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.
| The Farm | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Warwick Farm, New South Wales |
| Time zone | GMT +10 |
| Coordinates | 33°54′39″S 150°56′42″E |
| Owner | Australian Jockey Club |
| Operator | Australian Automobile Racing Company |
| Opened | 1960 |
| Closed | 15 July 1973 |
| Major events | Australian Grand Prix Tasman Series Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Touring Car Championship |
| Length | 3.621 km (2.250 mi) |
| Turns | 14 |
| Race lap record | 1:24.0 (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 | .svg.png){kind=small} |
Ford Mustang GTA | The Mustang Team |
| 1970 | |
Porsche 911S | Jim McKeown Shell Racing Team |
| 1972 | |
Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 | Bob Jane Racing |
| Group C | |||
| 1973 | |
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 | |
Brabham BT7A Climax FPF | Ecurie Vitesse |
| 1965 | Warwick Farm International |  |
Lotus 32B Climax FPF | Team Lotus |
| 1966 | Warwick Farm International | |
Lotus 39 Climax FPF | Team Lotus |
| 1967 | Australian Grand Prix | |
BRM P261 V8 | R.H.H. Parnell |
| 1968 | Warwick Farm International | |
Lotus 49T Cosworth | Team Lotus |
| 1969 | Warwick Farm International |  |
Lotus 49BT Cosworth | World Wide Racing |
| 1970 | Warwick Farm 100 | |
Mildren Waggott | Alec Mildren Racing |
| 1971 | Warwick Farm 100 | |
Lola T192 Chevrolet | Lola Cars Ltd |
| 1972 | Rothmans 100 | |
Matich A50 Repco-Holden | Frank Matich Racing Pty Ltd |
| 1973 | Chesterfield 100 | |
Chevron B24 Chevrolet | Servis Racing Team |
Australian Drivers' Championship
Warwick Farm Raceway hosted a round of the Australian Drivers' Championship on 11 occasions.
- 1963 Australian Grand Prix – Jack Brabham – Repco Brabham BT4 Coventry Climax FPF
- 1963 Hordern Trophy – John Youl – Cooper T55 Coventry Climax FPF
- 1964 Hordern Trophy Leo Geoghegan – Lotus 32 Ford
- 1965 International 100 – Jim Clark – Lotus 32B Coventry Climax FPF
- 1965 Hordern Trophy – Bib Stillwell – Repco Brabham BT11A Coventry Climax FPF
- 1966 Hordern Trophy – Frank Gardner – Repco Brabham BT16 Coventry Climax FPF
- 1967 Hordern Trophy – Frank Gardner – Brabham BT23D Alfa Romeo
- 1968 Hordern Trophy – Kevin Bartlett – Brabham BT23D Alfa Romeo
- 1969 Hordern Trophy – Kevin Bartlett – Mildren Waggott
- 1970 Hordern Trophy – Leo Geoghegan – Lotus 59B Waggott
- 1972 Hordern Trophy – Frank Matich – Matich A50 Repco-Holden
Australian Sports Car Championship
Warwick Farm hosted a round of the Australian Sports Car Championship each year from 1969 to 1972.
- 1969 RAC Trophy – Frank Matich – Matich SR4 Repco
- 1970 RAC Trophy – Neil Allen – Elfin ME5 Chevrolet
- 1971 RAC Trophy – John Harvey – McLaren M6 Repco
- 1972 RAC Trophy – John Harvey – McLaren M6 Repco
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.
- 1963 – Leo Geoghegan – Lotus 22 Ford
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]
References
Notes
- The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring, 1986, page 527
- Walker, Terry (1995). Fast Tracks: Australia's Motor Racing Circuits: 1904-1995. Wahroonga, NSW: Turton & Armstrong. p. 180. ISBN 0908031556.
- Warwick Farm - Tasman Series
- Warwick Farm "100", www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved 17 September 2016
- "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.
External links
- "S6 - Rd8 Warwick Farm Pre Race Chat". www.avm.org.au. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- "Tasman-Series.com : The 2.5L Tasman Series 1964-69". 1 June 2009. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2017.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)