11 replies to this topic

[Mike Riedner]

Australian driver Bill Pitt won the last 24 hour race in Australia (before Bathurst in recent years), at Mount Druitt near Sydney in January 1951, when he co-drove a Jaguar XK120 FHC.

Does anybody know more about driver, his partner in the 24 hour race at Mount Druitt and the more complete results of that race or maybe even have a picture of the car and/or event or a track map?

I own (and drive with great joy) a XK 120 FHC myself, that is the reson why I am so interested in histories of these cars...

[Catalina Park]

I know it was not in 1951, it was 1954. One of the other cars in the race was a C type.

Take a look at this webpage for some good info http://www.jagqld.or...n/bill_pitt.htm

I am sure that a few others here will be able to help with more info.

There have been more 24 hour races in Australia than you think.

[Catalina Park]

Mt Druitt circuit.

[Ray Bell]

That's a lousy map, Mountain Man!

However that Jag Club page is good. Now, you can further help Mike by looking up Fast Tracks and going to the circuit at Toowoomba from the twenties, you know the speedway with the description of where the grandstand was... the one that's now part of the airport?

There's mention in that of a young motorcyclist getting killed... he was Geordie Anderson's brother. So you can tell Mike his name so that he has that further snippet.

Here's the XK120, by the way, some running repairs at Leyburn...



I think it was Leyburn, anyway.

By the way, there's a sad lot of errors in that Jag Club story... Leyburn's Australian Grand Prix was 1949, for instance...

[Catalina Park]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
That's a lousy map, Mountain Man!

Now, you can further help Mike by looking up Fast Tracks and going to the circuit at Toowoomba from the twenties, you know the speedway with the description of where the grandstand was... the one that's now part of the airport?

There's mention in that of a young motorcyclist getting killed... he was Geordie Anderson's brother. So you can tell Mike his name so that he has that further snippet.

Ray, I know the map was a bit strange but it was all I could find with Google!

The circuit you mention at Toowoomba is Werrington Park and the rider that was killed was 23 year old William Nairne. He was thrown off his Harley Davidson when the front tyre blew, he died three days later, on December 7, 1926.

Geordie must have been a hell of a girl! Her brother gets killed on a bike and she takes up car racing!

[Ray Bell]

Not only that... I think she might have done that damage to the XK120 above...

Ah yes, Werrington Park was at Toowoomba, Brooklands was at Werrington... all very logical.

[Catalina Park]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
Ah yes, Werrington Park was at Toowoomba, Brooklands was at Werrington... all very logical.

So what was at Brooklands?

[Ray Bell]

Brooklands at Werrington or Brooklands at Perry Lakes?

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
Brooklands at Werrington or Brooklands at Perry Lakes?

and Raymond you are wondering why people swarm for the attack sometimes!!

[Ray Bell]

Where is longford68 when you need him?

Dick Willis, by the way, has a colour photo of the Jag winning the Mt Druitt 24-hour.

[275 GTB-4]

Two Wheel Worship....(worth watching just for the crisp sound of the thumper :-)

Mount Druitt! What a ripper!

Motorcycle safety film from 1959 called Two Wheel Worship which features Mt Druitt circuit in western Sydney from about 2.29 into the film.

Edited by 275 GTB-4, 21 May 2014 - 01:55.

[wagons46]

Could that be our old friend Leonard Teale (Theile) narrating in this film? I think so, especially if the recording speed is out a little.