Biggest Historic race meeting ever in Australia

[John Fusco]

Great shots. Thanks Lisa.
You must have your hands full with that pair - the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree does it.

John

[lisa_spyder]

Question for you-- Did the Norton Manx use the Norton motorcycle tranny and a chain drive, or something else? This was a '50s F3 car, correct? I didn't realize what a long history of using MC engines in small race cars there has been.

TT

Hi Tom,

The Cooper had a Manx chain driven gearbox with a Daytona first gear from memory....and I think you're right - it is listed in the program as a 1953 Cooper MK7. I gravitated towards it because it was running a 500 single and I knew it was a Norton when I first looked (I have a real soft spot for Nortons and BSA's and the like ).

We were chatting to the guys about the car and the next thing I know the kids were "plopped" in the car for pics - they didn't need to be asked twice by the owner !

Like everything that was there it was a beautifully prepared car...I'm hoping to see it again at the 30th anniversary Historic Winton late in May. Now this is a whole different gig to the Island. Short track (which I love - cut my teeth at Winton )...much more pre-war stuff and bikes and sidecars...and the bike boys really race! I love the car stuff, but the historic bikes are a big turn on at this circuit. Last year I'm standing next to the dummy grid and there were 6 Indians no less lined up! It's a great meeting - there's not a lot of "them and us" going on between the bikers and car guys. Everyone gets into the whole weekend's racing and no-one misses the sidecars!

Cheers,

[lisa_spyder]

You must have your hands full with that pair - the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree does it.

John

John,

I hardly saw the older one Tom all weekend...when I was off in the pits, he was manning our TYP901 display (he wanted to - isn't that great!)...then on Sunday he walked the entire perimeter of the circuit (nearly 5km) just to get the best viewing spots - good on him !

Billy loved the whole weekend - but Charlotte was the biggest surprise. All the kids love going to the track, but she transformed into a racing addict - she dragged Mike through the pits several times and then Hugh. She couldn't get enough of it. Like I said on our TYP901 board it was deja vue of the sweetest kind. I watched her lead Hugh off by the hand (he didn't take much convincing )...I did exactly that with Dad when I was her age . Mike and I count ourselves very lucky that the kids have embraced our passions.

Cheers,

[lisa_spyder]

How about some Aussie muscle? I was Charlotte's age when these cars were kings in the touring car class...I remember going to Calder Park to watch the HDT team run away...man they were fast and they still sound as fantastic now as they did back then...a lot of you will recognise the name Ron Harrop of Harrop Engineering. There's another famous Aussie name on that board - Peter Brock. Brock won 9 Bathursts and then a 10th (but in the 24 hour race, not the 1000). He was there on the weekend competing in another A9X Torana; he set a new lap record for the class on 7 1/2 cylinders! As a kid, John Harvey was my idol...anywhere Harves was racing I wanted to be there too...

[spydr32000]

This should be a familiar look. This Camaro is a 427 and won the Australian Touring car Championship in the hands of Bob Jane, Who still owns it.The year was, I think 1970 or 1971, from memory.

[HughH]

some of the action from phillip island last weekend...
a K3 chasing a Lola T610
the cockpit of a 1957 Kurtis 500 indy car

an Elfin repco MS7 on the track

[HughH]

a Lola T70 Mk 3B on the track
a K3 in action and
a Repco brabham BT24

[ttweed]

...it is listed in the program as a 1953 Cooper MK7. I gravitated towards it because it was running a 500 single and I knew it was a Norton when I first looked (I have a real soft spot for Nortons and BSA's and the like)

I don't know how many of these cars are still around, but it seems to me this may very well be the Bernie Allen Mk7 Cooper/Norton which won the 750 Trophy championship in England in 1998. See this website. It says the car went on to race in Australia. Except for the #9 instead of 19, it looks very similar. Apparently, he was given "exclusive Norton factory approval to manufacture 1961-62 new replica Manx Nortons in 1989" and has built 50+ engines since then.

[Jim Garfield]

That Repco Brabham is stunning! What a beautiful machine.

[lisa_spyder]

some of the action from phillip island last weekend...
a K3 chasing a Lola T610

And who was at the wheel of that particular K3? None other than Juergen Barth...funny in the next couple of races Herr B was a little further back in the pack - maybe someone dialled the boost back on him !

I don't know how many of these cars are still around, but it seems to me this may very well be the Bernie Allen Mk7 Cooper/Norton.. It says the car went on to race in Australia. Except for the #9 instead of 19, it looks very similar.

Tom you've set me some homework ...it does indeed look like the same car. You've raised my curiosity now so I'll see what I can find out and report back...

Cheers,
Lisa