Warwick Farm Raceway

Warwick Farm Raceway was a motor racing facility which was in operation from 1960 to 1973.[1] Warwick Farm Raceway hosted numerous major events during its life such as the Australian Grand Prix and rounds of both the Australian Touring Car Championship and the Tasman Series.

This article is about the race track for cars. For the race course for horses, see Warwick Farm Racecourse.

Warwick Farm Raceway
The Farm
LocationWarwick Farm, New South Wales
Time zoneGMT +10
Coordinates33°54′39″S 150°56′42″E
OwnerAustralian Jockey Club
OperatorAustralian Automobile Racing Company
Opened1960
Closed15 July 1973
Major eventsAustralian Grand Prix
Tasman Series
Australian Drivers' Championship
Australian Touring Car Championship
Length3.621 km (2.250 mi)
Turns14
Race lap record1:24.0 (Frank Gardner, Lola T300 Chevrolet, 1972, Formula 5000)

History

Warwick Farm Raceway was built in 1960 on the site of the Warwick Farm Racecourse, a horse racing track with which it was to co-exist throughout its history. When a motor racing meeting was scheduled, two "crossings" had to be placed over the top of the horse racing track, and then removed after racing had finished.[2] It became one of Australia's premier motor racing venues and gained a reputation as a "drivers' track", hosting the Australian Grand Prix and rounds of both the Tasman Series[3] and the Australian Drivers' Championship. It also staged Australian Touring Car Championship races during its later years. The last major race at Warwick Farm was the final round of the 1973 Australian Touring Car Championship on 15 July and the final race meeting was a club day held in August 1973.[3] The reason for the closure was financial - the Confederation of Australian Motorsport wanted to have armco fencing installed around the circuit, and the AJC wasn't willing to spend the money to upgrade the circuit.[2]

Warwick Farm held its first meeting in December 1960. On a wet track, Ian "Pete" Geoghegan won the opening touring car race driving a Jaguar 3.4 Litre.

When it closed as a motor racing facility in 1973, the lap record of the 3.621 km (2.250 mi) long Warwick Farm circuit was held by Australian motor racing legend Frank Gardner. Driving a Lola T300 Chevrolet Formula 5000 in the 1972 Tasman Series, Gardner set a time of 1:24.0 during the Warwick Farm 100. Gardner finished second in the race he had won in 1971, 18 seconds behind Frank Matich driving his self-designed and built Matich A50 Repco-Holden.

Australian Grand Prix

Warwick Farm Raceway hosted the Australian Grand Prix a total of four times:

Year Driver Car Entrant
1963 Jack Brabham Brabham BT4 Climax Ecurie Vitesse
1967 Jackie Stewart BRM P261 V8 R.H.H. Parnell
1970 Frank Matich McLaren M10B Repco-Holden Rothmans Team Matich
1971 Frank Matich Matich A50 Repco-Holden Rothmans Team Matich

International 100

Warwick Farm hosted the annual International 100 from 1961 to 1973:

Year Driver Car Entrant
1961 Stirling Moss Lotus 18 Coventry Climax FPF RRC Walker
1962 Stirling Moss [4] Cooper T53 Coventry Climax FPF RRC Walker Racing Team
1963
to
1973		 Refer Australian Grand Prix (1963 & 1967, above) &
Tasman Series (below)

Australian Touring Car Championship

Warwick Farm Raceway hosted the single race Australian Touring Car Championship in 1968, and hosted rounds of the championship in 1970, 1972 and 1973.

Year Driver Car Entrant
Group C Improved Production
1968 Ian Geoghegan Ford Mustang GTA The Mustang Team
1970 Jim McKeown Porsche 911S Jim McKeown Shell Racing Team
1972 Bob Jane Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 Bob Jane Racing
Group C
1973 Peter Brock Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Holden Dealer Team

Tasman Series

Warwick Farm Raceway hosted a round of the Tasman Series each year from 1964 to 1973.

Year Race name Driver Car Entrant
1964 Warwick Farm International Jack Brabham Brabham BT7A Climax FPF Ecurie Vitesse
1965 Warwick Farm International Jim Clark Lotus 32B Climax FPF Team Lotus
1966 Warwick Farm International Jim Clark Lotus 39 Climax FPF Team Lotus
1967 Australian Grand Prix Jackie Stewart BRM P261 V8 R.H.H. Parnell
1968 Warwick Farm International Jim Clark Lotus 49T Cosworth Team Lotus
1969 Warwick Farm International Jochen Rindt Lotus 49BT Cosworth World Wide Racing
1970 Warwick Farm 100 Kevin Bartlett Mildren Waggott Alec Mildren Racing
1971 Warwick Farm 100 Frank Gardner Lola T192 Chevrolet Lola Cars Ltd
1972 Rothmans 100 Frank Matich Matich A50 Repco-Holden Frank Matich Racing Pty Ltd
1973 Chesterfield 100 Steve Thompson Chevron B24 Chevrolet Servis Racing Team

Australian Drivers' Championship

Warwick Farm Raceway hosted a round of the Australian Drivers' Championship on 11 occasions.

Australian Sports Car Championship

Warwick Farm hosted a round of the Australian Sports Car Championship each year from 1969 to 1972.

Australian Manufacturers' Championship

Warwick Farm hosted a round of the Australian Manufacturers' Championship in 1971.

Australian Formula Junior Championship

Warwick Farm hosted the Australian Formula Junior Championship in 1963.

Australian GT Championship

Warwick Farm hosted the Australian GT Championship in 1962.

London to Sydney Marathon rally - 1968

Warwick Farm was the venue for the finish of the London-Sydney Marathon. First place went to the Hillman Hunter crewed by Andrew Cowan, Colin Malkin and Brian Coyle.[5]

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References

Notes
  1. The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring, 1986, page 527
  2. Walker, Terry (1995). Fast Tracks: Australia's Motor Racing Circuits: 1904-1995. Wahroonga, NSW: Turton & Armstrong. p. 180. ISBN 0908031556.
  3. Warwick Farm - Tasman Series
  4. Warwick Farm "100", www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved 17 September 2016
  5. "Daily Express London-Sydney Marathon 1968 - eWRC-results.com". www.ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 17 September 2016.

Bibliography
  • Moore, Andrew (2017). Aintree Down Under: Warwick Farm and the Golden Age of Australian Motor Sport. Sydney: Walla Walla Press. ISBN 9781876718275.
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