12 replies to this topic

[normbeechey]

I have been sent a home movie of a six hour race at Mt Panorama 30/9/62.

I noticed that this race meeting isn’t covered in the “Bathurst Bible”, John Medley's "Bathurst - Cradle of Australian Motor Racing". I just can’t believe this is so!!!??? Or am I going blind…

Would John or anyone else be able help with this mystery? Would anyone know the results?

The race was an interesting mix of sports cars and saloon cars. Ian and Leo Geoghegan looked to be setting the pace in a black Total Team Daimler SP250 - car number 52F. Other cars are a Morgan #45(EorF?), a couple Triumphs #46F and #47F, MGA’s #49F and #50F, Citroen #34D, red XK/XL Falcon #29C, a Studebaker Lark or two and many others.

I think it was the Falcon that rolled at Hell corner and was promptly dragged off the circuit, still on its roof, by an early (Toyota?) 4WD!!!

I eventually hope to place video clips of this meeting and others on my web site in the future.

Thanks,
Chris Meaden
www.MotorsportArchive.com

[john medley]

Chris
The intention of the Bathurst book was to attempt to redress the balance so that Bathurst's considerable history as THE centre of Australian Formule Libre racing was both recorded and detailed . For years leading up to its publication an emphasis on modern "Touring" cars had so overwhelmed this honourable history that it appeared that few knew of Bathurst's past history - to the extent, for example that history quiz questions asking " when was Bathurst's first race" intended the answer to be the first Touring Car long distance race. So the intent of the book was to display that Formule Libre history and to not further promote the Touring Car races generally well covered by the usual Bathurst Annuals and " The Great Race".
That said, I can not only provide you and your very interesting site with results but also a programme if you are interested.

[normbeechey]

John,

Thank you very much for your reply and your nice remarks about my web site. I understand that you wanted to move the focus away from the Bathurst 500/1000 race meetings with your fine publication.

I thought that the 6 Hour race would not be considered part of the 500/1000 line of races and assumed (incorrectly?) that there were other non-touring car events on the program that weekend and therefore may have qualified for your amazingly comprehensive book. I can see why you quite rightly excluded it from “The Bible”, given that the 6 Hour was therefore very much a precursor to the 500/1000 races.

I suppose if I had of been lucky enough to have been born a few years earlier I would have known more about it.

I intend to include video clips from the 6 Hour on the web site and I am intending to include captions or do a voiceover to identify the competitors for viewers, so the help you have offered would very much be appreciated as a list of competitors and race results would help very much.

There is also footage from Catalina Park’s first race meeting - 12/2/61, Hume Weir - 22/12/60 and 10/6/62. Also the Bathurst 100 meeting 23/4/62.

I will try to send you my contact details in a private email/message via this web site. Failing that, there is a contact email address is listed at the bottom of each page of may web site (I am a bit nervous about publishing it here as it may increase the large amount of junk mail I already receive).

Many thanks,
Chris Meaden.

[normbeechey]

John Medley, I am not sure if you received the private message that I sent you thanking you for sending the copy of the Bathurst 6 hour program and reports, but I will thank here once again as I very much appreciated the effort you went to.

I have completed the voiceover for the film and the first video clip is now on the web site for you to view. It is on the new “Film page” page of the web site.

I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks again,
Chris.

[Ray Bell]

I missed this thread first time round... somehow...

And I also missed the 6-hour race at Bathurst, the last October Bathurst I missed before commencing my twice-annual pilgrimage to the hallowed Mountain.

I would have to say that the lineage of the present day 1000km race takes two paths prior to 1963... the Armstrong 500 at Phillip Island and the 6-hour in question. There is no question in my mind that the 1962 6-hour would have been repeated had it not been for the Armstrong 500 needing a new home.

I wonder what difference it would have made to the car-buying public had the 6-hour continued in the mixed sports and touring car format?

Well, in all probability, none. The ARDC would never have had it televised, it would have remained just another Bathurst race meeting hidden from the public, unlike the Armstrong, a part of the arrangement for that event being that live telecast of the event was required by the sponsors.

[Bruce Moxon]

Chris

I have a box of photos you're welcome to put on your site - mostly late 70s - early 80s and not just top level meetings - I used to go to the NSWRRC and AARC meetings at Oran Park and Amaroo Park respectively. And I never even got out of bed without a camera

Oh, God, what have I said? Did I just imply that I took a camera to bed? 'Cause I didn't - that would be so wrong, wouldn't it?

Anyway, I have pictures of cars! Are you in Sydney? Becuase postage would be a killer.


Bruce Moxon

brucemoxon@aol.com

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by Bruce Moxon
Chris

I have a box of photos you're welcome to put on your site - mostly late 70s - early 80s and not just top level meetings - I used to go to the NSWRRC and AARC meetings at Oran Park and Amaroo Park respectively. And I never even got out of bed without a camera

Oh, God, what have I said? Did I just imply that I took a camera to bed? 'Cause I didn't - that would be so wrong, wouldn't it?

Anyway, I have pictures of cars! Are you in Sydney? Becuase postage would be a killer.


Bruce Moxon brucemoxon@aol.com

Bruce, do not (repeat) post your precious photos - just asking for Australia Post to do their best and lose the lot. Arrange to have them scanned (not professionally - too costly - someone will come out of the woodwork in Sydney) ..Cheers, Mick

As for you taking a camera to bed....first thing I though of was what Lens? Macro??

[Bruce Moxon]

Well, I'd like to say a wide angle - hell, a fish-eye - but one never knows when a old GF will be around!!!!

But no, the macro was never necessary, either.




I do have a scanner, but frankly not the time nor the inclination to do it all myself. I figured I'd let Chris see what I have and be selective. PHOTOS PEOPLE - geez, talk about your one-track gutters.




BM

[Ray Bell]

Slides or prints, Bruce?

I'd offer to scan them in a long term project... scan in low and high resolution and put them on CDs... one for the website, one for you, one for me and one for Chevron.

[Bruce Moxon]

Both - mostly prints but some trannies.

Chevron? Hmmm - OK.

Dad has a negative and slide scanner too - but it's pretty labour-intensive.

Anyway, Mum's done a lamb roast, so I'm outa here.


BM

[normbeechey]

Thanks for offering your prints. It would be nice to scan all your prints so that they are backed-up for posterity although I don’t think I would get a chance to do them all for quite some time, especially since I already have a backlog of images to prepare for the web site.

The open race meeting pics would be of more interest for the web site than the club level ones, so starting with those would be more achievable or if you wanted to take up Ray’s offer, then that’s fine also.

Thanks,
Chris.

[normbeechey]

Ray, personally I consider that the 6 Hour race was not technically a part of the Bathurst 500/1000 lineage of events since it didn’t have the Armstrong link, but I think it was still a “forerunner” to some extent. I presume it was the first long distance event at Bathurst?

Maybe it more a forerunner to the Bathurst 24 Hour races with its mix of Sports cars and Touring Cars!!!

Was the 6 Hour run before or after the Armstrong 500 in 1962? Bill Tuckey’s “ Great Race” book doesn’t mention many dates. But the first two Island events seem to have been run in November.

Chris.

[Ray Bell]

The Bathurst October meeting is always the day before the first Monday in October... so it was undoubtedly before the third Armstrong 500.