1966 Australian Touring Car Championship
Encyclopedia
The 1966 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS
sanctioned motor racing title open to Group C Improved Production Touring Cars. The championship was contested over a single 75 mile race staged at the Mount Panorama Circuit
near Bathurst
in New South Wales
, Australia
on Easter Monday, 11 April 1966. It was the seventh Australian Touring Car Championship
. Ian Geoghegan
, driving a Ford Mustang
claimed his second Australian Touring Car Championship
victory, the first of four consecutive titles he would achieve in Mustangs.
practiced two cars, choosing to start the more powerful Chevrolet Chevy II Nova over his Mustang despite the Mustang recording the faster lap time. Beechey led the race until after half race distance after Geoghegan increased his pace to haul in Beechey's lead. Beechey faded after Geoghegan took the lead on lap 14. Kevin Bartlett was the only other driver to complete the full 20 laps driving the Alfa Romeo GTA
entered by Alec Mildren's race team.
John Harvey was best of the rest in his Austin Cooper S ahead of the similar cars of Phil Barnes and John French
. Despite several Holden EH
s qualifying well, none finished in the top ten.
Confederation of Australian Motor Sport
The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport , has been the governing body of Australian motorsport since 1953. It is affiliated with the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile ....
sanctioned motor racing title open to Group C Improved Production Touring Cars. The championship was contested over a single 75 mile race staged at the Mount Panorama Circuit
Mount Panorama Circuit
Mount Panorama Circuit is a motor racing track located in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home of the Bathurst 12 Hour motor race, held each February, and the Bathurst 1000 motor race, held each October...
near Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on Easter Monday, 11 April 1966. It was the seventh 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...
. 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...
, 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...
claimed his second 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...
victory, the first of four consecutive titles he would achieve in Mustangs.
Race summary
Geogehgan secured pole position while Norm BeecheyNorm 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...
practiced two cars, choosing to start the more powerful Chevrolet Chevy II Nova over his Mustang despite the Mustang recording the faster lap time. Beechey led the race until after half race distance after Geoghegan increased his pace to haul in Beechey's lead. Beechey faded after Geoghegan took the lead on lap 14. Kevin Bartlett was the only other driver to complete the full 20 laps driving the Alfa Romeo GTA
Alfa Romeo GTA
The GTA 1300 Junior had a 1300 cc engine that was based on the 1600 engine but with a short stroke crankshaft. The GTA Junior in stradale form did not have many of the light weight features of the 1600 GTA, such as the plastic windows, magnesium engine components and alloy wheels. At start...
entered by Alec Mildren's race team.
John Harvey was best of the rest in his Austin Cooper S ahead of the similar cars of Phil Barnes and John French
John French (racing driver)
John French is a retired Australian racing driver.French had a long career throughout the 60s and 70s and the early 80s. He won the 1962 Australian GT Championship driving a Centaur-Waggott and in 1969 French paired with Allan Moffat to win the Sandown Three Hour race in a Ford Falcon GTHO...
. Despite several Holden EH
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...
s qualifying well, none finished in the top ten.
Results
| Position | Driver | No. | Car | Entrant | Class Pos. | Class | Laps | Grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 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 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... |
Total Team | 1 | Over 3000cc | 20 | 1 |
| 2 | 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... |
3 | Chevrolet Chevy II Nova | Neptune Racing Team | 2 | Over 3000cc | 20 | 3 |
| 3 | Kevin Bartlett | 12 | Alfa Romeo GTA Alfa Romeo GTA The GTA 1300 Junior had a 1300 cc engine that was based on the 1600 engine but with a short stroke crankshaft. The GTA Junior in stradale form did not have many of the light weight features of the 1600 GTA, such as the plastic windows, magnesium engine components and alloy wheels. At start... |
Mildren Racing | 1 | 1501–2000cc | 20 | 4 |
| 4 | John Harvey | 76 | Austin Cooper S | RC Phillips Sports Car World | 1 | 1101–1500cc | 19 | 5 |
| 5 | Phil Barnes | 99 | Morris Cooper S | Vaughan & Lane | 2 | 1101–1500cc | 19 | 8 |
| 6 | John French John French (racing driver) John French is a retired Australian racing driver.French had a long career throughout the 60s and 70s and the early 80s. He won the 1962 Australian GT Championship driving a Centaur-Waggott and in 1969 French paired with Allan Moffat to win the Sandown Three Hour race in a Ford Falcon GTHO... |
15 | Morris Cooper S | J French | 1 | 0 – 1100cc | 18 | 10 |
| 7 | Bill Brown | 71 | Volvo 122S | Scuderia Veloce Scuderia Veloce Scuderia Veloce was an Australian motor racing team founded by journalist racer David McKay that competed in many motor racing categories in the 1960s. The team is regarded as the first professional motor racing operation in Australia.... |
2 | 1501–2000cc | 18 | 13 |
| 8 | Bob Holden Bob Holden (racing driver) Robin John Holden born December 1, 1932, is an Australian racing driver. Holden raced small-engined touring cars throughout his career, racing Peugeots in the early 1960s, establishing a reputation for himself which saw him become a regular part of BMC Australias racing program for Minis which... |
13 | Morris Cooper S | BMC Australia Pty Ltd | 3 | 1101–1500cc | 17 | 17 |
| 9 | Don Holland | 38 | Morris Cooper S | Don Holland Motors | 4 | 1101–1500cc | 17 | 18 |
| 10 | A Patterson | 42 | Ford Cortina GT | AR Patterson | 5 | 1101–1500cc | 17 | 22 |
| ? | J Prisk | 33 | Morris Cooper | Varsity Auto Centre | 2 | 0 – 1100cc | 16 | 25 |
| ? | D Cooke | 84 | Morris Cooper | Marque Motors | 3 | 0 – 1100cc | 16 | ? |
| ? | John Hall | 23 | Holden X2 Holden GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931... |
H Taylor | 1 | 2001 – 3000cc | 16 | 24 |
| ? | A Barrow | 82 | 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”... |
A Barrow | 2 | 2001 – 3000cc | 16 | 28 |
| ? | Charlie Smith | 100 | Morris Cooper S | GC Smith | ? | 1101–1500cc | ? | 12 |
| ? | Bruce Wright | 28 | Morris Cooper S | Peter Owen Racing | ? | 1101–1500cc | ? | 15 |
| ? | A Boddenberg | 105 | 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... |
Advanx Gosford Motor Service | ? | Over 3000cc | ? | 11 |
| ? | P Mander | 75 | Morris Cooper S | Marque Motors | ? | 1101–1500cc | ? | 19 |
| ? | R Edgerton | 66 | Morris Cooper S | Robert Edgerton | ? | 1101–1500cc | ? | 23 |
| ? | R Lindsay | 32 | Renault R8 Gordini | R Lindsay | ? | 1101–1500cc | ? | 26 |
| DNF | Warren Weldon | 119 | Holden EH S4 | Waggott Engineering Waggott Engineering Waggott Engineering was an Australian automotive engineering company which gained fame for the engines which it produced for motor sport applications from the 1950s through to the 1970s.... |
DNF | 2001 – 3000cc | 14 | 7 |
| DNF | Terry Allen | 2 | Holden EH S4 | Syndal Motors | DNF | 2001 – 3000cc | 7 | 9 |
| DNS | 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... |
Neptune Racing Team | DNS | Over 3000cc | – | 2 |
| DNS | Don Smith | 55 | Holden EH S4 | Smiths Auto Accessories | DNS | 2001 – 3000cc | – | 6 |
| DNS | W Stanley | 84 | Morris Cooper | Marque Motors | DNS | 0 – 1100cc | – | 27 |
- Note: Of the 27 starters in the race, 19 finished.
- Note: Norm Beechey qualified a Ford in position 2 and a Chevrolet in position 3 but chose to race the latter.
- Note: Don Smith did not start after rolling his car in a preliminary race.
- Note: W Stanley & D Cooke were both entered to drive car 84. Stanley earned grid position 27 but the car was raced by Cooke.