The Farm | |
---|---|
Location | Warwick Farm, New South Wales |
Time zone | UTC+10:00 |
Coordinates | 33°54′39″S150°56′42″E / 33.91083°S 150.94500°E |
Owner | Australian Jockey Club (December 1960–August 1973) |
Operator | Australian Automobile Racing Company (December 1960–August 1973) |
Broke ground | 1960 |
Opened | December 1960 |
Closed | August 1973 |
Major events | Australian Grand Prix (1963, 1967, 1970–1971) Tasman Series (1964–1973) Australian Drivers' Championship (1963–1970, 1972) Australian Sports Car Championship (1969–1972) Australian Touring Car Championship (1968, 1970, 1972–1973) Australian GT (1961) |
Grand Prix Circuit (1960–1973) | |
Length | 3.621 km (2.250 miles) |
Turns | 14 |
Race lap record | 1:24.0 ( Frank Gardner, Lola T300, 1972, Formula 5000) |
Warwick Farm Raceway was a motor racing facility which was in operation from 1960 to 1973. [1] Warwick Farm Raceway hosted numerous major events during its life such as the Australian Grand Prix and rounds of both the Australian Touring Car Championship and the Tasman Series.
Warwick Farm Raceway was built in 1960 on the site of the Warwick Farm Racecourse, a horse racing track with which it was to co-exist throughout its history. When a motor racing meeting was scheduled, two "crossings" had to be placed over the top of the horse racing track, and then removed after racing had finished. [2] It became one of Australia's premier motor racing venues and gained a reputation as a "drivers' track", hosting the Australian Grand Prix and rounds of both the Tasman Series [3] and the Australian Drivers' Championship. It also staged Australian Touring Car Championship races during its later years. The last major race at Warwick Farm was the final round of the 1973 Australian Touring Car Championship on 15 July and the final race meeting was a club day held in August 1973. [3] The reason for the closure was financial - the Confederation of Australian Motorsport wanted to have armco fencing installed around the circuit, and the AJC wasn't willing to spend the money to upgrade the circuit. [2]
Warwick Farm held its first meeting in December 1960. On a wet track, Ian "Pete" Geoghegan won the opening touring car race driving a Jaguar 3.4 Litre.
When it closed as a motor racing facility in 1973, the lap record of the 3.621 km (2.250 mi) long Warwick Farm circuit was held by Australian motor racing legend Frank Gardner. Driving a Lola T300 Formula 5000 in the 1972 Tasman Series, Gardner set a time of 1:24.0 during the Warwick Farm 100. Gardner finished second in the race he had won in 1971, 18 seconds behind Frank Matich driving his self-designed and built Matich A50 Repco-Holden.
Warwick Farm Raceway hosted the Australian Grand Prix a total of four times:
Year | Driver | Car | Entrant |
---|---|---|---|
1963 | Jack Brabham | Brabham BT4 Climax | Ecurie Vitesse |
1967 | Jackie Stewart | BRM P261 V8 | R.H.H. Parnell |
1970 | Frank Matich | McLaren M10B Repco-Holden | Rothmans Team Matich |
1971 | Frank Matich | Matich A50 Repco-Holden | Rothmans Team Matich |
Warwick Farm hosted the annual International 100 from 1961 to 1973:
Year | Driver | Car | Entrant |
---|---|---|---|
1961 | Stirling Moss | Lotus 18 Coventry Climax FPF | RRC Walker |
1962 | Stirling Moss [4] | Cooper T53 Coventry Climax FPF | RRC Walker Racing Team |
1963 to 1973 | Refer Australian Grand Prix (1963 & 1967, above) & Tasman Series (below) | ||
Warwick Farm Raceway hosted the single race Australian Touring Car Championship in 1968, and hosted rounds of the championship in 1970, 1972 and 1973.
Year | Driver | Car | Entrant |
---|---|---|---|
Group C Improved Production | |||
1968 | Ian Geoghegan | Ford Mustang GTA | The Mustang Team |
1970 | Jim McKeown | Porsche 911S | Jim McKeown Shell Racing Team |
1972 | Bob Jane | Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 | Bob Jane Racing |
Group C | |||
1973 | Peter Brock | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Holden Dealer Team |
Warwick Farm Raceway hosted a round of the Tasman Series each year from 1964 to 1973.
Year | Race name | Driver | Car | Entrant |
---|---|---|---|---|
1964 | Warwick Farm International | Jack Brabham | Brabham BT7A Climax FPF | Ecurie Vitesse |
1965 | Warwick Farm International | Jim Clark | Lotus 32B Climax FPF | Team Lotus |
1966 | Warwick Farm International | Jim Clark | Lotus 39 Climax FPF | Team Lotus |
1967 | Australian Grand Prix | Jackie Stewart | BRM P261 V8 | R.H.H. Parnell |
1968 | Warwick Farm International | Jim Clark | Lotus 49T Cosworth | Team Lotus |
1969 | Warwick Farm International | Jochen Rindt | Lotus 49BT Cosworth | World Wide Racing |
1970 | Warwick Farm 100 | Kevin Bartlett | Mildren Waggott | Alec Mildren Racing |
1971 | Warwick Farm 100 | Frank Gardner | Lola T192 Chevrolet | Lola Cars Ltd |
1972 | Rothmans 100 | Frank Matich | Matich A50 Repco-Holden | Frank Matich Racing Pty Ltd |
1973 | Chesterfield 100 | Steve Thompson | Chevron B24 Chevrolet | Servis Racing Team |
Warwick Farm Raceway hosted a round of the Australian Drivers' Championship on 11 occasions.
Warwick Farm hosted a round of the Australian Sports Car Championship each year from 1969 to 1972.
Warwick Farm hosted a round of the Australian Manufacturers' Championship in 1971.
Warwick Farm hosted the Australian Formula Junior Championship in 1963.
Warwick Farm hosted the Australian GT Championship in 1962.
Warwick Farm was the venue for the finish of the London-Sydney Marathon. First place went to the Hillman Hunter crewed by Andrew Cowan, Colin Malkin and Brian Coyle. [5]
Repco is an Australian automotive engineering/retailer company. Its name is an abbreviation of Replacement Parts Company and was for many years known for reconditioning engines and for specialised manufacturing, for which it gained a high reputation. It is now best known as a retailer of spare parts and motor accessories.
Formula 5000 was an open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel racing cars that no longer fit into any particular formula. The '5000' denomination comes from the maximum 5.0 litre engine capacity allowed in the cars, although many cars ran with smaller engines. Manufacturers included McLaren, Eagle, March, Lola, Lotus, Elfin, Matich and Chevron.
The Brabham BT19 is a Formula One racing car designed by Ron Tauranac for the British Brabham team. The BT19 competed in the 1966 and 1967 Formula One World Championships and was used by Australian driver Jack Brabham to win his third World Championship in 1966. The BT19, which Brabham referred to as his "Old Nail", was the first car bearing its driver's name to win a World Championship race.
The Lotus 39 was a single-seat racing car produced by Team Lotus. It was originally intended for use in Formula One, to be powered by the Coventry Climax 1.5 litre flat-16 engine. The engine project fell through and the chassis was modified to accept a Climax 2.5 litre engine for the 1966 Tasman Series, in which Jim Clark finished in third place.
The 1964 Tasman Series was an international motor racing series contested in New Zealand and Australia over eight races beginning on 4 January and ending on 2 March. It was the first Tasman Series. The series, which was officially known as the Tasman Championship for Drivers, was organised jointly by the Association of New Zealand Car Clubs Inc. and the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport with the winning driver awarded the Tasman Cup. The championship was open to racing cars using unsupercharged engines of up to 2,500 c.c. capacity.
The 1965 Tasman Series was a motor racing competition staged in New Zealand and Australia for cars complying with the Tasman Formula. The series, which began on 9 January and ended on 1 March after seven races, was the second Tasman Series. It was won by Jim Clark, driving Lotus 32B Coventry Climax.
The 1967 Tasman Series was a motor racing competition open to racing cars complying with the Tasman Formula. Officially known as the Tasman Championship for Drivers, it was organised by the Motorsport Association, New Zealand Inc. and the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport and was contested over six races in New Zealand and Australia between 7 January and 6 March 1967.
The Longford Circuit was a temporary motor racing course laid out on public roads at Longford, 23-kilometre (14 mi) south-west of Launceston in Tasmania, Australia. It was located on the northern edges of the town and its 7.242 km (4.500 mi) lap passed under a railway line viaduct, crossed the South Esk River via the wooden Kings Bridge, turned hard right at the doorstep of the Longford Hotel, passed over the railway line using a level crossing and traversed the South Esk again via another wooden structure, the Long Bridge.
The 1972 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race for cars complying with the Tasman Formula, which admitted both Formula 5000 and 2-litre racing cars. It was held at Sandown International Raceway, Victoria, Australia on 20 February 1972.
The 1967 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held over 45 laps of the 3.621 km (2.25 mi) Warwick Farm Raceway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 19 February 1967. It was promoted by the Australian Automobile Racing Co. Pty. Ltd. The race, which was open to Australian National Formula and Australian 1½ Litre Formula cars, had 15 starters.
The 1968 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at Sandown Park in Victoria, Australia on 25 February 1968. The race was open to Racing Cars complying with the Australian National Formula or the Australian 1½ Litre Formula. It was the thirty third Australian Grand Prix and was also round seven of the 1968 Tasman Series. The race was staged by the Light Car Club of Australia and was sponsored by the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria.
The 1971 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at Warwick Farm Raceway in New South Wales, Australia on 21 November 1971. It was open to Racing Cars complying with either Australian Formula 1 or Australian Formula 2 regulations.
The 1966 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title for drivers of racing cars complying with either the Australian National Formula or the Australian 1½ Litre Formula. The winner of the title, which was the tenth Australian Drivers' Championship, was awarded the 1966 CAMS Gold Star.
The 1970 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Australian Formula 1 and Australian Formula 2 racing cars. The winner of the title, which was the fourteenth Australian Drivers' Championship, was awarded the 1970 CAMS Gold Star.
The Matich name was applied to a series of sports racing cars and open wheel racing cars produced in Australia between 1967 and 1974 under the direction of Sydney-based racing driver and engineer Frank Matich.
The 1965 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian national motor racing title open to racing cars complying with the Australian National Formula or the Australian 1½ Litre Formula. The title was contested over a six race series with the winner awarded the 1965 CAMS Gold Star. It was the ninth Australian Drivers' Championship.
The 1967 Australian Drivers' Championship was an Australian motor racing competition open to Australian National Formula cars and Australian 1½ Litre Formula cars. It was authorised by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) as an Australian National Title with the winner awarded the 1967 CAMS Gold Star. It was the 11th Australian Drivers' Championship to be awarded by CAMS.
The 1969 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title for drivers of cars conforming to Australian National Formula or Australian Formula 2 regulations. The championship was contested over a six race series with the winner awarded the 1969 CAMS Gold Star. It was the thirteenth Australian Drivers' Championship to be awarded by CAMS.
The Rennmax name was applied to a series of open wheel racing cars and sports racing cars constructed by Rennmax Engineering in Sydney, Australia between 1962 and 1978. Rennmax Engineering was established by Bob Britton in 1961, its name derived from the German word "Renn", meaning race and the abbreviation "max", for maximum.
The Mildren name was used on a series of racing vehicles constructed for, or acquired by, Australian racing team owner Alec Mildren during the 1960s and early 1970s.
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