Photos: The Bruce Wells Collection - Warwick Farm - Part 5

[Steve Holmes]

Well, we're winding down towards the end of the Bruce Wells Collection of historic Australian motor racing photos. Only a couple of chapters left. Bruce quit motorsport photography when he left Sydney and moved to Kempsey, about 450km North, in 1967. I for one will be sad once Bruce's full collection is all uploaded here, as I've really enjoyed working through his stunning images. But the flip-side is that there will be a huge archive of historic motor racing photos for people to sift through on here for years to come.

This latest chapter is from Warwick Farm. Its only a short chapter, just 21 photos, and takes in the 1967 Australian Grand Prix. The 1967 AGP was won by Jackie Stewart, in a BRM. Stewart, incidentally, also qualified on pole. Jim Clark finished second, with Frank Gardner coming home third in the Alec Mildren run Brabham. There are also a couple of touring car and sports car photos thrown in for good measure.

Anyway, enjoy these.

[Steve Holmes]

OK, lets kick things off with a little touring car action. I am taking a punt here that this is Bruce Hindhaugh in the Hillman Imp. Can someone here confirm or correct this?

[Steve Holmes]

This is Brian Lawler, in the infamous 'Faltang', a Falcon hardtop fitted with a small block Ford V8. It was, essentially, a very early Sports Sedan, although I believe such cars were labelled Sports Racing Closed at the time?

Note the Mustang badge in the grille.

[Ellis]

#2

It looks like one of the 2 Graham Ritter Castrol Imps....the lesser developed one in background with no chrome strip along the side.
It may be Bruce but doesnt really look like him to me.


Hume Weir 12/66

[Cooper997]

The Imp and Facon photos are probably from the same race - Event 5 Touring Car Race (Improved Production & Sports Closed).

"#18 Hillman Imp Racing Team (Dvr. B Hindhaugh) (Vic) Hillman Imp 898 Green/White" For the record Graham Ritter is listed as #17 with a capacity for his Imp at 1025cc.

Lawler is an entry but as #41 White Falcon V8 in Event 2. But in the photo shown it appears to be #28. That makes it "Ray Morris Motor Conversions P/L (Dvr. R/B Morris) Ford Falcon V8 4700 Red/ Black" So if it isn't Ray driving, it could be his son, then future Bathurst winner, Bob steering. Shown in the same photo is "#24 Tower Auto Port (Dvr. J Griffiths) Lotus Anglia T/C 1598 Yellow/Blue" and I think it's "#4 Waggot Engineer.(Dvr. G Ryan/ B Seton) Holden EH 179 2930 Maroon/White" There are 2 other EH's listed.

Stephen

[Greg Mackie]

Stephen, that would be Ray Morris....looks a bit old to be Bob.

They ran a RHD conversion & car A/C business at Taren Point [Sydney].

Ray also raced Karts, and because of CAMS rule about 'illegal' non-CAMS events, he used [from memory?] "The Masked Avenger" as his Kart-driver's name. Everyone knew who was behind that mask!

[Cooper997]

I'd say you're right Greg. Bob was still a teenager when this meeting took place.

Stephen

[Terry S]

Stephen, that would be Ray Morris....looks a bit old to be Bob.

They ran a RHD conversion & car A/C business at Taren Point [Sydney].

Ray also raced Karts, and because of CAMS rule about 'illegal' non-CAMS events, he used [from memory?] "The Masked Avenger" as his Kart-driver's name. Everyone knew who was behind that mask!

Yes Greg, it is definitely Ray Morris, and confirmed by reports of the time.
Their business was on the corner of Taren Point Road and Paraweena Road. I remember well because my father took his Dodge Phoenix there for air conditioning service and I went along as often as I could to see what was in the workshop. In those days car air conditioning was mostly after market and they specialised in Mark IV.

Their interest in karting came from there being a kart track about 2 or 3 blocks to the east on Paraweena Rd and apparently young Bob spent a lot of time there. Long since gone for a factory.

The story of the Faltang is interesting. It was originally developed to be a wild pig shooting car in the outback, so had auto transmission and a very large fuel tank. Before finished it was decided to use on track and was entered in the first Surfers Paradise 12 hour race, and driven by Ray and Laurie Stewart. Other competitors were Ford GT 40, Ferrari P2 and LM 250, and Mini Moke.
The class changed names many times over the years some including Sports Racing Closed and Sports-Closed. Now Sports Sedans At Surfers it was in the Sports/Racing over 2000cc class.

Then raced by Ray in 1967 before being sold to Brian Lawler. He raced for a couple of years but could never get it to handle. Sold it to Wayne Rogerson who eventually wrote it off (at Catalina I think). He used the components in his very sucessful Falcon Sports sedan.

[darren]

Terry, I'm fairly sure the 'Faltang' did have an 'armco ride' at Catalina Park but was repaired. I'm certain it was written off at Bathurst by Wayne Rogerson. I know I have the info somewhere, just have to dig it out when I get back home.

[Greg Mackie]

Darren, it was up on the mountain, up from 'The Cutting' that Wayne messed up the Falcon.

Terry, I was a customer of Hunt Bros., Miranda back when Ray Morris built the Falcon. The 'spare parts' rep. was not happy with Ray, when after buying a bonnet, doors, and boot lid, he sent them back for credit. Problem was the panels were 'covered' in release agent and bits of fibre-glass!

Both Ray and Bob were members of the Sutherland Shire Automobile Club....along with quite a few more race drivers back then.

Greg

[Terry S]

The Imp and Facon photos are probably from the same race - Event 5 Touring Car Race (Improved Production & Sports Closed).

"#18 Hillman Imp Racing Team (Dvr. B Hindhaugh) (Vic) Hillman Imp 898 Green/White" For the record Graham Ritter is listed as #17 with a capacity for his Imp at 1025cc.

Lawler is an entry but as #41 White Falcon V8 in Event 2. But in the photo shown it appears to be #28. That makes it "Ray Morris Motor Conversions P/L (Dvr. R/B Morris) Ford Falcon V8 4700 Red/ Black" So if it isn't Ray driving, it could be his son, then future Bathurst winner, Bob steering. Shown in the same photo is "#24 Tower Auto Port (Dvr. J Griffiths) Lotus Anglia T/C 1598 Yellow/Blue" and I think it's "#4 Waggot Engineer.(Dvr. G Ryan/ B Seton) Holden EH 179 2930 Maroon/White" There are 2 other EH's listed.

Stephen

The Brian Lawler car in race 2 was a very standard Falcon WR with a 289. The Falcon GT had not yet been released.
This race was for "Series Production" with very limited changes, whereas in race 5 "sports-Closed" was basically anything goes.
There was a colossal difference between these two classes.
I doubt if Warwick Farm ever ran races just for Sports Closed as they never considered them "pukka" enough"
They just used them to complete fields, when they wouldn't threaten the leaders. Although Laurie Stewart in the Broadspeed Mini did come 3rd outright in this race.
Geoghegan was on pole in Mustang, and this was one of the very very few races he did not finish, retiring on lap 7 with a blown head gasket. The race was won by Gardner in Mildren's RHD Alfa GTA.

By the way Cooper 997 just for interest were you at this meeting?

[Cooper997]

Terry,

I wish I was old enough to have gone to see some of these great cars and drivers in period. So I just remain envious of you guys who did. Which means I have to rely on old race programmes and period magazines collected over time.

Stephen

[Steve Holmes]

Awesome info guys, thanks heaps.

[Steve Holmes]

I originally assumed this was Kevin Bartlett in the Alec Mildern Alfa, but Terry has posted above that the Alfa was being driven by Frank Gardner at this event (thanks Terry). Looks like Brian Foley chasing hard in the Cooper S. Boy this photo has some drama to it! Just look at the attitude on the Mini.

[Peddler]

Phenomenal picture. Never mind the car's attitude, check the driver hanging out the window. As an old mini racer who got regular grief from my team for leaning about in the car, I feel happier now I can see even Brian Foley was a leaner. And just to be an old git, I wish you luck seeing such animation in modern race cars.

[Steve Holmes]

Yes, completely agree re the driver attitude, and especially compared to the set-up in modern race cars, where the drivers look as though they're about to be fired off to the moon!

[Steve Holmes]

Here is Pete Geoghegan in the Mustang, which, as already noted above, didn't reach the finish. You can see here the mild flares the Mustang had fitted in early 1967, to clear the tyres. I thought it looked great in this guise. It was also now sporting green stripes for Castrol in place of the blue and red of Total. Just to the very left edge of shot you can see smoke pouring from the outside tyre of a chasing car. My guess would be this is one of the Mini's, possibly Foley.

[Steve Holmes]

More touring car action. Hopefully someone here can ID these drivers?

[Cooper997]

Brlliant stuff! Absolutely perfect shot Bruce has achieved with the above. This shows the affordability to go racing in that era to perfection.

There's a pretty good chance this is Event 2 - Touring Car Race for "HMV" Trophy (Series Production) 5 laps.
#48 Don Holland Motors(Dvr: D Holland/H Vines Morris Cooper S 1310 white/black
#50 J Leffler/L Carne Morris Cooper S 1275 blue/white
#61 Selby's Steer. & Susp. Svce. (Dvr: D Selby) Morris Cooper S 1098 green/white
#57 Nuford Motors (Dvr: J Kinsey) Ford Cortina GT 1498 blue/white
#45 M S Bailey/J Hicks Prince Skyline GT 1988 grey
#54 J Kennedy Morris Cooper S 1275 green/white
#49 Frank Matich Pty Ltd (Dvr: F Matich) Morris Cooper S 1310 white/green

Going by the results written into the programme, show the finishing order was Holland, Matich, Selby & Leffler. But I haven't checked RCN if this is accurate. The photo shows Frank on a mission!

Stephen

[Steve Holmes]

Stephen, you beauty! That is great info! Matich must have really been gunning it to come right through for 2nd.