1960 Australian Touring Car Championship

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Track map of the Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit (1953-1961) Gnoo Blas map.png
Track map of the Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit (1953-1961)

The 1960 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Appendix J Touring Cars. The title, which was the inaugural Australian Touring Car Championship, was contested over a single 20 lap, 75 mile race held on 1 February 1960 at the Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit near Orange in New South Wales. The race was the first to be run under Appendix J Touring Car regulations, ushering in a new era that would last until January 1965 when CAMS replaced Appendix J with Group C for Improved Production Touring Cars.

The championship was won by David McKay driving a Jaguar Mark 1 3.4 Litre.

Race

This, the first Australian touring car race to be run under a set of national regulations which defined a level of modification, was dominated by the three Jaguar Mark 1 drivers. The journalist racer David McKay, remembered for his efforts promoting racing cars and sports cars with his Scuderia Veloce team, claimed the racing achievement he is best remembered for, in a touring car race.

A single day of practice was held on Sunday, 31 January, with the fastest lap times from official practice used to set the grid for the race the following day. McKay set the fastest lap time of 2:40 to take pole position, with Bill Pitt and Ron Hodgson, also in Jaguars, setting times of 2:41 and 2:42 respectively to line up second and third on the grid. Later in the day, Hodgson set a lap time of 2:39 in unofficial practice. Multiple cars, including the three Jaguars, suffered overheating problems during the day, while Hodgson also had gearbox troubles with the car jumping out of gear. Roy Sawyer blew an engine which was rebuilt overnight. [1]

Hodgson led away from the start, getting the jump on McKay and Pitt, with the three Jaguars quickly pulling away from the rest of the field. All three drivers missed their brake markers going into Windsock Corner on lap 1, with Hodgson running wide and McKay and Pitt both spinning. This gave Hodgson a lead heading into lap 2 but McKay caught him halfway through the lap. Hodgson again left his braking too late at Windsock, allowing McKay, Pitt and several other cars through. By the time Hodgson restarted his car, he was around one minute down on McKay and Pitt. Hodgson was able to regain third place within the next lap, leaving Max Volkers in fourth while Ian Geoghegan led a battle for fifth until blowing a head gasket. [1]

By lap 14, McKay had a lead of 26 seconds over Pitt, while rain was beginning to fall over the circuit. Sawyer spun his car coming over the crest at Connaghans Corner, hitting the inside bank and rolling. Jack van Schaik narrowly missed Sawyer's car while Ken Miller scraped his roof on one of Sawyer's bumpers. Des West stopped to help Sawyer escape the car while the driver of a Ford Zephyr had also stopped, their car blocking the track. After helping Sawyer, West burned his hands while restarting his own car. McKay was able to slow safely as he approached the scene but was forced to use his car to move the stationary Zephyr out of the way. This allowed Pitt to close the gap and he took the lead when McKay spun on the following lap. However, the overdrive mechanism in Pitt's car began to fail and McKay was able to retake the lead with two laps remaining. McKay led to the finish, six seconds ahead of Pitt, with Hodgson more than a minute behind. Volkers was the best of the rest, finishing one lap down in fourth place. [1]

Results

The Holden 48-215 of Des West, pictured in 2015. The car was blue when it contested the race, being painted red later in the year. Des West 1960 ATCC 48-215.JPG
The Holden 48-215 of Des West, pictured in 2015. The car was blue when it contested the race, being painted red later in the year.
Position [2] DriverNo.CarEntrantClassClass Pos.LapsTime / Remarks
1 David McKay 71 Jaguar 3.4 Litre Mark 1 D. McKay  2054m 19s
2 Bill Pitt 34 Jaguar 3.4 Litre Mark 1 Mrs. Anderson  2054m 25s
3Ron Hodgson69 Jaguar 3.4 Litre Mark 1 [3] Strathfield Motors  2055m 42s
4Max Volkers4 Holden FJ M. Volkers2001cc to 2600cc119 
5Jan Harris72 Holden J. Harris2001cc to 2600cc2? 
6Ralph Sach15 Holden 48/215 T. Sulman2001cc to 2600cc3? 
7Ken Miller17 Holden K. E. Miller2001cc to 2600cc4? 
8John Millard36 Holden J. R. Millard2001cc to 2600cc5? 
9 Bruce McPhee 33 Holden 48/215 B. A. McPhee2001cc to 2600cc6? 
10Andy Selmes41 Holden 48/215 A.W. Selmes2001cc to 2600cc7? 
11Des West27 Holden 48/215 D. L. West2001cc to 2600cc8? 
12Jerry Trevor-Jones55 Austin Lancer R. Bland1301cc to 2000cc1? 
13J. Ayley8 Holden J. R. Ayley2001cc to 2600cc9? 
14R. Young51 Holden R. Young2001cc to 2600cc10? 
15Ian Grant37 Holden Momchong Motors2001cc to 2600cc11? 
16Charles Van Schaik46 Morris Major C. Van Schaik1301cc to 2000cc2? 
17R. Smith45 Ford Zephyr R. B. Smith2001cc to 2600cc12? 
18W. Wallace6 Holden W. Wallace2001cc to 2600cc13? 
19John Malcolm35 Austin Lancer J. R. Malcolm1301cc to 2000cc3? 
20Denis Gregory20 Morris Major D. Gregory1301cc to 2000cc4? 
21Brian Foley11 Austin A40 Farina Kinsley Pty LtdUnder 1000cc1? 
22Jack Van Schaik47 Simca J. Van Schaik1001cc to 1300cc1? 
23Ken Brigden63 Peugeot 203 K. A. Brigden1001cc to 1300cc2? 
24Emmanual Pitsiladis38 Austin Lancer E. D. Piltsiladis1301cc to 2000cc5? 
25Eric Creese96 Simca E. Creese1001cc to 1300cc3? 
26Malcolm Bailey89 Wolseley 1500 M. S . Bailey1301cc to 2000cc6? 
27 Kevin Bartlett 144 Morris Minor 1000 K. BartlettUnder 1000cc2? 
28Dick Martin66 Morris Minor R. MartinUnder 1000cc3? 
29Keith Watts29 Peugeot K. Watts1301cc to 2000cc7? 
30R. Copley48 Morris Minor R. CopleyUnder 1000cc4? 
31Ted Ansell40 NSU Prinz E. AnsellUnder 1000cc5? 
DNF [4] Roy Sawyer7 Holden FJ R.A. Sawyer2001cc to 2600cc-?Accident
DNF [4] Ian Geoghegan 5 Holden 48/215 I. Geoghegan2001cc to 2600cc-?Head gasket
DNF [4] Howard Sketchley44 Austin Lancer H. Sketchley1301cc to 2000cc-? 
DNF [4] Charlie Smith14 Morris Major C. G. Smith1301cc to 2000cc-? 
DNF [4] Bob Rawlings22 Holden R. K. Rawlings2001cc to 2600cc-?Rollover [5]
DNF [4] Doug Kelly23 Fiat Abarth 750 Bank Corner MotorsUnder 1000cc-? 
DNF [4] Alton Boddenberg24 Peugeot 203 A. J . Boddenberg1001cc to 1300cc-? 
DNF [4] Doug Stewart50 Simca J. A. Witter & Co1001cc to 1300cc-? 
DNF [4] Ray Price54 Fiat 1100 R. A. Price1001cc to 1300cc-? 
DNF [6] [7] John Halcrow31 Holden J. E. Halcrow2001cc to 2600cc-? 
DNF?????-? 
DNF?????-? 
DNF?????-? 
Sources: [1] [8] [9] [4]

Statistics

References & notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Greenhalgh, David; Howard, Graham; Wilson, Stewart (2011). The official history: Australian Touring Car Championship - 50 Years. St Leonards, New South Wales: Chevron Publishing Group. pp. 12–21. ISBN   978-0-9805912-2-4.
  2. ↑ Australian Sporting Car Club Ltd., Motor Racing, Orange, 1st February 1960, Results (Only the 31 finishers are shown in these results)
  3. ↑ Hodgson competed with a 3.8 litre engine fitted to his Jaguar 3.4 Litre Mark 1.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Oastler, Mark. "Des West's 'Appendix J' Holden 48-215". Australian Muscle Car. No. 53. St Leonards, New South Wales: Chevron Publishing Group. pp. 36–63.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Denis Gregory, Chequered Times - A History of Gnoo Blas - Orange 1953-1960
  6. ↑ Wilson, Stewart (1988). Holden: The official racing history. Hornsby, New South Wales: Chevron Publishing Group. p. 329. ISBN   0-9590378-4-5.
  7. ↑ Halcrow is included in the results published in Holden: The official racing history page 329 (with actual result not specified) but is not included in the 31 finishers in the official results.
  8. 1 2 3 McKay, David (April 1960). "First Touring Titles Decided". Modern Motor. Sydney, New South Wales: Modern Magazines Pty Ltd. pp. 22–23, 80–81.
  9. ↑ "Event No. 4 (2.05 p.m.) – Australian Touring Car Championship". Australian Touring Car Championship Meeting Official Programme. 1 February 1960. pp. 16–17.

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