Noted Australian Sports Historian and Publisher, the late Jim Shepherd, has supplied some of his early memories of Bathurst and Mt Druitt circuits from the 1930s and 1950s for us on Aussie Road Racing. Sadly Jim passed away on April 15th 2013.
Charlie Whatmore in the SV Ford V8 # 20 during practice at first meeting in 1938 when the track was still unsealed.
Alf Barrett in the pre war Alfa 2.3 works car turns into Pit Corner before it was named Murray's Corner at the end of Con Rod straight.
Note: No fences, spectators, light pole and signs
The Barrett Alfa again, this time going away from The Dipper in the Esses on the descent of the mountain.
The early ' Control Tower ' and officials box on the main straight at the Start/Finish line.
Had to be updated for V8 Super Cars.
Frank Kleinig in the Hudson Special at the end of Mountain straight heading into the right hander, Quarry Bend, before
the approach to The Cutting .
1950s
1950s at Forest Elbow, turning for the run down Con Rod straight. It looks like the Wheeler MG Special in front, a car way ahead of it's time.
1957, on the grid at the Mt.Druitt circuit in NSW. Alec Mildren Cooper 1.5 litre # 10 on the inside of Bill Reynolds in a Cooper Mk4, Barry Ekin's MG Special, Ronnie Williams Cooper Mk4 outside with Jim Madsen's Cooper BMW at the rear.
The very dilapidated silver painted P3 Alfa GP car of Ray Wamsley's possibly with the Alvis engine, driven by Tony Burke, later to die in a midget accident at Westmead Speedway on 25.7.1965. Burke put this car into the crowd at Bathurst killing two spectators in 1955.
The Jack Myers' Holden engined WM Cooper with the Waggot DOHC cylinder head.
An ex Cooper Bristol car, the orange beast had a 5th place in a GP at Bathurst. It's best ever finish. Jack is seen here on the left in his famous yellow and black striped tee shirt. He lost his life at the Catalina Circuit in the early 1960s. On the Waggott head were 6 x 1 3/4" SU carburettors built up by the late Bill Bressington of the now Midel Company. In 2004 the car is restored to it's former glory and is in the Birdwood Mill Museum in South Australia. Jim Shepherd recalls that the great Stirling Moss actualy took this car for a test run around the old dirt Cumberland Oval Speedway circuit at Parramatta ! Also in the pic is well known motor sport photographer, Des Lawrence. Des is the big man in the white dust coat.
( centre of pic )
The Ern Tagdell rear engined Special # 1, # 60 in the background is the Paul Samuels MG Special.
A Sports / Racing heat at Mt Druitt. Frank Gardner in the ex Dr.Boorman C- type # 87 Jaguar on the inside, the Doug Chivas Lotus 6 # 88 centre and a Buchanan Special on the outside.
1957, a Racing car heat , the over 1500cc Scratch race, with outside Jack Robinson in the XK120 Jaguar Special, Jack Myers in the WM Cooper and inside Arnold Glass in the Super Squalo Ferrari # 79 , the P3 Alfa in the background.
Thanks to the late Jim Shepherd.
On to The Brian Darby Collection...........Page 8.
