The 1965 Australian Touring Car Championship was the first Australian Touring Car Championship

Australian Touring Car Championship

The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...

 to be contested under Group C

Group C (Australia)

In relation to Australian motorsport, Group C refers to either of two sets of regulations devised by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport for use in Australian touring car racing from 1965 to 1984...

 regulations. The championship was contested over a single race staged at Sandown International Raceway. The championship was won by Norm Beechey

Norm Beechey

Norm Beechey was an Australian race car driver, given the nickname "Stormin Norman". To some, he was the closest thing Holden had to a star racing driver, before Peter Brock. Beechey competed in the Australian Touring Car Championship from 1963 to 1972 winning the title in 1965 driving a Ford...

 driving a Ford Mustang

Ford Mustang (first generation)

The first-generation Ford Mustang is the original pony car, manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1964 until 1973.It was initially introduced as a hardtop and convertible with the fastback version put on sale the following year...

, the first victory by a V8 car and the first of five title to be won by Mustangs. It was Beechey's first title.

Race summary

The change in regulations had penalised most heavily those driving Holdens, like Norm Beechey and Brian Muir, and Bob Jane's Jaguar, as the practice of overboring engines was effectively outlawed. So 4.1 litre Jaguars and 3.4 litre Holdens were now illegal.

Bob Jane

Bob Jane

Robert "Bob" Jane is an Australian former race car driver and prominent businessman. A four-time winner of the Armstrong 500, the race that became the prestigious Bathurst 1000 and a four-time Australian Touring Car Champion, Jane is perhaps known best nowadays for his chain of tyre retailers,...

 took pole position in his Mustang which had been acquired only weeks prior to the race after Beechey's early season form had demonstrated the clear superiority of a Mustang over the class leading Ford Cortinas and Morris Cooper S racers. After Beecheys had mechanical problems in practice second fastest was the Ford Galaxie

Ford Galaxie

The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car built in the United States by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1959 through 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford’s full-size range from 1959 until 1961, in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race...

 of John Reaburn, four second slower than Jane.

Jane won the start with Muir up to second ahead of Reaburn, Ian Geoghegan

Ian Geoghegan

Ian "Pete" Geoghegan, was an Australian race car driver, known for a quick wit and natural driving skills. Geoghegan was one of the iconic characters of the 1960s and 1970s Australian motor racing scene...

 in his Ford Cortina

Ford Cortina

As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...

 and Beechey was quickly up to fifth from his rear of grid start. Beechey was leading by lap seven. By then Reaburn was fading with brake problems and Jane was starting to overheat. He pitted to retire on lap 23. Geoghegan battled with Jim McKeown

Jim McKeown (racing driver)

Jim McKeown was an Australian racing driver who competed in the Australian Touring Car Championship from 1964 to 1972, with a best finish of 2nd in the 1970 title...

 for second after Beechey backed of once he had lapped the field. McKeown had engone failure in the late running in his Cortina, leaving Geoghegan second. Muir and rookie Canadian Allan Moffat

Allan Moffat

Allan George Moffat, OBE is an Australian racing driver known for his four wins in the Australian Touring Car Championship, six wins in the Sandown 500 and his four wins in the Bathurst 1000...

 in his Cortina fought over third until Muir picked up the pace late in the race to secure third.

Results

Pole position: Bob Jane

Bob Jane

Robert "Bob" Jane is an Australian former race car driver and prominent businessman. A four-time winner of the Armstrong 500, the race that became the prestigious Bathurst 1000 and a four-time Australian Touring Car Champion, Jane is perhaps known best nowadays for his chain of tyre retailers,...

Race results:

Position	Driver	No.	Car	Laps
1	Norm Beechey Norm Beechey Norm Beechey was an Australian race car driver, given the nickname "Stormin Norman". To some, he was the closest thing Holden had to a star racing driver, before Peter Brock. Beechey competed in the Australian Touring Car Championship from 1963 to 1972 winning the title in 1965 driving a Ford...	4	Ford Mustang Ford Mustang (first generation) The first-generation Ford Mustang is the original pony car, manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1964 until 1973.It was initially introduced as a hardtop and convertible with the fastback version put on sale the following year...	40
2	Ian Geoghegan Ian Geoghegan Ian "Pete" Geoghegan, was an Australian race car driver, known for a quick wit and natural driving skills. Geoghegan was one of the iconic characters of the 1960s and 1970s Australian motor racing scene...	1	Ford Cortina Lotus Ford Cortina As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...	39
3	Brian Muir	10	Holden EH S4 Holden EH The Holden EH is an automobile which was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1963 to 1965.The EH was released in August 1963 replacing the Holden EJ series and was the first Holden to incorporate the new "Red" motor. This new "Red" motor featured 7 main bearings as opposed to 4...
4	Allan Moffat Allan Moffat Allan George Moffat, OBE is an Australian racing driver known for his four wins in the Australian Touring Car Championship, six wins in the Sandown 500 and his four wins in the Bathurst 1000...	18	Ford Cortina Lotus Ford Cortina As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
5	John Raeburn	21	Ford Galaxie Ford Galaxie The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car built in the United States by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1959 through 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford’s full-size range from 1959 until 1961, in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race...
6	Peter Manton	9	Morris Cooper S Mini The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
DNF	Bob Jane Bob Jane Robert "Bob" Jane is an Australian former race car driver and prominent businessman. A four-time winner of the Armstrong 500, the race that became the prestigious Bathurst 1000 and a four-time Australian Touring Car Champion, Jane is perhaps known best nowadays for his chain of tyre retailers,...	5	Ford Mustang Ford Mustang (first generation) The first-generation Ford Mustang is the original pony car, manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1964 until 1973.It was initially introduced as a hardtop and convertible with the fastback version put on sale the following year...
DNF	Jim McKeown Jim McKeown (racing driver) Jim McKeown was an Australian racing driver who competed in the Australian Touring Car Championship from 1964 to 1972, with a best finish of 2nd in the 1970 title...	3	Ford Cortina Lotus Ford Cortina As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
?	Brian Foley		Morris Cooper S Mini The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
?	Clem Smith		Chrysler Valiant Chrysler Valiant The Chrysler Valiant is a passenger car which was introduced by Chrysler Australia in 1962 with production ceasing in 1981. Initially a rebadged locally assembled Plymouth Valiant from the U.S., the Valiant range was sold throughout Australia and New Zealand, as well as South Africa...
?	John Harvey		Austin Cooper S Mini The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
?	Jim Russell		Morris Cooper S Mini The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
?	Stan Starcevich		Holden EH S4 Holden EH The Holden EH is an automobile which was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1963 to 1965.The EH was released in August 1963 replacing the Holden EJ series and was the first Holden to incorporate the new "Red" motor. This new "Red" motor featured 7 main bearings as opposed to 4...
?	Robin Pare		Ford Cortina Lotus Ford Cortina As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
?	Ken Hastings		Holden EH S4 Holden EH The Holden EH is an automobile which was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1963 to 1965.The EH was released in August 1963 replacing the Holden EJ series and was the first Holden to incorporate the new "Red" motor. This new "Red" motor featured 7 main bearings as opposed to 4...
?	Ron McLean		Holden EH S4 Holden EH The Holden EH is an automobile which was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1963 to 1965.The EH was released in August 1963 replacing the Holden EJ series and was the first Holden to incorporate the new "Red" motor. This new "Red" motor featured 7 main bearings as opposed to 4...
?	Rick Roberts		Chrysler Valiant Chrysler Valiant The Chrysler Valiant is a passenger car which was introduced by Chrysler Australia in 1962 with production ceasing in 1981. Initially a rebadged locally assembled Plymouth Valiant from the U.S., the Valiant range was sold throughout Australia and New Zealand, as well as South Africa...
?	Ewan Frazer		Morris Cooper S Mini The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
?	Peter Harding	12	Holden FJ Holden FJ The Holden FJ series is a range of motor vehicles which was produced in Australia by General Motors-Holden’s from 1953 to 1957. The FJ was the second model of an "all Australian car" manufactured by Holden and was based upon the established 48-215 series, commonly referred to as the “FX”...