amaroo park races from the 1960

The dog-leg (or the flip-flop, depending on your generation) was a driver favourite, as was the kink at the end of pit straight, and the rolling left-hander at Suttons since replicated in the reverse direction at The Bend Motorsport Park while the bridge overpass was unique in Australian motorsport. Probably the most expensive destruction to ever occur at that track. amaroo park races from the 1960 presupposition vs presumption. Fears that the growing number of Sydney-based privateers moving into outright class cars would result in a sharp decline in grid numbers prompted the ARDC to remove the 3.5-litre capacity limit for the 1982 series, which was promoted as the Better Brakes AMSCAR Series. SUs of course . Declining grids into the 1990s and a reluctance of the big teams to race outside of the ATCC would eventually force the end of AMSCAR, but it had certainly helped to cement Amaroo Park's position nationally. After holding its own touring car series from 1971 to 1993 (initially as the Sun-7 Chesterfield Series and then under various names, including AMSCAR), in 1974 the top-tier Australian Touring Car Championship arrived. Ironically, it was often the AMSCAR events which drew the greatest attention locally, contested mainly by Sydney privateers with a smattering of star names. It prompted the New South Wales ACU to suspend the track's licence for two wheel racing. IN 1960, Laurie Knight was someone I had never heard of . Covering both current and historic circuits from around the world. AMSCAR (Amaroo Saloon Cars) was a touring car series held in Australia between 1979 and 1997, based at Amaroo Park in Sydney. Along with its abrasive surface, 3-2-3 grid format, and drainage ditches in close proximity to the tarmac it had been built on a Nerang River flood plain, after all the circuit's signature was its first corner. Other top line teams to contest the AMSCAR series after the switch to Group A were Peter Brock's Holden Dealer Team (later known as Mobil 1 Racing), Dick Johnson Racing, 1988 series winner Colin Bond's Caltex CXT Racing Team, Tony Longhurst's Benson & Hedges team (evolved from JPS Team BMW), as well as Robbie Francevic's Volvo team. The 1984 Silastic 300 was the only race held under wet conditions. Championship races held: 20 Australia. Soon it was hosting a meeting every month as Short Circuit racing underwent a popular boom. By age 16 I had a very well developed sense of appreciation of mechanical contrivances, and most of my private fantasies dwelt not only on girls, but also the svelte and sexy curves of the Maserati 250F. [3] Once we have received payment, we will e-mail you a jpeg file within 48 hours, which will print a 8x12 inch photo, A. The venue pioneered night racing in the championship, holding the first points race under lights in 1980 before doing the same for the first round of the V8 Supercars era in 1997. Most race wins: Jim Richards, John Bowe, Mark Skaife (three apiece). Drive up the hill and the memories come flooding back, I used to flag there from '77 - '80. While Rick Kelly won the final race, Jamie Whincup sealed the first in his record-breaking run of championship victories. The increasing national popularity of the Australian Touring Car Championship, improvements in Channel 7's ATCC telecast, and the 1991 economic recession which saw a number of privateer teams only racing in the two ATCC rounds in Sydney and the Bathurst 1000, all gradually reduced the grids until the AMSCAR Series was discontinued after the 1993 season. The circuit would go on to host 15 rounds of the championship between 1974 and its last ATCC round in 1994. . The races were held over 155 laps of the 1.94km (1.20mi) circuit for a total of 300.7km (186mi). With Amaroo Park now firmly on the map and with the backing of the ARDC giving it proper promotion, soon the top categories of four-wheeled racing would come calling. The last race meeting thus take place on August 23, 1998, with a meeting billed as the 'Goodbye to Amaroo State Open Meeting'. Amaroo Park was built by Industrialist Oscar Glaser as part of a plan to build a full motorsport complex. Spent a lot of time in the "Loop" and at Honda. amaroo park races from the 1960 July 2, 2022 1:35 pm . -AI, cam. While the championship still makes its annual stop at the Surfers Paradise street circuit, little evidence remains of Supercars' former home on the Gold Coast. Wally Gates, knowing my stockpile of 3-litre Austin engines, asked me if I had one for him that same week a gent came to a screeching stop in front of my place, having seen the sedans the engines were in"I'd like one of those for a Demolition Derby," he said, "they'll cop more of a bashing than a Holden How much? Championship rounds held: 17 Today, little remains of the circuit, though the large Amaroo Park signs remain at the former circuit entrance, though most people today would imagine that it describes the small business park beyond, rather than a racing circuit. RacingCircuits.info. [1][2] The name Amaroo comes from the Aboriginal word meaning beautiful place. Contact. The owner sold it to property developers for over $500 million. You have got to be kidding. The first event open to the general public was held on 9 April. I gather there used to be some hot sports sedan racing at Amaroo in the early 80s. The dirt circuit was off to the upper right of that photo. Nine houses? Amaroo Park Pty was formed to build the complex and first up was a bike scrambles course, which was fashioned out of a rocky area on the fringe of the valley floor. . Thats disgraceful, i thought there would be dozens of houses. Hmmm. [5] This allowed the V8 powered Holden Commodores, Ford Falcons and Chevrolet Camaros, as well as the V12 Jaguar XJS, to compete in the series alongside the under 3.5-litre cars such as the BMW 635 CSi, the Ford Capris and the growing list of rotary powered Mazda RX-7s, as well as the factory Nissan Bluebird turbo's. However, the championship's move to V8 Fords and Holdens meant it soon outgrew the small circuit. An anti-smoking sponsorship deal took Calder off the championship trail for several seasons before returning in 1996. Championship rounds held: 38 Banks Skoda Special - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-374, A. Dietrich Morris Cooper S - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-320, A. Jacques Turner Ford - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-108, Alan Vincent Bowin Formula Ford - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-135, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-096, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-097, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-099, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-100, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-101, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-102, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-113, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-114, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-131, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-139, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-144, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-145, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-156, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-183, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-184, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-185, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-193, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-195, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-196, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-197, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-198, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-213, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-214, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-215, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-216, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-217, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-218, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-219, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-220, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-226, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-227, Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-229, 'The butcher, baker and candlestick maker", Autopics.com.au is a HUGE Image Library perfect for Graphic Designers. The incredible 1971 championship decider between Bob Jane and Allan Moffat where Moffat overcame a jammed gearbox and a spectator's rogue car joining the race, but fell just shy of beating Jane to the flag and the title played out on Oran Park's original 1.96km track. Last championship visit: 1994 Championship rounds held: 15 Championship races held: 20 Most race wins: Jim Richards, John Bowe, Mark Skaife (three apiece) Set in a natural amphitheatre, Amaroo Park was a dream for spectators as much as it was a nightmare for a tyre on a V8 touring car. At the fastest part of the circuit, the run up to Bitupave Hill, the faster cars (Sports Sedans, Sports Cars and F5000) were able to reach just over 220km/h (137mph). Into the 1990s, the New South Wales government began its quest for a world-level motorsport event and was prepared to fund the construction of a new circuit in Sydney. The name Amaroo comes from the Aboriginal word meaning beautiful place. It was only from the beginning of the "Group A" category in Australia in 1985 that the headline teams started appearing in the series on a more regular basis, with part of the reason being that as Group A was new to Australia in 1985, the AMSCAR Series gave teams valuable testing under race conditions (also because from 1985 Amaroo would hold an annual round of the ATCC). It was revived in 1997 and held at the ARDC's two circuits, Amaroo Park and Eastern Creek, but with the major teams holding exclusivity to V8 Supercar events, the mostly Sydney-based privateers were not numerous enough to make the series viable and the series folded after 1997.[3]. The track hosted its first ATCC race in 1964, back when the championship was decided over a single race, and maintained a regular presence on the calendar through to the turn of the millennium. However, plans for 2.5 mile Grand Prix circuit had gone quiet, as all involved grappled with the likely costs involved. Me and my brother were behind the armco in the pitlane with our backs against the chain wire fence when a wheelnut came off an RX7 and passed between our heads and through the chainwire and hit a bloke on the cheek. The constant turning and hard accelerations out of the aptly named 'Stop' corner meant bigger cars were often at a disadvantage to smaller, lighter rivals. Amaroo Park Raceway was a 1.930 km motor racing circuit located in Annangrove, New South Wales, in the present-day north-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Drag Racing 1964; Drag Racing 1965; Drag Racing 1966; Drag Racing 1968; Drag Racing 1969; Drag Racing 1970's . Opened in 1967. Just as Amaroo had before it, Oran Park succumbed to Sydney's suburban sprawl. Drive up the hill and the memories come flooding back, I used to flag there from '77 - '80. From 1970, Amaroo Park was run and promoted by the Australian Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) who also promoted the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, and later were the promoters of Sydney's Eastern Creek Raceway. Here is the plan of Amaroo taken from Sports Car World, July 1959. This shot shows the braking area into the Lake Corner (Stop Go corner/ Speedway corner) In the top left of the photo you can see the track going over the top of the hill. The owner sold it to property developers for over $500 million. Known as Wunderlich for sponsorship reasons, the turn was known during the 1970s as Ron Hodgson Corner due to sponsorship from Sydney's then largest Holden dealer, was the final turn on the circuit and led back onto the pit straight. At fourteen years of age, and with my hormones in a tangle, I was lucky enough to be at the pit counter, directly opposite the VIP stand where she was guest of honour, at Albert Park. Drainage had also proved an issue, with the circuit subject to frequent flooding, particularly at its lowest reaches. Neil Crompton won Round 7 and Simon Kane won Round 8. Talk about what services you provide. It would never return. Hmm. Amaroo Park held its own touring car series from 1971 to 1993, initially as the Sun-7 Chesterfield Series and then under various names, including the "AMSCAR Series" from 1982. Two tragedies in the mid-1980s highlighted the increasing safety worries at the circuit, which had little space to implement run-off areas or alternatives to unyielding barriers. Ready for inspection in February 1962, it would take another six months for the necessary licence to be granted. There were only basic facilities however; no power or shelter in the paddock, few toilets and no seating of any kind for spectators, just rocky outcrops. Originally posted by Andrew Fellowes Did many internationals race there? The first car meeting did not take place until March 12, 1967 and was a relatively low-key closed affair for Country Club members, with around 1,000 spectators watching club races featuring entrants from the Australian Racing Drivers Club, Australian Automobile Racing Club and the New South Wales Road Racing Club. Needless to say, this was a far cry from the luxurious surroundings that had been promised. Once we have received payment, we will e-mail you a jpeg . Initially just one mile in length with only four corners, the deceptively simple Calder Park layout was a true bullring. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Credits & Thanks; Wonderful, distant memories. Primitive! Tony Longhurst achieved more AMSCAR series wins than any other driver, with success in 1986, 1989, 1990 and 1991. This allowed the participation of the 3.5-litre BMW 635 CSi of JPS Team BMW, much to the displeasure of most competing teams, especially those racing the 3.0L Ford Capri's which were well suited to the tight track and had come to dominate the series since 1975. One of the features of Amaroo Park's history was their promoted touring car series, created by Amaroo's promoters, the Australian Racing Drivers Club (ARDC). My parents used to take us kids to Oran Park and Amaroo every year from about 1980 until it closed Ahh, the memories. Other top line teams to contest the AMSCAR series after the switch to Group A were Peter Brock's Holden Dealer Team (later known as Mobil 1 Racing), Dick Johnson Racing, 1988 series winner Colin Bond's Caltex CXT Racing Team, Tony Longhurst's Benson & Hedges team (evolved from JPS Team BMW), as well as Robbie Francevic's Volvo team. Although I now live in Adelaide, when I get back to Sydney to visit family, I always go back to Amaroo. Wally Gates? We always thought that a car would go over the fence and into the pitlane. Once we have received payment, we will e-mail you a jpeg . 1986 APPENDIX J Series R1 Amaroo Park - YouTube http://www.youtube.com/Super100MPHWelcome back to 1986 Amaroo Park for the APPENDIX J Series Race Round 1, 5 laps.Appendix J Touring. (Not unlike the circuit that came to be, except quicker!) Pulled many drivers out of crashed cars, cleaned up dozen's of oil spills, froze in winter and burnt to a crisp in summer. The rest of the land was left to grass, but all traces of the circuit itself are now long gone. Oh, and the Sydney Showgrounds! Enjoy this four way tussle with Steve Masterton's amazing Ford XE Falcon, Garry Scott, Nissan Bluebird Turbo, Jim Richards, BMW 635 and Terry Finnigan, Holden Commodore, the last year of Group C touring cars. [3] The second round of the series saw the one-off appearance of long time Ford driver Allan Moffat in a Ron Hodgson Motors Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback. A programme of upgrades were carried out around the track, including the construction of a new race control and commentary tower at the end of the pit lane. You can use this space to go into a little more detail about your company. Elsewhere, a hillclimb course opened on the far northern corner of the site, as did a kart circuit. In fact, it straddled the pit exit, requiring traffic to pass under it to get out onto the circuit, in a sort of 1970s-style precursor to Jerez's famous 'spaceship' (though on a considerably more modest scale and budget!). Originally posted by Vanwall Primitive! The Sabrina has recently spent some of its life in Western Australia, but 2 weeks ago was bought by a near neighbour of yours, Andrew , namely Barry Naylor. The final race in 1987 was known as the Hardie Irrigation 100 due to the distance being shortened to 100 laps rather than the usual 155. Just found this one too, this may be a couple of years earlier, I failed to make a note on it and now its just in a pile of 100's of others I took. With a short layout of just 1.94km, Amaroo had no real straights worth the name. Today, little remains of the circuit, though the large Amaroo Park signs remain at the former circuit entrance, though most people today would imagine that it describes the small business park beyond, rather than a racing circuit. Enjoy this four way tussle with Steve Masterton's amazing Ford XE Falcon, Garry Scott. Order a Photographic Print or a Download. Without hesitation he announced that it was because she was always so very far out in front!Unfortunately, Laurie was to crash Sabrina at Hume Weir two months later, putting him and the car out of commission for some time. Banks Skoda Special - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-064, A. Now the name matched the body . That meant Amaroo was also the perfect place for David to trump Goliath. [3] Each series win from 1988 to 1990 was attained with a Ford Sierra RS500, these three wins being the most for a single model of car. AMSCAR (Amaroo Saloon Cars) was a touring car series held in Australia between 1979 and 1997, based at Amaroo Park in Sydney . This was helped by most of the major ATCC teams at the time usually not competing in the series. The race, called "The Last Race, The Main Event, Amaroo's Final Fling" started at 4:30pm and was held over 10 laps. Was it 1982? Last championship visit: 1994 Having lived over the valley from Annangrove Rd all my life, you certainly knew when a meet was on miss hearing the v8 sounds roar up the gulley!! [QUOTE=racer69]From that shot it is still amazingly easy to see the line of the circuit, and it seems the run up *****upave (spelling?) The first public car race took place the following month a series of other events on two and four wheels were run through the remainder of 1967 and into early 1968. Free shipping for many products! Amaroo, what an awesome place to go to a race meeting. Originally set out in bushland, the circuit took its name froman Aboriginal world meaning beautiful place. Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-064. Travel eight kilometres inland from the beachside racetrack and you will come across an urban development known called Emerald Lakes. Rare as hens teath footage of a 1981 AMsacr race from Sydney's Amaroo Park Raceway cognition is a synonym for quizlet. Wonderful, distant memories. One of the barriers the incessant creep of the Sydney suburbs, with any break in motorsport promotion, however small, likely to play into the hands of noise abatement campaigners, likely requiring a protracted legal battle if racing was to continue. At its closing the outright lap record for the 1.94km circuit was 0:44.36, set by John Bowe in 1987 driving a 5.8L Chevrolet powered Veskanda C1 sports car. Championship races held: 65 plug-in track lighting walmart; buddy johnson highlights (near the lake) That was part of the never finished "Grand Prix" circuit. * Amaroo hosted two rounds of the 1989 Australian Drivers' Championship (both held on the same day). In Group C, the factory backed Nissan team also contested the series with Sydney-based team driver Fred Gibson (the Bathurst 500 winner in 1967 with Harry Firth in a Ford XR Falcon GT) and his wife Christine (regarded as the "fastest female in Australia") driving the team's second Bluebird turbo and its powerful, but evil handling, front-wheel drive Nissan Pulsar EXA respectively. The following table lists the winners of the annual AMSCAR Series. Drag Racing 1970; Drag Racing 1980's; . The story goes that, semi-conscious in the ambulance, Lauries only concern was . The last Australian Touring Car Championship round to take place at the circuit was in 1994. brilliant shotsthose were the days (and of course a lot earlier than that). Day-to-day operations were leased to the Amaroo Country Sporting Club in 1963, offering the public 250 membership opportunities at 25 per head, estimated to raise around a third of the cost of a luxurious clubroom that was envisaged. Opened in 1967, the road circuit served as a venue for a variety of competitions including the Castrol 6 Hour motorcycle race, rounds of the Australian Touring Car Championship, Australian Drivers' Championship, Australian Formula Ford . He was about the tenth last car knocked out the fuel pump fell out of its bracket and shorted out!One day, in what John Medley would refer to as an 'alcoholocaust' we - the demo derby guy, his mates, Wally Gates and myself, stripped out the bits and the engine went away to become the basis for what Sabrina wore for her return.For the benefit of the Yanks reading, Sabrina was a lithe sports car on a fabricated twin-tube chassis she had the engine as described, together with a huge crank-driven air-pump up front with twin SUs (those 'jugs') something of an 'Old Yella' look and attraction about her she was yellow, and she went like stink. Spectators enjoyed it too, thanks to high sandstone bank providing a natural grandstand and offering good views of the whole circuit. It was won by Sydney driver Ray Lintott driving a 4WD, twin-turbo Porsche 911 Turbo with a race time of 9:16.4942. Ah! This was the 84 Historic meet. After staving off permanent closure in the 2000s, the circuits operations have again been under threat in recent times over the hot topic of noise restrictions. In the early Group C years of the AMSCAR series, several Sydney based drivers who regularly competed in the annual four round, three race per round series became household names through the national telecast on Channel 7 (at the time, Seven's only touring car telecasts were from Amaroo, Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne, and Bathurst as the ABC was main broadcast host of the ATCC until the end of 1984). A full length Grand Prix circuit was planned but never built. . The circuit closed forever after the last meeting was held there on 23 August 1998. Not that that meant anything then, anyway.From an early age, my Dad must have taken me to every motor racing fixture within a days travel - and some beyond. Its final championship round in 2008 allowed long-time fans to pay their respects and say goodbye. [1], The circuit reopened on 31 May 1970 with much improved spectator facilities and racing now run by the ARDC,[1] with the first of the motorcycle endurance races which came to be known as the Castrol Six Hour run by the Willoughby District Motorcycle Club later that year.[2]. After witnessing its hugely successful debut that day, I was part of the large admiring group gathered around Laurie Knight and his creation, when someone asked him why he called it Sabrina. Most race wins: Peter Brock and Allan Moffat (five apiece). Peter Brock was the king of the venue when it came to championship races. At the opening motorcycle meeting of 1984, 27-year-old rider Jayne Litterick was killed at the final turn when she was high-sided from her machine and struck by two following riders. This would have fatal consequences for Amaroo Park, since the ARDC was offered the opportunity of the lease and management of the new venue, which proved an offer too good to refuse. Free shipping for many products! Last championship visit: 1998 The course was extremely challenging, with numerous spills and mechanical difficulties encountered making it unpopular with riders. We've teamed up with Motorsports Tickets to bring you the best deals for Formula One, MotoGP, Le Mans and more. I always wondered what the place looked like, thanks for the links. Popular with spectators and easy for Sydney's Channel 7 to telecast, it became the backbone of the Sydney touring car scene, a scene which once consisted mostly of privateers who have largely disappeared since Amaroo closed, with the major touring car teams now operating from Melbourne and south-east Queensland.