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Giant Killers The men and the Minis that took on the Mountain and won!
BOWE’S BULLET Larry Perkins on his Bathurst feats and failures
Bazza’s Top 10 drivers
Volume #1 Issue #3
August/Oct. 2008 $6.95
ISSN 1835-5544
Alfie: Openwheeler legend
Quarterly magazine
The car that took a young legend to a Sportscar title and multiple records along the way
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 Welcome to the third edition of Motorsport Legends.
Volume 1 Issue 3
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News 06-10 Want to know who won what? Then make sure you read the news pages. Bowe’s bullet 12-17 JB loved racing this car. Find out how it was built in part one of this extensive and entertaining feature. Historic Classes 18-19 In part two of this feature, Brian ‘Brique’ Reed gives us the low down on the rules that govern historic tin tops. Alf Costanzo 20-26 He was a legend in open-wheelers in Australia. Grant Nicholas takes us down memory lane to relive some of Alfie’s glory days. Gemini Series 28-29 Bash and crash! The Gemini Series may have been short-lived, but it certainly provided some entertaining racing. Power from the Past 30-31 Tasmania has provided us with plenty of great racing over the years, and it’s no different in the historic classes. Larry Perkins 32-39 LP was known as the ‘Bathurst Master’. In this feature, he recounts some of his favourite moments at the Mountain. Bathurst Minis 40-45 They took on the big cars and won. This is the story of how Bathurst’s ‘Davids’ beat all of the ‘Goliaths’. Memories of Barry Oliver 46-50 Bazza picks his 10 favourate drivers from his days as a commentator and tells us why they made his short-list.
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Contributors in this issue Briar Gunther Briar joins Motorsport Legends this issue in the role of Staff Journalist and she has already impressed with her enthusiasm and raw talent, as we’re sure you’ll agree when you see the results of her first assignment: a feature on LP’s Bathurst conquests. Craig Watson Craig has been around the sport for many years and is well-known as an expert on everything Mini. His feature on the little cars at Bathurst in this issue is proof of that. But he also knows a thing or two about Sportscars as you’ll see in his feature on the Veskanda. Natalie Delarey Known in the office as the ‘Gift Wrapper’ for her ability to make journalists and photographers look good with her skills as a designer, this magazine, and many others, would be lost without her obvious talents.
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
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 Staff Journalist Briar Gunther Artist/Design House Natalie Delarey Raamen Pty Ltd (03) 9873 8282 Contributors Barry Oliver, Grant Nicholas, Craig Watson and Brian ‘Brique’ Reed. Photographers Autopics.com.au John Doig/Torque Photos Advertising Manager David Brown DB Media & Marketing Phone: (03) 9762 7018 Mobile: 0408 562 962 Email: dgbmedia@bigpond.net.au Motorsport Legends is printed by Impact Printing Pty. Ltd. Melbourne 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.
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CLASSIC
Lines Welcome to issue three of Motorsport Legends magazine. Motorsport Legends includes motor racing nostalgia and historic motorsport events.
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he news literally came out of the blue. Ford Australia will no longer be financially supporting Dick Johnson Racing. There are many that say loyalty has no place in the modern business world, but that’s something that I totally disagree with. I think that cutting off the funding from someone who has been loyal to the Blue Oval brand for 35 years was a pretty low class act – after all Dick Johnson has won three Bathurst 1000s and five Australian Touring Car Championships for Ford. Most in his situation would have been ropable and would have been only too quick to bad mouth the head honchos at Broadmeadows, but the way that DJ has handled himself in the wake of the announcement should be a lesson to all of us. Johnson admitted that life without Ford backing will be tough, but he said it’s not the end of the road. Johnson indicated that he draws strength from the fact that he has been ‘down’ many times before and has always managed to find a way to keep the doors of his race team open. He says that he thought it was all over 28 years ago in 1980 after the famous rock incident at Bathurst, not to mention nearly closing the doors on the team early this season before he formed 4
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Top: Allan Edwards with Dick Johnson. Above: The car that DJ drove at Bathurst in 1980. Below: The missing piece of spoiler from Jim Richards’ Sidchrome Mustang.
a business partnership with ‘forklift king’ Charlie Schwerkolt. “Mate, I have had more kicks than most, but I am becoming more resilient,” he said. “In 1980 I thought it was all over and I have been through a few of those times since and this is just another one of those times.” Johnson said he couldn’t believe that Ford would turn its back on him despite his ongoing loyalty to the Blue Oval. “Disappointment is probably not a
strong enough term to sum up what I feel,” he said. “As the hours passed things started to sink in – what has the last 35 years meant?” Come on Ford, if DJR does fail to make the grid next year, someone at Broadmeadows really needs to take a good hard look at themselves. any people have commented on the fact the shot of Jim Richards’ Mustang on the cover of last issue showed the car with a part of the front spoiler missing. Well, we found it! Motorsport Legends reader David Vaughan sent us the above photo of the spoiler, which he has in pride of place in his loungeroom. In 1976 he was a flag marshall at Oran Park at BP Corner when the spoiler fell off and he picked it up off the track. The senior marshall allowed him to keep it. At the Classic Adelaide Rally in 2006 he caught up with Jim Richards who autographed the prize. If any other readers have similar interesting memorabilia please email us a picture of it with a few words and we may do an article on it at some stage in the future. Until next time, drive safely on the road and the track.
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Allan Edwards, Managing Editor
Motorsport A4 flyer indd 1
1/5/08 12:37:34 PM
HISTORIC SANDOWN
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istoric racing enthusiasts wanting a driver’s view of all the action will be ‘going for gold’ at this year’s VACC Historic Sandown from November 7-9, which is being supported by Shannons. To bring the excitement of historic racing closer to spectators, the Victorian Historic Racing Register is offering an advance purchase Gold Pass to the meeting that includes three exclusive viewing locations, an insiders’ view of the pit garages, a Sunday BBQ lunch and a unique Gold cap and lanyard. The primary viewing spot for Gold Pass patrons will be a dedicated and air-conditioned
room in the Sandown grandstand, overlooking the main straight. As well as being the location of Sunday’s gourmet lunch, the room will be the hub from where a regular shuttle bus service will take Gold Pass holders to special viewing areas at Turn One and the popular Red Hill area. In addition, all Gold patrons will be given a guided tour of the Sandown pit area and garages and will in the running to win one of 10 rides in a Group N Historic Touring car during the meeting. Dedicated undercover parking inside the circuit, a meeting programme and adult admission for Saturday and
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GOING FOR GOLD AT SANDOWN
Sunday are included in the Gold Pass price of $225 per person. Gold Passes are only available by advance purchase through the VHRR’s website prior to October 27. An entry of around 300 racing, sports and touring cars spanning eight decades will take part in the annual Historic Sandown meeting.
Special anniversaries being celebrated at the meeting include the 40th anniversary of the Holden Monaro’s first race victory in the 1968 Sandown enduro and the 50th year of the MG Car Club, with more than 100 MGs participating. For more information visit www.vhrr.com
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TARGA TASMANIA
EVO SNARES TARGA TASMANIA
S
outh Australian Steve Glenney, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, dominated the Modern competition at Targa Tasmania in April to finish one minute 31 seconds clear of eight-time winner, Jim Richards, in a Porsche 911 GT2. West Australian Dean Herridge finished third in his Subaru Impreza WRX STI after Jason White’s Lamborghini retired at the end of the opening stage on the final day with gearbox problems. The victory was the first by a Mitsubishi in the 17-year history of the tarmac classic, Glenney’s car was superior in pace and performance to that of any of his rivals. His driving performance was equally impressive. He took the lead on the famous Sidling stage on Thursday morning and never surrendered it. Rex Broadbent was dominant in the Classics competition, taking outright honours for the second successive year. Broadbent had a setback to his plans when he was forced to borrow a tyre in Strahan to replace the one he damaged late on Saturday. He copped a twominute penalty, pushing him back to second place, but quickly regained it on the first stage of the final day,
Rex Broadbent took out the Classic class in his 1974 Porsche 911 RS.
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reclaiming the lead and cruised to victory in Hobart. He finished the sprint around the Domain in his 1974 Porsche 911 RS one minute 25 seconds clear of the 1989 Porsche 944 S2 of Gavin James. Peter Eames, who so generously gave a tyre to Broadbent, ,was just four seconds further back in third. Had he kept his tyres for himself he would have certainly finished second, but his gesture left him the clear winner of the unofficial ‘Good Sportsmanship’ award. Rick Bates looked like he had the 2WD Showroom class title all stitched up in his Mazda3 MPS after dominating the first four days, but mechanical problems around Mt Arrowsmith saw his teammate, Alister McRae, sweep to the lead and go on to take the title. McRae finished over 20 minutes ahead of second placed Philip Buggee in a 2006 Fiat Punto Sport, with John Dunkley and his 2006 Peugeot 206 GTI 180 third. Hobart’s Tony Warren got a home town hero’s welcome when he crossed the finish line in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX to secure the 4WD Showroom title. He was a massive eight minutes
29 seconds in front of Queenslander Scott Millar, with Malcolm Klopp another three minutes 43 seconds back in third. It was the first totally rain-free Targa in the event’s long history. The conditions make Glenney’s victory even more meritorious, as normally the 4WD cars thrive in wet conditions. “The event was very tough and we probably competed under conditions which didn’t suit our car, which has made the win all the more pleasing,” Glenney said. “Conditions have been hot and dry, which suits the Lamborghinis and Porsches, but we’ve been able to get away with a win, so we’re very happy.”
Rally ace Alister McRae took out the 2WD Showroom class.
Steve Glenney won the Modern class.
HISTORIC WINTON
BOWE TAKES ON ALL-COMERS AT WINTON
Peter Champion (right) has purchased the HDT Special Vehicles moniker and has started building VE Commodores using cues from HDT Special Vehicles of the past.
John Bowe in the ex-Tim Schenken Brabham BT36.
D
ual Bathurst winner John Bowe was the star attraction of this year’s Historic Winton, held at the Victorian country circuit on May 24-25, driving a Brabham BT36. This year’s event was a celebration of motoring milestones. Event co-ordinator Noel Wilcox said people who attended the event helped celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Model T Ford, the 50th anniversary of the Austin Healey ‘Bug Eye’ Sprite and 60 years of the FX Holden. “So there were a lot of those individual celebrations happening in the classic car park as well as on the track itself,” he said. Mr Wilcox said the event, which had over 400 cars entered and drew up to 10,000 visitors over the weekend, was spectacular. “It was bigger and better than ever before,” he said. “We had a whole range of added attractions in the classic car park and it was the best ever in terms of crowd and driver participation.” Mr Wilcox said this year’s Historic Winton was the 32nd time the Austin 7 Club had run the event. He said the Austin 7 Club was
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already planning next year’s event, which is always held on the last full weekend in May. “Next year we are calling it a celebration of the Fabulous 50s, so we will have a big roll up of famous sports cars of the 50s, both on and off the track,” he said. “And we will have a big display of 1950s American muscle cars in the classic car park.” – Briar Gunther For more information visit the website www.historicwinton.com.au
Classic bikes are an important part of Historic Winton.
This year’s event celebrated the 60th anniversary of the FX Holden...
... and the 50th anniversary of the Austin Healey ‘Bug Eye’ Sprite.
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STORY BY CRAIG WATSON PHOTOGRAPHS BY CRAIG WATSON & JOHN DOIG/TORQUE PHOTOS
AUSSIE SPORTS CAR GENIUS
From humble origins the Veskanda eventually took John Bowe to the 1986 Australian Sportscar title. Following is the story of how a group of Aussie battlers took on the European and local thoroughbreds and beat them...
The Veskanda was a stroke of inspired design that swept all before it, but it never met its potential to compete on the world stage.
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VESKANDA PART ONE
A
t Phillip Island this year, among the priceless and exotic cars from across the country and around the world, was one Australian car that was as significant as almost any other, but tended to get overlooked by many people. The Veskanda is a bit of a mystery to most people, and, unless you were present at the racetracks for the Australian Sportscar Championship’s swan song years of 1985 to 1988, chances are its relevance will not be well known to you. The history of the Australian Sportscar Championship is one of ups and downs, opportunities lost, and rare flashes of inspiration. From 1956 (Albert Park) until 1968, the Championship was decided over one race. In 1969, Frank Matich, who had won the previous three titles, dominated the three-race series in his self-built
Matich SR4. For the next few years, the Championship was growing, with ever-increasing numbers on the grid, but it was Australian (Elfin) and New Zealand (McLaren) cars that took all the annual honours. There was a major decline in 1974, and the 1975 title, won by Garrie Cooper in his unique Elfin MS7, was again decided in a single race at Phillip Island. The following year, the Championship was for Production Sportscars, and was dominated for the next six years by Porsche, with a variety of drivers claiming the spoils. In 1982 the Sportscar Championship again became the realm of the Australian Group A sportscars, while the Porsches were hustled off to the ranks of the Sports Sedans, in a combined Sports Sedan/ GT Championship. That year saw the arrival of a new force from Queensland, the Kaditcha – built by Barry Lock, who had been making open-wheelers since the mid
1970s. Kaditchas won the next four Championships, and by 1985 the GT cars were thrown into the mix. In round five that year, the new kid on the block, the Veskanda, driven by then CAMS Gold Star champion and Australian Driver of the Year, John Bowe (who successfully defended his title that year), turned up, and did more than turn heads. The Veskanda was a stroke of inspired design that swept all before it, but it never met its potential to compete on the world stage. In only its first competitive outing, the South Australian-built closed racer started second on the grid, took the lead on lap 13 and won convincingly. At that stage the car ❯ wasn’t even fully sorted, and it
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VESKANDA PART ONE
The cockpit of the Veskanda is extremely practical.
would not compete again until the first round of 1986. However, the Veskanda wasn’t a sudden aberration, or one-hit wonder. It had been conceived and built by one of the leading, though small, racing car firms in the country, K&A engineering in Adelaide, and was based on years of experience in building racecars. The idea of the car was originally that of Adelaide commercial photographer Bernie Van Elsen, himself a regular competitor on the track, who wanted a local car to beat the Kaditchas, as he recalled recently. “Those things used to go like stink. Somehow it came up that we had to build something like that, that could beat them.” Bernie discussed his ideas with John Briggs, who was racing cars from K&A at the time. “Originally we were going to build something like a Kaditcha, an open-top sports car,” Bernie continues. “Then Briggs said, ‘why don’t you build a proper Group C, so at least then you The Veskanda was always presented immaculately.
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can take it overseas’. We had plans like you wouldn’t believe. John said, ‘Bernie, you build it, and I’ll drive it’, but I figured if I was paying for it, I’d drive it.” Bernie had been racing regularly since 1971, when he bought a new Bolwell Nagari. By 1984 he was wellacquainted with K&A, as they had completely rebuilt the Bolwell into virtually a new, and competitive, car. “I talked Dale at K&A into re-working the Bolwell for me. After that, I had a ball with the thing,” Bernie said. K&A had been doing a lot of work with Sports Sedans, including a fairly outrageous Alfetta GTV for Don Elliott, driven by Tony Edmonson, and the John Roberts-owned, John Briggsdriven Chev Monza. Dale Koennecke, the K from K&A had started out as an apprentice fitter with Adelaide engineering firm Southcott Ltd, and was soon spannering for fellow apprentice Ian
Richards, who was racing a modified FJ Holden at the time. The pair later built their own racecar, calling it the Viper. While the Viper handled badly and was unsuccessful, it did teach young Dale a few things about racecar construction. After six years with Southcott, Dale moved to Elfin and was soon chief mechanic on the MR5 Formula 5000 of John McCormack. Meanwhile, Harry Aust, the other half of K&A, had done a Mechanical Engineering degree at Adelaide University, and was working for Chrysler Australia at Tonsley Park as a suspension project engineer. On a trip to Phillip Island to watch the Chargers race, he met John McCormack (who would go on to win the Australian Drivers’ Championship in 1973, 1975 and 1977) and Dale Koennecke, and helped out in the pits between races. Harry had also been dabbling in racecar design, including a Clubman-
style racer, the Caliban, and a Formula Ford called the Tudor. Like Dale’s Viper, the Tudor was unsuccessful, but a good learning experience. In ’72 Harry joined the newly-formed Ansett Team Elfin as mechanic for McCormack and helped develop a Repco-powered Charger Sports Sedan, while Dale took on the role of chief mechanic for Malcolm Ramsay. Through this period Harry was employed full-time with the Australian Department of Transport in Melbourne, joining McCormack on weekends and during his annual leave. Harry returned to Adelaide in 1973 to work for the Road Traffic Board, then Adelaide University, and Rainsford Metal Industries, before returning to Tonsley Park (later to become Mitsubishi Motors) for another stint. In 1983 Harry and Dale, who, after a bit of globe-trotting with Ramsay, had spent a few years working for Stan Keen Motors, joined forces to form K&A Engineering in Adelaide. With that sort of background, and the work they did on Bernie’s Bolwell and the Sports Sedans, Dale and Harry seemed the obvious choice to build Bernie’s dream car. After visiting the final round of the World Sportscar Championship at Sandown in Melbourne in late 1984, Bernie felt they should build a car that could compete at that level. He bought the ex-John Walker/Peter Edwards Lola T332 Formula 5000 car, which was to provide most of the
mechanical package for the new car. Dale said that was an important step. “I’ve got to say it was a good buy, it was in really good condition. To this day most of the engine is the same engine. I changed the crankshaft to go up to 6lt, and the pistons, and that’s all.” From that package, Harry designed improvements to the suspension, as Dale explains. “He used the Lola uprights, but incorporated McLaren geometry, and later on we made our own uprights.” Harry also turned his attention to the body of the car, with some help from his mates, John and
first interest was in building model aeroplanes. I used to build heaps of those and fly them, so I had a bit of a feel for aerodynamics anyway. But the profile of the wings on this car I think flowed on from profiles that we’d drawn up for Sports Sedans.” The tub of the car is an aluminium honeycomb assembly and incorporates two large underside venturis, which provide the ground effects – literally sucking the car to the track. It was constructed by Greg Mobbs from Kestral Crafts, who had joined K&A to work on the Alfetta Sports Sedan. The five upper body panels, two of which are detachable, are made from fibreglass and Harry built the “He used Lola original male mould for that himself, uprights, but from timber and Styrofoam. Assisted by another local, Keith Burgan, he incorporated made the female moulds. The final McLaren body panels were sub-contracted to a fibreglass boat-builder. geometry...” Dale did most of the machining, fitting and mechanical work. Bob Murphy. The Murphy brothers “I always figured it was a good had recently returned from a couple combination”, he agrees. of seasons in the USA, working on “Harry does the designs, which the VDS Cam-Am racing team. They sometimes are a bit way-out, and I’m gave Harry a few pointers and ideas on sort of the anchor man, who drags it ground effects, but Harry designed the back into what works.” car’s body and monocoque tub without The car was designed with the assistance of a wind-tunnel, and got International Group C and the it almost spot-on. American IMSA regulations in mind, Although Harry could be considered but working within a budget and a novice in aerodynamics at the time, meeting then current Australian Group he was not without some relevant A rules. That meant it was a bit of a experience, as he explains. “My compromise, but could be reasonably ❯
“My first interest was in building model aeroplanes. I used to build heaps of those and fly them, so I had a bit of a feel for aerodynamics.”
The Veskanda at Wanneroo Raceway.
A TRUE LOVE AFFAIR John Bowe said he “loved” the Veskanda – the car that took him to the 1986 Australian Sportscar Championship. When Bowe first tested the car in the mid-’80s at Adelaide International Raceway (AIR) he actually crashed it. “A rear wheel broke and it went straight ahead at the end of the straight,” he explained. Bowe believes the car could have been as good as any Sportscar in the world at the time. “Unfortunately when you’re in Australia you never get to race against the world, but it was a very good car,” he said. He indicated that the best thing about racing the Veskanda was that it was just a fun car to drive. “I set lap records everywhere with it, but we just had a lot of fun with it,” he said. Bowe talks more about racing the Veskanda in the next issue of Motorsport Legends, which will be at your newsagents in early November.
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easily changed to conform with one or the other of the overseas categories, should the opportunity arise. Bernie realised that for the car to reach its full potential, it required a professional driver. He originally planned to have Jim Richards, who was in the throes of winning the 1985 ATCC for BMW, drive the car. However, BMW team manager Frank Gardner insisted Jim concentrate on the ATCC and not the Sportscar. Dale Koennecke knew Tasmanian John Bowe and considered him one of the best drivers in the country, as Dale recalls. “I’ve known him since he was a kid and that’s what his heart was built for.” Bowe was approached to test the new car, as Dale continues. “We thought we’d better get someone who could test it properly, and after John tested it he pointed out it would be a good idea if we didn’t let anyone else in it. It’s very rapid, very powerful; it’s got enormous grip, enormous cornering power, but there’s no noise, because it’s all covered in. John said you get sucked in. “You think it’s doing 100mph, but you’re (actually) doing 150mph or 180mph, and he was a bit worried that Bernie might get in a bit of trouble.” As the man financing the whole deal, Bernie obviously could have given the car any name he chose. Veskanda – which simply stands for Van Elsen Special, K and A – pays tribute to the
“You think it’s doing 100mph, but you’re (actually) doing 150mph or 180mph.” enormous effort put into it by the builders. Dale and Harry were, and remain, very proud of the car, referring to it as the Kanda. The Veskanda was to have its race debut at the fourth round of the 1985 Sportscar Championship, at Adelaide, but a near disaster meant it had to wait until the next round. Adelaide was only the third time the car had been on a track, and it was already clear it would be a Championship contender. Its first test runs, at Adelaide International Raceway (AIR), showed it had so much downforce, the front wheels were rubbing the bodywork. That was cured by using formidable springs, Dale said: “What happens is the faster you go, the more downforce you get. You can drive it slow, but to do it, you’ve got to put very soft springs in it, but then you can’t drive it fast. It’s got the big strong springs in it so it can be driven fast, but when you’re going slow, she feels every bump.” A rim burst on the third day of testing, putting the car straight into the fence.
VESKANDA PART ONE
The exhaust header.
The removable steering wheel.
The alternator.
“He (Bowe) went straight off at the turn – he was doing about 180mph (290kmh) at the end of the straight, and turning in at around 160 (260kmh), and as he turned in the outside rear, loaded, wheel let go. It was a Lola rear wheel, and the Lolas couldn’t handle it. We changed all the rims to Simmons rims, and went from 13” up to 16” and that cured it.” Then came the race at Calder some weeks later, after only 250km of testing, where Bowe and the Veskanda gave notice that they would be the combination to beat in 1986. However, before the first round of the 1986 season, there was still plenty of work to be done. While the aero package was almost perfect, there were a few tweaks required, and tyres were
proving a problem. “John Bowe felt he could do with a bit more front downforce,” Harry said, “and (the front wing) gave me something that was reasonably easy to change and trim. Having said that, once we put it on, we were stuck with virtually full downforce on it.” The first time it ran at Calder the car bounced because of suction pulling the car onto the ground. “And that would shut off the airflow, which would stop the ground effects, and it would bounce up again. So it was doing what they call porpoising, as the speed built up down the front straight,” Harry said. “What we did was stiffen the front suspension so that when the downforce came, it wouldn’t actually get the
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undertray down onto the ground and shut the airflow off. We put the front wing on, and it seemed to work well.” Once the suspension was stiff enough, and the aerodynamics sorted, it was found the tyres couldn’t cope with the downforce, and were being flattened slightly out of shape, so Dunlop organised some special tyres to be made, which had steel-reinforced sidewalls. ML Next issue we take at look at how the Veskanda fared on the track in the two seasons it competed, how it helped change the face of the Australian Sportscar Championship, and its one run in a round of the World Sportscar Championship.
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STORY BY BRIAN REED PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN DOIG/TORQUE PHOTOS
OLD TIMERS RELIVING PAST GLORIES In the last issue we highlighted the open wheelers and sports cars, now for the tin tops…
GROUP C TOURING CARS (1973 – ’84) This group caters exclusively for mass produced motor vehicles with a competition history established between 1 January 1973 and 31 December 1984. The ownership trail is to be substantiated by the applicant, and the competition history must relate to events run to CAMS regulations for Group C touring cars during the period. No new vehicles may be constructed – only cars that were issued with a Group C logbook are permitted, and the only modifications allowed are those that applied in the period. Cars are to be
presented in the livery of the particular year the car is to represent as selected by the applicant.
GROUP A TOURING CARS (1984 – ’92) Only mass-produced motor vehicles that raced in Australia or elsewhere between 1 January 1984 and 31 December 1992 are permitted. There must be evidence to show the cars ran with a Group A logbook issued by CAMS, FISA or other national sporting authority (ASN). A clear line of history and ownership trail is to be presented by the applicant. No new vehicles may be constructed, however (as with Group C cars), a vehicle may be upgraded wholly or partially to a later specification for that vehicle in the nominated specification year, even though it may not have competed in that specification. Period livery and
GROUP N TOURING CARS (GENERAL) This category is for production touring cars that don’t necessarily have a race history, but are presented in a form similar to the racing of the period. Limited modifications may be permitted, but must be in keeping with the CAMS specification sheets and the specific regulations that apply to the group. Vehicles that have a racing history may be presented as they raced in the period including original sponsor signage. Before embarking on the construction of any Group N touring car it is imperative the owner consults with the relevant CAMS Eligibility Officer (CAMS will provide the contact details).
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signage must be authentic and in keeping with the year the car represents.
HISTORIC CLASSES
GROUP N(A) TOURING CARS (PRE-1958) Pre-war and early post-war production touring cars similar to those that raced in the era are eligible. Modifications are not permitted that will radically alter the performance or character of the cars – for instance the cars could be driven comfortably to and from the race meetings. Most vehicles will not have a race history, but must comply with the relevant CAMS specification sheets. Competition will cater for four different engine capacity classes.
GROUP N(B) TOURING CARS (PRE-1965) This group caters for Series Production-type cars manufactured prior to 31 December 1964 (cars that were previously known as “Appendix J”) It recognises cars and/or components homologated for competition by the manufacturer, however at least 100 identical examples of a particular model must have been produced. Apart from current safety requirements, these vehicles are to represent the spirit of Appendix J racing and are not permitted to use technology, parts or equipment that wasn’t available in the period. Competition will cater for up to eight different engine capacity classes
GROUP N (C) TOURING CARS (1965 – ’72) A production touring car class catering primarily for vehicles of a year, make and model that competed between 1 January 1965 and 31 December 1972 in either the Australian Touring Car Championship, or races specifically for 3rd Category Group C Improved Production touring cars and Series Production touring cars. Eligible vehicles must conform to the contents of the specification sheets, which will be determined by the Historic Touring Car Eligibility Committee of CAMS. As the cars are to emulate touring car racing of the period, overrestoration or the use of technology, or parts not available in the period are not permitted. Seven engine capacity classes will cater for cars from up to
GROUP U (SPORTS SEDANS) This is a recently introduced category in Historic motorsport. At the time of writing the regulations governing this category have not been finalised.
1100cc to over 5100cc. It is envisaged most cars in Group N(c) will not have an established race history.
OTHER INFORMATION FOR POTENTIAL APPLICANTS Apart from groups N and S, all Historic race cars taking part in CAMS approved events require a Certificate of Description and Historic logbook. (Groups N and S require Historic logbook only). The T18 form for Certificate of Description and logbook application form can be downloaded from the CAMS website under “forms”. Otherwise contact the Historic department of CAMS and hard copies can be mailed to you.
Cost of a CAMS Historic logbook (Groups N and S) is $185. ● Cost of a CAMS Historic logbook and ● Certificate of Description for all other classes is $660. By world standards the Australian process is very thorough, so allow yourself plenty of time for your application to be considered. For further information, contact the CAMS National Office in Melbourne on (03) 9593 7777. ●
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ALFREDO COST THE ITALIAN AUSTRALIAN OPEN W For over 50 years the Australian Drivers’ Championship has been the premier national series for open-wheeler racing drivers. Each year the winner is awarded the CAMS Gold Star and many motorsport enthusiasts believe that Alfredo Costanzo is the greatest driver the series has seen in the past 30 years. 20
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STANZO N WHEELER CHAMPION
STORY BY GRANT NICHOLAS PICTURES BY AUTOPICS.COM.AU
ALFREDO COSTANZO
I
n the early ’80s after winning two championships in booming five-litre Chevrolet V8-powered Formula 5000s he moved into a diminutive 1.6-litre Ford powered Formula Pacific open-wheeler and proceeded to snare an additional two consecutive drivers’ titles against a horde of young and upcoming stars. Costanzo tells Motorsport Legends about his boyhood dream of racing cars and his journey to becoming a four-time Australian Gold Star winner.
clay. As a little child I would go to an annual southern Italy car race that was conducted on the public roads, I would look at the drivers in their colourful clothes plus the speed of the cars and it was there that I was attracted to the sport for the rest of my life. As a six or seven-year-old I decided that I would one day get my own race car, then several years later my father headed off to Australia before the rest of the family joined him in 1957 – I was 14 years-old and keen to see what type of motorsport was in my new country.
BOYHOOD DREAM IN SOUTHERN ITALY
TWO FULLTIME JOBS TO EARN MONEY FOR RACE CAR
From the first time that I can remember as a small boy in the village of Soveria Mannelli, Calabria, in southern Italy I was playing with my own racing cars, not toys, they were clay models. My father made his living from digging up the clay from under the ground and transforming it into bricks and other products for buildings, so it was only natural for me to have my own collection of racecars that I made from left-over
When I arrived in Australia we were told that I could go to work, where in Italy I went to school like other children of my age, we were under the impression that you didn’t need an education as here you can find a job easily. I thought “beautiful, I can earn some money and go and buy a race car” so I worked in some fruit shops until I got my driver’s licence with the aim of getting my first race car that would allow
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Left: Costanzo in his McLaren M4A at Sandown during the Tasman Series in 1969. Below: Costanzo raced a Tiga FA81 in the Calder Park AGP in 1981. Bottom: In the 1968 Tasman Series, Costanzo campaigned an Elfin MKII Ford, pictured at Warwick Farm.
“No one from my background knew anything about motorsport – my family was totally against my racing.”
me to go around corners faster and faster and faster than the other racing drivers. Maybe I was impatient or suffering stupidity, I don’t know, but I didn’t want it to be my hobby. I wanted to be a professional race driver that would eventually go on to win the World Championship, instead I won four Australian titles. At one stage I was delivering bread in suburban Melbourne each morning then in the afternoons I was working fulltime in a woollen knitting mill and on the weekends collecting the tickets from the patrons at a movie theatre. I also did stints delivering furniture and working in a small business. I was young and making a lot of money at that time, it is only when you get older you get tired and think I could have been smarter at spending the money intelligently as I was not mechanically minded. In the ’60s not many people knew how to modify cars plus I was a shy character and was very conscious of the way I spoke because of my Italian heritage. Some people could not
understand the way I spoke and that made me feel bad and I had trouble talking to engineering people about what things I wanted, altered or fitted to the race car. Simple things like explaining about a sprocket or gear, I would say “the thing that goes around or spins,” so it was a little difficult for me to achieve quickly. No one from my background knew anything about motorsport – my family was totally against my racing as we had nowhere for housing a race car and we had no money. BUYING AN OLD WORK HORSE
I entered my FIAT 1100 in several nearby hill climbs without any success then I joined Jon Leighton’s Birchwood Driving School that was run at Calder Park International Raceway on the original one-mile (1.6-kilometre) circuit. Immediately I became the quickest pupil that they had in a variety of cars. Eventually when they gave me full freedom behind the wheel ❯ of the race car with about 20 to 30 other trainees there,
they would go to the various corners and watch me take them faster and faster each lap – I was 1.5 seconds quicker than any of them. A Lotus 20 open-wheeler became available and I purchased it from Neville McKay, an Australian pilot based in Hong Kong and flying for Cathay Pacific, before my 21st birthday. It was a bit tired and when I took it to scrutineering they would give me some grief at times because when the rear universal joints got some wear in them the drive shafts would have excessive movement in the both of the uprights – however I managed to repair them and keep racing against a lot more advanced equipment like the new Lotus 22. My older car had a four-speed gearbox where the 22 came with a five-speeder and it was a lot more competitive than mine plus I was always behind with my budget and sometimes I messed things up by working on the car myself. AT LAST A COMPETITIVE CAR
I ran the Lotus 20 for four or five years before buying Ian
Cook’s Elfin Mono MkIIB in the later part of 1967, where I went out and won the Victorian Formula Two Championship at my first race meeting in the car. I won the Joseph Lucas/ Lex Davison Formula Two Championship the next year and managed to gather a small amount of sponsorship and several circuits provided me with some appearance money – not much, just a few hundred dollars, but it all helped. After that car I raced Tony Osborne’s ARGO Racing McLaren M4A Cosworth FVA in a number of Gold Star races. I think that if I had been a little bit more mature at the time that drive could have led me into bigger things. I crashed the car at Sydney’s Warwick Farm circuit and the next thing I had lost the drive – I was fast but a little erratic. David McKay nearly gave me a drive with his successful Scuderia Veloce team and Bob Jane considered me for his flourishing Shell Racing Team. In 1970 I went back to Italy for an extended stay and was away the best part of a year from Australia. Looking back I could have done a lot better through my racing career financially, but at the time I didn’t
Right: Costanzo leads the field in a Lola T430 at Oran Park during the Tasman Series in 1979. Below: On the starting grid at Oran Park in 1977 in a Lola T332 Chev. Bottom: Costanzo at Surfers Paradise in a Lola T332 in 1978.
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ALFREDO COSTANZO
know anything about marketing. I would have been a good product to sell, a young Italian Australian racing driver that was extremely quick on the track and when I was in good equipment I won races easily.
missed winning the 1975 F2 championship but took out the Gloweave Series. THE MOVE INTO THE F5000 FIELD
At that time KLM Airlines had posted a prize of a trip to Europe for two people and I was fortunate enough to have In 1971 I had two young children and my interest in motor won that so Marino and I flew to England and purchased racing returned so I bought John Ampt’s Elfin Mono MkIID, the Lola T332 successfully campaigned by Bob Evans. Along the same time as Formula 5000s were starting to head our with the T332 came sponsorship from Stock Brandy plus we premier category. I had a service station and I could repair were very competitive and the prize money was pretty good cars, doing my own mechanicals and welding. Things were in 1976 and ’77 – we didn’t make any money and we didn’t progressing nicely. Next I formed a partnership with my lose any either as we did all the work on the car ourselves. brother-in-law Marino Guffetelli; we built a new workshop We had the car for three years and as things progressed, and showroom building and our business was named the sport became a lot more expensive and you needed more Autosprint Motors. We had an agreement that we would run and more money to be competitive and interest started to a racing car with Marino looking after the preparation of the go down the drain from my part. We really needed a major car with me as the driver. injection of cash plus a new car every two years if we were We purchased the ex-Leo Geoghan Birrana 274 Formula going to win races and championships, we just didn’t have ❯ Two car and I won a number of races in that car and just that kind of funding and our interest was dropping so I A NEW PARTNERSHIP AND AUTOSPRINT MOTORS
“We really needed a major injection of cash plus a new car every two years if we were going to win championships... ”
ALFREDO COSTANZO
Alfie co-drove in the endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst with Allan Grice in a Torana A9X in 1979 (below) and with John Bowe in a Volvo 240 in 1986 (above).
suggested we sell the car and get out of the racing scene. JOINS ALAN HAMILTON’S PREMIER TEAM
At the same time, Alan Hamilton had a huge accident in the 1978 Australian Grand Prix at Sandown Park and wrote off his Lola T430. At the beginning of ’79 Stock Brandy needed a car to sponsor and they contacted me to discuss terms for that year and I advised them that we weren’t running a car and they should consider supporting someone else. Their response was that they were only interested in running with me and they would not be involved in the sport if I chose not to race. I was talking to Alan’s chief mechanic and he asked me what I was doing for the Rothmans Series, which was run over the summer months. I explained that we didn’t have a car, and he suggested that I contact Alan about racing his spare Lola T430 that was sitting ready to race in their raceshop. I spoke 26
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to Alan and explained that my sponsor had some money for the Rothmans Series that I was happy to pass on to him, providing that I drove the car and if we win any prize money we go halves each. He said “give me an hour to think about what you have proposed” and five minutes later he rings back and says “Alfie you have a deal”. And so began a partnership that saw the pair go on to win four Australian Drivers’ championships plus numerous ML other events.
In the next edition of Motorsport Legends Alfredo takes us through the last of the Formula 5000 years and his move into the Formula Pacific category, matching it with the current Formula One guns at the Calder Park Australian Grand Prix races and his touring car exploits.
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The action in the Gemini Series was fast and furious...
STORY BY BRIAN REED PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED BY BRIAN REED
FORMULA GEMINI Where drivers (and panel beaters) honed their skills
I
n an endeavour to spice up its 1976 program and attract new drivers on limited budgets into the sport, Calder Park International Raceway introduced a series for Holden Geminis, the 1975 Wheels ‘Car of the Year.’ To be known as ‘Formula Gemini’, the series ran over five rounds between March 14 and December 5, each round comprised a five-lap heat and eight-lap final, and catered for both two-door and four-door 1600cc models. The rest of the rules were simple – cars had to be fitted with a laminated windscreen, full safety harness, roll bar and fire extinguisher and run on standard pump petrol. The exhaust system could be modified from the point where the exhaust pipe joined the manifold, and Kleber radial tyres were mandatory, Kleber being one of the main sponsors. In an attempt to keep everyone on the straight and narrow, place getters in the final were examined for legality, and General Motors-Holden supplied CAMS with a set of standard parts for comparison. While it sounds simple and straightforward, things didn’t quite work out that way! There was nothing new about a onemake series, but what set the Gemini 28
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series aside was the amount of prize money – more than $20,000 was up for grabs over the five-meeting series, and by comparison with more expensive and professional levels of the sport, this was unheard of at the time. As well as generous amounts for placegetters in the heats, the winner of the eight-lap final took home $1000, and the prize money paid down to $100 for 10th place, whereas the 34 Formula Fords in the Driver to Europe series contested 15 laps with first place attracting just $140. Using his best vernacular, the 1971 Gold Star champion Max Stewart had a few colourful, well-chosen words to say about the inequity of the prize money compared with what he raced for over 30 laps contesting a round of the Australian Drivers’ Championship at the same venue. Even he was tempted by the lure of the dollar, and made a rather inglorious appearance in the series during which his Gemini seriously shortened Robyn Hamilton’s car in a major coming-together. Various Holden dealers were attracted to the series, seeing it as a relatively inexpensive way of gaining publicity (provided they had a good panel shop on standby Monday mornings!). Many top drivers were signed for Formula
Gemini including Peter Brock, John Harvey, Brian Sampson, Graeme Blanchard, Tom Roddy, Peter Janson, Alan Gough, Tony Niovanni and John Pollard. Bob Jane entered a car under his T-Mart banner, and other leading lights such as Bob Morris, Colin Bond and Max Stewart also made occasional appearances. An interesting entry was the Bendigo Motor Company Gemini, which had been donated to the State College of Victoria in Bendigo for driver education purposes. It had a busy life. On Wednesday afternoons it was used by teacher trainees to improve their driving skills, on Saturdays and Sundays during the series it would be raced at Calder, and it had a permanent booking at the Fletcher and Jones panel shop on Monday mornings to be beaten back into shape. A cheer squad of college students was on hand to barrack for car No. 18. Apart from plenty of ‘biffo’, Aussie ingenuity came to the fore, and in his regular motor sport newspaper column, Peter Janson described some of the ‘tricks’ that were used. These included loosening wheel bearings until they were just touching, running very light grade oil instead of bearing grease, and using
GEMINI SERIES
automatic transmission fluid in the gearbox and back axle mixed with a little ‘moly’ – enough to see the car survive the length of the race. But ‘the Captain’ had another trick up his sleeve. On one memorable occasion when all the cars were waiting for the start, Janson suddenly took off when the grid was clear of officials but well before the starter reached for the flag. He was already half way along Calder’s back straight when the rest of the field was dispatched! Janson was shown the black and white poor sportsmanship flag, then the black flag, which required him to stop, although according to another newspaper report “the group performing the official functions were nearly helpless with laughter”. The offender was held for half a minute but was flagged away again still ahead of the field and went on to receive the chequered flag. Not even the silver tongued Janson could escape the wrath of the stewards after the race. However, he had achieved
... and more often than not things got a little too wild.
his aim. Soon after the launch of the series, our man Mark Fogarty wrote a piece for The Australian (March 18, 1976) in which he described the “bash and crash” tactics employed by some of Australia’s leading drivers, and that “officials were shocked by the high incidence of ‘shunting’ in the hectic opening round of the new series”. Drivers were threatened with heavy penalties and possible exclusion, and a Calder spokesman described their antics as “juvenile” and “dangerous”. CAMS stepped in and warned shunting would not be tolerated. As well, it impounded the camshafts from three of the leading cars for “routine
checking”. In spite of the threats, the on-track behaviour didn’t improve for the October round, where the post-race scrutineering area was described as “looking like a battlefield.” The 1976 Bathurst 1000 winner Bob Morris protested to race stewards after he was thumped off the track and retired his car from last place and John Harvey won in a very bent car. A CAMS inquiry into the conduct of drivers was held in November and a letter to competitors stated “it is essential that the bad driving, witnessed during the October round, is not repeated”. A plea requested “full co-operation by displaying true sportsmanship at the December 5 meeting”. Not much changed, and in spite of threats from CAMS, no-one was excluded. The AC/Kleber Formula Gemini Series was eventually won by John Harvey from John Pollard. The regulations for 1977 were slightly altered to allow freedom of ride height, but springs had to be supplied by the manufacturer, modified only to the extent needed to adjust ride height. Sway or anti-roll bars could be fitted provided they served no other purpose, oils and lubricants were free, and fuel used could be either standard or super. Once again, the series was conducted over five meetings starting on March 20, and points were allocated from 10 for first back to one for 10th in every final. And once again, Peter Janson was in the news. One of his sponsors was NGK spark plugs, but competing cars were required to carry AC spark plug advertising, a sponsor of the series. The wily Captain steered his way around this by changing his name in the program to ‘NGK Janson’. A highlight of the May 22 meeting was the clash between John Harvey and Robyn Hamilton who, under tutorage from Frank Gardner, had emerged as a real threat to the men. Harvey won the first heat with Hamilton glued to his Gemini’s bumper, and in the final the
pair twice swapped places with Harvey just getting home from the SCV Bendigo music lecturer. Embarrassed officials then discovered they had let the race run an extra lap, and Hamilton was duly awarded the points by the stewards. The ongoing carnage was taking its toll on grid numbers to a point where there were fewer starters than the available prize money, an unheard of situation in motor sport. Lap times also took a tumble, and the Bendigo Motor Company/State College of Victoria, Bendigo driver training car setting a new lap record of 58.2s at the August meeting. This was promptly lowered by John Harvey to 57.9s at the October 16 meeting and then to 57.7s by Robyn Hamilton in December. Major changes were introduced for the 1978 season, and after discussions with the sponsors it was decided the cars were to comply with CAMS Group C regulations. This would enable competitors to race in other events apart from the Gemini series, and hopefully attract new competitors as dwindling numbers were of concern. Radial ply tyres remained mandatory, and prize money and points allocation were retained as in 1976 and ’77. The final at each meeting was increased to 10 laps, and the series winner was to receive a trophy and a trip for two to Surfers Paradise. Driver behaviour continued to ‘bug’ the organisers, and rated a special mention in the 1978 Formula Gemini regulations, with another threat of expulsion from the series. Now running as Group C cars, the lap record was lowered by a hard charging Alan Gough (55.9s), a time that was lowered even further by the fearless Robyn Hamilton. She now held both Formula Gemini records with 54.9s (Group C) and the previous ‘standard’ record of 57.7s By now, most of the ‘big name’ drivers (apart from John Harvey) had given up on the series, yet there were few new names to make a viable grid. After the early carnage in 1976 a Calder spokesman had said: “We don’t want the privateers to be terrorised by some of the professionals”. Sadly, it seems, the damage had been done, the interest was gone and the Formula Gemini Series petered out after three bumper years. ML MotorSportLegends
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The Robin Pare Ford Anglia leads the Mini of Tony Watts.
The Ford Escort of Steve Rayner.
The Graeme Ritter and Brian Reed Chrysler Charger.
The Rob Coulson Torana XU-1.
BIANTE, POWER FROM THE PAST STORY BY BRIAN REED PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHERYL REID
A celebration of Australia’s iconic tin-tops
M
ost mainland states have a healthy range of race meetings to cater for Historic buffs, with the Phillip Island Classic in Victoria, the Tasman Revival in NSW and the popular Easter gathering at Mallala and Collingrove in SA to name just a few. Now, Tasmania has joined in the fun with its Power From the Past meeting at Symmons Plains. The inaugural meeting last year was a ‘toe-in-thewater’ event to gauge the level of 30
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interest and get the show on the road to celebrate Australia’s rich touring car racing heritage. With enthusiastic public support and a dedicated team of organisers, Power From the Past has really taken off, and the two-day meeting on April 12-13 gathered together an impressive line-up of Bathurst veterans – (or ‘legends’ as they were known for the weekend). According to racing enthusiast and event organiser Ian Cowie, the meeting was “the single biggest gathering of so many important Australian motor racing personalities in Tasmania since the ‘70s.” The foundations have now
been laid for the Power From the Past to become Tasmania’s premier Historic motorsport event capable of rivailing the best the mainland is able to offer. Biante Model Cars came on board as the main sponsor this year and was enthusiastically supported by Events Tasmania, the Group C Touring Car Association and other key clubs and organisations. Spearheading the lineup of legends was event patron Kevin Bartlett, who teamed with John Goss to win the 1974 Hardie Ferodo Bathurst 1000 in a Ford Falcon GT. Dual winner John Goss was also in fine form and gave
POWER FROM THE PAST
‘Humpy’ Holdens were out in force.
Murray Carter in the original XY Falcon GTHO.
The Tony Watts Mini.
“Long-time Bathurst identities Murray Carter and Bob Holden... were also special guests.”
Brian ‘Brique’ Reed chats with Murray Carter.
the public a taste of what his Falcon GT looked and sounded like. Another outright winner was Fred Gibson who co-drove with Harry Firth to win the Gallaher 500 in 1967. His wife Christine, who also contested several Bathursts, was another of the legends, and 1983 winner John Harvey was also on hand. Long-time Bathurst identities Murray Carter and Bob Holden, who between them chalked up a staggering 54 appearances in the Great Race, were also special guests, along with Phillip Brock, 1974 class winner ‘Brique’ Reed, Barry Cassidy, and local Tasmanian identities Tony Parkinson, Garth Wigston, and father and son racers Graham and David ‘Skippy’ Parsons. The local MG Car Club provided cars for a parade of the legends, there was a pit walk for the public to see the cars up close and meet the drivers, there were autograph sessions, photo sessions, and opportunities for the public to enjoy the nostalgia of seeing many of legends take to the track again.
Mick Arnold in the Sharp Holden
But the 2008 Biante Power From the Past was not just about the legends. There were also designated races for Group C, Improved Production and other Historic touring car categories, regularity events, off-track car displays and family entertainment to keep the fans entertained. And proud owners of Holdens, Fords and Chryslers had opportunities to take part in parade laps for the ‘red’, ‘blue’ and ‘white’ cars respectively.
‘Humpy’ Holdens were out in force, and one very interesting local car competing was the Morris Minor raced 50 years ago by Jacques Sapir. A racing Morris Minor, you may ask. Don’t laugh – racing legend Kevin Bartlett began his illustrious career behind the wheel of his mother’s Morris Minor convertible But don’t tell her (she probably thought Warwick Farm was where KB ML went to milk the cows).
Kevin Bartlett spearheaded the line-up.
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STORY BY BRIAR GUNTHER PICTURES BY AUTOPICS.COM.AU AND JOHN DOIG/TORQUE PHOTOS
THE NO NONSENSE Six-time Bathurst Champion Larry Perkins talks to MotorSport Legends about the highs and lows – not that he had many lows – of his 26-year career at the Mountain.
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LARRY PERKINS
BATHURST MASTER
LARRY PERKINS
L
arry Perkins is the first to admit he has had a charmed run at Mount Panorama. When asked to describe his favourite of six wins he has enjoyed at Bathurst, his jovial reply was: “what a luxury in life when someone can ask you to pick out your best Bathurst win”. “I think of how kind the racing world has been to me to have that luxury,” he said. Perkins is not over-exaggerating about how tough it is to win at Mount Panorama. It can wield against certain drivers no matter how hard they try to win even one Great Race. But Perkins has had the Midas touch at the Mountain since he debuted there in 1977 with Peter Janson in an A9X Torana. In his first year at Bathurst he placed third on the podium, although he is quite humble about the role he played to get there. “It was Peter Janson’s car and I had a distinct role and that was just to be a driver, although I was actively involved in the preparation and overlooking certain parts of that preparation,” he said. “To sit on the grid was still pretty special but not as special (as what was) to come in later years.” Perkins said the first three of his wins, partnering Peter Brock in the Holden Dealer Team (with John Harvey as the third driver in 1983), were different to the three he won with his own team. He said those years with the Holden Dealer Team (HDT) from 1982 to 1984 were not the hardest of years to win Bathurst. “It was the biggest team; we were expected to win,” he said. “In those days I considered Peter was the driver and I was just the back-up driver, so while they’re not three wins I can even remotely dismiss, they were totally different.” Perkins was also employed at the HDT workshop during that time. “That was a more important role I felt, based on the lack of (driver) competition,” he said.
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“It was a different era of competition. “To make a car survive 1000 kilometres – that was the task. “To actually drive it; well that was no big deal. “I had some good guys in the Holden Dealer Team and winning was a team effort.” Perkins founded his own race team, Perkins Engineering, in 1985 and the team debuted in the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship with him driving. His team also became a regular supplier of customer equipment for other teams and drivers as Perkins Engineering developed. In 1993, the team became known as Castrol Perkins Racing and won its first Bathurst. Perkins was paired with the late Gregg Hansford and their VP Commodore battled with the lead Holden Racing
“In the whole of my 26 years in Bathurst I didn’t feel in any situation where I wanted to kill the co-driver.” Team Commodore from the start of the weekend to the end of the Great Race. Perkins put the Castrol car on pole with a 2min10.013s lap, while the Mark Skaife/Jim Richards Gibson Motor Sport (GMS) car started from grid position two. While the GMS car was leading at stages during the race, Perkins ended up crossing the finish line more than 10 seconds in front of Richards. “The first (Bathurst win) of 1993 in my own right was hugely gratifying for me and my team,” Perkins said. “You go to the next one (Bathurst win) where we lost a tyre valve on lap one and went to the back of the field to pull a win out and you think ‘that wasn’t bad, either’,” Perkins said, referring to his 1995 win with Russell Ingall. Perkins started from third on the
grid that year, but during a clash with Holden Racing Team’s Craig Lowndes into the first turn lost a tyre valve. Even though they fell off the lead lap at one stage during the race, they managed to claw their way through the field in the dying moments of the race. Perkins had got into second place but was well behind Glenn Seton. After a valve spring went in Seton’s Falcon, Perkins took the lead, celebrating the second Bathurst win for his own team. Perkins said his third win with his team in 1997 was a case of “we can easily win this race”. “And that’s exactly what happened,” he said. Perkins said driving for his own team carried a lot more responsibility than turning up to race for another team. ❯
Perkins made his Bathurst debut with Peter Janson in 1977.
Brock and Perkins pre-race in 1984.
Perkins and Peter Brock took over the #25 car from Phil Brock and John Harvey after their own expired and then went on to win the race in 1983.
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LARRY PERKINS
Perkins said he counts the 2001 Bathurst where he crashed the car in pit lane while leading the race as the one that got away. “You take that one to your grave as the one that was lost,” he said. “But motor racing is all or nothing. “For sure, there’s incremental downsides where you may lose a race, but in the big scheme of things you have to push on with your chosen profession and in my case you get on with the car racing business.” And when it comes to his most memorable moment at Bathurst, Perkins does not hesitate to consider one particular incident that sticks in his mind. “Sometimes as a driver you earn your money,” he said. “And the time I earned my money was during the 1997 Bathurst. Wayne Gardner, at about lap 86, if I remember rightly, was about three seconds ahead
Perkins and Russell Ingall (below) had to fight back from a lap down to win Bathurst in 1995.
“When you’re the owner, looking after the finances, (and) the lead driver; it was different to the HDT,” he said. Perkins, who has also driven with many codrivers, including the likes of John Harvey, Denny Hulme, Tomas Mezera, Steve Harrington, Steve Richards and Tom Walkinshaw at Bathurst, said he did not have a favourite co-driver. “I have to say to try to single out any will be disrespectful to the ones I don’t single out,” he said. “In the whole of my 26 years in Bathurst I didn’t feel in any situation where I wanted to kill the co-driver. “We always got on well and made up for each other’s shortcomings.” And while Perkins enjoyed many successful years at Bathurst, the gods of motorsport didn’t always bless him.
“And in my rear-view mirror I saw the guys behind me all getting involved in a massive crash.” of me. “He was leading; I was second.” Perkins described the moment as he came off Skyline, went through the Dipper and was approaching Forest’s Elbow. “I hadn’t turned into the right hander into Forest’s Elbow and I suddenly saw a whiff of smoke,” he said. “I saw the flag marshall go to grab a flag and I buttoned off. “I found that Wayne Gardner had blown up his engine and covered the track with oil.” Perkins said while he was the first driver to encounter the oil, he managed to slip through and avoid any carnage. “And in my rear-view mirror I saw the guys behind me all getting involved in a massive crash,” he said. “I was the first guy in the oil and by
the stage (the other drivers) got there, there would have been a yellow flag. “I thought ‘hang on, that’s what a driver’s supposed to do; do it properly’.” Perkins admits he wasn’t as gung-ho about his team winning an Australian Touring Car Championship as he made out. “I contested the Australian Championship from ’86 onwards and I made lots of comments along the way saying we were only interested in winning Bathurst,” he said. “I used to play that up but in reality I wanted to win the other races. “But the way my team and I approached the Championship compared to Bathurst suggested we were more serious about Bathurst.” Perkins said his cars were run throughout the year with Bathurst setups. “That was to ensure we had the right set-up for Bathurst, but we still used to try to win the other races,” he said. Perkins always did a lap of the track in his road car when he arrived at Bathurst. “I looked forward to doing that lap every year I turned up,” he said. “They then put a marshall up there to stop you from doing a lap. “But I learnt to recognise where and when the good officials were and they said ‘no worries, do a lap’.” Perkins did not race full time in 2003, instead opting to co-drive in the endurance races. He said it was at the 2003 Bathurst when he decided to quit racing entirely to focus on the team, saying the move was “a very easy thing to do”. “You can only be a driver if you are willing to commit 100 per cent to that role,” he said. “It wasn’t until that last race I did when I was arguing with a steward (over the radio) whilst I was in the car driving in practice that I realised that. “They were trying to black flag me because I wouldn’t sign a declaration indemnifying CAMS and V8 Supercars from negligence.” Perkins said while the stewards were trying to black-flag him, the team manager was telling him to pit. “I totally lost control and stuck it in ❯
LARRY PERKINS
Perkins drove a Ford Mustang at Bathurst in 1985 with Dick Johnson.
at the Cutting,” he said. The mistake meant his co-driver, Steven Richards, could not contest the top 10 shootout because the car was damaged and it was then that Perkins decided that his racing days were over. “It was a total driver failure and I thought to myself ‘this is not good’,” Perkins frankly admits. Since retiring from driving, Perkins has thrown himself into the role of team owner, and sitting on the V8 Supercars Australia board advocating for fellow team owners. He has certainly made his mark on the sport with his straight-shooting style and strong opinions. “I felt my strength was my ability to engineer a machine with whatever money I had. “I have a point of view on how we should go racing and I used that unceasingly to get a lot better conditions for us team owners instead of things benefiting some official who has no skins in the game. “I have had tremendous, fantastic support over the years and I thank my fans for it because they are the ones that are paying the bills.” Speaking of bills, Perkins said he prides himself on paying his on time and believes he achieved about as much as he could in his motorsport career – well, except for a Championship. “Here I am, 58 years old and I’m proud of the fact I have got 35 to 40 38
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guys on staff who are excellent guys,” he said. Perkins believes his career has been a bit mind-boggling, given that he can recall his earliest memories of Bathurst, which didn’t involve him driving a car. “The tradition of Bathurst and the public support at Bathurst goes back many decades,” he said. “I don’t have any trouble remembering the ’60s when I started watching it on TV and going to Bathurst as a youngster, in those days dreaming that I wanted to do it but never believing that ML I could actually do it…”
Perkins took his first Bathurst win in 1982 with Peter Brock in the HDT Commodore.
“I don’t have any trouble remembering the ’60s when I started watching Bathurst on TV.”
Perkins (left) won Brock three times with the great Peter Brock.
Perkins claimed his first win as a team owner in 1993 with the late Gregg Hansford.
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The start of the Great Race in 1966.
STORY BY CRAIG WATSON PHOTOGRAPHS BY WWW.AUTOPICS.COM.AU & BMC AUSTRALIA ARCHIVES
THE GIANT KILLERS Bathurst may be the domain of the V8s these days, but it wasn’t always that way. In 1966 Minis ruled The Mountain as Bob Holden and Rauno Aaltonen claimed victory in The Great Race. Following is the story of how the little Minis took on Mount Panorama and won.
Cray and Holland were first in Class B.
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967 may have signalled the beginning of V8 dominance of Bathurst, but the previous year saw a triumph from a car at the opposite end of the motorsport spectrum. Prior to 1965, Bathurst was all about class results with no award, other than first in class, given for the first car over the line. This didn’t really make sense, particularly that once that first car received the chequered flag, the race was effectively over – even if the winner of the next class was many laps behind. Not surprisingly, 1965 saw the first time that outright places would be recognised, and two manufacturers
pulled out all stops to win that historic prize. Under the guidance of “The Fox” Harry Firth, Ford put their hopes on the GT500 Cortina – a very limited run of hand-built cars with victory at Mt Panorama their sole purpose, and at best regarded by many as a “creative interpretation” of the rules. BMC, on the other hand, put their hopes in the newly released Morris Cooper S, driven by local Mini aces Brian Foley/Peter Manton, and imported European works drivers Timo Makinen/Paddy Hopkirk. While the sporting Minis were standard production cars, as the rules dictated, they did benefit from a second fuel tank as standard, and the availability of
Arentz and Seton also finished inside the top 10.
BATHURST MINIS
homologated Dunlop racing rubber for the diminutive 10” wheels. The Cooper S may have only had a 1275cc engine, giving 78bhp, but at only 1463lb (670kg) it was a very lively performer, and could match the GT500 in acceleration and top speed, while being streets ahead in the handling department. There’s a whole other story in the 1965 race, but suffice to say that Ford was successful. However, BMC came very close. Foley/Manton finished one lap down in third place, and Minis took the first six places in their class. The final analysis showed that the Minis had really only been beaten by the size of their fuel tanks – combined still only holding 11 gallons (50lt), compared with the GT500’s 17 gallons (77lt). For 1966, the organisers increased the required number of cars to be built, in order to qualify for Bathurst, from 100 to 250. Ford had lost a reported £200 per car for the GT500, and weren’t prepared to go through the exercise again for so many cars. Besides, they already had even bigger plans for 1967. As a result, there was no Ford factory entry in the 1966 race, and everybody knew that the Cooper S was almost a foregone conclusion for outright honours. Of the 53 cars entered in the race, 24 were Minis. In Class C alone,
the Cooper S version accounted for 17 of the 19 starters. The only real threat would come from the two V8 Valiants and the lone Holden X2 (a twin-carb version of the HR Family sedan) all in Class D. Piloting the Cooper Ss was a veritable who’s who of Australian racing of the day, and many names that would become more closely associated with Bathurst in years to come. These included Frank Matich, Bruce McPhee, 1965 winner Barry Seton, Fred Gibson (who would go on to win the following year), John Leffler, Doug Chivas, and others. However, the most notable Mini convert was Harry Firth. “Ford decided they weren’t going to run…and other people made some offers which didn’t please me,” Harry explained recently. “Then the chap with the Mini, Adrian
“...the organisers increased the required number of cars to be built, in order to qualify for Bathurst, from 100 to 250.”
French and Harvey on their way to eighth outright.
Holden and Aaltonen on their way to victory.
Firth and Abbott claimed sixth.
The Mini attrition rate was high.
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The crashed Haylen and Smith Mini Cooper S.
Ern Abbott leads a group of Minis.
Bryan, said, ‘I’d like you to drive a Mini for me’. I said, ‘yeah, alright Adrian, I’ll do that’.” After testing the car, Harry went to the US for a few weeks, leaving a list of things to be done to the car. “When I got back, nothing had been done. And that was only three weeks before the race. But the Mini was pretty good, and I had another chap driving with me, Ern Abbott, who was a known Mini pedaller, and he was alright.” BMC entered three cars, with imported drivers Paddy Hopkirk and Rauno Aaltonen partnering local drivers – Brian Foley and Bob Holden – respectively. Timo Makinen was also meant to come out for the race, but was unable to due to rally commitments in Europe, so the third factory Cooper S was driven by John French and Steve Harvey. 42
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Bob Holden recently recalled his pleasure in being teamed with 1965 European Rally Champion, Aaltonen. “Rauno was Rauno; he was special. He was a feeling driver. He could carry a car. He was unbelievable.” Rauno was equally pleased with Bob as his driving partner, as he related recently. “He paid attention to the smallest detail, both in technical as well as in tactical matters. Bob’s recipe was smoothness, soft lines and beautiful treatment of the car, brakes, gearbox and the clutch. I could not agree more, as my philosophy was that smoothness brings speed.” Practice times were finally being used to set the grid positions – but only
The BMC team arrives at Bathurst.
within each class, with the race still starting in class order. This meant that Class D, the bigger, more expensive and therefore thought to be the fastest, cars at the front. The fastest Mini was back in about eighth place on the grid, but the theory of the bigger cars being the fastest would evaporate as soon as the flag fell. By the end of the first lap the polesitting Weldon/Slattery Studebaker was fifth, behind the Nougher/O’Keefe Valiant and three Minis – Aaltonen, Charlie Smith and Peter Brown. After two laps the top-10 order was Aaltonen, Smith, Brown, Ron Hodgson, Foley, Matich (all in Minis), Nougher (Valiant), then the Minis of French, Ken
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Larry Perkins on his Bathurst feats and failures
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BATHURST MINIS
Stacey and Paul Mander. After six laps, Minis held the first 16 places outright. As one commentator said; “At this stage, anything that’s not a Mini is news!” On lap seven, the BMC team suffered its first problem, when John French collided with a Valiant at Murray’s Corner, dropping from 10th to 20th place. While the Minis seemed to suffer numerous problems throughout the race, remember there were a lot of them to begin with. The Hopkirk/Foley Mini was out on lap 26 with centre-main-bearing failure. Frank Hann crashed out on lap 13, Hodgson did the same three laps later, and the Minis of Stacey, Smith and Matich suffered the same fate. Frank Matich was probably unluckiest of the lot. After spending 12 minutes in the pits having a broken gearstick fixed, and three laps behind the leading Mini of Holden/Aaltonen, Matich set the
fastest lap of the race – 3m 10s – while on a charge to catch the leaders. Then on lap 127 it all came unstuck, as he lost a wheel coming out of The Dipper, and slammed into a tree – thankfully without serious injury. Meanwhile the number 13 car, pedalled equally quickly by Holden and Aaltonen, continued to build its lead, retaining it through the final driver change. Harry Firth had been pacing himself and got his Cooper S up to third spot, before handing over to Ern Abbott. Only 12 laps from the end, Abbott began to slow noticeably, after the brakes on the back of the Cooper S had failed. With no chance of pitting for repairs at such a late stage, he had to struggle on, while dropping back through the field to finish in sixth spot. At the end of the day, only nine of the Cooper S finished the race, but
Bob and Rauno on the winner’s rostrum.
they took the first nine places outright. That’s a record that still stands (the A9X Torana came closest, taking the first eight places in 1979) and with today’s emphasis on parity, it is never likely to be broken. But class results were still important. In Class B there were four of the 998cc Coopers, out of 15 cars, and they dominated the class, taking the first three places. Peter Cray/Don Holland were exceptional, finishing first in class and 12th outright. Ford returned with a vengeance in 1967, outgunning everyone with the all-new XR Falcon GT. However, the Cooper S still held its own, with Bob Holden again leading the pack – this time with UK driver Tony Fall. Although out-muscled for outright honours, the BMC “pocket rockets” took the first seven places in Class C. From 1963 to 1976 (there were no Minis in 1972) 126 Minis competed in the Bathurst 500/1000 races, against 638 other cars, over 12,000 laps or around 74,000km. In those 13 years, Minis took 11 class wins – another record. It’s not surprising that Mini owners ML feel they have nothing to prove.
1966 BATHURST First nine place getters. Pos Drivers
Entrant
Car Number
Laps
1
Rauno Aaltonen/Bob Holden
BMC Australia
13
130
2
Bill Stanley/Fred Gibson
Vaughan & Lane BMC
17
129
3
Bruce McPhee/Barry Mulholland
Regal Motors
22
128
4
Paul Mander/Arthur Davis
Marque Motors
27
128
5
Peter Brown/Bob Cook
Baulkham Hills Svce Stn
10
128
6
Harry Firth/Ern Abbott
Dents Motors
9
128
7
Bill Jamieson/John Leffler
W. Jamieson
24
127
8
John French/Steve Harvey
BMC Australia
23
127
9
Barry Arentz/Barry Seton
B. Arentz
16
125
Fastest lap of race: Frank Matich – 3m 10s, average speed 72.66mph (116.94km/h)
French leads Foley early in the race.
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Jim Richards (above and right) has always been one of Bazza's (left) favourites.
STORY BY BARRY OLIVER PICTURES BY JOHN DOIG/TORQUE PHOTOS
TALENTED, DARING OR JUST ALL-ROUND NICE GUYS… Renowned track commentator Barry Oliver picks the favorite 10 drivers he has met in his professional career and tells us why they make the list.
T
he task seemed pretty innocuous at first glance. Write a story on who were your 10 favourite Australian drivers since you started course commentary in 1980. Yeah right. To be honest it caused me more stress than how I was going to pay my next fuel bill and I found it extremely difficult, as there were many who could have been included. The following is in no particular order and is based on the impact they had on me for a whole range of reasons.
JIM RICHARDS
The inclusion of Jim Richards should come as no surprise although some may suggest that it’s personal bias due to our association over the last 15 years. 46
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Wrong! Jim was always one of my favourites long before I started as series course commentator in 1992 and our first event together in Targa Tasmania the following year. Since then it’s been an amazing journey contesting 40 Tarmac rallies, over 1000 special stages, thousands of competitive kilometres and working together to run over 100 corporate and sponsor drive days. Even after all that I still marvel at his ability to drive so quickly yet safely over roads that provide huge challenges and at the same time be incredibly smooth and controlled. As my son said to me one year after we won Targa Tasmania: “Congratulations old man but you and Jim are as boring as bat s—t.” Over the years we have at times
encountered extremely wet conditions and I can certainly attest to Jim’s legendary wet weather skills. It’s an association that has not only reinforced my admiration and respect for what he has achieved but also for the way it has been achieved. I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to be part of this journey and the friendship we share is something I will always treasure. CRAIG LOWNDES
My first recollections of Craig Lowndes were during his Formula Ford championship year in 1993 and even in those early days two things were blatantly obvious. Even then he had awesome talent that was to manifest itself in future years and an ability to cop it on the chin when
BARRY OLIVER'S TOP 10
Two of Bazza's heroes, Craig Lowndes (above and below right) and Glenn Seton, drove together at Bathurst in '03 and '04.
Fellow Tasmanian Marcos Ambrose is on Bazza's list.
things went wrong. Fifteen years down the track nothing has changed. He never appears to be fazed by pressure and his capacity to maintain composure was never more evident than after the fateful incident with Rick Kelly at Phillip Island in 2006, which destroyed his championship hopes. There were no public histrionics although inside he would have been hurting and maybe privately felt like kicking the door down. Behind that smiling face Lowndes is a racer who can drive around a less than perfect car and still achieve unexpected results and his relaxed driving style is no doubt one of the reasons he is so quick in the wet. It’s a measure of his persona and popularity that when he moved to the Ford camp, Holden fans still sought his
Ambrose it was an opportunity to be taken irrespective of the risk. His overseas experience taught him to understand how to disseminate data to make a car quick in qualifying and what was needed to make it quick and consistent as a race car. MARCOS AMBROSE In five seasons and 65 round starts he Even as a junior karter Marcos scored 19 pole positions and 15 round Ambrose had to be a winner and that wins to claim two Championships and tough determination to be successful almost win a third. has been a hallmark of his career. At the end of the day he needed a His years overseas in Formula Ford fresh challenge and with his customary and Formula Three simply seasoned unshakable self-belief, Ambrose left him even more as a racer and hence the the comfort and security of V8s to go Senna was a master in the wet, commitment “no quarter given and no race in one of the toughest series thethe but even he was keenin to see race stopped early in 1991. quarter asked”. world. Example: His move on Skaife on the It was a gutsy move questioned by last corner of the last lap at Hidden many but you can’t help but admire his Valley when he didn’t need to. The determination. ❯ detractors said it was foolish but to
autograph and even purchased Lowndes caps. During the past 15 years our paths crossed many times and he always treated me as a friend and made me feel special.
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Allan Moffat (below and right) was King of the Fords before Dick Johnson came onto the national stage, while Marcos Ambrose (left) took up that mantle in the early 2000s.
Like him out of the car or not, you can't argue against the fact that Mark Skaife (Left and right) has enormous talent.
MARK SKAIFE
Mark Skaife is one driver who isn’t going to win a popularity contest and over the years there have been numerous times when race fans have booed when he has won or cheered when he was forced out of a race. Like Moffat before him, Skaife has polarised both fans and the public but such is his commitment and singleminded focus I doubt if he cares. As Australia’s most successful touring car driver there is no ignoring a record of achievement that may never be beaten. In 200 starts Skaife scored 39 round wins, 41 pole positions, five Championships plus four Bathurst victories. And let’s not forget three Gold Star Drivers Championships as well. Over the years, Skaife has demonstrated a super competitive nature and desire to win and on his day if the car was right he was unbeatable. He has the ability to mould the team 48
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around him and together with his undoubted skill in understanding what was needed for the car to be competitive it was most unusual for him not to be a front-runner. No doubt various issues in the last couple of years have had an effect on results but only a mug would write him off as a possible race winner. There have been times when Skaife has really annoyed me, but overall I have enormous respect for his achievements and sincere admiration for his professional and tenacious commitment. ALLAN MOFFAT
Intense, single minded, competitive, aloof, committed, persuasive, emotional, professional, brilliant. These are all words that can be applied to Allan Moffat who like Skaife polarised opinion but also gained respect even from his most ardent critics. In his battles with the late Peter Brock, Moffat was seen as the villain and Brock the hero but at Brock’s memorial
at Sandown the four-time Touring Car Champion and Bathurst winner delivered a eulogy that was from the heart and bought home real meaning to the term “statesman”. Moffat had an uncanny ability to nurse a car as evidenced by his brilliant single driver Bathurst efforts and he was unrelenting in his quest to find every last ounce of speed. At Symmons Plains in 1984 he remained in the Peter Stuyvesant Mazda for most of the Saturday afternoon while the mechanics toiled over the car. He simply didn’t want any external distractions to impede on his mindset that would detract from his focus. Many claimed that Moffat was difficult to get on with, but I learnt very early to read the body language and pick the right time to speak to him. As a result I always found him to be approachable, accommodating and forthright, which simply re-inforced my respect for him as a race driver and his outstanding achievements.
BARRY OLIVER'S TOP 10
Glenn Seton (below and below right) may not have a Bathurst title to his name, but he proved his worth with two Australian Touring Car Championships.
Ed Ordynski, pictured rallying a Toyota Corolla in 1975, had a long and successful career in Australian rallying.
GLENN SETON
The first opportunity that I had to ride in a Touring Car was at Barbagallo in 1993 with Glenn Seton in the Peter Jackson Falcon. Arrangements had been made for me to ride with Glenn as well as Mark Skaife in the Winfield Commodore and Tony Longhurst in the 2.5-litre Benson and Hedges BMW so as the series course commentator I would have a better appreciation of what the drivers were doing. It was an incredible experience, which highlighted the differences between the three drivers and my most lasting memory was how incredibly smooth Glenn was in comparison to the others. It was re-inforced the following year when I did several laps at Phillip Island with Glenn and recorded commentary on tape to be played to the spectators over the weekend. Always friendly with an easygoing demeanor and rarely involved in incidents or controversy, Glenn was
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basis a number of times. What I have found is a person who is articulate, organised, professional and a pleasure to work with. ED ORDYNSKI I have also spent some time in the coThe level of success achieved by Ed drivers seat during tyre testing and can Ordynski over a 30 year period is vouch for the often used term of “Mr nothing short of amazing but sadly Smooth”. would be overlooked by the vast majority He is one of the really genuine and nice of motorsport followers. people of the sport for whom I have great Try this for size. Eight time winner respect and admiration. of Group N in Rally Australia, fourJASON BARGWANNA time winner of Group N in the ARC, Jason Bargwanna won Bathurst in 2000 Australian Rally Champion outright in with Garth Tander but sadly historians 1990, Mitsubishi Ralliart Driver of the Year eight times – and that is just a small of the sport will always point to his warm-up crash at Bathurst in 1997 (after snapshot of his career. a stunning lead-up effort) as a significant Add to that a highly qualified and point in his career. motivated person who has achieved That he was able to bounce back great success in business pursuits such from what seemed like a career ending as training, marketing and conducting drive days and launch programs as well as disaster really demonstrates his sheer determination and will to succeed. contributing in the journalism field. My association with “Bargs” dates I have known Ed since 1986 and apart from our common interest in motorsport back to his Formula Ford and Formula I have worked with him on a professional Holden efforts in 1996 and 1997 when ❯ sometimes accused of not being aggressive enough but he could never be accused of not being fair.
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BARRY OLIVER'S TOP 10
Bazza remembers Kevin Bartlett for his feats in the wet at Bathurst in 1981.
Simon Evans (below and right) and Jason Bargwanna .(above) were top blokes according to Bazza.
he finished second each time to Jason Bright. Right from the start Bargwanna treated me as a mate and recognised that I had a job to do as a commentator and there was always a high level of co-operation. There was never any bulls--t and it’s a measure of his genuine friendship and feelings that when I finished my last V8 Supercar Championship call at Phillip Island last year, he came to the media centre to give me his helmet visor which had been signed with a very sincere message. It’s a momento that I will always treasure. KEVIN BARTLETT
Mention Kevin Bartlett and most motorsport followers will immediately think of KB and the Channel 9 Camaro. For two years running “Big Rev Kev” claimed pole position at Bathurst but his effort in streaming wet conditions in 1981 was simply awesome. The two time Gold Star Champion and 1974 Bathurst winner was renowned for his amazing reflexes and car control and 50
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it was never more evident on that day. Interestingly, similar conditions prevailed at Bathurst in 1974 when Bartlett was at the wheel of the John Goss Falcon for the last run to the flag. From the beginning in a soft top Morris Minor, Bartlett always knew only one speed and he soon progressed up to the fearsome F5000 cars with significant success before two huge crashes almost killed him. The legacy from the second crash was a plastic hip and what was jokingly referred to as the “Lola limp” but it never dulled his determination. Now in his late 60s, KB still enjoys driving and often gets the opportunity to drive some of the Bowden collection. He’s just an all round good bloke. SIMON EVANS
If you had to choose two words to describe Simon Evans' quest for fastest stage times then “total commitment” would be most appropriate. After a period of club level rallying in Victoria, Evans made the transition to
the one make Corolla Cup series in 1995 and he was almost unbeatable for two years. In 1999 he was joined by wife Sue to campaign a factory supported VW in the F2 class and it was a combination that was to prove successful before the team closed and Evans was then forced to run as a privateer in a Subaru WRX. The blinding speed together with a win-or-bust attitude made Evans a crowd favourite and when he got the opportunity to join Neal Bates in a second Corolla it seemed winning a championship was almost a given. A huge crash in the Tasmanian ARC round in 2004 looked set to derail his title aspirations but he defied the odds with typical stubborn determination to front up one month later on crutches to contest the SA round and ultimately finish third in the championship. The record now shows two titles and while the driving is perhaps more measured the speed is still awesome and the trademark self-belief ML has never waned.
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