(Gasking/Repco)
‘Scuds’ was the nickname of David McKay’s Ferrari, Porsche and Volvo dealership on Sydney’s North Shore…
Here is the team with its Brabham BT23A Repco ‘740’ 2.5 V8 at Warwick Farm in 1967’ish. Not sure of the exact date, but it looks warm and Cusack carried #7 in the Hordern Trophy on 3 December 1967 so my tip is that weekend. He finished behind Frank Gardner’s Alec Mildren owned Brabham BT23D Alfa Tipo 33 V8, its race debut and John Harvey’s Brabham BT11A Climax.
Mind you, Cusack carried the same number in the 18 February ’68 Tasman Round won by Jim Clark’s Lotus 49 Ford DFW, Greg was out on lap 4 with brake problems. Upon a closer look, the car in the shot below, during the Tasman round does not have the green band at its noses tip, so let’s go for the shot above as pre Hordern Trophy.
From the left is the beautifully liveried Holden HR Station Wagon tow car.
It’s probably toting the big 186cid 3 litre ‘six’ and ‘three on the tree’ manual tranny. Mechanic Bob Atkin, later a Director of SV, then El Supremo McKay and driver Greg Cusack. Greg was a very successful Ford dealer himself in Canberra. He was said to have been as quick as anyone on his day but ‘those days’ didn’t happen often enough! The trailer is a ‘Rice’ rated then and eagerly sought after now.
Top period shots, luvvem!
Cusack at the Farm during the ’68 Tasman round in the SV BT23A (oldracephotos.com)
Chris Amon did some laps in the car that 1968 Warwick Farm 100 weekend too. I wonder if David McKay was keen to see just how fast the car could go- Chris was one of the fastest guys on the planet at the time after all, or perhaps he was helping with car setup.
That Tasman he was racing a works Ferrari Dino 246T his own team were running, and SV’s Ferrari P4/350 Can Am.
(D Grant)
The colour shot below is of Cusack on the same weekend- he was out of the championship race on lap 4 with brake problems whereas Chis was fourth in his Ferrari, Jim Clark won in a Lotus 49 Ford DFW.
(P Houston)
Credits…
Michael Gasking Collection/Repco, oldracephotos.com, oldracingcars.com, Perry Drury, Doug Grant, Peter Houston
Tailpiece…
(P Drury)
Denny behind Jack’s BT23A in the Longford paddock in March 1967, Brabham won the Monday Tasman race taking the one and only Repco engined Tasman win, using a ‘640 Series’ 2.5 V8.
Finito...
primotipo... 
Mark, this photo has a similar b&w version published in David’s Scuderia Veloce book. Page 158, but only the cars and trailer in that one. The Castrol signage on the Rice trailer will help date the photo. I think 1968 was when he went back to their sponsorship.
Cheers Stephen,
Phil West had the drive for the ’68 Gold Star, so my best guess is still the Hordern Trophy weekend. As to timing between Shell and Castrol, not sure and don’t have ready access to DM’s book in Bali!
Happy New Year to you!
Mark
By the way…do you happen to have an article on the Carter Corvette, especially it’s specs Stephen?
M
[…] The client on this occasion was Shell, the ‘talent’ the Scuderia Veloce racing team owned and operated by David McKay and perhaps the Warwick Farm circuit itself. Mist’s gigs incuded the ’63 and ’67 AGP weekends, ‘the 1965 Shell Racing Series Scuderia Veloce Racing Team’ and a meeting at Catalina Park, Katoomba. Click here for a link to an article which includes background on SV; https://primotipo.com/2017/01/04/scuds/ […]
[…] https://primotipo.com/2017/01/04/scuds/ […]