Photos: The Bruce Wells Collection - Warwick Farm - Part 4

[Steve Holmes]

A beautiful Milano GT. Any ideas on the driver?

[Steve Holmes]

Its Bob Jane chasing in the E Type. Could it be John Harvey leading in the Lotus?

[Terry S]

This is at Warwick Farm's Tasman meeting in February 1966
It is NOT Leo geoghegan in the Elan but Niel Allen
The car behind is Pete Geoghegan in the Lola Climax 1100. He took it as a trade from Frank Demuth for his Lotus 23B.
This race was really a seales demonstration. He painted it yellow and added 8" wheels.
He embarrassed Demuth by being all over him despite being in an older car and only 1,100 cc compared to the twin cam 1,600cc of the Lotus. Geoghegan advertised it for sale in March 1966 Racing Car News for AUD 3,400. If inly we had bought such things, but isn't hindsight a wonderful thing.
This was a fabulous race probably one of best I have ever seen. Also included Bob Jane in lightweight E Type. Geoghegan, Demuth and Jane diced fiercely for the whole ten laps and regularly changed places, with Allen dropping back.
Cusack Lotus 23B had cleared out to win then followed Demuth, Geoghegan and Jane.
THe picure a couple later is of DEmuth in the Lotus 23B follwed by Jane.
Johnny Harvey did share the Lotus with DEmuth in a Surfers Paradise Endurance Race and there is a wonderul picture of the car circulating with only 3 wheels.
Within a year DEmuth was convicted of fraud and that ended his racing career

[Ellis]

Think Terry S reply refers to #79

The Lola Climax ended up coming to Tassie. A very pretty little car

[Terry S]

[QUOTE=Steve Holmes;32293]A beautiful Milano GT. Any ideas on the driver?

Its Bruce Leer in Milano 179 in Div 2 Sports Car Race, one of two such cars from JWF Glass Fibre.
The winner of the race was Max Brunninghausen in an Alfa GTZ. He's still going around in a Chevron B8.

[Steve Holmes]

This is at Warwick Farm's Tasman meeting in February 1966
It is NOT Leo geoghegan in the Elan but Niel Allen

Thanks for confirming this Terry. I wasn't 100% sure when I posted that photo, as both Leo and Allen raced Elan's with two stripes, as #7, at different times. The difference was that Geoghegan's car had the red and blue stripes, Allen's the two red stripes. But being a black and white photo.....

[Terry S]

Thanks for confirming this Terry. I wasn't 100% sure when I posted that photo, as both Leo and Allen raced Elan's with two stripes, as #7, at different times. The difference was that Geoghegan's car had the red and blue stripes, Allen's the two red stripes. But being a black and white photo.....

Steve I believe the Elan was sold by the Geoghegans to Niel Allen, so it is the same car.
I recall Allen changed the blue stripe over the car to red, so he had two red stripes, and deleted the stripes down the sides. These became his team colours and used here and on Elfin Traco, Lotus 23B and Mustang.
I don't think Leo raced the Elan very much at all, mainly for demonstrations as they were Lotus agents.
One appearance was a staged dice at Oran Park, refer Bruce Wells Collection Oran Park Part 2, posts #16 and #14.
Speaking of Geoghegans, interesting to see on posts #30 and #31 that "Big Pete" on very left of phots leaning on end of the fence.
Also note in #31 the hero standing in the middle of the Castrol sign on the wrong side of the fence as the race starts.
Safety obviously not considered as important in those days.....

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Terry, now it all makes sense! I thought the two cars did look very similar.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks again Terry for ID'ing these drivers. Here is Niel Allen again, in the ex-Leo Geoghegan Elan being chased by Pete Geoghegan in the Lola.

[Steve Holmes]

Jane and Geoghegan

[Steve Holmes]

More fabulous Lotus Elan's. Here Fred Gibson, with inside wheel cocked, leads Niel Allen.

[Steve Holmes]

Here is another shot of the Milano GT.

[Steve Holmes]

Buckle sports car. Looking at the non-original cooling ducts cut into the front bodywork, I'd take a punt on this being the Bruce Taylor car?

[Terry S]

Buckle sports car. Looking at the non-original cooling ducts cut into the front bodywork, I'd take a punt on this being the Bruce Taylor car?

Yes it is the Bruce Taylor car. This was in the 5 lap Sports Car Race Division 2, won by Brunninghausen in the Alfa GTZ, see photo #5 above. Taylor came in 6th
It was chassis # 93-883 and was originally raced by Bill Buckle himself, hence probably the different cooling ducts as a test

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks for this Terry.

[Steve Holmes]

[Terry S]

Steve you make it more of a challenge when numbers not visible....
There were 3 Lotus Super 7 in that race.
I think it is Ross Goldstein # 38, who finished ahead of Taylor in the results

Are there any more of these photos as they are so very clear?

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Terry, this is great! Sorry, this is the only shot I have of this Lotus.

[Steve Holmes]

Any ideas on the car in the background here?

[Terry S]

Any ideas on the car in the background here?

The car on the very left of the photo is I think the Barracuda Ford V8 of P Wallace. It was of 4,457cc and green.
It was listed in the programme as a Reserve but most likely got a start