That's just what people do in that state, Ken, isn't it?
Not that you can see any cows as you drive by...
That's just what people do in that state, Ken, isn't it?
Not that you can see any cows as you drive by...
1951
You may not see any cows in the photo but you can almost see the whites of John Fitch's eyes and his hair going grey as he flashes past in his race winning Cunningham C2-R !
It was incidents like this that caused this public road circuit to close down shortly after.
(Ken H)
Last edited by khyndart in CA; 03-24-2019 at 02:01 AM.
The C-2 R is unusual in having a fully framed windscreen - the C2's at Le Mans in 1951 [ 3 of them ] had low screens, one very low so that the rear vision mirror stuck up high in the air on its mounting.Originally Posted by khyndart in CA
1951
You may not see any cows in the photo but you can almost see the whites of John Fitch's eyes and his hair going grey as he flashes past in his race winning Cunningham C2-R !
It was incidents like this that caused this public road circuit to close down shortly after.
(Ken H)
Ken H, this is being written, not far from Kiwitahi, as I am on a farm in Te Poi at the moment, was in Matamata yesterday for shopping and a coffee - The Coffee Bar is owned by an American too !! - he is here, and you are there .. some sort of a Foreign Exchange ??
I'm becoming very disappointed here, the 'June Sprints' were very well known and were a time for the college students in those Northern states to get away for a weekend of fun in the sun...
Meantime, here's another old race track:
Pic from 1951 or 1952, a very varied field. The width of the circuit confirms that it's an old air base.
Sorry Ray,
Did you want me to name that other course by the lake ?
Ken
Ken, you've done your bit...
Dozens of others are looking in, it would be nice if one of them would stick their necks out. Even if they get it wrong they'll learn something and nobody will be nasty to them.
Do you like the Regal in the pic above?
Thats a great line up Ray! I love those older shots, do you have anymore?I'm becoming very disappointed here, the 'June Sprints' were very well known and were a time for the college students in those Northern states to get away for a weekend of fun in the sun...
Meantime, here's another old race track:
Pic from 1951 or 1952, a very varied field. The width of the circuit confirms that it's an old air base.
Cheers
Sadly it gets worse...
MGs, MG Specials (including the Cobden 'Cigar') and some small fry.
Now you know they're kidding, right? This was a four-mile circuit with no slow corners.
Kiwis might remember the car which won the 1954 NZ GP, here it is with Stan Jones aboard, Lex Davison in the Diana Davison TC Special alongside and to the right one of the great Australian Specials driven by Rex Law.
Ray,
That Prefect is all set to go. Hubcaps removed compared to the opposition for quick pit stops and tyre changes, the headlight looks like it still has the WW 2 blackout cover on and the number 21 looks like it could be easily rubbed off for the drive home !
Ken
C'mon folks.
Ray has given us the country and approx. dates.
How many airfields were being raced on in Australia at that time ?
As Ray states; At least give it a go and you know if I can figure it out then surely you can, as I am known here at work as not being as exactly the "sharpest knife in the drawer" !
Ken H.
The Box Brownie pics are from Queensland in '52-'54 or so, and it's not Lowood...
We're still waiting on a finalisation of the Yankee one, open road circuit, there were two different layouts, it's a state which has a border with Canada and there's a modern artificial circuit there which hosted Can-Am and IndyCar.
By the way, Ken, did you give consideration to the valve bounce which would have been achieved by that Prefect on the long downhill leg, over a mile long after the exit to a bend that nobody ever had to back off for?
[QUOTE=khyndart in CA;69869]C'mon folks.
Ray has given us the country and approx. dates.
How many airfields were being raced on in Australia at that time ?
As Ray states; At least give it a go and you know if I can figure it out then surely you can, as I am known here at work as not being as exactly the "sharpest knife in the drawer" !
Ken H, and Ray Bell,
My knowledge of Australian circuits is limited. Obviously know the current ones as used by V8 Supercars series and a few smaller ones like Lakeside - as for lost tracks, Longford, Catalina Park, - for many more will have to do a lot of Google-ing.
As has mentioned NZ had a few Airfield Circuits.
Ardmore - still an airfield
Wigram - no longer used
Seagrove - went in the 1950's
Ohakea - still an airfield
Whenuapai - still an airfield ?
Hobsonville - no longer and I don't think ever hosted Motorsport
Waharoa - still an airfield - used mainly for gliders these days.
OK - enough of my " waffling " -off to play with Google and look at this Facebook Page
" Old Motor Racing Photographs - Australia "
" https://www.facebook.com/groups/190760908334658/ "
I may come back with some answers !!, but more likely some questions ??
- and it is heading for Beer O'Clock here - the first in the world in the new Day - Wednesday afternoon at 4;25 PM .. NZDST -New Zealand - Daylight Saving Time - which finishes in a couple of weekends.
Ray and I never did catch up for that chat back in 2016 - I left the " Sunburnt Country " in April 2017.
Cheers
Roger D.
Last edited by Roger Dowding; 03-27-2019 at 03:30 AM.
Yes, you sneaked out of there...
Airfield circuits in Australia:
Strathpine
Mt Druitt
Marsden Park
Nowra
Valleyfield
Mooliabeenie
Caversham
Pearce
Lowood
Fishermens Bend
Beverley
Schofields
Wangaratta
Busselton
Leyburn
Point Cook
Gawler
Quorn Hall
Ringwood
Ballarat
Tomago
A list - I have no idea of the accuracy but here is a start for Ray Bell, and Ken H ..
These are Closed or Inactive Tracks.
" Adelaide International Raceway, Adelaide, South Australia (still has limited use)
Amaroo Park, Sydney, New South Wales
Aspendale Racecourse, Aspendale, Victoria
Ballarat Airport, Ballarat, Victoria
Brenock Park Speedway, Ferntree Gully, Victoria
Brisbane Exhibition Ground, Brisbane, Queensland
Canberra International Dragway, Fairburn, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Canberra Street Circuit, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Castlereagh International Dragway, Sydney, New South Wales
Catalina Park, Katoomba, New South Wales
Caversham Airfield, Caversham, Western Australia
Claremont Speedway, Perth, Western Australia
Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit, Orange, New South Wales
Homebush Street Circuit, Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales
Hume Weir Motor Racing Circuit, Albury-Wodonga, New South Wales
King Edward Park Hillclimb, Newcastle, New South Wales
Liverpool Speedway, Sydney, New South Wales
Longford Circuit, Longford, Tasmania
Lowood circuit, Tarampa, Queensland
Macarthur Park Street Circuit Australian Capital Territory (motorcycle/sidecar racing only)
Oran Park Raceway, Sydney, New South Wales
Port Wakefield Circuit, Port Wakefield, South Australia
Rowley park speedway, Adelaide, South Australia
Surfers Paradise International Raceway, Gold Coast, Queensland
Sydney Showground Speedway, Sydney, New South Wales
Templestowe hillclimb racetrack, Melbourne, Victoria
Tralee Speedway, Queanbeyan, New South Wales
Warwick Farm Raceway, Sydney, New South Wales "
Includes a couple of Airfield circuits " in bold "
More to come - soon - that first Beer is now being opened I waited until 5;00 PM- such restraint ??
Ray you and I were busy at the same time 5;05 pm NZdst - your list is more defined - thanks - will go to my archives.
Cheers
Roger D
This is a List - not complete, I am sure as know of a few others ;
" Street circuits
Cemetery Circuit, Wanganui (a.k.a. Southern Hemisphere's Isle of Man)
Dunedin Street Circuit, Dunedin (see also Southern Festival of Speed)
Paeroa Street Circuit, Paeroa (a.k.a. Battle of the Streets)
Port Nelson Street Circuit, Nelson
Permanent circuits
Circuit Chris Amon (Manfeild), Feilding
Hampton Downs, North Waikato
Highlands Motorsport Park, Cromwell new permanent track
Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Christchurch
Pukekohe Park Raceway, Pukekohe
Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo
Teretonga Park, Invercargill
Timaru International Motor Raceway (levels), Timaru
Drag strips
Fram Autolite Dragway, Meremere
Masterton Motorplex, Masterton
Motueka Aerodrome, Motueka
Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park, Christchurch
Taupo Motorsport Park, Taupo
Inactive tracks
Wellington Street Circuit, Wellington City (see also Wellington 500)
Wigram Airfield Circuit, Christchurch (see also Tasman Series)
Hamilton Street Circuit, Hamilton City (a.k.a. Hamilton 400)
Historic tracks
Ardmore, South Auckland (circuit/drag racing)
Kerrs Road, Wiri (drag racing)
Muriwai Beach, Muriwai
Napier Airport (drag racing)
Thunderpark, Hastings (drag racing)
Bay Park Raceway, Tauranga (circuit racing)
"
Off the top of my head - as they say.
There are quite a few missing.
in no particular order - sound s like a TV show competition !!.
Drag Strips [ lost ]
Kopuku,- near Maramarua a metal road
Road circuits [ lost ]
Mairehu, near Christchurch
Napier street circuit
Paritutu, New Plymouth
Ryall Bush,Southland
Grass and other circuits
Kerepehi Domain - Grass
Waharoa Airfield - Grass
As more come to mind or my searching will add here !!.
as a disclaimer,
I must add that I am a retired JaFA, [ now resident in the BOP ].. and apart from being in Dunedin in 1984 for the Road Races, have never been further South than Ohakea.
In fact have only attended Pukekohe [ so many times 1964 - 2007 ], Baypark [ 3 -4 times ] Ohakea once - including the practice day at Manfeild , Taupo once, although have driven around it [ unofficially back in the 1980's ] and Hampton Downs.
Australia is very sparse for my 8 years there, Sydney [Homebush ] once, Lakeside about 6 or 7 times.
Still not really helping answer Ray's questions but getting it on the Forum
Ninety Mile Beach...
Both of Ray's last two tracks have sprint events.
One takes place in June and the other in August.
Ken...I think I am correct !
To my knowledge, Roger, King Edward Park hillclimb still operates...
The first weekend in September, as I recall, it was only ever once a year to my knowledge and it's a part of the Mattara Festival.
Not that I'd expect hillclimbs and drag strips, even speedways, to be part of this discussion.
Ken, which ones have sprints once a year? Tomago? Ballarat Airfield? The latter I'd say is quite possible, but I've never heard of Tomago still being used. Leyburn, the town, has sprints once a year too. These were commenced to draw attention to the 50th anniversary of the Australian Grand Prix being held on the airfield there and kind of kept going for the next 20+ years.
Roger you left out the original Mt Maunganui circuit.
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