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Back in 2014 I posted a collection of stunning Australian motorsport images taken by Roderick MacKenzie. That was a really popular thread, capturing some significant moments in history.
Rod just recently got back in touch and sent me some more of his photos, so, rather than add them to the existing thread, I thought I'd start a new new. I hope you enjoy these, I think they're stunning.
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Its Catalina Park (Katoomba), and pictured here are a couple of heavy hitters from the 1968 touring car season. Leading in the beautiful black Chevy Camaro is Norm Beechey, being chased by Pete Geoghegan's Mustang GTA.
This Camaro has long fascinated me. Its racing career was very brief; thought to be just four events, including the '68 Australian Touring Car Championship at Warwick Farm, where Beechey qualified 2nd (behind Geoghegan), but failed to finish. The Camaro was a fast car right out of the box, but despite the impressive amount of work that went into it, was really intended as an interim between his aging Chevy Nova, which he first debuted in 1966, and the new HK Monaro he'd race in 1969.
What happened to it after its four 1968 races? Thats not altogether clear. Certainly, it appears not to have raced again when Beechey was done with it.
Incidentally, my father took a photo of the Camaro at the Warwick Farm event, which was in the family photo album when I was growing up. These things have a way of influencing us as kids and I've loved that car ever since!
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Its Bathurst 1968, and this is the Kevin Bartlett/Doug Chivas Alfa 1750 GTV, entered and run by Alec Mildren.
The little Alfa's were highly competitive at this event in 1967, despite only being 1600s, and three of them qualified in the top ten, with the Bartlett/Laurie Stewart machine starting up in 3rd.
But by 1968, the V8s were getting faster and more powerful, and the smaller cars were beginning to run out of puff. This car qualified 11th, one spot behind the similar Brian Foley/Laurie Stewart machine, and finished the race an excellent 4th outright, and first in Class E.
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Back to Catalina Park, and its a flurry of sports and junior single seaters. This great angle really highlights the tunnel-like nature of this race track, with wooden boards outlining the tarmac, ready to bite any driver that gets it wrong. Really a spectacular venue.
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Bathurst 1968, and its a battle of the Class cars. Getting really spectacular through the Dipper is the Datsun 1600 of John Roxburgh/Doug Whiteford, which headed an onslaught of similar Class B entries by the Japanese manufacturer. This car was one of two 1600s entered by the Datsun Racing Team, which was further beefed up with a pair of Datsun 1000s in Class A. This car won its class.
Giving chase is a Fiat 124 Sport. Given there appears to have only been one of these entered, this must surely be the car of future Bathurst winner Allan Grice, and renowned journalist/writer Bill Tuckey. It was entered by Scuderia Veloce, but, with the Class system being based on retail price, the Fiat was placed in Class D with the Falcon GTs and Monaros, and didn't stand a chance.
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Graham Hill leading across the Long Bridge at Longford, using the dreaded Turbo-Visor.
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Graphic pic capturing a crappy day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Holmes
Long Bridge on a Wet Monday....... Longfords final meeting March 1968
Great photo
Forrest's Elbow, and the opening lap of the 1968 Bathurst 500. This was really the first year Bathurst became a muscle car war, with Holden's new HK Monaro GTS327 produced specifically to beat the Falcon GT's that had won the previous year.
Ford returned in 1968 with the 289ci XR GT replaced by the new XT GT, and its larger 302 motor. But the new Monaros took the top three spots in qualifying, and the race, with Bruce McPhee and Barry Mulholland claiming the first ever Bathurst win for Holden. McPhee drove every lap but one, with Mulholland stepping in for a single tour while McPhee took his own pitstop for a drink and a wee.
Whats really notable here are all the dangers this track presented back then, including the dirt embankment on the inside of the corner, to the trees that lined the outside of the circuit beyond the armco.
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Missed the earlier It Is Longford , great shot, wet and narrow with the lovely wooden fences for protection.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Holmes
Turbo-Visor was reborn at the 1984 European GP when Eddie Cheever used it in the wet qualifying session at the new Nurburgring.Quote:
Originally Posted by GD66
Attachment 32078
I'll be buggered ! Never knew that. I remember when Jim Redman used to advertise them in the 1960s but he told me once he would never have used it in a race as it would have dragged your head off if you looked behind.
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Sorry, don't mean to have derailed this very promising thread, so I'll pull my head in now, Steve please withdraw content if too irrelevant.
Cheers GD
Is that a GTO Ferrari behind the Lotus 23? Based on the car attitudes, maybe an incident somewhere as the single seater (Cooper?) driver has his hand raised and the MGB looks to be doing a panic stop!Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Holmes
Marshal's flag could be green - or blue...
No Ray it is an Alfa TZ2.
Thanks Bruce. So it is! Nice...
I love this image. Not only does it capture Pete Geoghegan at full tilt in his Mustang GTA, it also illustrates the sweeping and undulating nature of the Catalina Park circuit in all its glory. In the background can be seen another section of the track. This is from 1968.
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Leo Geoghegan driving the Scuderia Veloce Ferrari. His brother also drove this car on occasion, along with Spencer Martin.
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Haven't added to this thread for a while, so here goes.....
The Jim Palmer/Phil West Monaro GTS that finished second at Bathurst, 1968.
Attachment 35365
The Geoghegan/Geoghegan Falcon GT.
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Bob Jane, or John Harvey, leading Norm Beechey, at Catalina Park, 1968.
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Steve- #17. One day soon you should talk to Jim Palmer about this race. Call it - the bucket list.
If Bathurst meant then what it does now, Jimmy wouldn't have had to wait 45 years after hanging up his hat to be added to the MotorSport NZ Wall of Fame.Quote:
Originally Posted by John McKechnie
Fred Gibson in Elfin Traco.
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Definitely Jane...Quote:
Originally posted by Steve Holmes
Bob Jane, or John Harvey, leading Norm Beechey, at Catalina Park, 1968.
Attachment 35906]
Harvey never drove the Mustang at Katoomba.
That looks to be Fred Gibson in the Traco...
I'd guess that was his first time out after Niel's prang at Lakeside in '68.
Thanks Ray.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Bell
More 1968 Bathurst action, with the Corolla's of Brian Reed/Dick Thurston leading Barry Ferguson/Brian Sampson.
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The Lionel Ayers/Max Volkers MkII Cortina and Digby Cooke/Mal Brewster Mini heading up the Mountain.
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1968 Bathurst winners.
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