1967 Australian Touring Car Championship

Last updated

Contents

Layout of the Lakeside International Raceway Lakesidemap.JPG
Layout of the Lakeside International Raceway

The 1967 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title open to Group C Improved Production Touring Cars. [1] It was contested over a single race, staged at the Lakeside Circuit in Queensland, Australia on 30 July 1967. [2] The title, which was the eighth Australian Touring Car Championship, was won by Ian Geoghegan, driving a Ford Mustang. [3]

Report

Grid positions for the championship were determined by the fastest lap times from preliminary heats, [3] with Heat 1 being for cars up to 1500cc capacity and Heat 2 for the larger engined cars. [4] Norm Beechey started his Chevrolet Chevy II Nova on pole position in the final, with Ian Geoghegan second in his new Ford Mustang, which had only arrived at the circuit on the morning of the race. Greg Cusack started third in another Mustang ahead of the Morris Cooper Ss of Brian Foley and Peter Manton. [3]

Beechey took the lead at the start of the race ahead of Geoghegan, with Jim McKeown moving into third from sixth place on the grid. Bob Jane's Mustang became jammed in top gear on lap 2, forcing him to retire. Beechey set a new lap record of 1:04.3 as he continued to build his lead, despite a minor clutch problem which meant that he had to make clutchless shifts. [3]

By lap 35, Terry Allan and Paul Fahey had both retired and Foley had moved into third place, with Manton running five seconds behind. The complexion of the race changed on lap 40, when the left-rear tyre of Beechey's car blew and caused him to hit the fence. Geoghegan inherited the lead and held it for the final ten laps to secure his third Australian Touring Car Championship title. Foley and Manton finished in second and third, less than twenty seconds behind Geoghegan. [3]

Results

Ian Geoghegan won the championship driving this Ford Mustang. The car is pictured in 2013 in different specification. 1967 Ford Mustang Hardtop Geoghegan tribute (9693636955).jpg
Ian Geoghegan won the championship driving this Ford Mustang. The car is pictured in 2013 in different specification.

Class winners are indicated by bold text.

Pos.DriverNo.CarEntrantClassLapsTime/Retired
1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian Geoghegan 1 Ford Mustang Mustang TeamOver 3000cc5054:43.4
2 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brian Foley8 Morris Cooper S Brian Foley Motors1101–1500cc50+12.0
3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Manton2 Morris Cooper S Tridents Racing Team1101–1500cc50+16.4
4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kevin Bartlett 5 Alfa Romeo GTA Mildren Racing Team 1501–2000cc50+52.7
5 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Greg Cusack7 Ford Mustang Mustang TeamOver 3000cc49+1 lap
6 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim McKeown 3 Ford Cortina Mark I Lotus Tridents Racing Team1501–2000cc49+1 lap
7 Flag of New Zealand.svg Rod Coppins10 Ford Mustang R. CoppinsOver 3000cc47+3 laps
8 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John French 26 Morris Cooper S J. French0–1100cc47+3 laps
9 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Humphrey85 Austin Cooper S 0–1100cc47+3 laps
10 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Rout [4] 35 Morris Cooper S 1101–1500cc [4] 46+4 laps
11 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Gordon Clough [4] 58 Holden EH 2001–3000cc43+7 laps
12 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mike McGregor [4] 74 Morris Cooper S 43+7 laps
Ret Flag of Australia (converted).svg Laurie Stewart52 Morris Cooper S 0–1100cc [5] 45
Ret Flag of Australia (converted).svg Norm Beechey 34 Chevrolet Chevy II Nova Tridents Racing TeamOver 3000cc39Accident
Ret Flag of New Zealand.svg Paul Fahey11 Ford Mustang Over 3000cc31Fuel pump
Ret Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brian Michelmore56 Ford Cortina Mark I Lotus 1501–2000cc28Gearbox
Ret Flag of Australia (converted).svg Evan Thomas48 Holden EH 2001–3000cc20
Ret Flag of Australia (converted).svg Terry Allan19 Chevrolet Camaro Over 3000cc17
Ret Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Reilly [4] 80 Holden EH 2001–3000cc5
Ret Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Jane 6 Ford Mustang Over 3000cc2Gearbox
Sources: [3] [6]

Statistics

References

  1. Conditions for Australian Titles, 1967 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 69 to 71
  2. Lakeside Program ATCC 30th July 1967
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 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. 70–75. ISBN   978-0-9805912-2-4.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 K. Shaw, '67 Touring Title To Geoghegan In New 'Tang, Australian Auto Sportsman, September 1967, Pages Thirty-six to Thirty-nine
  5. 1 2 Rob Luck, Lakeside Spectacular, Sports Car World, October 1967, pages 24 to 26
  6. 1 2 3 White, Des (September 1967). "Third title for Ian Geoghegan". Racing Car News. Chippendale, New South Wales: Publishers Photo Digest Pty Ltd. pp. 26–27.