Race cars I have been involved with
over the years.
I started my 5 year Apprenticeship with Holt Binnie at the Mobil Garage - 99 Military Rd. Neutral Bay in 1958.
Holt at the time was developing and racing the MGTF / Holden ( above). Original concept by Ray Alberry. We raced the TF at Bathurst, Orange, Phillip Island, Hume Weir and many Hill Climbs transporting the car by driving it on the road, sometimes at 100 mph ! It ran a grey Holden engine, bored, cam and three 1 1/4" SUs.
When I started with Holt we had the Aldis Cooper Jag (here as 12)
in the workshop.
Circa 1960 - Holt buys the ex Barry Taylor Gladiator, a Buchanan Fibre Glass bodied Sports Car ( now with Holden engine ) off Leaton Mtrs. at Banksia. The Salesman was Frank Matich. My association with Frank Matich had begun.
The restored Gladiator, now owned by Dick Willis.
Australian motor racing guru , John Cummins, races the Holden FX at Westmead Speedway in the 60s. Probably the first Holden Sedan to race as a Hot Rod at the track. The car was built at our garage and used the Holden engine out of John's Type 35 Bugatti. That's the grille out of my 1953 Holden road car ( after an accident).
After Frank Dent's passing we had his 101 mph Austin A30 at the garage to sell. Holt and Frank were good friends.
This was my favourite car of all time in those days. Tom Corcoran's Formula Junior Lola.
II used to drive it around the garage forecourt ( minus it's panels).
When Johnny Martin bought the ex Mackay Lola Sports - we had it at the garage for a while.
Max Stahl in the Ex Brian Muir FX Holden. I was the working with Ray Eldershaw and we had this car to look after when Brian drove it.
The ex Don Swanton Lotus XI from Victoria. Tom Corcoran owned it we had it at the garage.
Some of my Pit Crew memorabilia from those great days of Aussie Road Racing at Mt Panorama Bathurst.
From those early first meetings at Warwick Farm.
From the Gnoo Blas circuit at Orange NSW.
Bathurst - I worked on three of the race cars in this photo. ( at different periods ) The Leaton Mtrs Lotus XV # 87 - the Leaton Mtrs D- type Jaguar # 86 - and Holt's Gladiator # 26.
The Leaton Mtrs. D-type Jaguar on the grid at Bathurst.
In 1961 I went to work at Leaton Mtrs. Banksia at the invite of Frank Matich. I stayed at Leaton's for the whole of 1961 then went back to Neutral Bay to work for Ray Eldershaw.
The Leaton Mtrs Lotus XV
The green Lotus 19 Monte Carlo in it's original from as landed with big screen. When I joined Frank Matich's employ in 1962 I worked on this car at his Total garage at Punchbowl.
Frank in the 19 at Warwick Farm. After an accident in practice at the Farm in 1963 the 19 was rebuilt into the blue bodied 19B.
Working on the 19 at Punchbowl. The Lotus sequential gearbox can be seen on the floor top left.
We had three Elfins to prepare and race in 1962 a Junior, a 1500 and a Clubman.
Frank on pole at Catalina - Katoomba in one of the Elfins.
On that day he drove 4 different cars and won 7 races out of 11 in 4 different cars.
Mt Panorama - Bathurst NSW - I had the responsibility of preparing this Renault R8 for Frank and George Murray to drive in the first 500 at Bathurst.
L to R: Carl Kennedy, George in dressing gown ! I'm 4th head from left over the back and Bruce Richardson is far right.
Frank in the R8 # 29 leads two Cortinas through Murray's Corner at Bathurst 1963.
Frank Matich and the BT7A Brabham at Sandown. The painted gold nose was the result of the car coming loose in the trailer and hitting the back door
on the way to Warwick Farm for private practice 1963.
Bib Stillwell # 6 and Frank braking hard for Creek Corner Warwick Farm - Hordern Trophy 1963 - Frank's first race in the Brabham, he and Stillwell tangled a few minutes later putting Frank and the Brabham out.
Frank - myself and Bruce - private practice Warwick Farm 1963.
My own race car , although only for vintage demonstrations, no racing, was the Bill Goode Golden Fleece Falcon Special - Queensland # 5. I ran Q5 in Vintage for 9 years.
I was General Manager of BC Motorsports in Sydney - agent for the US Gambler Sprintcars. Three versions of USA # 2 and the 372 Gaerte( $68,000) engine.
American Danny Smith - in the BC FlameCar USA 2 - Danny was the most successful driver for BC.
BC ran an ex Garry Rush car with Garry Jnr.
Peter Murphy drove for BC in # 13.
Trevor Green in BC # 7
Peter Murphy drove USA 2 in 2004.
Tony Pryor and Lynton Jeffrey both drove BC # 81.
Phil Gressman USA
Bill Goode and Q5 at the Sydney Showground Speedway in 1962.
He and Q5 ran 3rd. in the
1962 Speedcar AGP.
