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13 Jan 2011, 13:21 (Ref:2815243) | #51 | |||
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Roadways has always puzzled me a bit regarding ownership. It was/is a tarmac industry? sponsoring a race team where the son of the company, Steve Harrington, was the driver, cars being prepared by Les Small and with Allan Grice doing a lot of testing and driving. At some point I think Roadways was used to describe the Small/Grice partnership - ca. 1986/1987 - without really getting into details of who was leading who. Only one thing seemed to be consistent and that was where Grice raced, Small was managing. Jesper |
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13 Jan 2011, 17:38 (Ref:2815321) | #52 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1985 Australian Endurance Championship Round 3 - Sandown Park, VIC (15/9/1985) Circuit Length: 3.9 km Race Distance: 129 laps Weather: Cloudy
Quoted from William Dale Jr. Car numbers seems to sort of indicate classes - low numbers for class C, high numbers for class A. Jesper |
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13 Jan 2011, 18:19 (Ref:2815331) | #53 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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[QUOTE=William Dale Jr;2811010]Motorcraft 300
1985 Australian Endurance Championship Round 5 - Surfers Paradise, QLD (27/10/1985) Motorcraft 300 1985 Australian Endurance Championship Round 5 - Surfers Paradise, QLD (27/10/1985) Circuit Length: 3.2 km Race Distance: 40 laps (90 laps scheduled, race duration reduced due to multi-car accident during first start) Weather: Overcast and rainy Heavy rains overnight had left the Surfers circuit well and truly waterlogged, including flooding the storm water drains around the circuit which forced the cancellation of supporting open-wheel races. More rain a few laps in mixed with oil left by the Davidson/Kramer Mustang caused over 2/3rds of the field to slip off into the ditch on the outside of Ipec corner. Greville Arnel was taken to hospital with neck injuries after Bond's Alfa slammed into his parked Starion as Arnel was getting out of the car. The carnage left Terry Finnigan leading John Smith; both had gone off in the oil and water but had somehow avoided getting stuck. The race was eventually stopped and completely restarted an hour later but without Brock and Harvey, both of whom had already caught a plane back to Melbourne! Skippy Parsons would take the wheel of the #7 Commodore. Only 14 cars would take the restart, eventually won by Richards from O'Brien and Johnson. The Mustang led early before dropping back with tyres woes caused by a differential damaged in the carnage earlier, while bent suspension, also from the crash, meant O'Brien couldn't quite chase down Richards.
Quoted from William Dale Jr. Four more entries added, but no clue as to how they fared. Nothing to add to the Bathurst and AGP races, so no posts. This will conclute my updates of results for 1985. Jesper Last edited by Jesper OH; 13 Jan 2011 at 18:24. |
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14 Jan 2011, 07:28 (Ref:2815556) | #54 | |||
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Then there were the likes of Frank Gardner and Dick Johnson who were very pro-Group A Regarding Roadways, i'll give a very unofficial history. They started off by sponsoring the Gown-Hindhaugh Torana team in the late-70s which ran drivers like Garth Wigston, Wayne Negus and Charlie O'Brien (this same team won Bathurst in 1975 with Peter Brock & Brian Sampson, before Roadways was involved) After Bruce Hindhaugh died in late-1980, the team was seemingly taken over by Roadways and Ian Harrington, as you said with his son Steve doing the driving. In 1983 the team received big money backing and Grice joined the team in a second car, and i think this is when Les Small joined the team too. At the end of the year the STP backing was lost, and the team wound up. From there Small started "Roadways Racing Services" to build and prepare cars. This consisted of running a car in the 1984 ATCC for Steve Harrington (and limited appearances for a 2nd car for Grice). Roadways built the '86 ETCC cars, and were effectively the entrant (although it ran under the ANMR name)... they ran the VL for Grice in the 1987 ATCC (after their plans for a Nissan WTCC program fell through), and were going to run Percy in the 1988 ATCC until he got the Nissan call-up for the ETCC. As far as i know it all wound down after 1989.. though by then the team was entering cars under the ICL banner.... (as i said, very unofficial ) |
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14 Jan 2011, 09:27 (Ref:2815588) | #55 | |
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From the 1985 Bathurst annual:
'The Roadways team, run by former Grice mechanic Les Small for Tasmanian road-surfacing company owner and racing enthusiast Ian Harrington actually ceased at the end of 1984. In it's place was Roadways Racing Services,a company co-owned by Small and Harrington, which had to pay it's way in 1985. That it did by taking in a lot of race preparation and car construction business from other teams starting out in Group A. For 1985, the new Roadways operation took the practical step of joining forces with Warren Cullen's nearby K-Mart racing operation. Cullen was at a loss about Group A in the long-term, but saw the short-term benefit of joining forces, ensuring that a good car would be built and getting a co-drive with Grice... ...A large proportion of Small's time prior to Bathurst was building and rebuilding cars and building race engines for other people...That put the new operation in direct competition with the HDT which offered to supply part or fully built-up Commodores to privateers.....The Roadways customers [at Bathurst] were Tony Kavich in Commodore No25 and NZ duo Graeme Bowkett/Wayne Wilkinson in Commodore No39. Peter McLeod in car No4 used Les Small engines |
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14 Jan 2011, 11:10 (Ref:2815613) | #56 | ||
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Roadways being the Harrington family business explains why Steve had this (and Re-Car, I guess) all over his Ralt in the 1985 British F3 series. Often had wondered about this.
Racer you refer to shelved plans for a Small run Nissan WTCC campaign for 1987, or was it actually '88 before the WTCC got cancelled?) I bet that was well received by Fred Gibson at the time, as he was the Nissan man over there? I guess this also partly explains why Grice and Percy drove the Marsden run GTS-R in the '88 ETC? |
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14 Jan 2011, 15:12 (Ref:2815708) | #57 | |||||
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Quote:
Re-Car Racing was a seperate team to Roadways until the end of 1982, when owner Allan Browne closed the team. Les Small joined Roadways for 1983, along with part-time Re-Car 1982 driver Grice, and early in the 1983 season Roadways also bought a car off Re-Car (the famous 100mph Bathurst VH) I can only assume there was some sort of business tie up as well..... Eddie Jordan has some interesting things (not positive) to say about Harrington's 1985 season in his book. Quote:
I'm not sure the plans had much to do with Gibson, the Roadways plans were seperate to the Australian Gibson operation who were firmly entrenched with Nissan Australia and in Japan also, and according to 1986 interviews with the PJ team, their focus was always going to be firmly on Australia. Interestingly also Dick Johnson was keen on running WTCC rounds when it was first announced in early 1986 Regarding 1988, Small was apparently keen to run Percy in a Commodore in the ATCC. It would have happened had Grice not paved the way for him to join the Nissan team (according to Percy in a circa-2005 interview with Australian Muscle Car Magazine, the 1990 Bathurst drive, against Tom Walkinshaw's wishes, for Grice was a sort of payback for Grice helping get Percy the '88 ETCC gig) |
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14 Jan 2011, 15:20 (Ref:2815711) | #58 | ||
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racer69 that's some great background info there, many thanks for all of that.
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14 Jan 2011, 19:56 (Ref:2815839) | #59 | ||
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I can only second your comment, ka - great info, racer69. Although the Bathurst and AMRY annuals has great details about the seasons, all the weekly news and rumours probably never made it beyond Australia.
Regarding the 1987 Small/Grice/Nissan WTCC plans, Grice - and presumably Small - had raced one of the New Zealand Skyline DR30s on a one-off chance at the 1986/1987 South Pacific Touring Car Championship with either Kent Baigent or Graeme Bowkett, winning the race. Their plans was, as I know it, to enter the new HR31 for the '87 WTCC, but that car was badly delayed, homologated by March but seing it's race debut at the Fuji Intertec 500 late in the year. Interesting that the Bowkett name appears with Grice and Small, as it has just been mentioned that Bowkett was the customer for the first complete Group A Commodore VK build by Roadways! Jesper |
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15 Jan 2011, 02:37 (Ref:2815930) | #60 | |||
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Was it really a quarter of a century ago? It was just like yesterday! I recall reading that at one point Mr Small had set up camp in NZ to understand the intricacies of the DR30 Skyline, in order to run one for Mr Grice in Europe... subject to funding.. which never seemed to come.. |
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15 Jan 2011, 06:06 (Ref:2815954) | #61 | ||
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Don't worry GTR its making me feel old too
Bowkett & Baigent also raced for Small in the 1988 Nissan-Mobil 500 Series, they drove alongside Percy in one event each |
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15 Jan 2011, 07:41 (Ref:2815971) | #62 | ||
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Graeme Bowkett/Roadways
Les Small also ran an Auscar Commodore at the Thunderdome (Calder Park) on an arrive & drive basis for Graeme Bowkett - Bowkett loved it, sponsored by Pacific Waste Management.
Photos anyone? Something rings a bell that the car may have been a Bathurst winner. Any Commodores missing? |
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15 Jan 2011, 09:08 (Ref:2815980) | #63 | |||
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Did Bowkett run a VK or a VL? None of the Group A Bathurst winning Commodore's got turned into AUSCAR's, the '87 Grice VL did though (and was ultimatly written off at the Dome) |
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15 Jan 2011, 11:43 (Ref:2816030) | #64 | ||
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15 Jan 2011, 21:28 (Ref:2816201) | #65 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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[QUOTE=Jesper OH;2814695]
Quote:
Better Brakes AMSCAR Series Round 2 (28/5/1985) Better Brakes AMSCAR Series Round 2 (28/5/1985) Circuit Length: 1.946 km Heat 1 Race Distance: 5 laps
Heat 2 Race Distance: 10 laps
Heat 3 Race Distance: 15 laps
Having a look at the points table from AMRY and the results available, I have been able to deduce a few results from the second AMSCAR round. Does anybody have a complete point standing of the 1985 Better Brakes AMSCAR series? ARDC were the organisers of the series, I guess? Jesper |
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16 Jan 2011, 03:53 (Ref:2816267) | #66 | |||
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Maybe Camaroz can help? Bowkett had sold his NZ waste collection business into the US based Waste Management International & was an employee at the time of his Thunderdome adventures. |
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22 Jan 2011, 19:56 (Ref:2819290) | #67 | ||
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To the best of my reckoning 18 race meetings were held for Group A touring cars in Australia during 1985. 10 rounds for the Australian Touring Car Championship, including one also counting towards the Better Brakes AMSCAR series, 5 rounds for the Australian Endurance Championship, again including one round also counting towards the AMSCAR series, two stand alone AMSCAR races and finally the Adelaide Grand Prix support race.
Here is my summary of the competing drivers and teams and their cars, based on the results provided by William Dale Jr. and the notes from the annuals Australian Motor Racing Year and for Bathurst. The run down is based on class, then the team (names taken from the Bathurst entry list provided in the 1985 annual), with what ever I can piece together. I guess this is what I'd like to do on the BTCC and Japanese Group A threads as well, but the information are just so much better for the time being, that Australia is the choice. Comments and corrections requested! Class A, 0-2000 cc Ken Harrison Ford Escort Mk. II/RS2000 or Mexico? Driver and entrant Ken Harrison had been around a long time by 1985, having competed at Bathurst since the 1960s. His Ford Escort was a former Group C car, said to be a Mexico. I have always assumed it was an RS2000, as a Mexico to me means a 1601 cc Escort. The car was numbered 34 for its ATCC effort and by Sandown 64 in yellow/blue colours. This car is likely still around by 2011, as it was for sale a few years ago. From his ATCC appearences at Adelaide and Calder, I guess Ken Harrison was based in either South Australia or Victoria. Ian Wells joined him for the Castrol 500 at Sandown, repeating their '84 partnership at the race. John White Isuzu Gemini ZZ No known base for this driver and team, except being Australian. Isuzu Gemini ZZ based on the Opel Kadett C-type – the last of the RWD variant, dispanded as an Opel in November 1979. 4 door sedan with 1816 cc engine. Raced at the Sandown 500 with Les Szreniawski as #88. No info about drivers and team including residence at the time. This is likely the same entry that appeared at the Surfers Paradise round of the Endurance Championship, but this is guess work. This is also likely the ”Marlboro” car of 1987, so named by me because of it's white/red colour scheme and to differentiate this car from the red/yellow Gemspares Gemini of Daryl Hendrick during that particular season. I don't know the former life of this car, but Isuzu/Holden Geminis were regular class cars during the latter part of the Group C era, but more standard versions were used in a one make series in Australia around this time. Bob Holden Motors Manly Vale Toyota Corolla Sprinter GT Team presumably based in the northern Sydney suburb Manly Vale, presumably at Bob Holdens car dealership. The Toyota Corolla Sprinter AE86 debuted at the 1984 Bathurst, based on an ex-Brian Hilton rally car. A 3-door coupé numbered 13 for most races, but appeared with 57 for the later endurance races, as always in white/red colour scheme. The team made an appearence for all 18 races during the season and to my knowledge never won! Holden himself made 17 starts with Mike/Michael Quinn doing the driving at the Lakeside ATCC round. Quinn - with Bob Holden the owner of a previous Formula Ford driven by Quinn - as the driving partner for the minor endurance events, but replaced at the major Sandown and Bathurst races by New Zealander Glenn Clark. For the latter race the car sported sponsorship from Redbook Carpets, Feltex, Castrol, Dunlop, J.B.I.(?) as visible trade names. David Ratcliff Toyota Corolla Levin GT By 2011 a Ratcliff Transport Spares – the later entrant name of the team – is situated in Silverwater in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. By 1985 newcomer to touring cars, Ratcliff imported a Corolla Levin from Japan, with Bob Holden building the majority of the car and Davids brother Stuart Ratcliff finishing it at the Ratcliff Transport Spares facility. With Don Smith – presumably having given up on the Ford Mustang – the team and car seems to have made their debut at the Castrol 500 at Sandown, then contesting the Bathurst and Surfers Paradise endoros. Toyota Team Australia Toyota Corolla GT/Toyota Corolla Sprinter GT Based at the Toyota import facility in Melbourne, Victoria, managed by Tony Niovanni. Their Sprinter (3 door coupé) was the car build by the team and debuted at the 1984 Bathurst 1000. This was the car for lead driver John Smith, untill a new TRD build 2 door Corolla arrived for round 4 of the ATCC in Adelaide. This left the old car in charge of Drew Price. These two drivers were put together in the new car for the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000, where the old car was handled by Ray Cutchie and John Faulkner. In their 10 ATCC races, 5 AEC races and the Adelaide GP support race the team had an unbeaten record of 16 class victories. Jagparts Racing Triumph Dolomite Sprint Car, based on a former Group C car, presumably owned by usual driver Martin Power. I believe this is also the car driven by Lorraine Orchard and Paul Taylor at the Sandown 500, where Power moved over to the fellow Jagparts Gerald Kay Holden Commodore. Car believed to still be around. Mike Minear Volvo 360 GLT Car used for a number of records trials set at Surfers Paradise in 1984. Converted to Group A for 1985 making 10 appearences over the season with Mike Minear driving. Paul Elliot partnered him for the Sandown 500, both having been part of the '84 record run at Surfers. |
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22 Jan 2011, 20:06 (Ref:2819297) | #68 | ||
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Class B, 2001-3000 cc
Network Alfa Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6 2.5 Two car effort based at the Alfa Romeo import facility in Sydney, NSW, managed by Enrico Zanarini. The converted Group E production GTV of Colin Bond, making its Group A debut at the 1984 Sandown 500, continued in Bond's hand, while a car bought from the Belgian Luigi Racing team became the mount for Alan Jones. This latter car was reckoned to be superior to the homegrown car. The team lost the service of Alan Jones in mid-June when he joined the Team Haas (USA) Ltd. Grand Prix team appearing for four late season races, the first being at Monza in September. For the last three rounds of the ATCC Bond was the sole driver in his usual car, while the Luigi car was prepared for the endurance races beginning in August, but likely making its reappearence at the Oran Park ATCC final in mid-July. For these races Bond was joined by an otherwise unemployed Gregg Hansford. This car was pronounced a write-off by the team when Bond got involved in multi car crash at the Surfers endurance race in late October. This required a return for the old car for the final race of the year, the Adelaide GP support race, although the car was sold off by then and entered under The Toy Shop name. Ray Gulson Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6 2.5 Based at the Ray Gulson Alfa Romeo dealership in Canberra. Car based on an Alfa Romeo Australia test car, originally build for racing in Group C specifications, but converted to Group A in time for Bathurst 1984 – the cars third Bathurst, so at least going back to 1982 as a race car. After doing a few early New Zealand dates, the car was rebuild for the '85 Bathurst race with Sandown as a shakedown. The Toy Shop Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6 2.5 The ex-Colin Bond Alfa Network car acquired at least in time for the season ending ATCC race at Oran Park in mid-July. Gregg Hansford and Allan Grice did driving duties for a few races. For the Adelaide GP support race the car was back in Network Alfa service, as their usual car was damaged beyond repair. Don't know if this link is related to the same company, but being based in Newcastle, NSW, I guess it wouldn't be too far off: http://www.japimports.com.au/homepage.htm Chris Heyer's Kingswood Import Centre Audi 5+5 Dutch born, Sydney, NSW, residing Heyer was mainly consentrating on the local AMSCAR series with his Audi 5+5. The car received a rebuild after the Amaroo endurance race in time for Bathurst. The car had originally been used 24 hour record attempts in 1981, then racing as Group C and for Bathurst 1984, Group A. The car was presumably retired after the season. New Zealander Graham McGregor, a former rally driver, joined Heyer for Bathurst. Ian Thompson BMW 323i Presumably a 3-series of the E30 variant and said to be a stock standard road registered car. With Thompson racing at Sandown and Adelaide, Thompson was probably residing in the southern parts of Australia. JPS Team BMW BMW 323i Based at the Frank Gardner run JPS Team BMW facilities in Sydney, NSW. The E30 based car running in white BMW Motorsport colours in the local AMSCAR series by Tony Longhurst. The former water skier also contested the last few rounds of the ATCC and the first two rounds of the AEC. Hulcraft Autos Ford Capri 3.0S Team likely based in NSW, owned by John Craft with two cars, likely of former Group C provenance. The team likely concentrated on the local AMSCAR series, but also fielded two cars for the Sandown 500, where John Craft shared with Les Grose and a second car for Pat and John Hogbin. J. L. Hazelton Ford Capri 3.0S Another likely NSW based Capri for Laurie Hazelton. Seems to have done a selected programme of ATCC and AMSCAR races with Danish born Jerry Strauberg as driving partner for the Sandown 500 enduro. Phil Parsons Ford Capri 3.0S Noted for one appearence at the combined ATCC/AMSCAR race at Amaroo Park in July. ”Denis Horley” (?) Ford Capri 3.0S Denis Horley was driving at the Adelaide GP support race, presumably his car. John Bundy Mazda RX-7 Victoria based team using a converted Group C car as base for the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000. Owned by John Bundy, build by Norman Carr, they also did the driving in these races. Raymond Spencer Mazda RX-7 Noted for one appearence at the Sandown ATCC round, so presumably another Victoria based RX-7 Ross Burbidge Mazda RX-7 Presumably Queensland based, doing the two state round ATCC races. Russell Worthington Mazda RX-7 Presumably another Queensland based RX-7, doing the two state round ATCC races. ”Gary Burgess” Mazda RX-7 Noted for appearences in the last two races of the year held in Queensland and South Australia! This might have been either the Burbidge or Worthington cars. Formula 1 Investments Pty Ltd Mitsubishi Starion Turbo Build by Bob Riley for Kevin Bartlett – Bartlett's privately entered car for 1986/1987? - and leased to Graham Moore for Bathurst. Riley was also then man building the 1984 Bathurst Mitsubishi Ralliart car for Kevin Bartlett. Moore reunited with Belgian Michel Delcourt for the '85 race, but the entry was a non-starter with technical matters. Greville Arnel Mitsubishi Starion Turbo Former Group E production car converted to Group A'ish for the 1984 Bathurst. The team, with base in Queensland, did a few ATCC rounds with Greville Arnel driving and entered Bathurst with brother Lyndon. That project got delayed and without finance to contest the race a seat was sold to Greville's employer Andrew Harris. To this end the car was rebuild and updated with Ralliart bits. This took place in Warrnambool, Victoria, where Greville temporarily was assigned in his job as construction manager in the Harris Group. This left Lyndon on the side. This was another car to end up in the Surfers Paradise pile-up in October. Melbourne Clutch and Brake Service Mitsubishi Starion Turbo Car owned by the owner of Melbourne Clutch and Brake Service Winston Kim. This was another Group E car converted to Group A at the start of 1985 for Brian Sampson to drive. Garry Waldon joined as codriver for the two major endurance races. Another part time effort. Mitsubishi Ralliart Mitsubishi Starion Turbo Build by Bob Riley for Group E production racing for the 1984 season, the car was converted to Group A in time for the Bathurst 1000. For the 1985 Kevin Bartlett was replaced as manager by John Grant, with Bartlett concentrating on driving. The change of leadership also meant a relocation from presumably the Bartlett Sydney, NSW base, to Adelaide, SA, near the Mitsubishi importer. A full ATCC programme was contemplated but slow homologation from Japan, the team dropped the final three rounds to test and develop for the endurance races. For these races Bartlett shared driving duties with Peter McKay, while a second new car was brought along for the Sandown 500 for Peter Fitzgerald and Brad Jones. Peter Williamson Toyota Toyota Celica Supra Team based at Peter Williamson's Toyota dealership in Liverpool, east of Sydney, NSW. The 1985 car was based on a new shell, with the original Toyota GB car being destroyed in the 1984 Bathurst start accident. The entry was a regular during the second half of the ATCC, but never really competitive for overall honours. For the opening Amaroo endurance race he picked up Charlie O'Brien as driving partner, but as was running his own BMW 635CSi in the other AEC races, he was replaced by Tomas Mezera. Williamson was impressed by the Formula Ford'ing Czekoslovakian refugee. Results for the AEC was four DNFs from five starts, with Sandown being a true upturn, as Williamson/Mezera finished third overall and winning class B – a sort of repeat of the 1984 result, when Williamson won the Group A class, sixth overall. Mark Petch Mechanical Seals Volvo 240 Turbo Owned by Mark Petch of New Zealand, the Australian foray was based in Sydney, NSW with fellow Kiwi Robbie Francevic the driver. This car was one of two 1984 Guy Trigaux Motorsport cars bought and tranported to New Zealand for the innaugural Wellington 500 in New Zealand. The team made their ATCC debut at round 2 at Sandown and winning in only their second attempt, at Symmons Plains. Being close to their Australian base the two isolated AMSCAR races were also taken in before the major endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst. Initially Petch was supposed to be driving partner for Sandown, but realising he was out of touch Francevic was giving a free choice of codriver. He selected Tasmanian single seater driver John Bowe, who at the time was considered a bit of a crasher. With a disapointing Bathurst the team ended their Australian tour. It's interesting to note that the team apparently had some connections with the Volvo headquater in Sweden and their European activities. Parts were supplied from both here and 1985 team of choice Eggenberger Motorsport in Switzerland, but the gun engine for Bathurst was from the privately run Swedish Magnum Racing, which might explain why Ulf Granberg was considered for that particular race. Jesper |
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22 Jan 2011, 20:27 (Ref:2819307) | #69 | ||
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Class C: 3001-6000 cc
Erle McRae Motorsport BMW 635CSi Queenslander Charlie O'Brien and Erle McRae payed for this British Ted Grace International 635. A lot of words has been used on this and closely related cars on this forum, so I'll stick to what is immedeate about it's Australian 1985 season. The car debuted at the Castrol 500 at Sandown with Andrew Miedecke. The handling setup proved to be a problem, but after DNFs at both Sandown and Bathurst, O'Brien scored a 2nd at the AEC Surfers Paradise final and 3rd a week later in the streets of Adelaide. Goold Motorsport BMW 635CSi Entry organized through Greg Siddle,team managed by Charly Lamm, car owned by Herbert Schnitzer, sponsored by Bob Jane, closely associated with BMW Motorsport. Pick your own favorite! The Spa-Francorchamps second placed car was brought to Australia with Roberto Ravaglia and Johnny Cecotto to drive. They finished second in the race, and the car would later reappear at the Adelaide GP support race in the hands of another BMW Motorsport driver, Austrian Gerhard Berger. H. Kent Baigent BMW 635CSi New Zealander Kent Baigent bought the 1984 Dieter Quester ETCC car for his assoult on the 1985 New Zealand and Australian touring car scene. To this end he teamed up with acknowledged racer and engineer Neal Lowe. The car had it's Australian debut at Adelaide in late April becomming a usual sight in the ATCC and endurance races, where Baigent was joined by Lowe. James Keogh Holden Commodore VK BMW 635CSi Melbourne, Victoria, solicitor Jim/James Keogh bought the former Clive Benson-Browne Group C car for Bathurst 1984 and had it converted for the 1985 ATCC. He debuted the car in its new configuration alongside Peter Brock at round 2 at Sandown, but never really satisfied by its performance he exchanged it for a BMW 635CSi for the endurance races. The Commodore went to Ray Ellis, while Keogh bought the Glenn Molloy BMW. This car was originally build as a Group C car for the 1982 ATCC by the JPS Team BMW. It was then converted to Group A for 1985 as an intended spare car for Jim Richards, but used for the opening ATCC round by Neville Crichton, who's intended car was on its way back from New Zealand. It then spend some time in the hands of Glenn Molloy, who used it for AMSCAR races, but in the words of Keogh ”did nothing with it” in terms of development and setup. Then Keogh bought it and had John Sheppard rebuilding it for the endurance part of the year. JPS Team BMW BMW 635CSi Based in Sydney with Amaroo Park as their test track, managed by Frank Gardner. Jim Richards was the team driver with JPS/Amatil Cigarettes Australia as sponsor in the car debuted by Denny Hulme/Leopold von Bayern at the 1984 Bathurst. Tony Longhurst joined him for the Sandown/Bathurst endurance races, keeping quite a recond. In 17 races (21 if you count the AMSCAR heat results) Richards was only beaten four times, winning the ATCC, AEC and AMSCAR series in the process! A second car was build for and bought by Neville Crichton with sponsorship from JPS/Amatil Cigarettes New Zealand. This car saw its debut in early season New Zealand races and brought back to Australia for round 2 of the ATCC. For round 1 Crichton used the teams third, spare car, originally build for the 1982 ATCC as a Group C car and converted to Group A for 1985 and then sold to Glenn Molloy. Crichton gave the early endurance races a miss, but was back for Sandown and Bathurst with the Nissan employed George Fury. With Crichton becomming a Ford dealer the 635 was sold to the Archibalds BMW Dealership in Christchurch before Bathurst. Simon Emmerling BMW 635CSi German born, WA residing Emmerling bought an ex-Schnitzer 635 that was raced at Bathurst a likely in various Wanneroo meetings including the Monroe-Wylie 300 kilometer race on October 20, 1985. ”Glenn Molloy” BMW 635CSi Presumably NSW based driver, who bought the spare JPS car build as a Group C car for the 1982 ATCC. Molloy used it in the AMSCAR series, then sold it on to Jim Keogh for the endurance races. Anderson & O'Leary Ford Mustang Owned by brothers Bruce and Wayne Anderson and their Pinepac timber company based in Auckland, New Zealand. The car was build by Barry Seton for Don Smith, debuted at the 1984 Bathurst. Smith raced it in selected early 1985 ATCC races before, presumably, gave up on the car. The Andersons then bought it sending it back to New Zealand and prepared for Bathurst 1985. Capri Components Ford Mustang Victoria based car owned by and driven by Lawrie Nelson. The car was based on a road car imported by Nelson and first seen during the 1984 Sandown 500, but made its race debut at the 1984 Bathurst 1000. Nelson did a selection of races closest to home with another treck up north to Bathurst with Bill O'Brien codriving here as he had done at the Sandown 500. Don Smith Ford Mustang Car build in Sydney by Bo Seton for Don Smith, debuted at the 1984 Bathurst 1000. Smith had a miserable 1985 ATCC season and dropped out midway through, selling the car to New Zealenders the Anderson brothers. Smith joined David Ratcliff in his new Bob Holden build Toyota Corolla Levin for the major endurance races later in the year. Ken Davison Ford Mustang Build by Ken Davison on his farm outside Sydney, NSW who also the car that was actually owned by Wally Kramer. They also shared driving duties in the AEC series, where the car saw its debut at Oran Park in August. Bo Seton and Don Smith assisted with advice in preparation of this car. Kevin Clark Ford Mustang Car seen during the Surfers Paradise AEC round in late October running as number 16. Little else known to me. Palmer Tube Mills Ford Mustang Based in Daisy Hill, Brisbane, Queensland, owned by Dick Johson, sponsored by Ross Palmer. Johnson had purchased two Zakspeed cars during 1984, giving one of them a run in practice for the 1984 Bathurst 1000 running as number 71. This car was then modified to Johnson's liking for the 1985 ATCC series, running his usual number 17, and used at the Oran Park AEC and as a second entry for Bathurst wearing number 18 on that last occation. Here Allan Moffat did a few laps during practice for the Sport7 channel, presumably telling the way around the track for tv purposes. The second unfinished car was readied for Sandown with new driving partner and former Holden Dealer Team driver and engineer Larry Perkins finishing it. This car took over as the main number 17 car and with Johnson driving won the Adelaide GP support race. Alf Grant Holden Commodore VK Property developer Alf Grant, neighbour of Dick Johnson in Brisbane, Queensland, had ordered a fully finished car at the Holden Dealer Team. The car first appeared for the Amaroo Park AEC round in August, with the MHDT crew attending to final details on the car at the track. Former Dick Johnson codriver John French joined Grant for the endurance races at Oran Park and Bathurst. Auckland-Coin & Bullion Exchange Ltd Holden Commodore VK Company directed by driver Ray Smith of Auckland, New Zealand, a driver with a few years of experience. He had 1967 F1 World Champion Denny Hulme joining him for this effort, based on a Mobil Holden Dealer Team build car. The finishing was running late, so Hulme and retired McLaren F1 mechanics went to the MHDT quaters in Melbourne, Victoria to complete the car. The team finally saw their debut at the Oran Park enduro in August, where an accident meant a major repair job was required for the Sandown and Bathurst races. It was then shipped off to New Zealand, to be competitive there, which seems to have been the objective all the time. Barry Jones Holden Commodore VK A rolling chassis by MHDT, but engine by Barry Jones, who also finished the car in time for the AEC races. Tony Mulvihill was organizing the project and the former competitors joined up as a driving team for the AEC rounds, with 10th outright at Bathurst, being best Holden, their major achievement. Barry Wraith Holden Commodore VK Barry Wraith and Wayne Park co-owned and co-build this car based on a new Shell at Wraith's Queensland located alloy products business located on the Gold Coast. Bathurst seems to have been their goal, as I have no prior notes of this car. This car was another one involved in the race stopping accident at the AEC round at Surfers Paradise. Brian Callaghan Holden Commodore VK Team based at Callaghan's concrete pumps facility in Sydney, NSW. The car was build from a new shell by Callaghan and assorted hands, mainly from his speedway background. The car was around for the Oran Park AEC date in August, with Barry Graham joining Callaghan for Bathurst. Grellis Marketing Holden Commodore VK Ray Ellis took over the VK from fellow Victorian Jim Keogh for the endurance races. This was originally the Clive Benson-Browne Group C bought by Keogh for Bathurst 1984 and then converted to Group A for the 1985 ATCC. Bernie McClure, who prepared the car, was giving the car its first go in new hands at the Amaroo endurance race in August, codriving with Ellis for the longer races. I.M.B. Team Wollongong Holden Commodore VK Used car dealer Peter McLeod had Peter Pattenden build him a VK from a former hire car at Pattenden's Precinct Performance shop located in Gosford north of Sydney, NSW. The car likely saw its debut at the Oran Park endurance race in August with Bathurst being the target, Graeme Bailey partnering him as driver. Engines came from Roadways. Jagparts Racing Holden Commodore VK Company owner of Jagparts in Melbourne, Victoria, and driver Gerald Kay went for complete Dealer Team car, having considered a Jaguar XJS as replacement for his previous Triumph Dolomite Sprint. The Amaroo AEC race in August saw the likely race debut of the car in the hands of Kay and Don Bretland, with Martin Power replacing Bretland for the Sandown and Bathurst races. Ken Mathews Prestige Cars Holden Commodore VK Car, based on a new shell, build and maintaned by Terry Finnigan for Sydney car dealer Ken Mathews. Saw its racing debut at the opening AMSCAR round at Amaroo in early April, it was one of the first Group A Holdens to race. Initially running a +5 litre engine/1400 kgs, but switching to a 4.9/1325 kgs for Bathurst. Lester Smerdon Holden Commodore VK Car raced in the Group C class during the 1984 Bathurst, but converted to Group A for the 1985 event. Brisbane policeman Lester Smerdon prepared the car at the local police garage with fellow officers giving a hand. Driving partner Geoff Russell was a garage owner from the northern NSW town of Lismore, a little over 100 kilometers south of Brisbane. Smerdon also took in his local round of the AEC at Surfers. Lusty Engineering Pty Ltd Holden Commodore VK Graham Lusty acquired a shell from Terry Finnigan to complete it at the family owned semi-trailer building business located in Swan Hill, northern Victoria. A lot of the intrail came from the Lusty Group C Commodore, with engines from Bob Williams of BT Engineering. Ken Lusty (relation to Graham Lusty unknown, but brother or cousin) shared the driving duties for the two major endurance races. The team was also present for the Oran Park AEC round in mid-August. Masterton Homes Pty Ltd Holden Commodore VK Received as a rolling chassis from MHDT early in the year, with the teams chief mechanic Pat Purcell completing the car at the team base in Liverpool west of Sydney, NSW. The car was debuted at the opening AMSCAR round at Amaroo Park in early April alongside the Ken Mathews car, being one of the earliest Holden Commodore Group A cars around. ATCC and AMSCAR sprint races was the priority it seems as the Bathurst effort, with Bruce Stewart assisting in the driving, was the only two driver effort. I just might be that Steve Masterton was loosing the will to race, as the team was disbanded for 1986. Mike Burgmann Holden Commodore VK Build by Bob Stevens at his shop in Sydney, NSW for fellow Sydneysider accountant Mike Burgmann. The duo also did the driving duties for the three local NSW endurance races. Mobil Holden Dealer Team Holden Commodore VK The official Holden factory team, presumably with Peter Brock as team principal, with base in Melbourne, Victoria. The team had three different cars at their disposal over the season, with the first Group A prototype making its debut in the Nissan Mobil series in New Zealand, Peter Brock and Larry Perkins driving with the familiar Brock 05 number. This car was build in late 1984 by Perkins. The car was back in Australia for round 2 of the ATCC, which Brock won sensationally and used by him for the next three rounds. When the second car was ready for round 6 at Calder Park 05 was raced by John Harvey and later on by both Larry Perkins and David Parsons in other ATCC rounds. It's active racing retirement as part of the MHDT team happened with the Oran Park AEC race in the hands of Harvey, then becoming the spare car and general test mule. The car was at Bathurst, running as a T car with David Oxton doing many familiarisation laps with both the track, the team and the car. The second chassis made its race debut close to home at Calder Park for round 6 of the ATCC, intended for John Harvey wearing number 7, but raced at that event by Brock. For round 7 it was renumbered 05 and became the Brock car for the remaining ATCC rounds and the second AEC round at Oran Park. With yet another new car arriving for Sandown, 05 became the second string 7 car for John Harvey and David Parsons both here, at Bathurst and in Surfers Paradise. The third chassis saw its debut as 05 at the Sandown 500 with Peter Brock and David Oxton driving. Doing four races, Brock's second at the Adelaide GP support race was its only finish. ”John Farrell” Holden Commodore VK Although I have no notes of John Farrell racing any Group A races during 1985, he did participate in the Monroe-Wylie 300 race at Wanneroo, WA on October 20 with Peter Brock codriving! Was this one of the three MHDT cars being sold to Farrell and introduced to him by Brock? After all Farrell was the customer at Brock's later on. Roadways Racing Services Holden Commodore VK Two car team thanks to the combined efforts of drivers Warren Cullen and Allan Grice and engineer Les Small of his upstart Roadways Racing Services. With a base in the Melbourne suburb of Preston, Victoria, Small build Cullen a brand new car being numbered 6 and the intended race car for Cullen and Grice at Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000. The number 26 spare car was Cullen's former Group C car converted to Group A and at Bathurst as a spare car. Only two races for this operation it seems. Sleepyhead Beds Holden Commodore VK Car build by and maintained at the Roadways outfit for Sleepyhead, a New Zealand bedding company. Graeme Bowkett and Wayne Wilkinson was the drivers and lent Roadways a team mechanic between races. Presumably the car made its race debut at the Amaroo AEC round with the team eventually doing the first four AEC rounds, before shipping the car to New Zealand. Terry Finnigan Holden Commodore VK Intended to form a two car team with Ken Mathews but a lack of sponsor put the project on hold to the endurance races. Based at Finnigan's shop in Sydney, NSW the car was build from a bare shell. Barry Lawrence would codrive for the Oran and Bathurst races. The Xerox Shop Holden Commodore VK Well known Group C car of Scotty Taylor converted to Group A by John Bourke, stationed at Bill Coombs' truck repair shop in Sydney, NSW. Scott Taylor, christened Alan and born in Scotland was Xerox retailer and likely the instigator of this team, but teammate Kevin Kennedy had shared driving duties for the previous eight Bathurst races, which was their only Group A race of 1985 as far as I know. Yellow Pages Holden Commodore VK Sydney, NSW based Tony Kavich bought the 1984 Bathurst Group C Harrington family owned Roadways Racing Pty Ltd Commodore, then raced by Allan Grice and Steve Harrington. Kavich then had the Les Small owned Roadways Racing Services rebuild the car to Group A standard in time for the endurance races. Ralph Radburn was the usual codriver, but to help with setup the very much Roadways affiliated Allan Grice raced the car solo at Oran Park. ”Graeme Hooley” Holden Commodore VK Like fellow WA race John Farrell I have no Group A appearences for Graeme Hooley, but he was the winner of the Wanneroo Monroe-Wylie 300 on October 20 in a Commodore. I don't know if this was a Group A car, but he was a part timer in various Group A races during the following two or three seasons in his white/blue Scheel Seats Commodore VK. Garry Willmington Jaguar XJ-S HE Build and based at the Willmington Performance shop in Sydney, NSW, owned by brothers Garry and Craig Willmington. Based on a second hand road car and very much build on local race craft, doing a part time ATCC programme, the AMSCAR sprint races and the AEC rounds. Initially with Ron Gillard, but for Sandown and Bathurst with the larger than life ”Captain” Peter Janson. JRA Ltd/Jaguar Racing Jaguar XJ-S HE Tom Walkinshaw/European Touring Car Championship honed and bread Jaguar XJ-S's was send to Australian for the biggest tintop race of the year. The three cars were shipped off in July, arriving at the Jaguar Rover Australia facilities in Sydney, NSW. The cars are generally noted as being the three cars that did the 1984 ETCC, with the Walkinshaw/Percy Bathurst car being the car that won the 1984 Spa 24 heures. Tim Slako Rover 3500 V8 Vitesse Perth, WA based automotive engineer Slako went to Great Britain for this car on the grounds that the supply line from Britain compared to that of Holden's in Victoria made little difference – a well raced car from the BTCC. Slako ATCC debuted the car at his local round at Wanneroo, but added another three rounds to the log book before Bathurst. Originally the car had run in its delivered red/white livery, but was white for Bathurst, where he was joined by NSW man Geoff Leeds. Flexible Hose Supplies Ltd Rover 3500 V8 Vitesse Andy Rouse build series production car build car. Bought by fellow Britain Lawrence Fagg and entered – presumably with Fagg in hand – for drivers Barry Robinson and John Jeffries. Jesper |
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23 Jan 2011, 12:00 (Ref:2819497) | #70 | ||
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http://people.physics.anu.edu.au/~amh110/360_racing.htm |
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23 Jan 2011, 12:12 (Ref:2819501) | #71 | ||
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There's a pic from Sandown in this post: http://tentenths.com/forum/showpost....postcount=2076 |
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23 Jan 2011, 17:09 (Ref:2819559) | #72 | |||
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I also remember a mention of a Mazda 626 being raced as a Group A in Australia, but nothing seems to have surfaced, despite four or five RX-7s appeared. The 626 was never homologated as a Group A and in fact the manufacture has a very modest record of Group A racing. Jesper |
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24 Jan 2011, 03:48 (Ref:2819717) | #73 | |||
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27 Jan 2011, 10:23 (Ref:2821275) | #74 | ||
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According to the Bathurst annual, as you say the car came from the UK, and was an ex-BMW GB car bought from Frank Sytner- (the book actually refers to it having been raced in the BTCC and some ETC rounds by Sytner) which was rebuilt in Ted Grace's workshops before being shipped to Australia, arriving 'fully rebuilt and ready to race' just before Sandown. The reference to Ted Grace certainly fits with the car being bought from Sytner, as he prepared Sytner's BTCC cars Does anyone have a pic of it at Sandown- or can at least say what colour it was? It was certainly yellow at Bathurst http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...agic/85044.jpg ...but was it resprayed before leaving the UK, or did it race at Sandown in it's European colourscheme (I'm guessing either plain white or white/grey?) It's clearly RHD, which suggests it's one of the ex-CC Motorsport/BMW GB cars (2 RHD race cars and an LHD spare), which Sytner bought at the beginning of the year and subseqeuntly sold on- (IIRC the conclusion we came to in the 635 thread) rather than Sytner's regular BTCC mount which was LHD. Did the deal to buy the 635 have anything to do with O'Brien's appearance at the Donington ETC round in April '85, driving a leased Swedish Volvo under the 'Erle McRae Racing' banner? Autosport at the time suggested that O'Brien/McRae might have been planning to take the Volvo back to Australia, which clearly didn't happen... Additionally, Miedecke was in the UK about a week before the 635's Sandown debut- he was at Silverstone for the TT, where he co-drove Czech Milos Bychl's ASP Racing Corolla- I think this was reported as being a last-minute deal. I'm tempted to wonder if his presence in the UK had anything to do with taking delivery of the 635, and he picked up a ride in the Corolla into the bargain. The timescale's a bit tight though- the TT (8th Sept) and Sandown (15th Sept) were on consecutive weekends, so presumably the 635 was already in transit- unless it was airfreighted that week and arrived at Sandown straight off the plane....? |
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29 Jan 2011, 08:00 (Ref:2822165) | #75 | |||
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Jesper |
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