ATCC 50 yrs old.

[Oldtony]

Yesterday (Feb 1.)was the 50th Birthday of the Australian Touring Car Championship.
The first ATCC was a one off race at the Gnoo Blas circuit which ran round the roads surrounding the then Mental Asylum outside the NSW town of Orange. Flat, open, fast but some big bumps and very narrow. Fencing 3 strand barbed wire.
Was won by David McKay in the Ampol sponsored 3.4 Mk1 Jaguar (with C type head and sundry other good bits) leading home Bill Pitt and Ron Hodgson in 2 more Jags. Max Volkers lead home the holden class
I was there crewing for John Malcolm who finished 4th in his class in an Austin Lancer. In those days that meant turning up in a pair of overalls and hoping nothing went wrong, and occaisionally hanging out a lap board. We were also helping look after the Brian Folet Farina Austin A40 which won it's class. Kev Bartlett was running the Morris minor 1000. In those days BMC had a bit of a mortgage on the lower classes.
As I recall it was hot dry and dusty but the celebrations at Aunty Holy's Standard hotel in Orange that night were far from dry.
In my personal opinion the term Australian Touring Car championship should have been withdrawn with the adoption of the 2 make V8SC formula. It may be popular and exciting racing, but how can it be a Touring Car Championship if the only ones allowed to enter are franchise holder in one or other of a 2 make kit car series.
Touring cars they are not, but officially Jamie Winchup and Ford are the current Australian Touring Car Champions.

[Yoda]

Great post OT, but re the V8SC, I don't recall them refering to it as the ATCC since the mid 90's before IMG and TC got involved, although I agree todays formula is not true touring car racing, IMO its closer to Sports Sedan racing.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Great post OT. Thanks.

Talking of Gnoo Blas, they still have an annual classic car show there..... and it is to be held this year February 13th. The Gnoo Blas Classic is staged at Sir Jack Brabham Park in the centre of the old Gnoo Blas Road Racing Circuit - Orange NSW



It was from what I know, at the time the fastest circuit in Australia, with a lap record of 105mph (169km/h), faster than Mt. Panorama. Reg Hunt achieved that in 1956 driving a Maserati.

And OT, did you hang out at 'Mrs Mutton's Corner' I can't imagine them giving corners names like that nowadays. More likely to be some Corporate sponsored brand name.

[Eno the Wonderdog]

In those days that meant turning up in a pair of overalls and hoping nothing went wrong, and occaisionally hanging out a lap board.

Do we have a have a quote of the year award here? This may well be an early contender..

Thanks for that post OT - very cool info. I like the idea of the Jag with the 'good bits' being legal.. it was all a lot more fun in many ways!

[Everso Biggyballies]

Some piccies from that 1st race, the 3 Jaguars that dominated it.

Click for larger
(By the way the pics have 31/2 datestamped on them... most unlikely date I think. They are from Feb 1st

The 71 car is racewinner McKay, The middle pic shows the leaders spinning mid race after a bit of rubbin's racin', and the 69 car is the 'Grey Pussy' of Hodgson



Incidentally the car that finished 3rd in Ron Hodgsons hands, affectionately known as the Grey Pussy, is believed to be the only Jaguar Competition Dept Works built car still racing in the world today. It is now owned by a guy in Sydney who still races it occassionally, although it is regularly seen at Historic Meetings in a display capacity.

The car was in fact originally owned (and imported) by Race Winner McKay, and is likely one of the first attempts at sponsorship in the days when it was strictly taboo.... As OT mentioned in his opening post McKay had the Blue White and Red stripes of Ampol on it which I daresay was frowned upon by the establishment. (Perhaps OT can shed some more light on the thoughts at the time)

When McKay bought the Red #71 car (also works built as a racecar)he sold the Grey Pussy to Hodgson, who I believe kept the stripes. McKays red car was eventually destroyed in a crash a few years later AFAIK

Anyway here is the car in more modern times, at Eastern Creek I think. Still sporting McKay's favoured #71 (McKay had a fair bit of success with Grey Pussy himself prior to the Red Car.)

[Yoda]

Thanks for the pics EB. Touring cars have come a long way since those days.

[Oldtony]

Yes EB. The red white and blue striping had caused a number of interviews with the stewards the year before. The authorities wanted to crack down on "Blatant commercialism" entering the sport.
David of course claimed it was just a display of patriotism. If the argument had continued I can imagine a few BP supported cars would have appeard with green and gold stripes.
This of course was a last belated stand by the blazer brigade who had tried to ostracise Jack Brabham for running the front engined Cooper Bristol as the Redex Special as was the practice in the US. The Melborne based CAMS could never quite convince the Sydney racing scene to co-operate.
Memory a bit short, but I think it was the previous October at Bathurst, where the witch hunt against the stripe included a number of runners being told to tape over small fuel brand stickers on the fillers.
Then having to deal with the debate over Hoddo's fitting a 3.8ltr to the grey pussy when he bought it. That model had been released in the UK so he won the battle.
Can you imagine any of the current V8SC players having to deal with "commercialism" being banned from motorsport?

[Everso Biggyballies]

Until you brought this topic up OT, I wasntI wasnt aware that the ATCC was a one race championship right up until 1969, when the multi round concept started with a 5 round series and with expansion has carried on to this day.

For the first race 51 entrants became 43 starters. Looking at the results through the classes shows Foley and the A40 take out the up to 1000cc class from Bartlett’s Minor. Jack Van Schaik’s Simca took the 1001cc - 1300cc class from Ken Brigden’s Peugeot, Gerry Trevor-Jones in a borrowed Austin Lancer took 1301cc - 2000cc from Charlie Van Shaik’s Morris Major. And finally Max Volker’s Holden won the 2001cc - 2600cc class from Jan Harris, also in a Holden.

Interesting to note that of all the circuits used for the ATCC in those single round days, only Sandown and Bathurst remain in terms of the V8SCs..... gone are Lowood , Longford, Mallala, Lakeside, and Warwick Farm.

Here is a copy of the programme cover of that first meeting




Another pic of the day: The front row of the grid



And an A30 Austin which I believe (but cant confirm,) was on that day. It maybe from an earlier State Championship race

[Oldtony]

Yes EB, for many years the Australian Grand Prix, for racing cars, and the Australian Tourist Trophy for Sports cars had been annual single race events. The ATCC was introduced on the same basis for ann annual premier event for the then becoming established and respectable touring car scene.
Most racing was State based as trailering cars interstate over the sort of roads and distances you had to cover before around 1958 was a bit time consuming and expensive for the amateurs who made up all racing until then.
The GP and the Tourist Trophy was looked upon as a sort of Grand Final for the top cars from every state.
Perhaps the meeting where Australian motorsport grew up was the Olympic GP at Albert Park in 1956, but it really came into it's own with strong local fields at the October 1958 meeting at Bathurst with the TT on the Saturday and the GP on Sunday. A truely memorable meeting. And by the way one D.McKay won the TT in an Aston Martin DB3S at that meeting.
The most memorable ATCC sinle event race I can remember was the Lakeside event won by Pete Geoghan in the Cortina GT. 60something!
The AGP is now of course not a race for locals but a visiting circus, replaced by bthe Gold Star as a racing car driver series and I don't think the TT is even on the calendar. The ATCC as I understad it is still awarded to the winner of the VESA title but perhaps someone needs to research that on the CAMS website if the can decode how to find any information there.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Lol the CAMS website is one of the best examples of a website to confuse any average punter.....

Re your comments on the costs of trailering cars across the land I swear I have pictures and photographs of early 'Touring Cars' (certainly those of the genuine amateurs) being used a a towbarge and towing say a Sportscar or something used in a support event on the weekend programme in the days where drivers would often race in multiple categories. I should dig them out..... Perhaps I should resurrect the old 'Interesting Transporters' thread!

[Oldtony]

One of the entrants in the first ATCC, Ralph Sach started in Touring cars running a Holden entered by Tom Sulman, of sheep stations, Aston Martins and driving races until 70 fame.
In later years Ralph used to run a very quick Fe or FC in events round the country. He also had a hillclimb special which he used to tow to hillclimb meeting all over NSW and Vic on an A frame behind the Holden. Entered both cars in the ecents of course.
He was also, IIRC, along with Max Stahl, the editirial team for what was then Australia's leading motorsport mag, Racing Car News.