Bob Jane Racing Heritage - Photo Collection

[Steve Holmes]

As outlined earlier in the week, The Roaring Season and the Bob Jane Racing Heritage have joined forces to share photos, and stories, that will benefit visitors to both our websites. Simon Popplewell and Myles Johnson have been busy working their way through the many, many photos that are in Bob Janes photo collection, and scanning each one for posterity.

Many of these photos have never been seen before. A large proportion are of Bob, and Bobs cars, but there are also many more that feature the characters, the legends, and larger-than-life figures that helped make Australian motorsport great, the team principles, the mechanics, the team members, plus the drivers that raced against Bob. Sure, these guys were rivals on the track, but, as you’ll see from some of these photos, they were good mates off it.

The photos aren’t labelled, so we have to figure things out for ourselves with many of them. Some are obvious, others aren’t. But they are all fascinating, and its incredibly exciting to be able to display them here for everyone to enjoy.

And remember, to visit the Bob Jane Racing Heritage website regularly. I can promise you its going to grow into something pretty special.

[Steve Holmes]

Kicking things off, Bob has always gone to great lengths to make time for kids. Its something he did when he started out in racing, and something he still does now. Kids are the future, and Bob always took the time to give them special treatment. This fantastic photo shows Bob helping a couple of young race fans into the cockpit of the Elfin-Traco. I bet they became race fans for life after this. No doubt, a moment that would stay with them forever.

[Steve Holmes]

Fierce rivals on the track, good mates off it. Bob and Pete Geoghegan with their two legendary Mustangs.

[Steve Holmes]

This car apparently raced just four times. Norm Beechey, pictured here, is about to unload his beautiful black '68 Camaro off the 'team' transporter. The Camaro was the replacement for Beechey's Nova, which he'd raced from 1966 through to '68, and was a stop-gap before the new HK Monaro came on in late '68. Beechey did manage to beat Geoghegan's all-conquering Mustang once with the Camaro, but at the all important 1968 ATCC race at Warwick Farm, it was an early retirement. Once the Monaro was ready to race, the Camaro just sort of vanished. Its believed to have been converted to a road car, it never raced again, and its whereabouts are unknown.

[Steve Holmes]

The exact details of this engine bay are a bit of a mystery. The photo isn't labelled. It appears to be a Camaro engine bay, and my guess would be that its Bobs famous ZL1 '69 Camaro, when CAMS forced him to run a small block Chevy in 1972. Would anyone like to comment?

[Steve Holmes]

Larrikins! Bob and (I think) Pete Geoghegan share a Shelby T-Shirt! As they'd both visited Shelby in 1965 to buy a Mustang each, the shirt is likely to have been picked up then. Was it Bobs shirts, or Petes? Maybe they each thought he owned it. How much would it be worth now? Plenty, would be my guess.

[Dave Silcock]

I can't comment too much on the motor it self, but the carburettors are impressive. Almost certainly a set of 58mm webers as fitted to 2.5 liter Coventry Climax. Red Dawson had a set of those on his Monza at one stage, if you did it today it would cost you about $24000 and everybody would say way too big!

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Dave, heres one just for you.

[Steve Holmes]

On the grid at Sandown, 1964. At left is Bob in the Jaguar. In the centre is Norm Beechey in the '63 Galaxie that was also raced at various times by Len Lukey and Lex Davison. At right, I think, could be Ern Abbott. Looking at the number plate on the Valiant, its the same car raced by Abbott, but whether this is him here I can't say for sure.

[Steve Holmes]

The '67 Mustang. This is the car written off at Lakeside in 1970, when owned by Chris Brauer.

[Steve Holmes]

Stunning shot of Pete Geoghegan cocking a wheel in the Scuderia Veloce Ferrari 250LM at Bathurst. I think this was 1968.

[Steve Holmes]

Bobs other ZL1. This one was drag raced sporadically, then sold in 1973. The motor from this car was used in the restoration of Bobs more famous 1971/72 ATCC winner. I think the car itself may have been written off some years later. Myles can clarify.

[Dale Harvey]

The first shot is at Lakeside. The second is of the Elfin Repco, not Traco and the shot of big Pete in the 250LM is 1968 as stated. Keep em coming.

Dale.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Dale.

[Steve Holmes]

Of all Bob's race cars, he surely must have raced this amazing HQ Monaro the longest. The car first appeared in late 1972, and Bob raced it until the end of 1978. It was originally built for the Improved Production category, as a replacement for his ZL1 Camaro, and he likely would have taken over the reigns from 1973 after its early development races to defend his ATCC title. Bob's hired gun, John Harvey, debuted the Monaro at the penultimate round of the 1972 ATCC, at Surfers Paradise, on July 22.

But CAMS changed the rules part-way through 1972, effectively scrapping the Improved Production category. Most Improved Production racers ended up in the now nationally recognised Sports Sedan class, which allowed far greater freedoms than did Improved Production. But Sports Sedans weren't given championship status until 1976, so only bragging rights and prize-money were on offer. So the Monaro became a Sports Sedan, and run alongside Bob's Repco V8 Torana. For 1973 the Monaro remained much as it first appeared in '72, but started to sprout spoilers from 1974.

This engine bay photo shows the car in its original Improved Production guise. The fuel-injected Chevy was built by John Sheppard and Pat Purcell, with Sheppard creating the inlet manifold himself. Note the front distributor. What an impressive beast. It would have been fascinating to have seen if Bob could have defended his ATCC title in this car, as it was generally considered a better car than the two-time ATCC winning Camaro.

[Steve Holmes]

Norm Beechey built and raced some fascinating cars throughout the late 1950s and early 60s. His early years followed that of many typical Aussies, battling away in an FX Holden, followed by an EH. But, there were early signs that Beechey, the showman, preferred to cut his own path. In 1958, he briefly raced a Ford Customline. The, in 1962, he opted for this massive Chevy Impala, imported brand new from the US.

The Impala was originally intended for the single-race 1962 ATCC at Longford. Unfortunately, it failed to reach Australia in time, so Beechey fronted up with his FX Holden. The Impala became one of the fastest touring cars in Australia throughout the rest of 1962, and into '63, and was about the only touring car that could take it to the dominant Jaguars. There was much anticipation over the contest between it and Bob Jane's Jaguar at the 1963 ATCC at Mallala, but the duel never happened. The Impala blew its motor just prior to the ATCC, and Norm reverted back to his Holden for the second year running.

This incredible photo shows not just the race car, but also what I can only guess is Norms tow-vehicle, a '61 Impala.

[Steve Holmes]

I never get tired of looking at this photo! What an absolute gem. This is how ya' drive 'em! Smoke the bags!

This is the third of the three Mustangs Bob raced, this being the ex-Shelby 1968 Trans-Am factory car. These 1967/68 model Mustang coupes made such good looking race cars. Judging by the dark helmet, I believe this is Bob driving, as opposed to John Harvery, who also raced this car regularly.

[mid-year]

Wow,these photos are awesome ! could the unknown engine bay be the 68 Beechey Camaro , only a wild guess as I have never seen a photo of it.
Pete.

[Steve Holmes]

Pete, Bruce Thompson (Bruce302) also suggested that. I think you guys are both right. I guessed at Bobs Camaro when it ran the 350, but the engine bay and surrounds look a lot darker than orange.

I've never seen an engine bay shot of Bob's Camaro when he ran the small block. Did he run multiple carbs, or a single 4-barrel?

[mid-year]

I have also never seen a shot of the ZL-1,s engine bay when Cams forced Bob to re-configure the car as a Z-28 but I suspect it would have utilized the LT-1 aluminum valve covers as in the shot of the HQ . The steel covers in the unknown photo appear to be for a 327, unlike the 350 which had a different breather system.
Pete.