The Bruce Wells Collection – Bathurst 1964

[Steve Holmes]

Every year, in October, it seems that a large portion of Australasian motorsport fans put all other distractions aside, and watch “The Great Race”, the Bathurst 1000. The build-up, and the race itself, lasts the best part of a full day, and the entire event, which spans several days, enjoys something of a carnival atmosphere, with race fans setting up camp on the edges of the track, and particularly at the top of the mountain, several days before the race itself. For those who can’t attend in person, the race is broadcast live on television, and parties are organised so people can enjoy the race over a couple of beers with their mates.

Modern day Australian V8 Supercars bare little resemblance to their road-going counterparts, but the race cars themselves have been cleverly manipulated through a set of strict regulations which makes the two different manufacturers, those of Ford (Falcon), and Holden (Commodore), virtually identical in performance. Brand loyalty is strong in Australia, hence the reason so much effort is made to create equality on the race track, and for the most part, fans are loyal to either of the two brands, but not both.

The legend of Bathurst has been something that has grown over time, and has come about as a combination of the importance placed on having a Bathurst win in the cv of any Australasian racing driver, and the efforts made by various car manufacturers, and in particular, Ford and Holden (and Chrysler Australia in the early 1970s), to use the event as a promotional tool for showcasing the performance assets of their products, this being particularly the case in the late 1960s/early 1970s.

Bathurst, as we know it today, grew from a relatively low-key 500 mile endurance race for bog-standard touring cars that first took place at Phillip Island, in Victoria, in 1960. By 1962, the race had grown in popularity, but the track surface itself proved not able to cope with the pounding it received from 40 cars skidding around it for 167 laps, and it fell apart as the race wore on, leaving several areas without a surface, and huge pot holes for the drivers to negotiate. At the conclusion of the 1962 race, the organisers began looking for a new venue for 1963, eventually deciding upon the Mount Panorama circuit, just outside the sleepy little New South Wales town of Bathurst. This track, at just over 6km in length, with steep incline and descent, undulations and long straights, would prove the ultimate test for any vehicle, and it was the challenging nature of Bathurst that would help seal this as a legendary race.

Racing at Mount Panorama for single seaters and sports cars, and even motorbikes, had been held at the venue since 1938, but from 1963, the circuit would become known for its annual touring car endurance event. As at Phillip Island, the organisers chose to celebrate the winners from each class during the 1963 and ’64 races, rather than an outright winner, although Harry Firth and Bob Jane were first across the line in 1963, in a Ford Cortina, from Ralph Sach and Frank Morgan in a Holden EH.

1964, the race depicted in these stunning Bruce Wells photos, was won by Jane and George Reynolds, driving one of several Cortina GTs, which would dominate the overall results….. not that an overall victory was actually celebrated. It would be another 12 months before this happened. But the Jane/Reynolds Ford Australia backed Cortina was first across the line after 130 gruelling laps. The opening segment saw the Studebaker Larks of Warren Weldon/Bert Needham, and Fred Sutherland/Allan Mottram, stream ahead, before, predictably, they ran out of brakes, and the gaggle of Cortinas made their way forward. Brothers Pete and Leo Geoghegan were first to push through to the front, in another Ford Australia backed Cortina, before they were delayed when a generator bracket broke, and Jane/Reynolds moved into a lead they would not relinquish.

Of the other classes, Class A was won by Spencer Martin/Bill Brown in a Vauxhall Viva, Class B by Bruce Maher/Charlie Smith in a Morris Cooper, and Class D by the Stude of Weldon/Needham, who were 2 laps behind Jane/Reynolds at the finish.

With Bathurst being so celebrated, captioning the photos for this race is a lot easier than with some of the other events Bruce has photographed. So I’ll do my best to get this right. But feel free to jump in and post comments as you see fit.