MotorSport Legends Issue 19

MotorSport Legends T H E M A G A Z I N E T H AT B R I N G S Y O U R M O T O R S P O R T M E M O R I E S B A C K T O L I F E www.motorsportlegends.com.au

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STORMIN’ NORMAN

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BATHURST: 50 years of mountain memories

ISSUE 19 Aug-Oct 2012

ISSN 1835-5544

JACKIE STEWART: the fallout of stopping a race for safety

Q U A R TE R LY

M A G A Z I N E

Racing recluse Beechey on his racecars, rivals and retirement

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T H E M A G A Z I N E T H AT B R I N G S Y O U R M O T O R S P O R T M E M O R I E S B A C K T O L I F E

Contents Editorial We got our man.

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News Who did what on the historic and nostalgia motorsport scenes.

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Stormin’ Norman 10-17 One of the greatest racing drivers this country has ever seen discusses his life and favourite racing cars with Foges – including that famous yellow Monaro.

Mustang Man 18-21 Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan was a big man both physically and on the race track.

This extract from renowned journalist Paul Gover’s recent book, V8 Legends Australia’s all time top 40 racing drivers, tells the gentle giant’s story.

Historic Racer 23-30 Welcome to the 13th edition of our historic racing section, which includes coverage of the Winton Historics and explores the Panini Museum in Italy.

Webb of Intrigue 31 Mick’s not scared to tell it how it was.

The Great Crusader 32-37 Jackie Stewart has been around motor racing for 50 years and he’s still as enthusiastic as ever. Over that time he has lived through some interesting eras of the sport as he tells Darren House.

50 years at the Mountain 38-45 This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Great Race at Bathurst. We remember some of the great and not so great memories.

Age No Barrier 46-50 We catch up with Murray Carter who is still racing at the ripe old age of 81.

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CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE Mark Fogarty Foges has been covering motorsport as a journalist for more years than he cares to admit.

For this issue he had a casual chat with Norm Beechey.

The former great doesn’t usually like to talk about his racing career, but Foges brought him out of his shell.

Glenis Lindley Glenis has been taking photos and interviewing drivers at Mount Panorama, Bathurst for quite a few years. Her article and photo essay of her favourite mountain memories on page 38 is well worth the read on the eve of the 50th Great Race.

Darren House Darren caught up with three-time F1 champ Jackie Stewart to talk about why he’s still got as much passion for the sport today as he did in the 1960s.

Stewart was a crusader of improving safety in F1, something he often butted heads with officials over.

Managing Editor Allan Edwards Pole Position Productions Address: PO Box 225 Keilor, Victoria, 3036 Phone: (03) 9331 2608 Fax: (03) 8080 6473 Email: admin@motorsportlegends.com.au Website: www.motorsportlegends.com.au Sub Editor Briar Gunther Graphic Design Craig Fryers CDF Art Direction & Design cdfdesign@optusnet.com.au Contributors Glenis Lindley, Mark Fogarty, Darren House, Grant Nicholas, Brian Reed, Paul Gover and Mick Webb.

Photographers Autopics.com.au John Doig/Torque Photos Glenis Lindley Darren House Neil Hammond Advertising Manager Jennifer Gamble Phone: 0431 451 470 Email: advertising@ motorsportlegends.com.au Distributors Fairfax Media Publication Solutions Material in Motorsport Legends is protected by copyright laws and may not be reporoduced in any format. Motorsport Legends will consider unsolicited articles and pictures; however, no responsibility will be taken for their return. While all efforts are taken to verify information in Motorsport Legends is factual, no responsibility will be taken for any material which is later found to be false or misleading. The opinions of the contributors are not always those of the publishers.

MotorSportLegends

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CLASSIC

Lines Welcome to the 19th edition of Motorsport Legends magazine.

Motorsport Legends includes motor racing nostalgia and historic events.

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ast issue I talked about how Australian motor racing great Norm Beechey has become reluctant to talk to the current day press. Luckily, Motorsport Legends scribe Mark Fogarty took that as a challenge and he’s come up with the goods. His interview with Stormin’ Norman in this issue is a classic.

Talking of great reads our regular column written by Mick Webb (pictured above with yours truly) has become a favourite of Motorsport Legends readers. He’s not scared to tell it how it actually happened regardless of whom he upsets. We’ve had to tone him down occasionally to make sure we didn’t receive nasty phone calls when the magazine hit the shops, but rest assured he has become an important part of

this magazine and we will continue to publish his often-controversial columns.

In fact Mick has become an important part of our team of experts and writers at Motorsport Legends. We are actually quite proud of our team as we head towards the magazine’s fifth anniversary.

As well as Mick and Foges, we have Darren House, Brian ‘Brique’ Reed and Glenis Lindley. Darren has done a great interview in this issue with Jackie Stewart. The three-time World Formula One Champion discusses racing in an era where you counted how many mates you had buried almost as often as you counted races you had started.

He talks about the death threats he received when he tried to stop a grand

prix on the grounds of safety and why he still loves the sport as much today as he did in the 1960s.

Glenis recalls her favourite moments at Bathurst as we gear up for the 50th edition of the Great Race and Brique braved the wild weather at Winton to bring us his perspective of the classics at the Victorian country circuit.

As well as these great stories we also have our awesome selection of brilliant old photographs to add to the experience.

We are confident that you will enjoy this issue.

Until next time drive safely on the race track and the road.

Cheers, – Allan Edwards, Managing Editor

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A celebration of Australasian Muscle Car heritage and a tribute to drivers who raced FATHER’S DAY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

Sydney Motorsport Park - Sydney - Australia

Don’t miss out on the AMC Legends Dinner with Alan Jones, John Goss and Kevin Bartlett

SATURDAY 1st SEPTEMBER

For travel packages visit

www.travelaire.com.au

WHAT’S ON IN 2012

AMC’s annual Father’s Day celebration of Australasia’s unique muscle car heritage returns to Sydney Motorsport Park (formerly Eastern Creek Raceway) in 2012 for an incredible eighth year. For the first time, Formula 5000 is on the race program.

- Formula 5000 Open-wheelers - Central Muscle Cars - Touring Car Masters - Groups N, C and A Historics Touring Cars - Master Blasts - Heritage Hot Laps

For all ticket bookings, Legends Dinner reservations, trackside hospitality bookings and event info, check out

www.musclecarmasters.com.au

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NEWS

O’BRIEN UPGRADES FOR MORE AUSSIE MUSCLE Taking home the silverware as 2011 Class B Champion has inspired Touring Car Masters veteran Gary O’Brien to look for more from the popular muscle car series, retiring his 1971 Holden HQ Monaro GTS to focus on the build of his new machine, a 1974 Holden Torana SL/R 5000.

Having joined the series in its inaugural season in 2007, O’Brien has been a familiar face across the Touring Car Masters paddock and calendar, taking to the track at almost every event since the series launched into its new era more than half a decade ago.

Behind the scenes he spends each day at his Bendigo Accident and Repair Centre and Panels and Performance businesses, ensuring that race cars, fellow local series entries, and customer cars are kept at their prime.

Having made the decision to commit to a new build during the 2011 season, O’Brien is now well into the process, completing bodywork and panels for

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the Torana in-house and using only the best parts and people to ensure that his SL/R will be top-notch.

“The HQ GTS is maxed out in the current format, it’s basically a hotted up road car,” he said.

“When we debriefed and analysed our Clipsal 500 weekend, we would have to rebuild the whole car and work with a new engine, investing too much to try and get it to the next level.

“The HQ GTS is a great car as is.

“It is an entry level, low cost car with the best bang for buck in the category so we’ll tidy it up and put it on the market as it would suit a driver wanting to enter the category and gain experience, using it as a stepping stone.

“In my mind, and following our results last year, we’re better off concentrating on our new car.

“The Torana will be all Australian, and the choice simply had to be a Holden running with locally made components.

“We have racing DNA, so that team are looking forward to engineering a car from scratch, something that will be more nimble and is now our weapon of choice to take on the competitive TCM field.”

As the growth of the Touring Car Masters continues to impress, O’Brien is among a number of competitors now looking to upgrade and achieve more, taking the challenge to the front runners consistently. MSL

BRABHAM TAKES CENTRE STAGE More than 50 years since his first World Championship win, the name Jack Brabham continues to be one of the most revered in motorsports history.

The record books are littered with his achievements, including being the only driver to win a World Championship behind the wheel of a car bearing his own name is unlikely to be matched… ever.

So to honour one of Australia’s greatest sons, the team at the most important historic concours d’elegance Down Under, RACV Motorclassica, has brought together a collection of cars from throughout ‘Black Jack’s’ career.

Starting with his very first Midget Speedcar, and culminating with a selection of important, race-winning BT cars, the highlight of the showcase will undoubtedly be Brabham’s WDC-winning Coopers from 1959 and 1960 and the famous Repco Brabham from 1966.

As a special treat, Sir Jack himself will make his way to RACV Motorclassica for the weekend (pending his health), where he will be joined by some of his contemporaries, collaborators and those who went on to race his iconic BT race cars.

Event Director, Paul Mathers, said to the best of the team’s knowledge, this will be the most important and significant international display of Sir Jack Brabham’s cars ever curated.

“It is an enormous shame that Sir Jack receives greater acknowledgement internationally than he does here in his own country, so our aim this year is to provide a fitting public tribute to a great man, and an astonishing career in motorsports,” he said.

RACV Motorclassica takes place at the iconic Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne from October 26-28, 2012.

Entries are also now being sought from around Australia and the world, for the 2012 Australian International Concours d’Elegance at RACV Motorclassica. Exceptional cars are encouraged to compete for a range of awards including the coveted Best in Show trophy.

For more information email pmathers@etf.com.au or visit www.motorclassica.com.au MSL

MotorSportLegends

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CARROLL SHELBY: AMERICAN ICON Shelby American President John Luft has vowed the company will continue despite the death of Carroll Shelby, who recently passed away at Baylor Hospital in Dallas, Texas.

Luft told Motorsport Legends that Shelby had remained active in the management of each of his companies and the Carroll Shelby Foundation until his death and long-term planning, initiated by Shelby himself, had resulted in a company structured that ensured the brand remained strong well into the future.

“The company is structured in a way that things don’t change,” said Luft.

“Carroll always had an iron-clad succession plan and an estate plan, and everything associated with him going to that big race track in the sky. When Enzo died, Ferrari didn’t go away and it is our job to make sure (Shelby American) doesn’t go away. “The Shelby Foundation’s job to keep the legacy alive and it will be Shelby American’s job to keep the spirit of the

vehicles alive through what we do today (in terms of) product development.

Luft said a key part of the succession plan was to put more emphasis on the cars while Shelby backed away from the media spotlight.

“In the last two years we’ve unveiled (new product), at Detroit and New York and Chicago auto shows, some significant cars in the market. “Carrol was not there for one unveil. It’s not that he didn’t want to

go but he told me a couple of years ago, ‘John, I am getting older and there will be a day when I am not here so it needs to be about the cars and not about me’. “‘So they need to see less of me and more of the cars’, and over the last couple of years, we have done that. We used to go these events and the first thing the press would say was, ‘Is Carroll here?’.

More recently, very few of them asked. It’s really about the cars.”

Shelby American has a thriving parts business as well as a line of muscle cars including the Shelby GT500 Super Snake, Shelby GT350 and Shelby GTS. The Las Vegas-based company also manufactures a limited number of the 1960s Shelby 289 ‘street’ 289 FIA, 427 S/C and Daytona Coupe Cobras.

Our exclusive full interview with John Luft will appear in the next issue of Motorsport Legends. MSL

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NEWS

MUSCLE MAGIC AND FORMULA 5000s FOR FATHERS’ DAY This year’s annual Australian Muscle Car Masters returns to Eastern Creek on Fathers’ Day (September 2), now sporting a new name – Sydney Motorsport Park – after its $12 million upgrade.

Incredibly, it’s eight years since Muscle Cars first ‘strutted their stuff’ to a legion of dedicated fans, on what has become one of the best Father’s Day outings available.

Along with all the traditional attractions of this special weekend, diehard Formula 5000 fans will be treated to the added spectacle of 20-plus F5000 cars blasting along the main straight, then running flat-strap through the first turn.

While historic F5000 racing isn’t unusual in Victoria, this is the first time that this many of these impressive beasts will have raced in New South Wales since the mid 1970s.

Regular racers will be joined by a large New Zealand Formula 5000 Association contingent – all thanks to many requests from passionate fans, for these awesome five-litre, openwheel machines to be included.

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This year the Formula 5000s will race at MCM for the first time.

The second round of the Australian F5000 Cup will see Andrew Robson (Lola T332) trying to stay ahead after his success at Phillip Island at the opening round, while the Kiwis will look to the likes of Steve Ross (McRae GM1-Chevrolet) to steal the locals’ thunder.

With the Australian Racing Driver’s Club celebrating its 60th anniversary in September, to mark this milestone, MCM will also feature cars that were available for sale in Australia during 1952 (the Club’s first year). A special parade is confirmed, so if you’re the proud owner of a Holden 48-215 or Ute; Austin A40; MGTD and Y; Ford Custom or Prefect; Chevrolet; Vauxhall; Fiat 1100; or Jaguar Mark V

(just some of the manufacturers), this should really appeal.

This year also commemorates the 40th anniversary Ford Falcon XA GT; Valiant Charger R/T E49; Holden Torana GTR XU1 and VH Commodore SS Brock HDT. A top line-up of Australian Touring Car Masters competitors is also assured for the fifth round of this fascinating Series. Legendary drivers of the calibre of John Bowe (Trans Am Mustang), Jim Richards (Javelin) and Andrew Miedecke Camaro SS) are never far from the front.

Throw in the likes of Tony Edwards (Torana SLR), Brad Tilley (Falcon GT) or Keith Kassulke (Falcon Coupe) and there’s plenty of action assured.

Rubbing shoulders with legends Alan Jones, Allan Moffat, Bob Jane, Harry Firth, John Harvey, John French, Allan Grice, Kevin Bartlett, Christine and Fred Gibson – naming only some who make an autographhunter’s treasured appearance on Sunday – is another highlight.

Those wishing to get Bob Jane’s autograph should definitely turn up to Sydney Motorsport Park on Fathers’ Day as the first winner of the Mount Panorama endurance race that we know today as the Bathurst 1000 has indicated that he will retire from travelling to events after the meeting.

If you’d like to lash out for an unforgettable Saturday evening, there’s the Legends’ Dinner – three-course meal and drinks, plus panelists including Alan Jones and John Goss.

The Merchandise Alley, full supporting program, hundreds of cars forming static displays, and traditional special Featured Muscle Marque parades all create a memorable weekend.

For more info visit www. muslecarmasters.com.au MSL

MotorSportLegends

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TASMAN REVIVAL Start your engines for one of Australia’s premier historic racing car events, the 2012 Tasman Revival, which takes place at Eastern Creek from November 23-25, 2012.

The 2012 Tasman Revival is an unrivalled opportunity for racing car enthusiasts to experience the excitement of 1960s “formula cars” and 1970s Formula 5000 cars in full flight with more than 30 racing events over three days.

Presented by the Historic Sports and Racing Car Association of NSW, the 2012 Tasman Revival will bring together ex-Formula 1 and Indy cars including Ferrari, McLaren, Spirit Honda, Brabham, Surtees, Lola and Lotus.

A grid of fearsome Formula

5000s will feature at the event when over 12,000hp rattles the windows and shakes the ground of Eastern Creek.

Other categories will be there too; production sports cars such as Austin Healeys and Porsches, touring cars including Mustangs and Falcon GTs and single seaters from Formula Vee through Juniors and Formula Ford to F1.

Many of Australia’s best known drivers will be at the track with opportunities for autographs.

Tasman Revival Patron, Frank Matich AM, two-time winner of the Australian Grand Prix and builder of some of Australia’s most iconic and successful racing cars, will attend on the

Sunday.

Event spokesman Stephen Knox said it was a not-to-bemissed event for racing car enthusiasts.

“It’s a rare chance to see some of the fastest cars from the 1960s and ‘70s compete on track with almost continuous racing over three exciting days,” he said.

“Spectators get incredible access to the cars and drivers with the Memorabilia Marquee displaying many significant and spectacular cars.

“Full access is available to garages and marquees throughout the paddock areas and no special passes are needed.”

About 450 entries including more than 50 international competitors are expected.

Ticket prices start at $20 and are available from Ticketmaster.com.au or by calling 136 100.

For more details visit www. tasmanrevival.com or join www.facebook.com/hsrca on Facebook. MSL

MotorSportLegends

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NORM BEECHEY

STORMIN’ NORMAN

Touring car racing’s ultimate showman explains why he never looked back after retiring…

STORY BY MARK FOGARTY PHOTOGRAPHS BY AUTOPICS.COM.AU

T

ouring car legend Norm Beechey was Australian motorsport’s first superstar.

‘Stormin’ Norman’ thrilled fans in the 1960s and the very early ‘70s with his fan-friendliness and showmanship in a variety of crowdpleasing cars, the most famous of which was his 1970 Australian Touring Car Championship-winning HT Holden Monaro GTS 350.

Beechey turned his back on the sport after his unannounced retirement following his final victory in the ‘72 West Australian Touring Car Championship at Wanneroo Park (now Barbagallo Raceway).

He returned in 1992 in his original ‘62 Chevrolet Impala 409, which he bought back and restored to use in historic hillclimbs and classic rallies, and ever since Norm and his beloved Chevy have remained popular attractions at their increasingly occasional outings each year.

Over the years, Beechey has routinely declined requests from the media to talk about his career and why he retired – with a few rare exceptions.

I was privileged to be granted one of those exceptional audiences five years ago, realising a career-long ambition to interview ‘Stormin’ Norman’, who was my childhood hero. And this instance, describing the encounter as a privilege is not sycophancy.

For me, it really was an honour.

Beechey retired from racing without fanfare in September ’72, just six 10

months after I began making my way as a motorsport journalist. I still remember being gutted that he quit the sport just as I was getting into a position where I could legitimately inveigle my way into an extended conversation with this titan of tin-tops.

I was further crushed when I learned that Beechey’s retirement was just from racing, but any involvement in the sport – including talking to the press. He became, essentially, a motorsport recluse and it would be 35 years before I got the opportunity to sit down with him to talk at length about his barnstorming days as the country’s most popular and spectacular touring car racer.

Of course, when you finally meet a boyhood hero, there’s always the risk he won’t live up to the image etched in your mind for so long. Luckily, Beechey didn’t disappoint me. He was avuncular, and just as expansive and entertaining as I hoped – and more forthright than I expected.

The other problem with finally being face-to-face with your idol is that it’s difficult to know where to start, much less stop, with all the questions you’ve been wanting to ask after all this time.

I needn’t have worried. Norm made it easy. When he agreed to talk to me, he took the trouble to meticulously consider and research his responses �

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Jack French & No rm

Beechey’s Vangua rd, Armstrong 50 0 Phillip Island 19 60

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NORM BEECHEY

to my enquiries, a summary of which – unusually – I sent him ahead of time.

His replies led to many more queries during our conversation at his home in a semi-rural suburb of Melbourne. We talked for the best part of two hours, resulting in a wealth of anecdotes and explanations – on and off the record.

So much that the highlights of our exchange that follow still only scratch the surface of his colourful career.

Despite his enduring popularity, Beechey remained an enigma to fans old and new, who craved to hear his version of the golden years of Aussie touring car racing and his answers to the many questions that have lingered since his ghostly departure from the sport nearly 40 years ago.

Norm and his charming wife Marg, who is the keeper of the Beechey historical flame, were gracious hosts, extending old-fashioned hospitality and attentiveness.

Visiting the Beecheys at home was a rare opportunity to view his stable of cars and what’s left of his once-vast collection of trophies, along with other mementoes of his reign as the country’s most popular driver.

Norm’s pride and joy is his original Impala, lovingly restored after he bought it back in 1991, which he drives regularly on the road.

He also has a ’67 Camaro Z28, ’73 Iso Rivolta Lele, ’07 C6 Corvette, ’52 Hudson Hornet Hollywood and a ’56 Mercury Montclaire Sun Valley.

The collection is as eclectic as the great variety of muscle cars he raced.

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Above and right: Beechey in a Ford Customline at Albert Park in 1958.

Below: At the Geelong Speed Trials in 1960 in his FX.

Over a decade he competed in the Impala and the similarly enormous Ford Galaxie 406, EH Holden S4, Ford Mustang 289 (scoring the original pony car’s first race win anywhere in the world and his maiden ATCC in ’65), Chevy II Nova 327, Chevrolet Camaro 350, HK Holden Monaro 327 and, of course, the immortal Shell yellow HT Holden Monaro 350.

Switching from one crowd-pleaser to another so often was a big part of

Beechey’s appeal and along with his arch-rivals Ian Geoghegan, Bob Jane and Allan Moffat, ‘Stormin’ Norman’ is a founding father of the popularity of V8 touring car racing that was the genesis of V8 Supercars.

He is one of the original V8 Supercar Hall Of Famers and is feted by the sport’s administrators each year at the Clipsal 500 and Sydney 500, both of which he and Marg attend annually.

Beechey is a big man, still sturdy, active and opinionated at nearly 80. He may have withdrawn from the spotlight long ago, but he is still active socially and in business.

And, of course, he is still as reluctant as ever to do interviews, which makes the time I spent talking to him at length five years ago even more memorable.

He was a larger-than-life character back in the day, flinging his many and varied V8s around in tail-sliding, tyre-smoking, wheel-hiking displays.

His flair made him an all-time hero to a generation of fans and keeps his legend very much alive four decades later.

And, as the excerpts from our conversation that follow show, Beechey still entertains as much as a raconteur as he did as a racer.

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What was your favourite race car?

Without a doubt, the [Series Production] Valiants I drove for Chrysler. The six-cylinder engines were great, just a bit short on power to do the job outright, but they went around the bends beautifully. The Chrysler engineers really had the suspension sorted out well. In the [l970] Sandown Three-Hour, I was on the way to winning it outright in a [four-barrel carburettor version] Valiant Pacer. We were leading. but we had to stop to put water in it. Without a doubt, they were the loveliest cars to drive and beautifully set up. The four-door Pacer was a great car, even though it was just like mom and pop’s family car.

A lot of people would be surprised that you’d nominate the Valiants over, say, the title-winning Monaro 350 or the Impala, which is the only one you bought back.

I have an emotional attachment to the Impala, but when I raced it, it was using money faster than I could make it.

The gearbox was fragile, which is why I stopped racing it. The Valiants were just so lovely to drive – they handled terrifically for their time – and I just thought they were surprising cars. As far as I’m concerned, they were a breeze to race.

You were always a showman, with a very flamboyant driving style. Was it natural or something you cultivated?

People say that, but I never considered myself to be a flamboyant driver. It was just that the types of cars I was

Norm Beechey in a Ford Galaxie, Sandown 1964.

racing were prone to sliding if you were on the limit and I never considered it as showmanship. I probably wasn’t as technical a driver as, say, ‘Pete’ Geoghegan, who was by far the superior driver, and I didn’t mind unsettling a car. I’d say I have a rougher technique of driving than some of the neater drivers.

When you were on the limit in the cars I drove, you were sideways with wheels in the air – that’s just how they behaved with my physical style of driving. I‘ll admit that my technique was relatively rough.

What about the story that you used to go out on old tyres during practice and deliberately smoke ’em up to entertain the crowd? Fact or myth?

Never in a fit. I’ve read that in magazines myself over the years, but it never happened. I do admit, however, that at Creek corner (the famous hairpin at Warwick Farm) I would give it an extra stab and throw it sideways

and set the back tyres on fire. But I certainly didn’t do it on old tyres. You wouldn’t have had time to change them.

Who were your greatest rivals?

Ian Geoghegan was, in my opinion, the most outstanding driver of my era.

We had some very close races and I never received so much as a scratch on my cars from him. Bob Jane was my next biggest rival. He was a lot tougher competitor than ‘Big Pete’. Allan Moffat was also a very tough competitor. He was desperately competitive in his era.

Bob and Moffat both had such good [US-built] cars that they were hard to beat in our homegrown machines.

Your most famous and most popular car was the ‘Trans-Aus’ Monaro 350. Why was it so much better than its predecessor?

The HK Monaro 327 was a shit of a car.

Narrow-gutted and you couldn’t get any decent tyres under it anywhere. But we thought we could win the champi-

Norm Beechey in his Chev Impala at Calder on September 9, 1962. While he has an emotional attachment to the car, he said it chewed fuel when he raced it.

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NORM BEECHEY

onship with the HT 350 because CAMS opened the regulations up to allow us to compete with the Trans-Am Mustangs.

A very small group put together the Monaro. We all got stuck into it over Christmas and made a racer out of it in two months, I’d say. And we knew we had a fair chance of doing something with it. It was competitive right from the outset.

Was it the best of the Improved Touring Cars that you raced or was it a difficult car to drive?

We didn’t have the experience that the people that built the Trans-Am cars did. I saw some of those Trans-Am cars being built in America and the guys that built them really stretched the rules. I had a friend who took me through the Chrysler motorsport department, when they were racing the 340 cubic inch Keith Black-engined Dodge Challengers.

They changed all the pivot points up the top and they rewelded all the chassis and filled all the holes up. They moved the bloody top pivot points 3/16ths of an inch – you’d never pick it up. He said ‘I’ll show you it all Norm, but forget it when you walk out that door’. But we never had that type of expertise. What we had with the HT Monaro was more brute horsepower – that was its main attribute. We had a 350 Chevy developing about 550 horsepower. We were

Above: Beechey, pictured with Bob Jane at Calder in 1962, described Jane as a very tough competitor and his next biggest rival to Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan.

racing against Mustangs with 302s and they were probably full chat at about 450 or 470 horsepower. We developed that 350 ourselves with assistance from Traco Engineering in Los Angeles.

In Series Production, you switched from Chrysler to Ford in 1972, but it didn’t last long. What happened?

Well, I got the deal through the sales manager at Ford Australia, Keith Horner, who used to be the sales manager at Australian Motor Industries back in the days when they assembled Standard Vanguards and I raced for them. Keith actually said to me ‘Norm,

if you ever want to drive a Ford, pick the phone up and talk to me’. So as my Holden Monaro had finished its career because the Improved Touring class had disappeared, my avenue was to try to win at Bathurst and I needed a V8. So I called Keith and he said ‘You’re on’. Just one telephone call. So they supplied me with the car and they paid me a handsome fee, plus they supplied the tyres and picked up the bill for accommodation and everything. I was like an independently-sponsored Ford driver.

But it only last about five months and I raced the car (Falcon GT-HO Phase III) just twice. I got the sack on July 4. The

Despite it looking like a family car, Beechey said the Valiant Pacer, pictured at Warwick Farm in 1971, was a great car.

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deal was terminated due to pressure from within Ford – that’s all I’ll say.

They wanted their money and their car back, but I’d already told Shell, my main sponsor, that I was going to do the Sandown 500 and the Bathurst 1000.

In the end, I got to keep the money and the car, but I got the sulks and I decided to sell the car. It was all over.

I thought ‘Here I am, I’m going to race my backside off and spend a fair bit of my own money and effort’. I wasn’t going to get any more factory support and my tyre deal went out the door at the same time, and that pushed me into retirement. I’d say that slid me down the chute to retirement.

That may have hastened the decision to retire, but what were the main reasons?

My kind of race car (Improved Touring) was being pushed into racing with Sports Sedans (in ’72). The big emphasis had changed to Series Production because that’s the way the manufacturers, the promoters and CAMS had decided to go. I could see that the time

Above: Norm Beechey in the Mustang at Warwick Farm in 1965. Beechey is reputedly the first driver to win a race driving a Mustang anywhere in the world and he wrapped up the 1965 ATCC title in it.

had arrived when more and more drivers were doing it professionally and I didn’t want to spend all my time racing. After all, I only ever considered myself a weekend amateur. I had several businesses to run and I never considered being a fulltime driver. I was extremely happy with my decision to retire. Putting all my efforts into

Beechey (Chev Nova) and Geoghegan (Mustang) at Catalina Park, Katoomba in 1967.

“IAN GEOGHEGAN WAS, IN MY OPINION, THE MOST OUTSTANDING DRIVER OF MY ERA. WE HAD SOME VERY CLOSE RACES AND I NEVER RECEIVED SO MUCH AS A SCRATCH ON MY CARS FROM HIM”

business was very rewarding.

You didn’t actually announce that you were retiring after that last win at Wanneroo Park in September, 1972, did you?

No, nothing like that.

So no one outside your circle knew that was your last race?

No. I had a helicopter standing by and I went straight to the airport, jumped on a plane and went home. I just stopped doing it. It was the right time for me to give it away, anyway.

It always puzzled me – not to mention being a huge disappointment to me as an aspiring young journalist – why you didn’t give any interviews for so long after you retired?

I just decided that it was all over and there was nothing to be gained by talking about it. It seemed natural to me. I stopped doing it and I didn’t want to be involved any more. When I was taking Shell’s signing fees, I had the best deal in Australian motor racing, financially. But I felt like a prize bull with a hole through my nose and a rope on it because if Shell wanted me to do something or General Motors wanted me to go and do something, I had to do all that. So when I got rid of all that, I could do what I wanted to do myself. I could spend the time making money. I was good at that and getting rid of the motor racing gave me so much more time to concentrate on my businesses.

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NORM BEECHEY

I couldn’t see any advantage in doing interviews.

Above: In his famous Holden Monaro at Bathurst in 1970.

Below: Beechey and Jim McKeown finished 12th in the Valiant Charger at the 1971 Bathurst.

Going back to your 1970 ATCC, I imagine you’d rate that as your most satisfying success?

Yes. Well, you’d think it would be, wouldn’t you? I mean, we beat some some pretty tough opposition. We actually gave motor racing the first priority that year and our business suffered. I was busy. I had a Chrysler dealership and I was selling new Valiants. But I was also a fully-blown Dodge dealer, so we were selling big Dodge trucks with V8 Cummins in them and other Dodge trucks with petrols in them and used cars and trucks. And I was selling heavy equipment and I had the three speed shops. We had 100 people working for us. We were bloody busy. But in 1970, we gave the racing priority and we just couldn’t do it again the following year. We did that and we won it.

Then I probably had the necessity of concentrating on my business that I’d neglected for the year.

Was that the reason for your lack of success in 1971 versus ’70?

I’m sure it was.

The car should have been better in ’71.

That’s right. We just didn’t put the effort into it. In 1970, I took time off from my business, but I still couldn’t devote as much time to racing as the newly-emerging professional driver like

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Moffat. I remember arriving at Lakeside to do some practising on the Thursday (a day earlier than normal). We drove out to the track and I see Moffat cruising around, and I asked the guy who had the key to the gate, when did Moffat arrive? He said ‘Oh, on Tuesday’.

So he’d been up there practising Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. We just didn’t have the time to do that. And in ’71, Bobby (Jane) got his lovely big Camaro ZL1 going, which was a terrific car, and maybe Moffat got his thing (Trans-Am Mustang Boss 302) sorted out better. Moffat had by far the best car. They were hard cars to beat. MSL Mark Fogarty is Editor-At-Large of Auto Action and writes regularly for The Age. Foges is celebrating 40 years as a motor sport journalist in 2012. ec_strip_mslegends.pdf 1 1/12/2010 11:07:58 AM

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Above: Norm Beechey with his Chev Camaro at Warwick Farm in 1968. Top: Norm Beechey and Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan battle at Calder in 1970. Beechey described Geoghegan as the most outstanding driver of their era.

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IAN GEOGHEGAN

MUSTANG MAN This story was first published in the book V8 Legends, which profiles the 40 greatest drivers in the history of Australian Touring Car Championship.

STORY BY PAUL GOVER; PHOTOGRAPHS BY AUTOPICS.COM.AU

I

an Geoghegan was a giant of a man. He stood more than two metres tall and weighed in at more than 120 kilograms, but he became even more imposing when he strapped into his Ford Mustang.

Geoghegan, who was known as ‘Pete’ for much of his career, raced and won in a wide range of other cars but his spectacular efforts in the Castrol Mustang made him something very special.

He was a white knight to a lot of touring car fans, but he died too young – just 63 – in 2003 at the end of a troubled life. Geoghegan was part of a motor racing dynasty founded by his father Tom in the 1950s, racing alongside his brother Leo – an open-wheel specialist who won multiple national titles – as well as his sister Marie-Louise at times.

The family also operated the Australian agency for Lotus race and road cars for 18

Above: Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan pictured in 1968.

Top: Geoghegan drives his signature Mustang at Katalina Park, Katoomba, on June 9, 1968.

many years from its motor business on the iconic Parramatta Road in Sydney, which later specialised in four-wheel drive vehicles.

Ian, the younger brother, first made a name for himself in a black early-model Holden but was successful in a wide range of sports cars, Bathurst production cars and various frontline touring cars of the day from a Ford Cortina through to a Holden Commodore V8 at Bathurst.

John Harvey recalled that he was probably banished from open-wheel cars by Tom – although his bulk would always have been a problem – after a fairly major crash at Creek Corner on the Warwick Farm course in Sydney.

No matter, for Geoghegan could make a car sing. His driving style was tail-out spectacular from the early days, although he could also baby a tough customer like a Porsche 911 or hustle a Holden Monaro sports sedan into

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Warwick Farm was Geoghegan’s home ground, driving a Lotus Cortina there in 1964 (above), with his brother Leo and a Lotus 39 in 1967 (right) and racing a Lotus 23B Ford in May 1965 (below right).

Below left: The Geoghegan brothers regularly competed in the endurance events together including the 1964 Bathurst where they shared a Ford Cortina GT.

giving its best. Surprisingly for such a confident driver, Geoghegan had a lifelong speech impediment. He often made fun of his own stammer and it could make things tough at times during race meetings, but it was just part of a complex character.

“He was very brave. That would be my first impression of him. He was strong, he manhandled the car,” said Allan Moffat, as he recalled one of his toughest rivals and an occasional teammate.

Geoghegan was already a big name by the time Moffat came on the scene, as he was second as early as 1961 in the Australian Touring Car Championship driving a 3.4-litre Jaguar home behind Bill Pitt at the Lowood Circuit in Queensland, and won the 1963 Australian Sports Car Championship driving a baby Lotus 23.

Geoghegan bagged his first touring car title in 1964 at Lakeside, in the days when the championship was decided over a single meeting and not a full

national series. He did the job in a Ford Cortina, but only after rolling his firstchoice car in the lead-up to the event and switching to a replacement car that had been driven north from Ford headquarters in Melbourne.

The Geoghegan brothers were among the favoured Ford factory teams from the early days of series production racing and Ian and Leo once famously walked to their Falcon on the starting grid at Bathurst in three-piece suits in one of Australia’s first major motorsport sponsor stunts.

Geoghegan really got cracking when he jumped into his first Ford Mustang, just after Norm Beechey had proved the car’s race track potential. It was the first choice with a lot of drivers including Bob Jane and Neil Allen, with as many

as a half-dozen Mustangs on the grid for some races.

Geoghegan took the 1966 touring car championship at Mount Panorama in a ’65 Mustang V8 then moved into his signature car – the 1967 notchback with green-and-gold Castrol stripes over the top and down the sides – for the opening of the ’67 season.

It was the start of the most successful period in Geoghegan’s career and he scored a hat-trick of Australian Touring Car Championship victories through to 1969, first at Lakeside, then his home ground at Warwick Farm, then in the first full championship series run over five individual rounds.

By this time Geoghegan had picked up a number of nicknames, from plain ‘Fatty’ to ‘Haberfield Fats’ – after �

“HE WAS VERY BRAVE. THAT WOULD BE MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF HIM. HE WAS STRONG, HE MANHANDLED THE CAR” MotorSportLegends

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IAN GEOGHEGAN The Geoghegan brothers, sharing an XR GT Falcon, finished 12th at the 1968 Bathurst.

his home suburb in Sydney – but was best know as ‘Pete’ thanks to Bill Tucker, the editor of Wheels magazine.

“It was around 1963-1964, when the Geoghegan team under old Tom were running all their cars painted black – Lotus Elite, Jaguar, Super Seven, Lotus 18. Leo and Ian wore black overalls,” Tuckey said.

“The evil character in the current Disney comics was a guy called Black Pete. So in Sports Car World (magazine) I christened Ian ‘Pete’, after Black Pete. Around the same time I dubbed Brabham ‘Black Jack’, but that was because of his permanent five o’clock shadow.”

When Moffat arrived with his ’69 Mustang things got a lot tougher, but Geoghegan – with the front wheels pointing at all angles and the tail in a long lazy slide, sometimes with the boot propped up as a makeshift spoiler, once with an ‘OURS’ sticker on the rear quarter where Moffat wore FORD – was always a contender.

“Have no illusions about how tough 20

Pete Geoghegan was at the wheel of his Mustang. He was extremely tough. Not bashing into each other, but . . . it was about having your car in a position to get on pole, get a good start, and keep it there,” Moffat said.

“I never had any difficulty with him.

I had admiration for him from day one. One of the first times we raced at Warwick Farm, I got onto the straight first and I thought I was covering for Creek Corner at the end, and I was. But I didn’t allow for Pete with two wheels on the grass, and somehow he still got stopped and past me.”

Eventually the pair would run similar ‘Super Falcons’ based on the GTHO Phase 3 with backing from Ford.

But the touring car title was different from series production events and Geoghegan ran through most of the 1960s as a headliner for the blue-oval brand in the headline races at Phillip Island, Surfers Paradise, Sandown at the big one at Mount Panorama. He was always quick, usually partnered with Leo, but never had much luck at

the finish. That changed in 1973 when he was finally paired-up with Moffat in an XC Falcon coupe, after a rule change that outlawed drivers going straight through for 500 miles at Bathurst.

“He was phenomenal. He was my first choice. I was delighted to have him as my co-driver at Bathurst for the first 1000-kilometre race. He could have raced around there blindfolded,” Moffat said.

He had a funny story from that weekend which was linked, not surprisingly, to Geoghegan’s stutter.

“In practice, he came in and I went to the door. ‘Bit of a p-p-p problem.

Got a g-g-g gearbox problem’, he told me,” Moffat said.

“I thought it was that the gearbox bearing had seized because we didn’t have a cooler. Then he handed me the gearlever! The ‘box was fine but he’d broken the lever.”

The end of the Mustang era moved Geoghegan away from fulltime starts in the touring car championship, although he also raced a Chrysler

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FAST FACTS Ian “Pete” Geoghegan (1940-2003) was one of the iconic characters of the ’60s and ’70s. He was a five-time winner of the Australian Touring Car Championship, a feat matched only by Dick Johnson and Mark Skaife. He achieved this string of victories driving against quality opposition including Allan Moffat, Bob Jane and Norm Beechey. He also won Bathurst in 1973, driving with Moffat for the Ford Works Team.

His brother Leo was also an accomplished driver and the brothers often shared a car in endurance events.

In 1999, Geoghegan was inducted into the V8 Supercar Hall of Fame.

The Ford Mustang gets a workout at Oran Park in 1966.

Valiant near the front in fields dominated by Toranas and Falcons.

He also took on a number of drives in the booming sports sedan category in following years, including a wicked Monaro HX, with the usual yearly co-driving appearances in the longdistance classics at Sandown and Bathurst.

In 1976 he bagged another Australian Sports Car Championship in a Porsche 911 and in 1977 he picked up the Australian Tourist Trophy at Phillip Island in a 935, both times driving for Laurie O’Neill.

It was also at Phillip Island in the 935 that one of the best Geoghegan stammer stories began.

He was leading a race when it began to rain, so switched on the wipers. But nothing happened.

As the rain got heavier it got too tough to see without wipers and so he pulled into the pits.

“W-w-wipers are not w-w-working,” Geoghegan told the mechanic.

“I know,” he replied.

“W-w-why not?,” Geoghegan asked.

“We took the wiper motor out to save weight,” came the reply.

“H-h-have, y-y-you h-h-had a g-g-good f-f-farking l-l-look at m-m-me l-l-lately!” he fired back.

There were fewer successes through the later years of Geoghegan’s career, although he could always be relied on for a solid effort at Bathurst, lastly with Bob Muir in a Falcon XD. Geoghegan lived the final years of his life in relative obscurity after a personal disgrace, but could still be relied on for plenty of memories and funny stories.

It took Dick Johnson and Mark Skaife to eventually match his record of five Australian Touring Car Championship victories but no-one has done better or matched Pete for straight-up, all-out car control and on-the-limit driving. MSL

Note: V8 Legends can be bought at ABC shops and all good bookstores.

In a Lotus 23B Ford at Lakeside, 1965.

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E VISIT TH T OR P S R O T MO AM E T S D N LEGE TAND S R U O AT

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WINTON WONDERLAND They all came out of the woodwork for the 2012 Historic Winton meeting STORY BY BRIAN REED PHOTOGRAPHS BY NEIL HAMMOND

Some amazing vehicles rarely seen before were displayed, while others such as South Australian Guy Sierp’s 1929 Fiat 509A and Stuart Brown’s 1919 Dodge actually contested the Regularity events.

On static display were other rarities such as a 1968 home grown cycle car that last competed in the 1995 Southern Classic motorcycle meeting at Winton. And then there was a 1951 Armstrong Siddeley Special that won the 1959 Valvoline Cup at Hume Weir. It’s a bit of a mess, but was purchased at last year’s Wagga Wagga Swap Meeting for the princely sum of $50-00. There’s work ahead for the owner.

Having his first drive at a race meeting in 54 years was veteran John Hickford who took part in the Regularity events in a recreation of the Perkins Special, a Lancia based rear engine hillclimb car. Hickford last drove the original car at Rob Roy in 1958, sold it the same year and has regretted it ever since, so a homegrown replica was the answer to his problem.

2012 marks 90 years of the Lancia Lambda, and it was fitting that Hickford’s Lambda engine from his road car (somewhat tired!) was installed for the occasion.

From the oldest competitor, John Hickford (top), to the oldest car, Stuart Brown’s 1919 Dodge (above).

Another “work in progress” was the 1924 Alvis in which Phil Garlick won the appropriately named ‘Lucky Devil Trophy’ three years in a row (1923 – ’25) at the Olympia Motor Speedway, Maroubra.

Garlick lost his life at this lethal speedway in 1927 driving this very car. The actual trophy was on display in the pits under the watchful eye of owner David Manson and tied securely to the Alvis.

In contrast, the beautifully restored ex-Prince Bira 1933-‘34 MG K3 graced the pits, along with the 1928 1.5-litre ‘Little’ Alfa belonging

to Trevor Montgomery. This significant car was previously campaigned by four times Australian Grand Prix winner Lex Davison, and was fully restored by Tony and Diana Gaze in 1971.

The 1977 Australian Formula 2 champion Peter Larner came out of retirement for the occasion and drove the 1963 Bobbin Ford in Group Lb sports and racing events. He claimed the “P” on the back of his car stood for ”Peter”- those on provisional licences know otherwise!

Along with many other

landmarks in 2012, Triumph owners were celebrating 50 years of the Spitfire, and one rarely seen car these days (at least in Victoria) was the 1966 race car built by the apprentices at Australian Motor Industries in Port Melbourne. The car enjoyed considerable success in marque sports car races, especially in the hands of AMI works driver Brian Sampson. Rod Carey is only the second owner, having purchased the Spitfire from the factory in 1971. He took part in the Group S races.

All up there were 45 races on the Austin 7/HMRAV two-day program for cars and motorcycles. There were some outstanding results, including three wins for Nick Bennett in his Van Diemen RF88 Formula Ford. While he was leading the way at Winton, his father, Laurie had scored 3rd place on the grid in the U.K. at Brands Hatch.

Of the special awards, Chris Farrell won the Coad Memorial Trophy for Group Lb sports and racing cars in his MG TC s/c, while Graeme Raper took home most of the spoils driving his potent 1948 Ford Monoskate. As well as back-to-back winner of the Douglas Briese Memorial Trophy, he also won the Lou Molina Trophy. Not surprising, he was awarded ‘Driver of the Meeting’ at the 36th annual Historic Winton.

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A SLICE OF HE HEAVEN

This cheesemaker saved an important piece of Italian motoring heritage

N

orthern Italy is a bon vivant’s heaven. The lush soil, on and around the region’s mountainous areas, helps produce the world’s greatest balsamic vinegar, prosciutto (ham) and Parmesan cheese, not to mention some very fine wines. But this particularly beautiful part of the world is not only a foodie’s Mecca: Modena, Bologna and Maranello are motoring nirvana too.

In these three centres, concentrated within a small area within the EmiliaRomagna region, live famously exotic names like Lamborghini, Maserati, Ferrari, Pagani Zonda and Ducati. And 24

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID DOWSEY

Above: The Panini car museum is situated on the grounds of the Hombre cheese farm.

Top: The 1936 Tipo 6CM.

in amongst it all is a car museum that provides a taste of the region as well.

The Panini car museum is situated

on the grounds of the Hombre organic cheese farm. Owner, 82-year-old Umberto Panini, prefers the quiet life these days, tending to his cows and making exquisite Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan cheese). But in these inauspicious surroundings resides one of Italy’s most important vehicle collections. It’s not the biggest, but its drawcard is that it incorporates the world’s most significant gathering of rare racing and road Maseratis.

The jewel in the collection is the gorgeous 1953 Maserati A6GCS Berlinetta. Penned by Pininfarina before the styling house went to work exclusively

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Above: When not creating Parmesan cheese, Umberto Panini tends to the collection of precious Maseratis.

for Ferrari, this magnificent GT car, one of only four made, was last valued at around $4 million.

Count Paolo Gravina di Catania was its first owner and he promptly entered it in the 1954 Giro di Sicilia. Unfortunately he crashed the coupe, killing his co-driver in the accident. The car was returned to the factory for repair, but upon seeing the quote the Count donated the wreck to Maserati. The A6GCS was left untouched at the works for nearly four decades until Maserati owner Alejandro De Tomaso decreed it should be totally restored in 1991.

Alongside the A6GCS are some of the world’s greatest GT cars including the fabulously-styled 3500GT. GT or

“THE WORLD’S FIRST FEMALE F1 PILOT, MARIA TERESA DE FILIPPIS, RACED THIS PARTICULAR 250F BACK WHEN IT WAS IN ORIGINAL ORDER” Gran Turismo (Grand Touring) is now a hackneyed marketing gimmick, but before nearly every manufacturer on the planet stuck the badge on their cars, Maserati invented the name back in 1957 with this model.

Car aficionado, the Shah of Persia, was keen on the 3500GT but thinking the 3.5-litre engine lacked a little grunt he commissioned Maserati to produce a one-off 5.0-litre model in 1958. Designated 5000GT, Maserati’s engineers built the coupe around a modified version of the 3500GT chassis, clothed

it in bodywork by Touring of Milan, and equipped it with a V8 engine. A second car, almost identical to the Shah’s model, was unveiled at the 1959 Turin Motor Show. A total of 34 coupes were eventually produced between 1959-64.

Panini’s car is one of 22 examples designed by Allemano.

One of the sexiest carriages of the ’60s is the Maserati Ghibli, styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Panini has two: a coupe, one of 1200 made, and a lovely example of the super rare Spyder version of which only 90 were built. Genuine convertible Ghiblis are highly sought after and decent examples now sell for huge money.

Also on show are two precious Maserati prototypes. Only one of each was produced and both reside in Panini’s collection: the 1964 Simun and the Giugiaro-designed four-seat Medici of 1972. Penned by Giugiaro, then working for Ghia, on a 4.2-litre V8 chassis the Simun, like many Maseratis, is named after a wind.

Other unusual cars in the Panini Collection include the one-off Merak � Left: A 3500GT with bodywork by Touring of Milan.

Above: Panini's son Matteo changed the engine of the 250F Grand Prix racer of 1957 to a V12. Maria Teresa de Filippis, the first female F1 driver, drive this car back when it was in original spec.

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Clockwise from top: The striking yellow one-off turbo Merak was built specifically for former Maserati owner Alejandro De Tomaso, the 936 Tipo 6CM is one of the oldest cars in the collection and the Ghibli Spyder, of which only 90 were made.

turbo built especially for Alejandro De Tomaso and the composite-bodied, rear-engined 96 Barchetta Stradale Prototype, which eventually became the De Tomaso Barchetta.

Named after an Egyptian desert wind and launched in Paris in 1973, the Tipo 120, or Khamsin, was the Ghibli’s replacement. Designed by Bertone, and produced when Maserati was under the control of Citroën, the stylish coupe is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 capable of 280bhp.

Launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 1971 the Giugiaro-designed Bora was produced up until 1979. Originally, the coupe was intended to run in Group 4 races. Panini’s 1973 example is powered by a 310bhp 4.7-litre V8, but the engine capacity was enlarged to 5.0 litres in 1977.

A further rarity on show is the Quattroporte Royale Series III. Built from 1985-87, only 52 four-door Royales were produced. Mainly used by politicians, heads of state and rock stars, the Royale carved a niche for itself and continues to do so. The display car has air conditioning, electric seats, a telephone, fridge and Campagnolo steel billet wheels.

Among the most famous racing Maseratis is the Tipo 61 ‘Birdcage’, so-called because of the chassis’ construction, which involved the �

welding of 200 steel tubes. The first cars from 1961 featured a front-engine layout, but this was later moved to the rear. In latter specification the fuel tank almost lays across the stomach of the unfortunate driver.

This early-series car was delivered in 1961 and was entered in that year’s Nürburgring 1000km race, with drivers Lloyd Casner and Masten Gregory taking

the car to victory. In August 1961 the sleek racer was entered for the Pescara Four Hours race, but driver ‘Lucky’ Casner crashed while in the lead, badly damaging the car. The single-seater was repaired and rebodied by Drogo and in 1963 was returned to Maserati where it remained until sold to Panini.

Scandalously, Panini’s iconic 250F Grand Prix racer of 1957 has received a

Right above: Stirling Moss drove the Eldorado liveried 1958 420/M58 in the Race of Two Worlds. Right: A concept Barchetta that did not see production.

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The 1953 A6GCS Berlinetta with Pininfarina bodywork was restored from a wreck in 1991 and is one of only four ever made.

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HISTORIC RACER

LOST TREASURE Panini's precious slice of homegrown motoring history was almost lost to Italy forever.

When Alejandro De Tomaso purchased Maserati in 1975, along with the manufacturing operations came this collection of historic cars. Almost certainly aware of their worth, De Tomaso created a separate company to ‘handle’ the autos. But when he sold the Maserati operations to Fiat in 1993, as if by magic, the classic cars remained ‘his’.

Keen to cash in on the collection he approached UK auction house, Brookes, to sell the lot. The priceless collection was sitting on a wharf ready to be shipped to England when, due to a very public outcry, an order was put out by the Italian Government to stop the auction.

Umberto Panini, who made his fortune back in the 1950s popularising the sticker craze, stepped in and purchased the whole collection. It is now available for public viewing free of charge.

V12 engine transplant at the hands of his motorsport enthusiast son Matteo.

Many would argue that this is not the thing to do to such an important car, but Panini has done so much to preserve Maserati history that surely he can be granted a concession. The world’s first female F1 pilot, Maria Teresa de Filippis, raced this particular example back when it was in original order.

Another racing car in the collection is the 1958 420/M58 with its distinctive and groundbreaking Eldorado ice-cream livery. It was created for the Race of the

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Two Worlds (500 Miglia di Monza) held in Monza, Italy in 1958 and was driven

by Stirling Moss.

Powered by a 410bhp 4.2-litre V8 it had a specially designed aerodynamic body penned by Medardo Fantuzzi, which, in deference to the course’s steeply banked circuits, had the car’s weight distribution shifted to one side for optimised performance. Moss scored fourth and fifth places in the first two races and a DNF in Heat Three.

Other Maserati masterpieces on show are on two wheels. The Bolognabased company produced motorcycles throughout the 1950s and early-’60s; Panini, between 1952-57, was engaged as an official road test rider. He still owns one of the first bikes he tested, a sleek black 250cc example, which he says is his favourite ride.

Notable Maseratis in the collection not on view when Motorsport Legends visited include a Vignale-bodied Mistral, a Tipo 6CM Grand Prix racer and the Boomerang concept car.

Not all the cars are Maseratis though.

Panini has collected an assortment of other glorious vehicles over the years, sourced predominantly from Europe.

Amongst them is a Stanguellini Formula Junior of 1958, a sleek BMW 507 roadster, the iconic Mercedes-Benz 300SL and an early de Dion Bouton.

When asked which of his cars he likes best Panini answered firmly that he has no favourite. But when pressed he walks past the most glamorous machinery and over to a modest Rolland-Pilain Model C from France.

Found buried under a house, the large car took 15 days to recover and a further two years to restore. Built in 1909, the veteran features a four-cylinder 2.1-litre engine with a speed capped at around 70kph. That is nothing terribly outrageous, so why is Panini so attached to this rather humble carriage? It was used to carry his daughter to her wedding, he said, before excusing himself to rush off and create some more of his fabulous Parmesan cheese.

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WEBB OF

Intrigue A few decades ago a company came up with a slogan “Oils ain’t oils” and never a truer word has been spoken.

A

few decades ago a company came up with a slogan, “Oils ain’t oils”, and never a truer word has been spoken.

Over all the years I have spent building engines and being involved in motorsport, I’ve conducted many oil tests and worked with different styles of lubricants for different styles of engines.

It all started back in the ’70s when I was with Stillwell’s. We had the little Lotus twin cam engines, where you had a big bucket that sat on top of the valve springs, which the cams directly ran on - metal to metal. We were sponsored

by BP and they came up with Corse Plus oil, which had a lot of anti-scuffing additives in it – today we think it was probably more zinc.

About 10 years ago, Fuchs contacted me to do a synthetic oil test with products from many companies, who were all claiming that their synthetic oil provided increased horsepower. We got what we thought at the time were the top synthetic oils – Castrol, Havoline, Valvoline, Mobil 1 and a couple of Shell Helix oils.

They were all the same grade and when you read the spiel on the back of the bottle, you thought each was exactly the same oil in a different container.

I conducted the testing with independent engineers and we had a couple of journos there to make sure we monitored the dyno cell properly and the engine was flushed out prior

Above: Good oil helps keep a racing engine in great shape and can prevent scenes like this where Allan Moffat’s Falcon’s engine blew at Bathurst in 1980.

to running each new product. We were amazed how much some of the oils did affect horsepower.

Fuchs GT1 was by far the slipperiest oil we had ever seen and it made, on a 351 engine with 400-odd horsepower, 18 more horsepower, which was a big gain.

I won’t mention its name, but probably the oil with the biggest reputation and the one that everybody thought was the greatest oil to have ever been made in the modern era was the worst for horsepower gain.

I have now done another test with another oil, SpeedX Gold, which is produced by a company called National Lube. I now use National Lube oils in all my engines.

When the company first approached us about doing something with this oil we were all a little bit sceptical, because it was unknown in Australia although it is a well-known brand in the Northern Hemisphere.

At the time, I had just started to use National Lube in Jim Richards’ little 289 engine but now that has stopped because Jim now has a Valvoline deal.

But on all the other engines that come out of my shop, we use National Lube.

I dyno tested National Lube on a few engines and yes, we made some more horsepower, which was a big advantage but when we pulled the engines apart they looked like they had never been used. The bearings, the roller cam and the cam followers looked absolutely beautiful.

Each time we strip an engine to do a freshen up I can put the bearings straight back in again – we have been totally amazed how well the National Lube oil looks after the bearings and the camshaft. The wear rate on the camshaft and the followers is a lot better than it has ever been. With other oils, we always got scuffing marks on the closing ramps on a roller cam – we don’t have that problem anymore.

The cost savings are incredible because we can keep running the engines a lot longer. Today, an engine – even a V8 Supercar engine – does roughly 3000k between rebuilds. Well, we have now proved to people that we can easily run Touring Car Masters engines for a full season. The maintenance required is way down in dollar value, and that is good for the end user.

So to go back to my opening remark, oils ain’t oils is dead right.

– Mick Webb MotorSportLegends

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JACKIE STEWART

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EXC LUS IVE

THE GREAT CRUSADER

INT ERV IEW

Sir Jackie Stewart has been around grand prix racing for nearly 50 years, yet his enthusiasm for the sport is as strong as ever.

STORY BY DARREN HOUSE/PHOTOGRAPHS BY DARREN HOUSE, GLENIS LINDLEY and AUTOPICS.COM.AU

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n granting this exclusive Motorsport Legends interview, the Formula 1 living legend told Darren House why he still loves F1, what it takes to win in the modern era and why Australia would be crazy to lose the grand prix.

What keeps you involved in F1 after all these years?

I still love the sport. I still get a buzz out of it. I’ve been coming to Australia since I raced at Sandown Park in 1964 in a Lotus Cortina.

I started my racing pretty late in life; I was about 23 when I started but the passion for the sport is still there.

The lifestyle is good. I have so many friends around the world, so there is a nice group of people. It’s always at the right time of the year – you usually get good weather wherever you go. And the sport is still so invigorating, so technically advanced and that is the world I live in.

The commercial side is what I do now. I am involved with a number of major multi-national corporations, so it is rather nice to stay in the sport and still have a business that goes along with it.

The cars are technologically advanced but we

Jackie Stewart in a BRM car at Warwick Farm in the 1966 Tasman Series.

have seen cut backs on driver aids and cost cutting measures. Has F1 lost its place as the development ground for road cars?

No, I don’t think so. The sport is as strong, if not stronger, than it has ever been. A lot of the major manufacturers are still in but because of the global recession that started in 2008, people like Toyota, BMW and Honda withdrew from the sport. They will be back when the market returns.

The technology that comes out of Formula 1 changes faster than any industry I know of in the world. We are not regulated in the same way a pharmaceutical product is, or telecommunications. Mobile phones move pretty fast but nothing close to as fast as Formula 1.

From the Grand Prix of Australia to Malaysia the following weekend, there will be at least five or six major changes on that (Lotus). The same will apply

before China and the same will apply before they get to the next grand prix, so that side of it is more advanced than it’s ever been.

We are using satellite communication all the time. When that (Lotus) goes out (on track), immediately, in real time, there is a satellite message going up (into space) and then down into Oxford where the factory is. Every bit of information that is coming out of the 200 sensors on the car is being read at the same time in Oxford as it is here in Melbourne. So things like that have changed.

The youth are involved in it because they are coming out of university with computer degrees, it’s all new and that’s exciting.

Does it sometimes feel like a different sport to when you raced?

The technology, as I have just explained, is ever changing but the animal is the same. The driver… I don’t see any � MotorSportLegends

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Above: Stewart won 29 grands prix out of 99 starts along with three world championships.

difference between Sebastian Vettel, for example, and Jim Clark as personalities. The animal is the same. They are the same (type of) people, they are motivated by the same things, they are excited by the sport, they’re very similar.

I don’t think that has changed at all. The sport is bigger, the media is stronger and the television is giant – it’s the biggest television sport in the world of any kind.

During the AGP, Melbourne, Victoria and Australia will get more exposure than they ever got from the tennis or the golf or the cricket or the footy. It’s huge. It’s the largest television sport in the world.

So, all of those things have changed.

There are cameras on every car. You could sit and watch the race from (Fernando) Alonso’s car or from (Kimi) Räikkönen’s car for the whole race if you wanted to (so) being able to tune into each driver has changed.

The planet is busier. (Lotus) brings 89 people to the Grand Prix of Australia, we bring 36 tons of equipment; that wouldn’t have been the case in my day so these things have changed but the drivers haven’t changed at all. They have the same desire, the same need, they have to go to the limit and not go over it.

silent majority say ‘This is doing well for us, this has done well for my shop, my restaurant, my hotel, my consumer products – the cameras, the SD cards’. I come down here and my mobile immediately goes onto a SIM card for Australia.

There are a whole lot of assets there that these people will never understand. The amount of tourism – I came down on a plane with somebody from Sydney who had come in from Montreal for the grand prix. After the race they are going up to the Gold Coast, then up to the Great Barrier Reef before they get to Malaysia on their way home. So, it is quantifiable but most people don’t measure it realistically and it would be a tragedy in my mind if Melbourne was to lose the grand prix. (And) it’s not just Melbourne, it’s not just Victoria, it is all of Australia that would be negatively affected. And the Formula 1 community would still keep going because there is a wait list for getting a grand prix. Now, if there is a wait list, why does Australia want to get out of it? Russia is going to have a grand prix in 2014, the United States is having two new grands prix, one this year and one next year because it is so important for the community of Austin, Texas as well as New Jersey, just outside of New York.

Malaysia has one, Abu Dhabi has one

Above: Jackie Stewart in a Brabham at Surfers Paradise in 1966. Stewart raced in Australia regularly after his Down Under debut at Sandown in 1964.

Below: The first lap of the Warwick Farm race of the 1967 Tasman Series, which Stewart won.

There has been a bit of negative talk around the place about the AGP and whether Australia should retain it.

There will always be a vocal minority and a silent majority. You don’t hear the 34

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and before you know it Saudi Arabia will have it, and so will probably Kuwait or potentially Qatar. Now, if these people want a grand prix I am sorry, if you guys don’t want a grand prix we’ll be somewhere else. It would be negative for us who all love coming to Australia and more importantly it would be negative to Australia. You have a top Australian racing driver and you have another up-and-coming young Australian racing driver. Mark Webber is an enormous ambassador for your country. (A) good looking guy, fantastic athlete, top-line racing driver (who is) perfectly capable of winning this race and the world championship. To lose that would be a mistake.

Will these new races come at the expense of traditional events?

I don’t think that is a worry. First of all, most of the traditional races are still there. The only one that is missing is the French Grand Prix and it will be renewed. That will come back. (Losing it) was a political decision and it should never have happened because it was France where motorsport started and it is wrong that there is no French Grand Prix.

There (must always be) an Italian Grand Prix and a British Grand Prix and a German Grand Prix and a Monaco Grand Prix. These are the establishments that we should always have. Maybe Spa-Francorchamps should be included too. We are adding to it, we are not reducing, therefore we are up to 20 to 21 grand prix races now; there might even be 22 grand prix races (soon).

How do you rate Daniel Ricciardo?

New driver, you don’t know. He is certainly no puppy but he is clearly very talented. Whether he can match that natural talent with mind management and the cerebral benefits that someone like Vettel has at only 24 years old; he is probably the most mature 24-year-old I have ever seen in Formula 1. Your young

guy could be another one of those but only time will tell. One of the big teams will want him and then he is on his way but it will take him four years before you can really see the payoff of his skills being demonstrated at the highest level.

And he is not guaranteed to make it. It is a tough business; it is like the music business. I just saw Leo Sayer – Leo has been (around) for a very long time because he is one of the guys who got it right. Jackie Stewart got it right fortunately, but it is not a given. You have got to earn it.

Most drivers have become champions in other categories but once in F1, they may never win another race.

That does happen. I was lucky; I had �

“DURING THE AGP, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA AND AUSTRALIA WILL GET MORE EXPOSURE THAN THEY EVER GOT FROM THE TENNIS, OR THE GOLF, OR THE CRICKET, OR THE FOOTY. IT’S HUGE. IT’S THE LARGEST TELEVISION SPORT IN THE WORLD” MotorSportLegends

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JACKIE STEWART

a good batting average. I won 27 grands prix out of 99 starts. That’s not bad – a 27 per cent winning ratio and that is not counting podiums.

Chris Amon from New Zealand for example, was a really good racing driver but never won a grand prix and I would have said he was one of my toughest competitors. But he didn’t choose the right team with the right technical director and the right mechanics and the right back up. So it’s not just using the natural talent that God has given you, it is developing it. And when you develop it, you see that you need Adrian Newey or you need James Allison, who is the technical director of Lotus, or you need a man like Colin Chapman who allowed Jim Clark to win his two world championships. Jack Brabham was not only was a great racing driver but a wonderful engineer. He won three world championships, the same as I did, but he (also) won the Constructors Championship as a car maker. It will never happen again… amazing. So there is a lot more to it than steering the wheel.

terrible. If you raced for five years there was a two out of three chance you were going to die, and one chance you were going to survive. That was ridiculous.

And most of it was unnecessary – poor medical facilities, poor fire fighting, not enough marshals, exposed trees (and) telegraph poles, no barriers, no run off areas, no deformable structures – the cars were like papier mâché. We had more fires than we should ever have had. All of that has now been improved.

We’ve got the best risk management of any business, industry or sport in the world. It is 18 years, 11 months and 14 days since we lost the life of a grand prix driver. (Racing) millimetres apart, 300kph -210mph, (with potential for) human error and mechanical failure, and yet they are all here. It’s huge. That all started during my period. Now, Professor Watkins for example, a great medical guy, took over from me and there are other people still doing it today, so we have got a good record but motor racing will never be safe and you have got to be aware of that.

Above: Johnny Herbert drives a Stewart Grand Prix Racing car at the Melbourne AGP 1999.

Below: Stewart with Tony Gaze, Australia's first ever Formula 1 racing driver.

You were a constructor, too.

To run a team was by far the toughest thing I have ever done. We didn’t buy an existing team; we started from a greenfield site. We built a factory and we employed new people. We finished second in the Monaco Grand Prix in our fifth race ever – a podium – it was big time. And we won a grand prix within 31 months. We had good people – because I was a racing driver, I knew I had to have the best people in order to make it work.

You know, Paul McCartney is very good, so is Eric Clapton, so is Phil Collins, but if they don’t have the right backing, if they don’t have the right bass guitarist, lead guitarist, drummer, keyboard, suddenly they don’t sound so good.

Michael Schumacher knew he had to have Ross Brawn and he had to have the group of people he chose to bring into the team. I think he was better at that than he was as a driver; recognising that he had to have top guys.

You were a great advocate for safety.

Is that your greatest motorsport legacy?

That might be the best thing I have ever done and certainly ever done for motorsports. Our batting average was 36

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Your safety stance created a lot of ill-feeling from some people.

It was huge. Life threats, because I closed the Nürburgring. In those days 375,000 people went to that race because it was 14.7 miles around and they camped out for the whole weekend. The economy of the Eifel region was severely hit – the hotels, the restaurants. When I cancelled the Grand Prix of Germany, (the organisers) wouldn’t do anything (to improve the situation). They were so arrogant. If they had done half a dozen things (over) 187 corners we would have had to (race) but they did nothing, so from my point of view we couldn’t go.

In ’68 we lost a driver on the weekend of April 7, Jim Clark died. The 6th of May, Mike Spence died. The 7th of June, Ludovico Scarfiotti died and the weekend of the 7th July, Jo Schlesser died. And the weekend of 6th of August was the Nürburgring. It was run in the rain and the fog and I won by more than four minutes – 4.3 minutes – and the first question I asked when I got out of the car was, 'Is everybody alright?', because it was just taken back then that there was going to be somebody losing their life. That’s all gone.

(Drivers today) wouldn’t know what hit them if there was a fatality. I must have gone to more funerals and memorial services than anyone I know – that was wrong and fortunately we changed it.

Society doesn’t like it, either. They like to see crashes but death is ugly.

They like to see people doing things that they would not dare to do. They like to see them making mistakes; they like to see them having the incidents, such as cars spinning down the road or hitting things, wheels (and) engines being torn apart, and the guy walking away.

Mark Webber going up in the air at Valencia higher than a (hospitality) building and coming down and the car shooting into a deformable structure…

I was sitting at home watching it and thinking he can’t survive that, but he walks away. Fantastic!

Jack Brabham joked to MSL that he doesn’t know why drivers get paid these days – all the work is done by computers and you can’t get hurt.

I’ll tell you what, these guys are at least as talented as Jack Brabham was, or Jackie Stewart was, or (Juan Manuel) Fangio was, or (Tazio) Nuvolari was or (Rudolf) Caracciolo was, or Jim Clark was. They are every bit as good. Right now we have six world champions on the grid – the first time in history. Yours is the first race ever where there have been six world champions on the grid.

You can only drive the car you are given.

Yes, and you adjust to the new technology. There are 27 adjustments on the steering wheel alone. Mark Webber, around this track, will probably for 25 per cent of the lap be driving with one hand, because he will be dialling up on the steering wheel with his other hand. It is a different skill. I might not have been able to do that. MSL

Stewart, pictured at Sandown in 1966, won that year's Tasman Series.

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BATHURST

YEARS OF

Not much stirs the emotions more than a good battle around the Mountain – Mount Panorama that is – especially when Holden or Ford honours are at stake.

On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Great Race, Motorsport Legends takes a look at some of the classic moments etched in race fans’ minds.

E

ven if your everyday road car is a Porsche, or Peugeot, Jeep, Jaguar, Mini, Mitsubishi or whatever, chances are deep down, most true-blue Aussies have a leaning towards either Ford or Holden

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STORY & PHOTOGRAPHS BY GLENIS LINDLEY

– it’s our heritage, our long-standing tradition.

Tribal instincts become even more parochial around current V8 Supercar race meetings, and as the annual petrol dance approaches, feelings

reach their peak.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Australia’s Great Race at Mount Panorama. Like the mountain there are highs and lows and nothing inspires us and captures our imagination like

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OF MOUNTAIN

MAGIC!

Bathurst. No other race is packed full of drama, disappointment and despair, nor offers such a wide range of emotions from elation, excitement and great expectations to tragic losses and let-downs. Tears and triumphs, heartbreak and happiness, bitter battles and broken dreams all add to the magic memories.

As Red and Blue believers plan their pilgrimage to this iconic circuit to be absorbed into four octane-pumping, adrenaline-charged days of explosive

Above: Peter Brock and Evan Green, one of the first true commentators/journalists of Bathurst.

Main image: The start of the 1979 Great Race.

action, spare a thought for the drivers.

They too are caught up in all the hype that is Bathurst. Each and every competitor aspires to conquer the mountain, but for some, just competing fulfills their dream. There is hardly a driver who doesn’t regard Bathurst as the pinnacle of racing in Australia – the track they all love with a passion.

Allan Moffat, the man with the most Ford wins (four) there, summed it up.

“The first time I saw the track, I was really taken by it. I knew I’d spend � MotorSportLegends

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BATHURST

Clockwise from above: Moffat with the Camel promotional girls, the Larry Perkins/ PeterJansen car finished second in the 1980 race, Doug Chivas struggled to push his and Brock’s Torana to the pits after the car ran out of fuel, George Fury in 1986 and Peter Brock and Larry Perkins on their way to victory in 1982 in a Holden Dealer Team VH Commodore.

quite a number of years there.”

Harry Firth, another Bathurst legend, declared, “It sorted the men from the boys – very quickly”.

“In the early days it was also about rivalry between the New South Welshmen and us Victorians,” Firth, a four-time winner, added.

“Guys like the Geoghegan brothers (Leo and Pete) couldn’t believe we could beat them but we blew them away.”

Claiming victory is the ultimate achievement, but now, with the prized Peter Brock Trophy up for grabs, winning has taken on an even more significant meaning. The late Peter Brock, regarded as one of the greatest Australian racing drivers ever, was popularly referred to as King of the Mountain with nine wins for Holden in both Toranas and Commodores. The Holden hero’s legion of adoring fans will 40

forever remember him and his amazing achievements – like winning by six laps in 1979 and setting a new lap record on the last lap in his Torana. This year also marks Brock’s 40th anniversary of his first victory there.

As a nine-time Bathurst Champion, Peter Brock was, and still is, the King of the Mountain.

HISTORY Bathurst originated in October 1963, but for three years prior to that, it was held at Phillip Island under the Armstrong 500 banner. At Mount Panorama’s relocated Armstrong 500, victory went to Firth and Bob Jane in a Ford Cortina (Mk 1 GT), the first of three dominant Fords wins.

During its 50-year history, there have been several name changes – Gallagher 500, Hardie-Ferodo 500 then various 1000 names when 500 miles became 1000 kilometres – James Hardie, Tooheys, AMP Bathurst, Primus

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Clockwise from above: Although they were declared the winners on the day, Steve Soper and Pierre Dieudonné were later disqualified from the 1987 race, Allan Moffat and Jackie Ickx with Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser on the podium in 1977, Dick Johnson and John French conquered the Mountain after the infamous rock incident, The fabulous 1-2 Ford form finish and Moffat and Brock battle it out at the 1982 event.

Classic, FAI, V8 Supercar 1000, Bob Jane T-Marts and finally the current Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

Despite these naming-rights changes and track modifications during its long and colourful history, some things never change. Race day inevitably presents more than six hours of awe-inspiring action around the challenging circuit.

Along the way there’s that mountain to climb, the daunting Dipper, long straights to safely negotiate at break-neck speeds, plus corners with feared reputations – 6.213 kilometres of unforgiving track. Steeped in tradition, this is the race ‘that stops a nation’, but also reduces strong men to tears.

One of the amazing aspects of Bathurst is that there isn’t any practice allowed before race weekend (as it’s a scenic road for the rest of the year).

The battle hasn’t always raged

between Holden and Ford, with other manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Vauxhall, Valiant, Volvo, Alfa Romeo, Nissan and BMW, to name a few, trying to steal their thunder. The Red Army holds bragging rights with 28 victories, compared with the Blue Oval’s 17 wins. Thinking back, it’s hard to imagine such unlikely vehicles as Simca, Singer Gazelle, Vanguard, Volkswagen, Wolseley and Fiat doubling as race cars.

After the turbulent turbo era, in 1993 rule changes restricted racing to V8s and it’s been on for young and old since then. Although the Ford versus Holden stranglehold is about to enter a new era in 2013 with the inclusion of other manufacturers like Nissan, the V8 Supercars Car Of The Future concept should still allow supporters the satisfaction of cheering for their beloved brand, with the cars bearing outward

resemblance to production models.

While the starting grid is currently restricted to under 30, in the past more than 50 cars representing as many as 16 different manufacturers, some in virtual showroom floor specifications, faced the starter’s flag and yes, there were some horrendous bingles.

CHAOS Crashes are part of motor racing and the Mountain has claimed its fair share of casualties. Everyone has an opinion on the most memorable, but some etched in most people’s memory include these debacles: • The 1969 ‘Carnage on the Crest’, as it’s become known, involved almost a quarter of the field as Bill Brown negotiated the Esses and rolled, up-ending John French’s Alfa and triggering a chain reaction.

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BATHURST

Above: Jim Richards and Mark Skaife during the turbulent turbo era, which saw the Nissan GT-R win back-to-back victories in 1991 and 1992.

Right: The Jim Richards/Steve Richards Commodore repaired after Richards Senior hit a kangaroo that jumped onto the track during the 2004 race.

• A multiple pile-up at McPhillamy Park in 1981 sparked by Ford drivers Christine Gibson and Bob Morris stopped the race at 120 laps, handing victory to Dick Johnson/John French.

• A start-line crash involving Tom Walkinshaw’s Jaguar in 1984 and caused by his clutch disintegrating completely blocked pit straight, necessitating a restart after the carnage was cleared.

• In 1992 torrential rain and atrocious conditions caused Jim Richard’s Nissan GT-R (‘Godzilla’) to clip a wall then slide into three other crashed cars causing the race to be red-flagged. Richards/Skaife were declared winners amidst much booing, and Jim uttered his famous

words, “You’re a pack of arseholes”.

Diehard Ford and Holden fans with a high degree of Aussie pride (some with a belly full of booze) didn’t want victory for that ‘Jap crap’, hence they vented their displeasure.

• A massive and controversial crash in the Cutting in 2005 involving Ford’s Marcos Ambrose and Holden’s Greg Murphy had repercussion effects, taking out several drivers. The pair exchanged heated insults and accusations after that altercation ruined Ambrose’s likely chance of a third V8 Supercar title.

“Greg’s probably going to blame me, because he tends to blame everyone but himself for these kinds of incidents,”

Ambrose said later in a TV interview.

• In 1971, Bill Brown suffered another heart-stopping moment when his GT-HO blew a tyre and barrel rolled along the top of the fence, demolishing it, and destroying the car.

• Probably the most remembered crash in Bathurst history, and one which took a virtual unknown (unless you’re a Queenslander) to national recognition, was Dick Johnson’s famous rock incident in 1980, reducing him to tears on TV and causing an outpouring of emotion and donations from the public, which enabled him to return to racing the next year.

• Three years later in 1983 Johnson

At Hell Corner (turn one) in 1983

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Dick Johnson’s Greens-Tuf Falcon after the 1983 qualifying crash and Johnson with that rock, which is now displayed in his museum.

had another horrific crash at Forrest Elbow during the Hardie Heroes shoot-out. He totalled his Greens-Tuf Falcon, but raced the following day in a replacement car, thanks to sponsor Ross Palmer’s generosity.

• At Reid Park in 1982, Kevin Bartlett flipped his Chev Camaro, which skidded along on its roof before he emerged virtually unhurt – apart from his pride.

• 2004, and Jim Richards hit a jumping kangaroo, severely damaging his Castrol Perkins Commodore as he and Steve attempted to become the first ever father/son winners. With Jim braking hard trying to avoid the collision, he was also hit up the back by Russell Ingall.

Whoops!

• In 2008 when Paul Weel’s damaged Holden was collected side-on at high

speed by Chris Pither, everyone took a collective deep breath expecting the worst from this sickening accident. It did however re-enforce Weel’s decision to retire.

• Another retirement came that same year, when Paul Radisich (Toll-HRT) was taken on a wild ride, his second such frightening head on crash into a wall, when the throttle jammed. This time he suffered broken ankles and serious injuries.

• Who could forget Fabian Coulthard’s spectacular barrel roll off Conrod Straight? The Bundy Red Holden disintegrated, but he scrambled from the twisted wreckage unhurt.

MEMORABLE MISHAPS Besides the crashes, there were moments

when the whacky and unpredictable occurred - after all, it is Bathurst, one of the craziest race ciruits on earth. Some notable ones are as follows: • One moment most unpopular with Peter Brock fans occurred when Scotsman John Cleland (OzEmail Racing) attempted to pass a slow-moving Jason Plato (Brock’s imported co-driver).

He ended up on his roof, putting both cars out of action.

• When Paul Dumbrell’s badly damaged car lost a wheel near the Cutting in 2005, it found a home on Craig Lowndes’ windscreen. Lowndes’ crew removed the front and rear screens and he continued on his windy way.

• In 2006 Mark Skaife (on pole) suffered clutch problems off the line and limped away, only to be whacked by

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BATHURST

Clockwise from above: fire ended Richards/Winterbottom’s race in 2009, Jim Richards had the honour of driving Brock’s car at the Bathurst tribute 2006, Bathurst legends Bob Jane sponsored the event from 2002-2004, Brock and Harry Firth, sporting special Spiderman livery for sponsor Kmart, Greg Murhpy and Rick Kelly won back-to-back Bathursts in 2003-2004.

young-gun Jack Perkins - yes Larry’s son!

- ending both of their races.

• There have been several bad fires engulfing cars such as Alan Jones’ Pack Leader Falcon; Mark Winterbottom’s FPR Falcon in 2009 and the most recent one in 2011 when David Besnard’s Jim Beam Falcon crashed into a wall then caught fire. Miraculously they all escaped serious injury.

THAT’S MOTOR RACING! As legend John French said, “The whole Bathurst history is based around the words “if only”, or “that’s motor racing!”...

• If only his Falcon didn’t suffer misfiring problems in 1971, he and Moffat (both driving solo) could have claimed a 1-2 Ford victory, having started 1-2 on the grid.

• If only Doug Chivas, sharing Brock’s 44

XU-1 Torana in 1973, hadn’t run out of fuel when in the lead (he had to push it uphill to the pits), they may have won and not finished second, but his heroic action remains part of history.

• If only Glenn Seton’s engine hadn’t failed in 1995 – nine laps from home when leading - he could have emulated his father Barry “Bo” Seton’s win 30 years ago. Glenn was 30-years old, driving the # 30 PJ Falcon, and stood to collect $30,000 in prize money (another part of history is Larry Perkins/Russell Ingall’s heroic drive from last to first that year).

• If only Tony Longhurst hadn‘t been baulked when passing a back-marker while leading, just a few laps from home in 2000. He consequently clipped the wall – resulting in tears all round, instead of victory cheers!

• If only ‘the boss’, Larry Perkins hadn’t

clouted the tyre wall approaching pit lane entry having just taken the lead in 2001, he and Ingall may have scored another victory instead of finishing eighth.

• If only Perkins didn’t crash again in practice at the Cutting in 2003, he and Steve Richards may have recorded better than fourth.

TRAGICALLY FUNNY There have been some funny moments too, although someone always comes a cropper. In 1985 it was JPS Team BMW, when both of its cars ended up in the sandtrap at Hell Corner. Jim Richards and George Fury slid off after spinning on oil and they lost three laps digging their cars out.

TEAM SUCCESS • Who could forget the 1977 Moffat/ Colin Bond 1-2 form finish? It was

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Clockwise from bottom left: Allan Jones in 1991, Ben Collins, pictured with Rick Kelly, drove at Bathurst in 2009 not long before he was outed as The Stig, Tom Walkinshaw, and father and sons Jack and Geoff Brabham in 1977 and Steve and Dick Johnson in 1999.

tagged as Ford’s finest hour and earned its place in history as they cruised across the line almost together.

• The Marlboro HDT Commodores led by Brock/Perkins, followed by John Harvey/David Parsons, claimed a Holden 1-2 finish in 1984, while Holden clinched another 1-2 in 2010, this time for Team Vodafone with Lowndes/ Skaife from Whincup/Owen.

ANYTHING GOES During 50 years, we’ve seen almost anything and anything at the Mountain including: • A car being attacked with an axe (Peter Williamson’s Toyota) in1979.

• A fiery Greg Murphy receiving a five minute penalty for leaving his pit bay before refuelling was completed, spilling

fuel and sending crew members flying.

Murph took a toilet break during the ensuing penalty stop.

• His heroic ‘Lap of the Gods’ during the 2003 top-ten shootout.

• The disqualification of the international Texaco Sierras in 1987, which finished 1-2. They were first accused of using illegal fuel, then wide front guards, handing victory to Brock’s VL Commodore.

• ‘The Stig’ – Ben Collins racing here in 2009 with Kelly Racing.

• The youngest ever driver (Cameron Waters -17 years, 67 days) in 2011.

• Jim Richards becoming the oldest winner in 2002 aged 55.

• A Prince – Leopold Von Bayern in 1984, driving a JPS BMW. • Former F1 champions Jack Brabham,

Alan Jones and Denny Hulme racing around the Mountain.

• World motorcycle champions like Johnny Cecoto, Wayne Gardner also having a punt.

• Some very prominent international invaders like Jacky Ickx and Stirling Moss.

• A handful of lady drivers, with Christine Gibson arguably the best known.

• Numerous second-generation drivers, with Dick and Steve Johnson and Jim and Steve Richards driving together.

• Brothers joining forces - Todd and Rick Kelly the best of recent times.

Apologies if your ‘special memory’ was overlooked, but what a tremendous event, what tremendous memories! MSL

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murray carter

Age no barrier

Murray Carter is 81 years young and still powering along in a Corvette Story by grant nicholas; Photographs by autopics.com.au

T

he 2012 Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport saw Murray Carter, Australia’s longest-competing racing driver, reunited with his Ford XE Falcon that he raced at the 1982 James Hardie 1000 at Mount Panorama as he celebrates his 64th continuous year of motorsport racing.

Born in Melbourne on January 30, 1931, Carter’s illustrious racing career has seen him race motorcycles, open wheeler race cars, sports cars, grand turismo (GT), touring car, production car, GT production car, nations cup and marque sports cars. Between 1972 and 1990 he contested 110 Australian Touring Car Championship races and established a record for the most podium finishes (20) without scoring a race victory.

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Above: Murray Carter and his original Corvette at Phillip Island on March 14, 1960.

Below: In an XD Falcon at Calder in 1980.

Over the past six decades Carter has been recognised as the nation’s leading privateer driver/team-owner who has built, developed and raced his own cars, assisted other teams and drivers plus entertained motorsport enthusiasts with his skill and dedication to the sport.

When he started racing cars none of the

drivers wore multi-layer fireproof suits, gloves or shoes, full-face helmets or HANS devices; instead they climbed into their machines wearing a cotton or polo shirt, slacks or work pants, casual leather shoes, string back leather gloves and an open face low dome helmet or in some instances a polocrosse helmet.

“I was 17 years old when I started racing a twin cylinder 500cc Triumph Tiger 100 fitted with twin megaphones at the back that made an enormous amount of noise,” Carter said.

“I used to run it up and down the street to make sure it was performing all right before heading off to a race meeting. A woman from along the street came up to me after a test run and said that she would be a lot happier if I killed myself,” Carter laughed. “The exhaust noise from the bike probably

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woke one of her children whilst having an afternoon sleep. I thoroughly enjoyed racing the Triumph, but my head would ring for a week after racing it at Fishermans Bend aerodrome circuit, which was next to the Yarra River in Melbourne.”

In 1953, Carter made the move across to four-wheel racing action at Fishermans Bend and the all-new Phillip Island circuit at the wheel of a Jaguar KK120 sports car. “The European and British constructed race cars were expensive and you had to have an association with one of the constructors if you were going to get a competitive car,” explained Carter. “I didn’t have that sort of money so I decided to build my own rear-engine sports car powered by a V8 engine. I contacted the manufacturers in Europe and England for a transmission that would suit, and they all told me that no one would put a V8 engine into the back of a race car – look at Formula 1 and Le Mans cars today.

“I built an open wheeler space frame chassis then fitted a new 283-cubic inch (4.7-litre) V8 Chevrolet Corvette engine (with a pair of Carter Carburettors with chrome air cleaners) plus a Borg-Warner T10 transmission and a modified Austin Healey 100 differential assembly. I was a panel beater so I fabricated the aluminium body panels as I wanted every thing to be as light as it could be, so that I would be competitive against the latest European and British built cars.”

Carter debuted the ‘Corvette Special’ in October 1959 at Fishermans Bend and two months later finished fourth in the final round of the Australian Driver’s Championship at Phillip Island behind the British factory-built Cooper Climaxes of eventual series winner Len Lukey, Alec Mildren and Austin Miller.

At the next Phillip Island race meeting he survived a spectacular high-speed multiple rollover after the Corvette Special rubbed tyres with Bib Stillwell’s Cooper Climax. “I was thrown out of the car and was unconscious for a time, �

The Sabina Motors Customline V8 was the only Class E car entered in the inaugural Armstrong 500, and so Carter and Ray Gibbs won their category.

The Light Car Club of Australia recognised the Corvette Special, pictured at Phillip Island in October 1960, as the most successful Australian built sports car.

“I WAS A PANEL BEATER SO I FABRICATED THE ALUMINIUM BODY PANELS AS I WANTED EVERY THING TO BE AS LIGHT AS IT COULD BE, SO THAT I WOULD BE COMPETITIVE AGAINST THE LATEST EUROPEAN AND BRITISH BUILT CARS.”

Right: Carter qualfied the Cooper Monaco Oldsmobile and drove it for the first two hours of the Rothmans 12 Hour International Sports Car Race at Surfers Paradise in 1966 but car owner and co-driver Tony Osborne decided to pull out of the race at the first pitstop.

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murray carter

In an XD Falcon, Carter clahses with Alan Browne’s Commodore at Amaroo in 1981.

then I came to and went out with the boys that night for dinner,” Carter said.

“The next morning I felt fine and went to the track and watched Sunday’s action as a spectator – it was then that I decided to rebuild the car as a sports car.”

Late in 1960 the sports car variant of the ‘Corvette Special’ made its racing debut and during the next four racing seasons Carter racked up countless lap records and victories in sports car, GT and open events – race fans streamed Carter reunited with the XE Falcon he drove with Rusty French in the 1982 Bathurst at the 2012 Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport.

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to the circuits to watch Carter beat the more expensive factory-built lightweight Jaguar E-Types, Maserati 300s, Cooper Jaguars and Stillwell’s rear-engine Cooper Monaco. Years later the Light Car Club of Australia presented me with a special trophy for racing the most successful Australian built sports car,” said Carter. “In the mid 60’s I considered venturing to England to further my racing career, but after talking to some of the drivers who had been over there

racing, they mentioned that they hadn’t enjoyed themselves and it had cost a lot of money and they wouldn’t recommend me shifting over there. I thought that was fair enough, so I stayed here and built my own factory in Cheltenham, where I still work today, and started preparing and assisting other drivers with their race cars.

“I was offered a drive in the 1966 Rothmans 12-Hour International Sports Car Race at Surfers Paradise International Raceway in a Cooper Monaco powered by a rear-mounted V8 Chevrolet engine that I had sold to the car’s owner Tony Osborne. I qualified the car and drove the opening two hours in the race, but when I pitted for fuel and driver change he didn’t want to go on with the event. The drive was a good indication to me that the rearengine car I wanted to build in the late ’50s would have been successful if I had been able to source a suitable transmission.”

It was the inaugural Armstrong 500 endurance race for Australian made or assembled standard production sedans in 1960 that saw Carter make his foray into the touring car ranks when he and open wheeler driver Ray Gibbs won their class in the Sabina Motors entered Ford Customline V8. After a nine-year break away from the sport he returned with a podium finish at the 1969 Datsun Three Hour race at Sandown Park Raceway

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in the Bob Rollington Ford XW Falcon GTHO that he shared with Tom Roddy – splitting the Ford Motor Company works cars of Allan Moffat/John French and Fred Gibson/Barry Seton – the start of a privateer association with Ford through to 1982.

“I really enjoyed racing the XW Falcon at Sandown, so I decided to assemble my own Falcon race car as I was running my own automotive business and I didn’t have time to build another racing special,” Carter explained.

“I became a regular competitor in the Australian Touring Car Championship in a Ford XY Falcon GTHO Phase lll in 1973 and it was at the Adelaide International Raceway round of the series that I lent my car to Moffat. We had our Falcons in the workshop at Bib Stillwell’s Ford Truck dealership preparing them for Sunday’s race and after we finished working on my car we took it back to the motel where we were staying and Moffat’s works car was left in the workshop.

“The next morning I arrived at the circuit to hear that Moffat’s car had been stolen and after a while I noticed Howard Marsden, Ford Motor Company’s Motorsport Manager, approaching me and I had an idea of what he was going to say. I said, ‘Howard, to prevent any embarrassment on your behalf you are quite welcome to borrow my car for the race if you want’. He mentioned that he did want to borrow the car. I had corporate support from Shell, so I mentioned that we had to gain their approval; they agreed to having Moffat in the car provided that their Shell markings remained on the car.

“The car wheeled over to their transporter and the works mechanics checked the car over, did several suspension adjustments and installed their wheels and tyres. Moffat went out and finished second to Peter Brock after having to make a pit stop to have the exhaust reattached. Moffat could have won the race if he had not been jumping the kerbs which damaged the exhaust system and caused it to drop, he was happy with the performance of the car and the result considering it was a privateer’s car.

“When Ford pulled out of motorsport, I was at their Special Vehicles workshop talking to Marsden, and he mentioned

Carter and Matt Wacker’s Ford Sierra RS500 DNFed at the 1990 Bathurst.

that the all-new unraced XA Phase lV GTHO was sitting there and I could take whatever I wanted from it. I stripped it and put everything into an XA GT Coupe that I was building. After that I built and raced an XB, which took me to second in the Australian Touring Car Championship behind Marlboro Holden Dealer Team driver Colin Bond. Next was the XC that New Zealand open wheeler star Graeme Lawrence drove with me to finish third at the 1978 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 at Mount Panorama behind the Peter Brock/Jim Richards and Allan Grice/John Leffler Holden Torana A9X hatchbacks. I also built an XD and XE before moving into a Mazda RX-7 then a Nissan Skyline DR30 and Ford Sierra

from the sport Carter prepared a Nissan Pintara in readiness for the 1991 Australian Production Car Championship. “Nissan rang me and mentioned that they had a Pulsar SSS about to be launched onto the Australian market and would I test it for them at Winton Motor Raceway,” Carter said. “They came with me to Winton for the test and I mentioned that it was a lot quicker than the Pintara and they asked me if I would race it – I said yes and they gave the car to me. I scored a lot of race wins in the SSS, and won my class in the 1992 championship then finished second overall in the ’94 series. After the SSS, I raced a Mazda 626, Nissan 200SX Turbo and Chevrolet Corvette C5 in the �

“I REALLY ENJOYED RACING THE XW FALCON AT SANDOWN, SO I DECIDED TO ASSEMBLE MY OWN FALCON RACE CAR…” RS500. In 1990 I decided to move away from Group A touring car racing as the development and operating costs were becoming increasingly expensive. I really enjoyed racing the various cars and the comradeship associated with the sport, but I didn’t have a fulltime crew of guys working on my race car like most of the other teams. I would finish work around 5pm then work on the car for five to six hours or sometimes through the night if required, one year I raced at 32 race meetings – I did it because I enjoyed it.”

After taking a two-year sabbatical

Australian GT Production and Nations Cup Championships.

“In the ’70s I purchased and installed an engine dynamometer and Allan Moffat’s guys used to bring his Ford Mustang engines over for dyno work plus we have helped a lot of other racers in the development of their engines over the years. I’m currently spending time on the dyno developing the engine in my current Corvette C6 sports car plus I go to the United States every year for the Performance Racing Industry Show in Florida and that allows me to keep up MotorSportLegends

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MURRAY CARTER

Carter driving an RX7 Mazda at Sandown in 1984. The Mazda was one of the last cars he drove in Group A before he left the class due to soaring development and operating costs.

with all of the latest technology and to source engine components.”

The spritely 81-year old recently finished an impressive third overall in the Marque Sports Car category at the opening round of the 2012 Victorian State Circuit Racing Championships at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit to

a pair of Lamborghini Gallardo GT3s driven by Justin McMillan and Mark Seamons.

Carter’s potent self developed Corvette C6 outpointed a number of more expensive and exotic machines including a Porsche 997 GT3, Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 and Corvette Z06-GT3.

His long and illustrious car racing career really gained prominence when he raced the Corvette Special in the late fifties and early ’60s and now he is bookending his career at the wheel of another competitive Corvette with the possibility of snaring more podium results from his younger combatants. MSL

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