The Bruce Wells Collection - Catalina Park - Part 2

[Steve Holmes]

I've been really looking forward to posting the series of photos taken by Bruce Wells at Catalina Park, Katoomba, from 1965. Its quite amazing how much the motorsport landscape changed in Australia between 1964, and 1965. Touring car racing saw the arrival of the first Mustangs to race in Australia, while in Sportscar racing, such exotics as the Scuderia Veloce Ferrari 250LM and the Ron Thorpe Cobra were both exciting new additions to the local scene.

The ever present 'Humpy' Holdens still battled on, while Norm Beechey claimed his first Australian Touring Car Championship aboard his new Mustang, and the last of the Jaguar MkIIs had now disappeared off the scene in front-line competition, with Bob Jane stepping out of his example, and jumping aboard his own newly acquired Mustang.

I'll post captions where I can, but please feel free to jump in and help ID any cars and/or drivers you recognise.

Anyway, here we have Part 2 of the Bruce Wells Collection, from Catalina Park. Enjoy!

[Steve Holmes]

So kicking off, and straight away I'm scratching my head over the Cortina thats obviously spent a bit of time on its lid. Bruce has dated this photo as being February 1965, but hasn't given any info on the photos. My first thought was that it is Pete Geoghegan. Did he ever roll his Cortina? Any help with the Cortina #4 would be appreciated. Note the aggressive exhaust on this car. Two Neptune Racing Team cars follow, those of Norm Beechey and Peter Manton in his left-hooker Mini. Can anyone tell me why the Mini was lhd? Was it because the 1965 ATCC race was held at the anti-clockwise Sandown track? Seems a bit excessive to go to such lengths though.

[Grant Ellwood]

Elementary Holmes, slack seat belt on a right hand corner and he's slipped across to the left hand side.......

Can anyone tell me why the Mini was lhd? Was it because the 1965 ATCC race was held at the anti-clockwise Sandown track? Seems a bit excessive to go to such lengths though.





[/QUOTE]

[bry3500]

i. Can anyone tell me why the Mini was lhd? Was it because the 1965 ATCC race was held at the anti-clockwise Sandown track? Seems a bit excessive to go to such lengths though.

Yes , apparently Manton changed the steering from race to race . depending on which way the track went.. eg Warwick Farm RHD, Sandown,Catalina LHD etc

[Catalina Park]

So kicking off, and straight away I'm scratching my head over the Cortina thats obviously spent a bit of time on its lid. Bruce has dated this photo as being February 1965, but hasn't given any info on the photos. My first thought was that it is Pete Geoghegan. Did he ever roll his Cortina? Any help with the Cortina #4 would be appreciated. Note the aggressive exhaust on this car. Two Neptune Racing Team cars follow, those of Norm Beechey and Peter Manton in his left-hooker Mini. Can anyone tell me why the Mini was lhd? Was it because the 1965 ATCC race was held at the anti-clockwise Sandown track? Seems a bit excessive to go to such lengths though.

Found this interesting information on the LHD Manton Mini http://bmcexperience.com.au/bmc-issue-1/manton.html

Craig

[Steve Holmes]

Found this interesting information on the LHD Manton Mini http://bmcexperience.com.au/bmc-issue-1/manton.html

Craig

Oh brilliant article Craig, many thanks for posting that. The whole gear changing thing was something I'd wondered about with this car. I've spoken to various people who race a lhd race car, but own a rhd road car, (eg, they might own a '69 Mustang race car, but drive a new Falcon road car) and wondered if they had trouble adjusting to suddenly changing gear with their right hand in the race car. But because the surroundings inside the cars are different, they adapt almost immediately. But with Manton, he wouldn't have had that luxury, as the surroundings inside the car would be the same, its just sometimes he sat on the left, other times on the right. Must have been difficult.

[Steve Holmes]

More shots of the Tridents Racing Team. Here is Jim McKeown in his Lotus Cortina, plus another shot of the Beechey Mustang. Note the Mustang still wears its early solid steel wheels before changing to 5-spokes. The stunning engine bay shot, with all those beautiful downdraught Webers, is again the Beechey Mustang. Can anyone ID the E Type? I'm guessing Niel Allen?

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Steve Holmes
.....Can anyone ID the E Type? I'm guessing Niel Allen?

You're right, Niel Allen (despite other opinions having been posted)...

The lean out the window is a giveaway without checking numbers. But it is him, refer RCN February '65 page 23.

[Steve Holmes]

I love this first shot. Who is Norm Beechey shaking hands with? He is wearing a Tridents shirt, so is obviously a part of the team. Can anyone help?

I can't get enough of the Humpy Holden shots. These cars have so much character and look fantastic on the swooping Catalina Park circuit. This is the Francel FX diving inside another car thats given something/someone enough of a whack its popped the hood open. Whose is car #25? Could this be Harold Thynne? #46, in the last shot, I believe is the John Hall car. Can anyone help with the others?

[aussiemonza]

I love this first shot. Who is Norm Beechey shaking hands with? He is wearing a Tridents shirt, so is obviously a part of the team. Can anyone help?

I can't get enough of the Humpy Holden shots. These cars have so much character and look fantastic on the swooping Catalina Park circuit. This is the Francel FX diving inside another car thats given something/someone enough of a whack its popped the hood open. Whose is car #25? Could this be Harold Thynne? #46, in the last shot, I believe is the John Hall car. Can anyone help with the others?

Re the Beechey shot, L to R, Max Stahl (Racing Car News Publisher), Norm and Claude Morton, Claude was Norm's chief spanner for many years.

[Steve Holmes]

Re the Beechey shot, L to R, Max Stahl (Racing Car News Publisher), Norm and Claude Morton, Claude was Norm's chief spanner for many years.

Thanks Rowan, another member on here, Ellis, pm'd me saying he thought Claude Morton might have been the guy Beechey is shaking hands with, but wasn't 100% sure. Thanks for clarifying that. Bruce Wells photographed for several magazines at the time, mostly Motor Racing News, but likely also photographed for Racing Car News, hence the pic with these three guys in it. Thanks for the info Rowan.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Steve Holmes
.....I can't get enough of the Humpy Holden shots. These cars have so much character and look fantastic on the swooping Catalina Park circuit. This is the Francel 48/215 diving inside another car thats given something/someone enough of a whack its popped the hood open. Whose is car #25? Could this be Harold Thynne? #46, in the last shot, I believe is the John Hall car. Can anyone help with the others?

Gary Bergman has the bonnet up... 30 is Bruce Stewart, and yes, 46 is John Hall. Brian Donovan is in the striped car following Stewart, I don't know 81.

[Steve Holmes]

OK, I'll take a punt and say the EH Holden is that of Brian Muir. Can someone help with the FJs?

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Steve Holmes
OK, I'll take a punt and say the EH Holden is that of Brian Muir. Can someone help with the FJs?

By 'FJs' I guess you mean Formula Juniors?

Yes, Brian Muir in the first pic...

Phil West is in the Brabham ANF2 (1100cc) car, this is the car prepared by Kevin Carrad which proved unbeatable and got him the Scuderia Veloce 2.5 Brabham drive a couple of years later.

Glyn Scott in the Lotus 27, which I'm sure was always a 1500 car, perhaps Ian Fergusson in the Elfin (same number as his Bathurst entry and he qualified just ahead of Glyn for this meeting).

[Steve Holmes]

Looks like he took the steering wheel with him!

[Jac Mac]

Ian Geoghegan in the #5 Mk1 Cortina that rolled, Peter Manton in the #2 LHD Mini, incidently the cortina tripped & rolled right in front of the Manton Mini-... at Catalina Park. no contact...source ( Ford, the racing history..)

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Jac. Any clues as to why the Mini was lhd? Last three from this particular event, including George Murrays Austin 7 special.

[Steve Holmes]

There appears to have been a race held at this meeting just for Minis, which included some sort of Le Mans start. Its hard to tell if those are the drivers running across to the tracks (without helmets), or if the people running across the track just tag the cars when they get there, at which point, each car, with driver already inside, charges off.

[Greg Mackie]

There appears to have been a race held at this meeting just for Minis, which included some sort of Le Mans start. Its hard to tell if those are the drivers running across to the tracks (without helmets), or if the people running across the track just tag the cars when they get there, at which point, each car, with driver already inside, charges off.

Steve, that looks similar to the Le Mans start of my 1963 race there. The 'mechanic' would run across the track with the ign. key. He would hand the key to the driver, who was in the car, with the seat belt fastened.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Steve Holmes
There appears to have been a race held at this meeting just for Minis, which included some sort of Le Mans start. Its hard to tell if those are the drivers running across to the tracks (without helmets), or if the people running across the track just tag the cars when they get there, at which point, each car, with driver already inside, charges off.

The Minis-only race wasn't in '65, but I can verify that it's the mechanics running and the cars were shut down until the keys were handed through the window.

The Holden is Warren Weldon, 119 was his usual number.

And it's Paul Meyer, not Peter. Father of Michael Meyer, who went into FFords in the early seventies, Paul had a tuning shop in Woolloomooloo (maybe not enough ls in there). He wasn't real quick, but Doug Macarthur certainly showed speed and thus he's challenging a car which should have been faster than his. Mind you, Meyer's car was a road-going Elan, not a lightweight.