Graham Boulter’s race equipe completing a Bacchus Marsh pitstop enroute to Calder Raceway, Victoria, Australia circa 1968 or 1969…
Competitors can relate to this wherever you live on the planet- loading up your racer and hung-over, scaly mates and girlfriend and heading off to the track hoping the last minute fixes to your steed will last the rigours of the weekend away from home base.
Enthusiast racer Lee Nicholle identified the photograph on ‘The Nostalgia Forum’ which was taken at a ‘Golden Fleece’ servo at Bacchus Marsh, 60 kilometres from Melbourne on its western outskirts.
Oz enthusiasts of a certain age will well remember Golden Fleece as a brand of petroleum products and servo’s such as this one operated by Australian Company HC Sleigh since 1893. Caltex acquired the business in 1981.
The racer is a Holden FJ or ‘Humpy’, sports sedan. The tow car is the ‘Ducks Guts’ of General Motors Holdens range at the time- no less than an ‘HK’ Monaro GTS powered by the range-topping Chevrolet 327cid V8. One of these cars won the 1968 Bathurst 500 enduro driven by Bruce McPhee. The race was then run to ‘Series Production’ or unmodified road car rules. That the car is new is proved by the standard fitment ‘Dunlop Sovereign’ radial tyres. The other road cars in shot are a Vanguard and in the distant carpark an ‘FB’ Holden.
Finally, Lee notes that Boulter still races in ‘Historics’, has built a replica of this car as a ‘roadie’ and that the bare chested youth, now over 70 of course!, is John Reynolds who stayed close to racing as a supplier of Champion plugs into the 1990’s.
Cracker of a shot, it reminds me of my abysmal car preparation capabilities, unreliable mates, patient girlfriends and the racers breakfast of a Chico Roll and Coke on the fly, running late and being behind the eight-ball well before the meeting commenced!…
Credits…
Graham Boulter
Tailpiece: Bruce McPhee on the way to Bathurst 500 glory during the 1968 running of the Australian classic…
(unattributed)
Bruce McPhee started from pole in his HK Monaro GTS327 and won the race from the ‘works’ Holden Dealer Team similar car of Jim Palmer/Phil West and the Tony Roberts/Bob Watson HK GTS a lap adrift in 3rd
Finito…
primotipo... 
Mark,
I don’t think we can call Graham’s FJ a “sports sedan” as it was competing as a Touring Car back in the ’60s. Technically, it would have been runnning in the “Group C Improved Production Touring Car” category at the time.
Cheers,
Rob
Rob,
Yep, I need to sharpen up on ‘Taxis’- not my interest at all, which is no excuse!
Appendix J became Improved Production Touring?
Sports Racing Closed became Sports Sedans?
Series Production I get
Group C I get
Group A I get
V8 Supercars I get…but don’t much like!
Anyway, a nice research exercise for me! Where are old CAMS manuals when you need ’em?!
Mark
Mark,
Yes, Appendix J was replaced by Group C Improved Production Touring Cars in January 1965. Sports Racing Closed was an unofficial category which gradually became know as Sports Sedans. CAMS formalised it under the latter name in January 1973.
I have access to the CAMS Manuals of the era. Happy to help if there is something you need checked.
Rob
Rob,
Am well into writing an article on Derek Jolly, his Deccas and Lotus 15’s but am very light on with the Austin 7 bits of his career. Do you happen to have any info on that circa 1948-1954 phase by any chance?
Mark
Sorry Mark, but I don’t think I have anything on his Austin 7. I understand that it was featured in the Australian Motor Racing Year Book 1950-51.
Rob
Mark,
I now have a copy of the Derek Jolly Austin 7 entry in the Australian Motor Racing 1950-51 Year Book. Are you are still after information on this?
Rob
Rob,
That would be great, had planned to pop it up as my feature tomorrow, but can hold it for a week.
Working in Perth for a few days so limited time on primo this week.
Please scan and send- I found some A7 stuff- it seems he learned most of his tricks from Ron Uffindell. Not sure whether that extends to the trick ‘de-siamesing’ manifold.
mark@bisset.com.au
Cheers Rob
Emailed, as requested.