Visiting Birthplaces of Australian Motor Racing - Mustangs at Catalina Park in 1965

Bill has digitally restored, edited, and added a "pure sound" track to footage of Norm Beechey obliterating the field at Katoomba, NSW.

[JohnWilloughby-zbjf]

Bill. I think I was there. I remember as a 16 year old catching the train from Sydney and staying by myself at a hotel near the track. The Neptune Racing Team was there…Norm in the Mustang, Peter Manson in the Mini, and Jim McCewen (?) in a Lotus Cortina. We see only a snippet of Jim in this footage. The most impressive memory of my early motor sport spectator feature, was the Neptune Racing Team, a suitable painted rigid truck with the Mustang on board, and the Mini and Cortina on a trailer…all really well presented….parked up ate a nearby Neptune Service Station. This would have been a product of Norm Beechey’s truck business no doubt. The beginning of top level presentation of the complete racing team. The Neptune Team was rebranded to the yellow Shell Racing Team a season or two later. This transport presentation package stepped another progress up when the Allan Grice Torana Craven Mild Team had built the first fully enclosed purpose built race car transporter, a semi trailer with inbuilt ramps, change room, racking for spares and tyres. The precursor to today’s magnificent race car transporters. As an aside, I managed to get in to the pits post race, and happened to be near a reporter interviewing big Norm. Bob Jane that day had driven an Elfin Mono, a beautiful Garry Cooper built open wheeler, every bit as good as the Lotus of that era. Norm was asked how he thought Bob had gone. Not missing an opportunity to stir the pot…II think they were business rivals as well driving rivals….Norm says “ I think he was shitting himself” I think this would not have found its way in to print, but I was in awe of the man ….PK 751. EH Holden Mustangs, Chevy Nova and finally the Yellow Holden Monaro. From memory, he also drove a Falcon GTHO in the later
Improved Production days…..but then he disappeared. I think he poured too much into the sport, and his truck sales business folded. This happened a lot in those heady non commercial motor sport days. Invest too much in motor sport…reduced attention to business…enjoying the celebrity…..and business goes bankrupt. Imagine a motor sport personality of Norms profile today. No one comes close.

[jamesroseby]

Yes Bill, I bought your book, covered it with clear contact and have to agree with all you’ve said. I’m mostly interested in the NSW locations . I now know Ron Tauranac and I have one place in common. It’s a great resource for anyone interested in Australian Motorsport history. Thanks for your videos too. Fascinating stuff. Cheers.

[AussieD]

My father would sometimes take my brother & I to Catalina in the early 60s, A friend of dads had a property that over looked the track and had about 6 chairs screwed to the roof of their chicken shed to watch the races. More great memories, thanks Bill 👍👍

[estewar]

This was a fun one. Thanks for all you do for us, Bill...

[scotsaussie]

Wow!! This meeting is before my time but from 1973 as a little kid I used to love watching the rallycross at Catalina with Chris Heyer, Barry Ferguson, Andy Foord et al. I wish there was some of that footage lying around. Or even one of the Calder rallycross meetings that went to air

[brhino]

Hi Bill 👋 The soundtrack is very, ummm... creative 😁My first club level lap dash ever was at Catalina in 1994 (30 yrs 🙄) I had a Datto 1600 with a best of 81.58. It was a very scary track with virtually no run off areas. Especially for a NOOB.

[ashleytidd-wi]

Thanks so much bill, but it makes me realize that motor racing died after 1986.Radial slicks meant no more slides, been to every Bathurst since 1972, it, s just not the same.😢

[Toto]

WOW I was there the day Bob Jane put the mustang over the fence and to this day I have never seem a photo of it. I was a flag marshal, and it was a massive accident, I have told the story many times of what I saw with no evidence THANK YOU SO MUCH. Your book is now on order from Amazon, I just hope those pics are in it. 👍
ps. it is a GREAT Video, again, thank you Bill

[JohnH]

A bit before my time I was 7 in 65. But years later I worked for a company called Race&Rally I would take their caravan up and sell race gear, this really brings back memories. I watched a lot of those drivers race at Warwick Farm in the early 70s.

[HDRAus]

What a track! Wish I could’ve raced there!!

[RebeccaGriffin-bn]

Mother Nature is very quickly resuming this track. Getting so that your lucky to walk around it.

[wazzajack]

Apart from V8 flathead 30’s Fords at the Sydney Show-ground, 55 Fords were being raced by Norm Beechy and Len Lukey down in Victoria or Tasmania. Later Norm copied Dan Gurney’s 61 Chevy attack to the Jags in England with his own 62 Impala over here. Soon after Len Lukey brought a 63 Ford Galaxie (unfortunately not the 427 fastback as our rules required four doors) to compete. This all before the Mustangs at Catalina. Now as the Ford / Chev V8 rivalry has continued eversince as our premier motor sport category it would be great if you could go back in to the archives and cover it Bill. Max Stahl’s Racing Car News always had great Lance…Reuting ? Photo’s and stories covering the events.

[raybell]

Good job... except... The whole Neptune Team (Beechey, McKeown and Manton) were there for the January meeting, Jane's Mustang was there chasing Beechey at the June meeting. As an aside, when the three Mustangs were entered for the first time, Jack Hinxman claimed that Catalina was the only track in Australia wide enough for the Mustangs to race on.