We all have our favourite local motoring and motor racing publications...
When I was a youngster here in Australia it was ‘Sports Car World’ for fast road cars, the monthly letter from noted NZ born but global motoring journo, Eoin Young on the European and American racing scene was not to be missed nor the column of Romsey Quints, a crusty curmudgeon who wrote about ye olde days.
And for racing it was ‘Racing Car News’ supplemented by the global giant ‘Autosport’ which required a tram trip into the big smoke as it wasn’t carried by my local newsagent.
RCN was the bible tho.
It was national, maybe a bit Sydney centric, edited and owned by Max Stahl, an ex-racer who knew everybody from clubbies to visiting World Champions in Australia annually for the Tasman Series. It was chock full of local to global news and events with ‘Stringers’ all over the place making its coverage remarkable at the time.
Delivery of information digitally takes the sense of excitement out of the visits to the newsagent eagerly anticipating these monthly publications arrival instore…having said that the ‘democratisation of the media’ means even ‘Schleppers’ like me can ‘have a go’.
There was not a page of RCN to be missed from Stahls’ editorial upfront to the classifieds up ze back, the paintings by David Atkinson, Colin Anderson and others reason alone to buy the thing.
This cover by David Atkinson captures the action of the 11 February 1968 Tasman Series Round at Surfers Paradise. It depicts Graham Hills’ Lotus 49 DFW leading Leo Geoghegans’ ex Clark Lotus 39 Repco from the Piers Courage McLaren M4A FVA around the ‘Repco Hill’ section of the circuit.
Clark won the race from teammate Hill, Courage in second, a great performance on this power circuit in the little 1.6 litre Ford FVA engined M4A and Leo G, first local home in third place.
RCN survived into the ’80’s but was never the same after Stahl sold it, somehow the thing lost its soul…these days there are print and digital Australian ‘publications’ but none are as good as Racing Car News…
Stunning Roderick MacKenzie shot of Clarks’ Lotus 49 leading Chris Amons Ferrari 246T, Surfers Tasman 1968. Clark won, Amon DNF with an engine failure. Tweed Ranges in the background. Clark won the series and Amon returned in 1969 winning the it in a Dino. (Roderick MacKenzie)
Leo Geoghegans Lotus 39 Repco ‘740’ Series 2.5 V8 being given a big push, John Sheppard at the wheel and Geoff Smedley at left. ‘Castrol’ colors, Repco installation replacing the Climax FPF 4 cylinder engine lead by Sheppard creating just about the best looking 60’s single seater ever, this is not the cars best angle however! (wolseley680)
Surfers dummy grid. Hill #5 loaded up, the Lotus behind awaits Clark. You can just see the #11 nose of Rodriguez BRM P126 (10th) a Ferrari nose amongst the crowd and the nose, far right of the Courage McLaren. (wolseley680)
Tasman 1968 Highlights…
Etcetera…
(K Rogers)
Tasman race grid with Chris Amon at left, Ferrari 246T, the Lotus 49 Ford DFW’s of Clark and Hill. On row two Geoghegan’s Lotus 39 Repco and Denny Hulme, Brabham BT23 Ford FVA with the distinctive yellow Brabham BT23D Alfa Romeo of Frank Gardner further back.
(A J Favenchi)
Photo Credits…
Roderick MacKenzie http://www.rodmackenziecollection.com/ , wolseley680, Kevin Rogers, Alexis J Favenchi
Tailpiece…
(K Rogers)
‘Once yer heard these Ford engines a couple of times they aren’t that special’- a couple of disinterested marshalls as Clark’s Lotus goes by on Surfers main straight.
Finito…
primotipo... 
I recently visited my father-in-law and was pleasantly surprised to come across half a dozen 1976 issues of “RCN”. Mark, you certainly got your money’s worth – the snippets at the front were interersting, plus there was at least one paragraph on every race in a meeting that was being covered in that issue.