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Motorsport Pics From The Past


Terry

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I took trip down memory lane yesterday, rummaging through packing boxes in search of some old pics for my upcoming army reunion and stumbled onto some old race pics, mainly from my days as a flaggie at Oran park, but in this case some nice pics from a time when I was overseas and kind and generous folk had sent me some classic stuff.

 

I'll post these as I scan them into my files here,

 

Hopefully you may enjoy them................

 

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This doesn't need too much explanation, I think this is some promotional stuff taken at Warwick Farm around 1969, I never saw the SR4 race, being away for 2 years I did see the Match SR3, but the SR4 had just about come and gone during my 2 year 'holiday", when I got back into motorsport Frank was into F5000, he had a McLaren M10B then (1970 or so) ...

 

 

 

 

I've tried to resize these but some may be a little large, my apologies in advance

 

 

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Ian Geoghan Kev Bartlett and mechanic Glen Abbey taken at Oran Park

 

 

 

151028.jpeg

 

 

Mildren Waggott , I think this was Max Stewarts car

Edited by terry
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Just a few more

 

 

151022.jpeg

 

As a kid I was pretty much a Geoghan fan, they ran a car sales yard on Parramatta Road Ashfield and they always had some very desirable cars on their lot, on track they were always well presented and although the Lotus 39 Repco was often unreliable I loved it!

 

In the background is the "Yellow Submarine" from Mildren racing, often driven by Frank Gardiner, possible at this meet Kevin Bartlett was driving

 

 

151018.jpeg

 

 

Graeme Lawrence, quick Kiwi driver, sorry but I don't have any info on this pic, possibly at Warwick Farm and maybe a round of the Tasman Series, but I don't know the car, could it be a McLaren M4A?

 

 

151017.jpeg

 

Some pics don't need any comments, Pete at the Farm, sorry but all I know is that its 1969.

Edited by terry
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Thanks Guys, its been fun digging deep into my old pics,

 

152601.jpeg

 

 

From 1966 at the 'farm Pete flogging the "pretenders"

 

 

Trying to think back, but I had this thought "back then" that I was some sort of an ace photographer , my camera was a Kodak Retinette 1A, very basic and I really had no idea,as you might see....

 

 

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For some, you may recognise this corner, "Craven A" at Catalina Katoomba NSW, no seating, all of us precariously perched on a steep slope hoping the rain would stay away, race goers today have never had it so good!

 

Maybe this was the one of the very early outings for the Matich Traco Oldsmobile which was a variant of the Elfin 400, Leo Geoghegan following in the Lotus 39 still with the 2.5L Climax motor

 

Back to the AJC tourist Trophy 1966, this may be lap 1 with Pete already stamping his name on the trophy followed by Jim Mckeon, Peter Manton, Beechey in the Chev nova and Bryan Thompson in the ex Beechey Mustang

 

152342.jpeg

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More from Catalina,

 

During my time in Vietnam I contacted a number of motorsport teams seeking any photos they could send to me , I was very surprised to receive some great pics from the Geoghegan team, Frank Matich, Alec Mildren racing and Bob Jane, who not only sent me some great pics but also a very nice letter from Bob,unfortunately that letter has not survived the passages of time, however I'm really pleased to still have those pictures that those teams did send,

 

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r90_172947.jpeg

 

r90_172953.jpeg

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My last one for today, I wasn't around for this meet but I'm thinking it was 1969, Beecheys Z28 and Pete at Warwick Farm.

 

r90_174833.jpeg

 

Just came to me that this corner was called "the causeway"

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Thanks for sharing your memories before our old fart dementia kicks in Terry. I remember my old man taking us to the Farm in '66 in the old faithfull FC Station wagon.

As we approached the track,with traffic building a flat bed truck pulled up along side of us with Pete's Stang on the back,so I did what any 16 year old would do & reached out to touch royalty,been hooked on Stangs ever since.

The sight of Pete's Stang coming through the right hander coming on to the back straight nose clawing to the sky V8 screaming was music to my ears & memory I'll never ever forget.

Please keep them coming.

Cheers Jimmy :D

To finsh first,first you gotta finish

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Good to hear from you Jimmy,

 

it was great times!

 

The sounds of those mustangs were unreal!

 

I don't know if todays racing has that, i mean when you could hear them coming, even before you saw the cars came into view, the crowd were screaming!

 

I lived fairly close to the farm and the place to go was creek corner where the man with the bugle reigned supreme.

 

I think that right hand sweeper leading onto Hume straight was called Homestead.

 

Great times.

 

Now all I've got to do is keep in front of that Swedish taxi in the upcoming ATCC NZ proxy!

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Digging deeper into the past I've unearthed a few pics from the Surfers Paradise 12 Hour Sports car race from 1966.

 

Me and a date had the bright idea of travelling up to Surfers and see the race, we got the bus up from Sydney, stayed at some very cheap motel and because we had 1.No car 2. no money, we hitched out to the track, as you could do in those times, surprisingly we got a lift real quick, from memory it was in a confertable, something tells me it was a Mustang, but I could be wrong there(wishful thinking) but I am sure that the couple offering us a lift were Chris Amons' parents, we knew little Chris Amon, wasn't he a kiwi? You know like Bruce McLaren??

 

Anyway getting back to the background of 2 snots wanting to travel all that way to see a 12 hour sports car race, well, we thought we were a bit above the riff riff who held a passion for sedan car racing, no not us, we were sophisticated, you know LeMans Formula 1 and all that.......

 

Frankly the race was boring, too bloody long and too far from the track, my little kodak rettinette 1A camera would not and did not cope with all this,

 

In the end we sort of grew up and realised that we should just enjoy the racing regardless of the categories.

 

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Obviously this was the car we wanted to win, the Ford GT40, in 1966 this was THE car, this came in 2nd, driven by Peter Sutcliffe and Frank Matich

 

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The Alfa TZ2 resplendent in bright yellow and driven by Kev Bartlett and Doug Chivas, came 3rd

 

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We couldn't believe this! A local car taking out 1st place!

 

the "old lady" Ferrari 250Lm driven by Jackie Stewart and John Buchanan from Scuderia Veloce, so much for the overseas contingent, the Ferrari in the background came in 4th for Jackie Epstein

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I have mentioned previously how I obtained some of my pics shown here, basically putting the hard word on teams and individuals for any promotional material or photos,

 

Bob Jane was especially helpful, here are a couple of the pics he sent to me

 

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Know,as we all do of Bob Janes' dramas, but he has always been very supportive of veterans , he always has a kind word to offer.

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My last one for today, I wasn't around for this meet but I'm thinking it was 1969, Beecheys Z28 and Pete at Warwick Farm.

 

r90_174833.jpeg

 

Just came to me that this corner was called "the causeway"

Hi Terry,

I reckon that pic is the 1968 Touring Car Championship Race ( only one race back then) By 69 Norm was in The HK Monaro GTS 327.

Did Bryan Thompson buy the Camaro off Norm?

BTW, I'm really enjoying your pics. This period is a bit before my time but I was able to appreciate it all through a collection of Racing Car News magazines I acquired as a school boy. I used to spend hours reading back through all the old issues soaking it up like a sponge. They were all my heroes, except Moffat, hated him like all good HDT fans did!!! ;)

Keep'em coming,

Alan

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These are great photo's...

 

You should consider sharing them on the "Old Motor Racing Photographs - Australia" FaceBook page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/190760908334658/?fref=nf

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Remember the Grace Bros raving Team?

 

In 1973 my old newsagent Bill Brown was in the team and there was lots of press about his new car which was about to arrive a Porsche 2.7 Carrera, it was going to be the next big thing, it made its debut at oran Park, but unfortunately in its maiden outing things didn't go too well, the car didn't show its true potential and at the end of the day the car suffered front bodywork damage, not a very god start to its racing career.

 

The car went on to become a front runner with many race wins

 

042409.jpeg

 

Thats Bryan Thompson behind Bill.

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042424.jpeg

 

Allan Hamilton in the Porsche 911 with Shell racing team members peter Manton and Jim Mckeon in hot pursuit probably in 1969 or thereabouts, anyone recognise the circuit?

 

043751.jpeg

 

Probably about 1966 at Catalina (Katoomba) I'd never heard of these 2 drivers but I soon realised these guys were stars, Fred Gibson and Neil Allen in their Lotus Elans, on the day I think there were 3 races for their class and this is about as far apart as they got!

 

Bigger things awaited these 2 in their racing futures.

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Oran Park in the 70's ,now I was home and snagged a flaggie job at Oran Park,didn't know what to do except wave or hang out the blue and the the same thing for the yellow depending on what was happening, my 1st day out at Oran Park was at a day night race where they stuck me down on the inside of turn 1 at the end of the straight, no barriers nothing, just this silly bloody flag, anyway it was certainly up close and personal with the cars,

 

The big mover at Oran Park then was Barry Sharp who ran a Jag Mk2 with a 289 in it, pity I haven't got pics of that, my photo taking while flagging didn't occur for another 6 months or so.

 

I did manage a rough shot of Barry Sharp in the XY(??) Falcon Sports Sedan a few years later on though..

 

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They sure put on a great show, there was lots of minis' racing at Oran Park, 2 of the best, Don Holland and John Leffler

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Some more of Bob Janes' cars

 

042414.jpeg

 

Trans Am Mustang Warwick farm 1969

 

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John Harvey at Oran Park circa 1973, if my memory is right I think this ran a 4.4litre Repco quad cam V8, the sound was great!

 

The following car is a Marina I think?? Noel Delforce driving

 

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Bob Jane in the Monaro, I must have taken these 2 pics in practice, hence the small crowd

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Allan Thompson in the Porsche 911 with Shell racing team members peter Manton and Jim Mckeon in hot pursuit probably in 1969 or thereabouts, anyone recognise the circuit?

Looks like Calder, and it's Hamilton not Thompson, nearly won the ATCC one year. The marina had a v8 in it.

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I must be the only person alive who doesn't go on Facebook

 

You definitely am not, big avoider of most social media, don't mind instagram though, just photos.

After the reveal this week I don't think you will be a minority, lots are leaving Facebook including Elon Musk I hear.

 

Loving the pics even if I would have been in nappies at the time.

Keep them coming.

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