SPENCER MARTIN AT CATALINA PARK

Famous Australian racing Driver Spencer Martin takes us through the old Catalina race Circuit
Martin became a part of Scuderia Veloce as a mechanic and driver, acting as lead mechanic when the team brought in international drivers for the Tasman Series. He raced the team's Repco Brabham BT11A as well as a Ferrari 250LM sports car, winning the 1965 Six Hour Le Mans with McKay in the Ferrari. Martin also placed third in the Italian car in the Australian Tourist Trophy in both 1965 and 1966. He left the team in mid-1966 after a top-ten championship finish in the 1966 Tasman Series and found employment with Bob Jane's team. Martin drove Jane's Brabham BT11 to victory in the 1966 and 1967 Australian Drivers' Championships.[2] Martin retired at his peak after the 1967 season to begin a family, although he returned sporadically for Touring Car endurance races including the 1969 Datsun Three Hour, in which he drove for the Holden Dealer Team.[4]

[@1310mini1]

Dam good to remember this great old track, i went there a lot in the 1960s

[@wazzajack9253]

Spencer Martin as I recall was the man to beat in his BP Boomerang FX Holden (not sure but think linked to a service station on Concord Road ) I think my first Catalina race had Bob Jane in his Jag battling it out with Norm Beechy in his Impala with the gaggle of FX Holdens and Bruce McPhee’s lime green FE behind. Spencer mentioned Warren Weldon as his main rival along with Barry Seton and Des West. I wonder if he remembers Keith Burge a mate of Warren Weldon’s who drove a bright red FX with gold wheels. He was a carpenter that I happened to work with once. A bit of trivia on Warren Weldon who’s step sons are mates of my son. Apparently the offer to drive for the Holden Dealer Team was offered to him before Brock but he’d turned it down in loyalty to Studebaker Dealer Bert Needham. Warren Weldon passed away some years ago from prostate cancer. The mention of Max Stahl’s accident brought back memories I was right there to witness it. Max did a lot to promote car racing creating the magazine Racing Car News and he had a Saturday morning radio show on 2CH as well. I recall soon after his Catalina Park accident seeing him in the motor registry at Kogarah. He was blinking a lot as if it was an affliction ( maybe a result of the accident) Also was present across from the corner at the end of the straight to see Bob Jane’s Mustang crash. That was like something out of NASCAR before it ended flipping over the fence and starting a grass fire. Bob appeared to only have a bloodied elbow. The Daily Mirror’s front page featured a spectacular photo the following day. Listening to this video Spencer appears genuinely humble as he did when I by chance met him delivering concrete in his Ready Mix truck to a job site at the Menia Reactor. That was over fifty years ago when in my early twenties. He was surprised someone recognised him. He’d reached the top level of Australian racing. Driving for David McKay in the LM 250 Ferrari and the Repco Brabham Climax, Bob Jane’s lightweight E Type Jag in that classic race with Neil Allen and Kevin Bartlett. For anyone reading this you’ll find some memories on KZbin Bill’s Build and Race which I only discovered recently. Some best preserved race film that he took of that era. 👍

[@sidrutty5080]

Bloke interviewing hasn’t done any homework interviewing one of the greats….

[@greggraziani1559]

Sid was thinking same thoughts he knows and has done nothing