Visiting Birthplaces of Australian Motor Racing - Mustangs at Catalina Park in 1965

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Күн бұрын

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@JohnWilloughby-zb8jf 4 ай бұрын

Bill. I think I was there. I remember as a 16 year old catching the train from Sydney and staying by myself at a hotel near the track. The Neptune Racing Team was there…Norm in the Mustang, Peter Manson in the Mini, and Jim McCewen (?) in a Lotus Cortina. We see only a snippet of Jim in this footage. The most impressive memory of my early motor sport spectator feature, was the Neptune Racing Team, a suitable painted rigid truck with the Mustang on board, and the Mini and Cortina on a trailer…all really well presented….parked up ate a nearby Neptune Service Station. This would have been a product of Norm Beechey’s truck business no doubt. The beginning of top level presentation of the complete racing team. The Neptune Team was rebranded to the yellow Shell Racing Team a season or two later. This transport presentation package stepped another progress up when the Allan Grice Torana Craven Mild Team had built the first fully enclosed purpose built race car transporter, a semi trailer with inbuilt ramps, change room , racking for spares and tyres. The precursor to today’s magnificent race car transporters. As an aside, I managed to get in to the pits post race, and happened to be near a reporter interviewing big Norm. Bob Jane that day had driven an Elfin Mono, a beautiful Garry Cooper built open wheeler, every bit as good as the Lotus of that era. Norm was asked how he thought Bob had gone. Not missing an opportunity to stir the pot…II think they were business rivals as well driving rivals….Norm says “ I think he was shitting himself” I think this would not have found its way in to print, but I was in awe of the man ….PK 751. EH Holden Mustangs, Chevy Nova and finally the Yellow Holden Monaro. From memory, he also drove a Falcon GTHO in the later Improved Production days…..but then he disappeared. I think he poured too much into the sport, and his truck sales business folded. This happened a lot in those heady non commercial motor sport days. Invest too much in motor sport…reduced attention to business…enjoying the celebrity…..and business goes bankrupt. Imagine a motor sport personality of Norms profile today. No one comes close.

@BillsBuildandRace 4 ай бұрын

I was a Beecheymaniac from 15 years of age - so you are speaking to the converted. I have color pics of the truck & trailer of Norm's included in my chapter on him in my upcoming book "Pioneers & Icons of Australian Motorsport" (due out later this year). You will discover many facts about Stormin' Norman of which you were unaware. Yes, Bob & Norm were both mates from their teens and both started with car yards. Norm left the sport because (he said in an interview I found), he couldn't put in the time the upcoming fulltime drivers were doing, and also run his business.

@jamesroseby3823 2 ай бұрын

Yes Bill, I bought your book, covered it with clear contact and have to agree with all you’ve said. I’m mostly interested in the NSW locations . I now know Ron Tauranac and I have one place in common. It’s a great resource for anyone interested in Australian Motorsport history. Thanks for your videos too. Fascinating stuff. Cheers.

@AussieD7902 3 ай бұрын

My father would sometimes take my brother & I to Catalina in the early 60s, A friend of dads had a property that over looked the track and had about 6 chairs screwed to the roof of their chicken shed to watch the races. More great memories, thanks Bill 👍👍

@estewar03 6 ай бұрын

This was a fun one. Thanks for all you do for us, Bill...

@brhino 2 ай бұрын

Hi Bill 👋 The soundtrack is very, ummm... creative 😁My first club level lap dash ever was at Catalina in 1994 (30 yrs 🙄) I had a Datto 1600 with a best of 81.58. It was a very scary track with virtually no run off areas. Especially for a NOOB.

@ashleytidd-w9i 3 ай бұрын

Thanks so much bill,but it makes me realize that motor racing died after 1986.Radial slicks meant no more slides,been to every Bathurst since 1972,it,s just not the same.😢

@scotsaussie184 6 ай бұрын

Wow!! This meeting is before my time but from 1973 as a little kid I used to love watching the rallycross at Catalina with Chris Heyer, Barry Ferguson, Andy Foord et al. I wish there was some of that footage lying around. Or even one of the Calder rallycross meetings that went to air

@johnd8892 5 ай бұрын

A KZbin search for : Peter Brock Rallycross Will reward you with some surviving coverage of the Calder rallycross including one final.

@AussieD7902 3 ай бұрын

When I was a apprentice Chris Heyer worked at the same company and I would often work in the pits at the Rallycross events. There was 3, possibly 4 beetles that raced in Division one. I remember 3 of them, Chris Heyers, Bruce Geddies and one owned by Chris Winter ( I cant recall the name of the guy who drove Winters car) Not sure but Barry Ferguson may have had a Beetle too. I am still close friends with Heyers mechanic at the time and the guy who was the VW team manager. They had some wild cars at those events. In the late 70s, I obtained the engine and transmission from the old "Ginseng" Renault 8 rallycross car, rebuilt the engine & trans and dropped it into a Renault 10. I drove it at a few club events until it was destroyed at Oran Park. It was mentioned in a Racing Car News article, and to quote them, "due to youthful exuberance" LOL.

@gregbroad3118 6 ай бұрын

Great work Bill - many thanks xxx

@41Toto 6 ай бұрын

WOW I was there the day Bob Jane put the mustang over the fence and to this day I have never seem a photo of it. I was a flag marshal, and it was a massive accident, I have told the story many times of what I saw with no evidence THANK YOU SO MUCH. Your book is now on order from Amazon, I just hope those pics are in it. 👍 ps. it is a GREAT Video, again, thank you Bill

@theopoteris4374 6 ай бұрын

Just ordered the book - cant wait.

@raybell6984 5 ай бұрын

Good job... except... The whole Neptune Team (Beechey, McKeown and Manton) were there for the January meeting, Jane's Mustang was there chasing Beechey at the June meeting. As an aside, when the three Mustangs were entered for the first time, Jack Hinxman claimed that Catalina was the only track in Australia wide enough for the Mustangs to race on.

@BillsBuildandRace 5 ай бұрын

Well I t was Bob Williamson who told me he thought this was the Neptune Team's first appearance, and as a Mustang and Catalina Park expert I thought he'd know... but we all have memory troubles these days! If Jane's Mustang was at the January meeting, then I wonder why it failed to appear at this event where it was entered?

@wazzajack9253 5 ай бұрын

Apart from V8 flathead 30’s Fords at the Sydney Show-ground, 55 Fords were being raced by Norm Beechy and Len Lukey down in Victoria or Tasmania. Later Norm copied Dan Gurney’s 61 Chevy attack to the Jags in England with his own 62 Impala over here. Soon after Len Lukey brought a 63 Ford Galaxie (unfortunately not the 427 fastback as our rules required four doors) to compete. This all before the Mustangs at Catalina. Now as the Ford / Chev V8 rivalry has continued eversince as our premier motor sport category it would be great if you could go back in to the archives and cover it Bill. Max Stahl’s Racing Car News always had great Lance…Reuting ? Photo’s and stories covering the events.

@billpearson2845 5 ай бұрын

These films all start with me finding old 16mm quality movie race footage, rather than a specific motor racing story.

@wazzajack9253 5 ай бұрын

@@billpearson2845 My first road circuit experience was watching Norm in the Chev Impala and Bob Jane in the Jag at Catalina Park with all the top Holden guys chasing behind. Pity if no film footage of those cars. Certainly appreciate what you’ve been able to show us anyhow.