The Bruce Wells Collection - Oran Park - Part 1

[Steve Holmes]

Its been a while since I posted up the last batch of photos from the extensive Bruce Wells Collection of Australian motorsport photos. The next couple of chapters are from the recently lost Oran Park, in New South Wales. This was a great little track, with plenty of elevation, undulation, and challenging corners, and where the punters could get up close and personal to the action. It was originally just 1.6km in length, soon extended to 1.9km, and then in 1974, had the additional "loop" Grand Prix section added, complete with overhead bridge, bringing it out to just over 2.6km.

Oran Park can lay claim to being the birth place of Sports Sedan racing, originally known as Sports Racing Closed, and was a regular hot spot for locally built 'specials', both tin tops and sports/open wheelers. It remained off the radar of the bigger events for years, with Warwick Farm being the preferred venue for major racing events in NSW. Oran Park finally picked up its first Australian Touring Car Championship round in 1971, and its first Tasman Series round in 1974.

This first chapter of photos are from 1964, when Oran Park was just two years old. These are from events held in May and July of 1964. I'm going to be relying quite heavily on help from Roaring Season members to ID many of the drivers in these photos, so please feel free to jump in and name names!

[Steve Holmes]

[Steve Holmes]

[Steve Holmes]

[Steve Holmes]

[Steve Holmes]

Here is the next batch. I'm fascinated by the little Fiat 500 thats been modified with wider wheels etc. Would love to know more about this car. Note that its racing with the sports cars and specials, and not the touring cars.

[Cannan Morris]

Car #55 Cannan Morris, originally with side valve Morris 8 then as in this photo 1100 cc ohv Skoda, driver would be John Channon. Car built in Merrylands Sydney by Colin T Cannan in the late fifties.
Cheers Richard.

[Oldfart]

SOME of these cars are what we want for the "Going Even Older" class.
The Bambina is well modded, radiator shows not very Fiat!

[Steve Holmes]

SOME of these cars are what we want for the "Going Even Older" class.
The Bambina is well modded, radiator shows not very Fiat!

Thats right Rhys, this is how they were all raced once.

[bootlegger]

SOME of these cars are what we want for the "Going Even Older" class.
The Bambina is well modded, radiator shows not very Fiat!

My name is dave pagano and i am the current owner of warick holyoaks amazing little racer.
Warwick actually directed me to this forum.
The car has had a wonderful adventure being bought almost new by warwick in italy. Warwicks family owned cc tyres and sponsored one of the corners at oran park.
He then drove it around europe for eighteen months before shipping it here.
It seems to me that it became a race car as soon as it landed.
The transformation of this car into a sprite powered special was gradual but eventually it became a force to be reckoned with it its class holding the oran pk lap record in 61 and 62.
I bought the car off warwick in 2008.
It has a heavily modified sprite engine with the stan brown crafted alloy tail extension.
Up front it has fj holden brakes with the wheels cut down to twelve inches.
I am restoring the car in its second last guise with non cut down front gaurds and the radiator mounted inside the bonnet area.
The body is almost ready for paint and all the machining for the engine is done.
I have been to a few historic car meets. Ive tried to find out what class it would run in.
When i describe the car the officials look at me like i have two heads. I have no idea what class it would fit into.
I am very interested in boat racing history also and have a pretty large collection of vintage raceboats old cars trucks and bikes.
One of my boats is powered by a rolls merlin and won everything there was to win here in the late sixties early seventies.
I plan to have this car done this year. I want warwick to run her again.
Any other info regsrding the car would be greatly appreciated. I cant wait to see this car run.
I too thinks its a little weapon. Dave 0413766501

[TonyG]

nice Morris in the background of the same shot!

[Steve Holmes]

Next batch:

[Steve Holmes]

These are the last ones from this event.

[Steve Holmes]

[jim short]

No 20 raced in nz built by Paul England in the 50s copied the Maser and called it a Ausca ran a holden mtr. I think Repco moded the head. that same body was at the Wellington Kit Car show about 5yrs.ago

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Jim, great stuff. What was the body made out of?

[Steve Holmes]

Now, these are from the July 1964 event.

[Dave Silcock]

Hi Steve, the 47 car in #5 is a Citroen based special. note the lack of drive shafts at the rear. Interesting, most engineers would have turned the whole thing around and put the motor in the back.
Cheers Dave.

[Steve Holmes]

[Steve Holmes]

Wow, well spotted Dave! That'll help me with my search to find out more about the car and who drove it.