Article: 1964 Australian Touring Car Championship

[Steve Holmes]

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From the years 1960 to 1968, the Australian Touring Car Championship was decided by a single race, rather than a series of races hosted by several tracks. Touring car racing was rapidly growing in stature and popularity in Australia in the early '60s. Evolving from a novelty to keep punters entertained in between the open wheeler races, which were the main draw-card, so touring car racing quickly grew into something that could stand on its own.

The location for each years Australian Touring Car Championship race changed. In 1960, the first ever ATCC was held at the New South Wales venue Gnoo Blas. A fairly basic layout in a rough triangle shape with very long straights, the lengthy 6.03km circuit favoured the Jaguars, which completely dominated the 75km event, with David McKay heading home Bill Pitt and Ron Hodgson, who were all Jaguar mounted.

For 1961, the ATCC moved to the 4.54km Lowood circuit in Queensland, and again Jaguars filled the top three positions, with Pitt leading pole sitter Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan, and Hodgson. The race length was just over 81km. Jaguars filled the top five grid positions, and the fastest non-Jag was the Holden FJ of Bob Holden, a full 17.6sec off Geoghegans pole time!

The massive 7.24km (of which more than half was public roads) Longford circuit in Tasmania hosted the 1962 ATCC, and again Jaguars dominated the results, with Bob Jane beating Pitt and Bill Burns. In fact, Jane had annihilated the opposition, which should have featured strong performances from both Geoghegan and Norm Beechey. Beechey had imported a big Chevy Impala from the US, cleverly identifying this as a weapon that might finally have the muscle to take on the Jag’s. But the Impala was a no-show at Longford. Geoghegans very quick Jaguar suffered axle failure in practice and was withdrawn from the race.

[Steve Holmes]

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The 1963 ATCC was held at the sweeping Mallala circuit, and again Jane won. And he did so with ease. But now the opposition was changing. Janes was the only Jaguar entered. The big disappointment was the non-appearance of Beecheys Impala, which throughout the later half of 1962 and early part of 1963, had really taken the battle to Jane. But the Impala popped its motor at Calder just two weeks prior to the big ATCC encounter, and replacement parts couldn’t be sourced in time, so the Chevy was withdrawn. Ern Abbott and Alan Smith rounded out the podium spots in a pair of Valiants.

And so it was the beautiful Lakeside circuit in Queensland hosted the 1964 Australian Touring Car Championship. And it was a ripper of a race. As highly respected Australian motor racing journalist Graham Howard wrote, “The Lakeside race in July 1964 for the fifth ATCC was, at last, the championship race the title deserved. Hard-fought, well driven, with a nicely varied bunch of challengers and an almost incredible race story, it was everything touring car racing had by then become in Australia”.

Indeed, having won the last two ATCC titles, Jane, whose Jaguar motor was now stretched out to 4.1 litres, had challengers coming from every direction, in a great variety of vehicles. Jim McKeown was entered for Lakeside in the first Lotus Cortina to be raced in Australia. Although purpose-built racing versions could be ordered, McKeown instead purchased a stock road car, and modified it for racing. His performances with this car got the attention of several other teams. Pete Geoghegan had retired his Jaguar, and purchased a Cortina GT, with pushrod 1,600cc motor. But he soon placed an order for one of the racing Lotus Cortina’s, as did Jane. But these new cars were slow in arriving, and neither Geoghegan nor Jane had taken stock of their machines when the ATCC at Lakeside arrived. So Geoghegan would race his Cortina GT, Jane his Jag.

[Steve Holmes]

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McKeown was part of the 3-car Neptune Racing Team, which also included Mini Cooper S pilot Peter Manton, and Beechey. Beechey was still tinkering with big American V8 cars, trying to gain an edge over the dominant Jaguars, and even tried a massive Ford Galaxie. However, for the ’64 ATCC, he’d be armed with one of Holdens new S4’s, the performance variant of the EH-179. Also S4 mounted was Brian Muir, with a Waggott fettled example entered by 1960 ATCC winner David McKays Scuderia Veloce team. With the S4, Beechey and Muir were the equal of any touring car in Australia, and really had Jane battling to stay ahead.

On many of the small and medium length tracks, the flying Mini Coopers were always in the hunt for outright contention. Manton, Brian Foley, John French and others were importing the top gear for the little bricks, including crankshafts to bring their motors out to 1,275cc. Clem Smith was entered for Lakeside in a Valiant, Harry Firth and Glyn Scott in Cortina GTs (Firth’s was the car he’d race at Bathurst, so not as modified as the Appendix J cars he was racing against in the ATCC). Also entered were some of the fastest of the ‘humpy’ FX Holdens in Australia, including those of Barry Seton (ex-Spencer Martin), Des West, and Warren Weldon (ex-Brian Muir).

[Steve Holmes]

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The picturesque Lakeside circuit, which first opened in 1961, was the shortest yet for an ATCC race, at just 2.41km. Its sweeping layout and elevation changes was something akin to a rollercoaster ride, and offered a real challenge for drivers, but was also a hugely satisfying track on which to race. It was not as much a horsepower circuit as some Australian tracks, although power was still important here, but a driver needed a car that stopped and turned well.

The 1964 Australian Touring Car Championship would be contested over 50 laps, for a total distance of 120.5km.

Just prior to leaving for Queensland for the big ATCC race, Geoghegan took the teams Cortina GT to Oran Park to run some test laps, and managed to tip it on its lid. A replacement press-fleet GT road car was rushed to the teams base from Ford in Melbourne, from which their challenger was hastily rebuilt, adding to their stresses.

Come practice, and Jane was the fastest car on track, clocking in a best of 1:08.7. Muir was second fastest for much of the session, but a full second off Jane, while Beechey was next (1:09.8), followed by Firth, Manton (both on 1:10.3), Foley (1:10.4), and McKeown (1:10.8), and an impressive Ron Clarke, on 1:11.0 in his Cooper S. But then Geoghegan punched in a series of laps late in the session to leap-frog everyone except Jane.

[Steve Holmes]

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Actual grid positions would be based on the finishing positions from a series of preliminary heats based on the four classes. Only 20 cars would take the start for the ATCC race, and not finishing the heat could spell disaster. The under 1,300cc heat was won narrowly by Manton, from Foley, and Clarke. McKeown, who’d had a troubled time of it in practice, came good in the 1,301 - 2,000cc heat, and after a coming together with Geoghegan, went on to win, setting a new touring car lap record in the process, of 1:08.2. Meanwhile, Seton won the 2,001 – 2,600cc heat, after Weldon retired with a broken gearbox, and as a result, would not be eligible to start. In the over 2,600cc heat, Jane triumphed over early leaders Muir and Beechey.

In a very kind gesture, local driver Bob Lidgate withdrew his entry following his 2,001 – 2,600cc heat, to allow the much faster Weldon, who’d travelled from interstate, back into the main ATCC race.

And so, the grid was finally set, with the Cortina’s of McKeown and Geoghegan occupying the front row, ahead of Jane and Muir on row two, Beechey and Manton on row three, Foley and Firth on row four, and Scott and Smith rounding out the top ten. Weldon would be forced to start off the rear in 20th.

At the drop of the flag, McKeown was swamped, as the big-bore machines of Muir and Jane burst through from the second row to lead the field through the first left-hand kink, and up to the Karussell. Beechey muscled past Geoghegan to take third, and McKeown tucked in behind the blue Holden to exit the Karussell in fourth, while the rest of the field jostled for position. At the end of lap one, the first five cars had already pulled out a small margin on the chasing pack, with Muir in front, chased hard by Jane, then Beechey, McKeown, and Geoghegan.

[Steve Holmes]

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On the second lap, Smith smacked the outside bank at Hungry Corner heavily in his Valiant, and there the big machine sat for the duration.

Then McKeown got his head down and got stuck in, and went by first Beechey, then Jane, to take up the fight to the flying Muir. On lap 7, the little blue Lotus Cortina burst through to the front, while behind Muir, Jane was having to work hard to hold Beechey and Geoghegan at bay. Next was Firth, a full 8sec in arrears, but ahead of the charging Mini’s of Manton and Foley, then Seton and Scott.

Muir dropped to third on lap 11, as Jane pushed past, but a lap later, McKeown overcooked it at the Karussell, and dropped back behind the red S4. Now Jane was in front, and here many expected him to stay. But this race was far from over.

On lap 15, Weldon, who’d started off the back of the grid following his heat dnf, had been working steadily through the field, until joining the Smith Valiant at Hungry, clobbering the bank after locking a brake, and tipping the Holden over on its side.

[Steve Holmes]

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Then, just five laps later, with Beechey piling on the pressure in fourth spot, and eager to move forward, McKeown, in third, clipped Weldon’s stricken Holden, and turned hard into the bank, heavily damaging the suspension, and was also out.

By lap 25, Jane was circulating out front, and seemingly in control. Muir was chasing hard, 100 or so meters behind, and keeping up the pressure, while Beechey found himself back in fourth once again, as Geoghegan moved up one spot in the little Cortina GT.

But on lap 31, Jane began to slow, as the Jaguar struck clutch problems. Muir quickly caught up, then went by to take the lead once more. Geoghegan went past a lap later, then Beechey the lap after that. Jane’s shot at winning three consecutive ATCC titles was slipping away as his clutch slowly failed, and his rivals disappeared up the road in front of him. Further back, behind the lone Firth Cortina, Foley had got ahead of Manton in their own private class battle, ahead of Scott, Seton, and Clarke.

So now Muir was in control, and for the first time in ATCC history, it appeared an Australian car may win the title. This likelihood strengthened when Beechey moved back ahead of Geoghegan for second, and the red and blue S4’s swept around the pretty little Lakeside layout as they counted down the laps.

But on lap 37, Muir’s title hopes also evaporated. Heading into the race, Muir made the decision to fit his Holden with the soft and grippy T5 Goodyear Bluestreak tyres, confident they’d last the full 50 laps. Beechey, on the other hand, went for the harder T4 option. But Muir’s left rear was taking a beating around the challenging Lakeside track, and suddenly he felt it go soft. He darted into the pits for a replacement, but this was not the work of a moment. The rules required that any replacement tyre fitted must be the spare. Crewman Barry Jackson threw fellow crewman Ken Ibbottson what he thought were the keys to open the trunk lid, but they turned out to be the keys for his motel room! The team scrambled for what seemed an eternity, and two laps went by before Muir returned to the track. His race was run.

[Steve Holmes]

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So now Beechey was in front for the first time, but only just. Geoghegan had stayed within striking distance since the blue S4 went by at the halfway point, and now, began to ramp up the pressure. He lifted the little black Cortina back up to latch onto the rear of the Holden, and Beechey really began to push, slipping and sliding, kicking up dirt, and doing everything in his power to stay ahead. This lasted another five laps, until on lap 43, Geoghegan snuck through. Beechey wasn’t about to give up though, he tried hard to put Geoghegan off his game, and kept the pressure on throughout the final 7 laps, but Geoghegan stayed in front, and crossed the line as the 1964 Australian Touring Car Champion. Beechey was just 1sec behind at the finish, and it’d be another six years before an Australian car (fittingly with Beechey at the wheel) would finally win the ATCC for the first time.

Jane struggled home in third, nearly 30sec behind, and virtually with no clutch, while Firth spun away fourth spot, allowing the battling Foley and Manton by. Scott was next, followed by Muir, French, Seton, and the recovering Firth, who rounded out the top ten.

And so, Geoghegan had taken his very first Australian Touring Car Championship, the first of five. It was something of an upset win, and surely his little pushrod Cortina wasn’t quite the match for the big Jag and more powerful Holden’s. But this race had proven anything but typical, with multiple leaders, and drama throughout. The reign of the Jaguar had ended. Indeed, this was but a brief window, when a 4 cylinder car would win the coveted ATCC, preceding more than two decades of V8 and 6 cylinder domination. It would be 1986, 22 years later, and in the high-tech and largely foreign world of Group A, that a car powered by a 4 cylinder motor, albeit with a turbocharger hanging off it, would win the ATCC again.

My thanks to Peter Mellor (Roaring Season member mid-year) for supplying these beautiful photos.

[Oldfart]

Yet another superb literary piece from our leader.

[zombie289]

Awsome piece steve!

[hilstwist]

Thanks Steve very interesting article and nice photos too

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed it.

Also, I got a pm from Ellis, who told me the Longford track was actually 100% made up of public roads, not as I'd described. I'd read that approx 4.5km of it was public roads. Thanks for correcting me on this Ellis. It really makes much more sense that the whole thing be public roads rather than just a section of it.

[GD66]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KuiqYqWHdY

Get this into ya ! A lap of Longford with fat V8 tones...

[Steve Holmes]

Wow! That is awesome. And quite scary! You REALLY wouldn't want to have anything go wrong around there.

[Steve Holmes]

Neat photo here from the Bob Jane Racing Heritage, from the Lakeside ATCC race. Here Bob Jane leads Brian Muir, Norm Beechey, Jim McKeown, Pete Geoghegan, Peter Manton, Harry Firth, Brian Foley and the rest following the completion of what was probably the first lap.

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[superroo69]

Good stuff there Steve... and well done Pete on getting the photos. Just to add a little detail to the article, I thought you might like to see the programme cover and the full entrant information. Also thought I would add the previous Lap Records, to show how much quicker some of these guys were going.

Cheers

Paul
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[Steve Holmes]

Wow, Paul, thanks so much for posting these. Really great reading and very interesting to see the rest of the entry trying to get into the main race.

[mid-year]

Hi Paul,love your work.

Regards Pete.

[bry3500]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXR_6_5BKtc&list=HL1364869429

[Steve Holmes]

Wow, just brilliant!