2/64 with Keith Wightley.

 

So it must have been a very popular place with the amateur competitor, given that so many of these cars ran there. 

 

As far as I can ascertain the Lotus Seven SB1938 actually debuted there with Ron Mason. The car  arrived ex factory at Geoghegan's with a twincam in the engine bay and is reported as the only S2 Seven to leave the factory with one - but the car debuted as a Super Seven 1500 - the twincam engine going into Glyn Scott's Lotus 27. Does anyone remember Ron, I have scant info on him.

Edited by ed holly, 22 April 2019 - 22:08.

[Ray Bell]

Kel Munyard might know where he came from, seeing as it seems he bought the car from Mason...

I can probably find the links to Munyard if you need them.

[Paul Hamilton]

I ran at two Towac meetings in 1965 in my MG TC sharing the car with my friend Brian Trinder.  As I recall it was a bit crude and rude but a lot of fun. The infield area of the circuit broke up quite badly at the last meeting I drove at late in 1965 which may have contributed to the ultimate demise of the circuit although I guess Amaroo Park was coming on stream in '66 and '67 which would not have helped prospects at Orange. 

 

Our Team Partyhouse group camped in the pit area which was a pretty wild place on Saturday night.  One of my memories of the place is an incident on Sunday morning when one of the previous nights party crowd with a rather sore head objected to my disturbing the peace by starting up the MG.  My reluctance to comply with the request for silence was solved for a time when the protestor selected a suitably sized potatoe and hammered it firmly up the MG exhaust pipe!! 

[TerryS]

Disappointing that so little response from guys who competed there!

Have they all passed on

[Wirra]

I have a story from around mid 60s that may be related to this OP comment;

 

"Originally the track had kink or "dimple" on the back straight to go into the infield and add length. I understand this was eliminated at the end of 1964 as it caused some spectacular roll overs entering and leaving."

 

My brother was a member of the Sydney Tech College Car Club (Brian Lawler et al) and he was competing in an Open meeting his FIAT 1100, he normally ran in the then popular Club meetings. He had organised to trailer the car to Orange behind Dad's FE wagon. During the meeting the FIAT tripped and fell on its side but another STCC member, Brian 'Shorty' McGrath (sp?), rolled his Renault R8 (?) so my brother drove the FIAT home while the Renault came back on the trailer. Well... it was exciting stuff back then.

 

Brian later and rather spectacularly rolled a Renault something like 5-6 times, in front of the TV cameras, at Forrest's Elbow during a Bathurst 500. I think it's on YouTube in a highlights video.

 

(edit)See around 45 sec mark

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=hz_jVjdMv8Y

Edited by Wirra, 25 April 2019 - 00:53.

[Catalina Park]

The bitumen track that follows the inside of the current horse track isn't actually the racing circuit. The northern half follows a similar line but the southern half is in a different location.

[chatswood47]

As a young lad living down the road in Bathurst and with a family very keen on motor sport I well remember attending each of the handful of meetings at Towac. 

 

It attracted a number of country competitors with a good representation from the local Orange/Bathurst area.

For a while it attracted similar fields to those at Catalina but unfortunately the surface tended to break up regularly which put a number off as most were already running on shoestring budgets and could not afford the repairs.

[oldmoxo]

I had my first race at Towac in 1965, I think and I have some undated pics. I drove my mate's FJ with a Joel Wakely motor. Finished nowhere, of course. Can I post pics to this thread?

[Ray Bell]

Sure, you can post pics an any thread...

Use Postimage.