Barry Seton

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The Ford Cortina GT500 in which Seton and Midge Bosworth won the 1965 Armstrong 500 at Bathurst Seton-b-cortina.jpg
The Ford Cortina GT500 in which Seton and Midge Bosworth won the 1965 Armstrong 500 at Bathurst

Barry Seton (known as 'Bo'), (born 5 October 1936), is an Australian racing driver. He won the Bathurst 500 (500-mile race, about 800 km) in 1965 with co-driver Midge Bosworth driving a Ford Cortina GT500. [1] He has competed in the Bathurst 500 (and later 1000 km) 22 times, competing every year from 1963 to 1984, [2] and completing the race in fifteen of those. [1] In addition to his outright win in 1965, he won his class at Bathurst (co-driven on each occasion by Don Smith) in 1976, 1977 and 1980. [1]

Contents

Seton, who suffered from Polio as a child, was particularly noted for his mastery of the Ford Capri in the mid-1970s, registering not only the class wins at Bathurst, but also winning the Sun-7 Rothmans 3-Litre Series three times at Amaroo Park.

For his 21st Bathurst start in 1983, his co-driver was his son, Glenn Seton [1] making the first of so far 25 Great Race starts and who would go on to become a two time ATCC winner. The pair were leading Class B by over a lap when their Ford Capri blew its engine resulting in a DNF. [1]

His last start, in the 1984 James Hardie 1000 was driving a Group A Ford Mustang paired with longtime co-driver Don Smith. The pair finished 20th outright and 3rd in Group A. [3]

He later became known as an engine builder, [1] firstly with the Peter Jackson Nissan Team building their turbocharged engines from 1986 until 1988 before Glenn formed his own team, Glenn Seton Racing in 1989. Seton joined his son and was chief engine builder of the teams Ford Sierra RS500s until the team switched to racing the V8 Ford Falcon in late 1992. Seton also built several customer engines, mostly for privateer V8 Supercar teams. He left his son's team after 1995 to give himself a new challenge. He was immediately snapped up by Longhurst Racing as their chief engine builder from 1996.

Bo Seton no longer competes at the top level but still competes in some historic touring car races with his Historic Touring Car Mk.I Ford Capri as well as building both Capri and Holden Torana engines for various cars in Group 2 of the Touring Car Masters series, including the engine for Glenn's Group 1 1973 Ford Falcon XB Hardtop.

Career results

SeasonSeriesPositionCarEntrant
1964 Australian Touring Car Championship 9th Holden 48/215 BP Boomerang Service Station
1974 Australian Touring Car Championship 9th Ford Escort Twin Cam
1975 Sun 7 - Rothmans Series 1st Ford Capri
1976 Australian Touring Car Championship 3rd Ford Capri Barry Benson
1976 Rothmans Sun-7 Series 2nd Ford Capri
1977 Australian Touring Car Championship 12th Ford Capri
1977 Sun-7 Rothmans Touring Car Series 1st Ford Capri
1978 Australian Touring Car Championship 9th Ford Capri
1979 Better Brakes Under 3 Litre Series 1st Ford Capri
1980 Better Brakes Touring Car Series 1st Ford Capri
1982 Australian Endurance Championship 13th Ford Capri Barry Seton

Complete Bathurst 500/1000 results

Seton won the 2000-3000cc class at the 1980 Hardie Ferodo 1000 driving a Ford Capri with Don Smith (image from 2017) Ford Capri 3.0S of Carl Muller.jpg
Seton won the 2000-3000cc class at the 1980 Hardie Ferodo 1000 driving a Ford Capri with Don Smith (image from 2017)
YearTeamCo-driversCarClassLapsPos.Class
pos.
1963 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Herb Taylor Morris 850 A112NA7th
1964 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fairfield Motors Pty Ltd Flag of Australia (converted).svg Herb Taylor Ford Cortina Mk.I GT C1302nd2nd
1965 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fairfield Motors Pty Ltd Flag of Australia (converted).svg Midge Bosworth Ford Cortina Mk.I GT500 D1301st1st
1966 Flag of Australia (converted).svg B Arentz Flag of Australia (converted).svg Barry Arentz Morris Cooper S C1258th8th
1967 Flag of Australia (converted).svg C Smith Flag of Australia (converted).svg Charlie Smith Morris Cooper S C1276th2nd
1968 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ford Motor Company of Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fred Gibson Ford XT Falcon GT D11331st11th
1969 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ford Motor Company of Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fred Gibson Ford XW Falcon GTHO D93DNFDNF
1970 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ford Motor Co of Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fred Gibson Ford XW Falcon GTHO Phase II E33DNFDNF
1971 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Road & Track Auto Services Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fred Gibson Ford XY Falcon GTHO Phase III E32DNFDNF
1972 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Finnie Ford Pty Ltd Flag of Australia (converted).svg Herb Taylor Ford Escort GT 1600 Mk.I B11615th4th
1973 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ford Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fred Gibson Ford XA Falcon GT Hardtop D17DNFDNF
1974 Flag of Australia (converted).svg WH Motors Pty Ltd Flag of Australia (converted).svg Don Smith Holden LC Torana GTR 2001 – 3000cc56DNFDNF
1975 Flag of Australia (converted).svg B Benson Flag of Australia (converted).svg Don Smith Ford Capri Mk.I GT 3000 C13815th3rd
1976 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Barry Benson Flag of Australia (converted).svg Don Smith Ford Capri Mk.I 2001cc - 3000cc1568th1st
1977 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Amco Pty Limited Flag of Australia (converted).svg Don Smith Ford Capri Mk.I 2001cc – 3000cc1546th1st
1978 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Amco Pty Limited Flag of Australia (converted).svg Don Smith Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback A1528th8th
1979 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Unipart Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Don Smith Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback A1487th7th
1980 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Don Smith Flag of Australia (converted).svg Don Smith Ford Capri Mk.III 2001-3000cc1568th1st
1981 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Goss Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Goss Jaguar XJS 8 Cylinder & Over73DNFDNF
1982 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Barry Seton Flag of Australia (converted).svg Don Smith Ford Capri Mk.III B14712th2nd
1983 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Barry Seton Flag of Australia (converted).svg Glenn Seton Ford Capri Mk.III B134DNFDNF
1984 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Nu-Truck Spares Flag of Australia (converted).svg Don Smith Ford Mustang GT Group A13620th3rd

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Barry 'Bo' Seton" SpeedCafe.com 24 September 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  2. "Glory days of Bathurst revisited". Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  3. Young driver surprises everyone but himself
Sporting positions
Preceded by Winner of the Bathurst 500
1965
(with Midge Bosworth)
Succeeded by