Seeing this book by Bill Tuckey amongst the display collection Michael Gasking brought to the Repco Brabham Engines ex-employees get together brought a smile to my face…
I didn’t ever own it but it was one of a very small number of racing books in Camberwell Grammar School’s library when I started there, aged 12. Having only recently become interested in racing I was like a sponge for information. What was significant about this tome is that it was written by a talented journalist, Bill Tuckey, who edited both ‘Wheels’ and ‘Sports Car World’ magazines, the latter became one of my monthly bibles along with ‘Racing Car News’. The book covered a very broad canvas comprising all the Australian Grands Prix, portraits of the champion drivers at the time (the early sixties) as well as our circuits and the round Australia epic trials of the fifties.
It was a great read and provided important historical context for my contemporary obsessions at the time which were F5000 in Oz and F1 ‘over there’. I must suss it on Ebay.
Anyway, I thought I would share the cover art, the circuit depicted is Sandown, the Cooper T70 like car is just hooking into Shell Corner or Turn One, its vanilla name these days.
Bill Tuckey died not so long ago, this obituary in ‘Wheels’ is a great tribute to a talented man;
https://www.wheelsmag.com.au/news/1605/obituary-bill-tuckey/
Credits…
Michael Gasking Collection/Bill Tuckey, cover art by Phil Belbin
primotipo... 
It’s a terrific book of the period, Mark. Ver had a copy for a long time and refer to it often. And about naming of corners, can we begin a movement to eradicate numbered turns?
Tony I am with you 1000% on corner names. My son looks at me like I am from somewhere else, when I don’t have a clue what he is talking about when he quotes turn no. what ever! Drives me insane.
Yep, it’s a great book. Am back in my own place and enjoying access to most of my library again after 6 years- finding some gems I had forgotten about!
As to corner names I spose it’s the commercial era when the rot set in! It was so much easier when it was Shell, Peters/Torana, Dandy Road, The Causeway and Dunlop Bridge rather than whaddever the numbers are at Sandown now! Just one example.
Mark
Especially when we were timing with 3 stopwatches on the top of a hand held board so the pit crew could time consecutive laps. I remember when at one meeting my sponsor Lew Wade set up a huge bbq and tent at ” Shell Corner” During the races we had over 20 people watching from a very prime position. It was such a brazen act that none of the officials said a word. In fact after the last race they all joined Lew to celebrate his car’s two wins for the day . The beer, bbq and girls flowed freely ! Motor Racing services’ Hugh and Ken thought they had died and gone to heaven!!
Cheers Mark ..love your work!!
Paul King
Sex, dope, rock ‘n roll- you ’70’s drivers had it all Paul!
By the sounds of your various recollections Lew lived life to the absolute max, taken way too soon. Hoping to be in Adelaide soon so will get in touch to catch up when I do.
And I’ve an article to write- made too many promises to too many people, but I will get there with yours!
Mark