[1], The circuit reopened on 31 May 1970 with much improved spectator facilities and racing now run by the ARDC,[1] with the first of the motorcycle endurance races which came to be known as the Castrol Six Hour run by the Willoughby District Motorcycle Club later that year.[2]. The races were held over 155 laps of the 1.94km (1.20mi) circuit for a total of 300.7km (186mi). A "Rothmans AMSCAR Series"[2] for touring cars was held in addition to the Sun-7 Chesterfield Series at Amaroo Park in 1979 for a reported A$60,000 in prize money, about $50,000 more than for the ATCC at the time. I had never heard of Laurie Knight, who lived in Benalla, but two of my best friends were his cousins, as coincidence would have it. Drainage had also proved an issue, with the circuit subject to frequent flooding, particularly at its lowest reaches. Known as Wunderlich for sponsorship reasons, the turn was known during the 1970s as Ron Hodgson Corner due to sponsorship from Sydney's then largest Holden dealer, was the final turn on the circuit and led back onto the pit straight. Free shipping for many products! Wally Gates, knowing my stockpile of 3-litre Austin engines, asked me if I had one for him that same week a gent came to a screeching stop in front of my place, having seen the sedans the engines were in"I'd like one of those for a Demolition Derby," he said, "they'll cop more of a bashing than a Holden How much? The final driver, Andrew Papadopoulos driving an Alfa Romeo GTV, crossed the line at 4:40pm bringing the curtain down on one of Australia's most popular race circuits after over 31 years of continuous operation. Thereafter the gates were locked and the venue fell silent. Opened in 1967, the road circuit served as a venue for a variety of competitions including the Castrol 6 Hour motorcycle race, rounds of the Australian Touring Car Championship, Australian Drivers' Championship, Australian Formula Ford . Allan Grice dispatching Colin Bond over Bitupave Hill on the opening lap of the opening race in 1976 is case in point and so was the wild knockdown, drag-out second race in 93 that signalled the arrival of five-litre V8s [later to become V8 Supercars] as a formula. On many occasions these events featured larger grid numbers than did the rounds of the national level Australian Touring Car Championship. That meant Amaroo was also the perfect place for David to trump Goliath. Without hesitation he announced that it was because she was always so very far out in front!Unfortunately, Laurie was to crash Sabrina at Hume Weir two months later, putting him and the car out of commission for some time. The restaurant and club house that was built by the Amaroo Country Sporting Club still remains, though these days is a roadside Indian restaurant. The official fastest race lap records at the Amaroo Park are listed as: Last edited on 13 December 2022, at 21:54, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "ASTC 1997 Amaroo Park Round 8 Results", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amaroo_Park&oldid=1127283407, This page was last edited on 13 December 2022, at 21:54. Nine houses? Once the heart of Sydney's motor racing scene, Amaroo Park went from a stuttering start to achieve great popularity, only to be overtaken by larger, better-funded projects. Other top line teams to contest the AMSCAR series after the switch to Group A were Peter Brock's Holden Dealer Team (later known as Mobil 1 Racing), Dick Johnson Racing, 1988 series winner Colin Bond's Caltex CXT Racing Team, Tony Longhurst's Benson & Hedges team (evolved from JPS Team BMW), as well as Robbie Francevic's Volvo team. Once we have received payment, we will e-mail you a jpeg file within 48 hours, which will print a 8x12 inch photo, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-401, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-402, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-404, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-405, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-406, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-407, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-408, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-409, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-411, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-412, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-413, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-414, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-417, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-418, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-420, - Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-421, A. Two tragedies in the mid-1980s highlighted the increasing safety worries at the circuit, which had little space to implement run-off areas or alternatives to unyielding barriers. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Into the 1990s, the New South Wales government began its quest for a world-level motorsport event and was prepared to fund the construction of a new circuit in Sydney. Enjoy this four way tussle with Steve Masterton's amazing Ford XE Falcon, Garry Scott, Nissan Bluebird Turbo, Jim Richards, BMW 635 and Terry Finnigan, Holden Commodore, the last year of Group C touring cars. cognition is a synonym for quizlet. Few mastered Lakeside better than Dick Johnson, but the local heros record at the circuit belied his speed. There was a dirt track for 1 car at a time sprints at Amaroo - was that part of the proposed GP circuit? This would have fatal consequences for Amaroo Park, since the ARDC was offered the opportunity of the lease and management of the new venue, which proved an offer too good to refuse. Travel eight kilometres inland from the beachside racetrack and you will come across an urban development known called Emerald Lakes. Always tight racing, views over a great part of the circuit, very close to the cars at, what 65% of the track, terrific atmosphere.So glad I arrived in Oz in time to see racing at Amaroo and Warwick Farm. Set in a natural amphitheatre, Amaroo Park was a dream for spectators as much as it was a nightmare for a tyre on a V8 touring car. (Not unlike the circuit that came to be, except quicker!) The circuit closed forever after the last meeting was held there on 23 August 1998. Here is the plan of Amaroo taken from Sports Car World, July 1959. This was helped by most of the major ATCC teams at the time usually not competing in the series. Most race wins: Peter Brock and Allan Moffat (five apiece). The following table lists the winners of the annual AMSCAR Series. The first event open to the general public was held on 9 April. Drive up the hill and the memories come flooding back, I used to flag there from '77 - '80. It was revived in 1997 and held at the ARDC's two circuits, Amaroo Park and Eastern Creek, but with the major teams holding exclusivity to V8 Supercar events, the mostly Sydney-based privateers were not numerous enough to make the series viable and the series folded after 1997. Originally set out in bushland, the circuit took its name froman Aboriginal world meaning beautiful place. I have the 82 programme and the number matches. AMSCAR (Amaroo Saloon Cars) was a touring car series held in Australia between 1979 and 1997, based at Amaroo Park in Sydney. http://www.youtube.com/Super100MPHWelcome back to 1986 Amaroo Park for the APPENDIX J Series Race Round 1, 5 laps.Appendix J Touring Cars was an Australian motor racing category for modified, production based sedans. A full length Grand Prix circuit was planned but never built. I remember being part of the line of binoculars trained in her direction across the track.I digress. Championship races held: 38 It certainly does bring back many a memory. Amaroo was sitting on the rocks on the hill, choking on dust, avoiding the big ants that bit you, that giant hill to walk up at the end of the day to get in the car before the last race ended to escape the traffic nightmare. Gees, when one considers the topography and those rock faces at Amaroo Park, this seemed wildly ambitious. This was the 84 Historic meet. As part of the construction of the Thunderdome, Calder Park's road circuit was increased to 2.28km with an extension to the pit straight, a new first corner hairpin, and a pair of chicanes linked by a rise over a new hill dubbed 'Mount Jane' by the drivers. -tempting very tempting, engine? As the outright cars were proving more popular with spectators, it was seen as an attempt at attracting the headline ATCC teams (such as the Holden Dealer Team, Dick Johnson Racing, Allan Moffat Racing and Roadways Racing) to the AMSCAR Series. . The final race in 1987 was known as the Hardie Irrigation 100 due to the distance being shortened to 100 laps rather than the usual 155. All rights reserved. Amaroo Park was located in Annangrove, on the outskirts of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. We always thought that a car would go over the fence and into the pitlane. It was only from the beginning of the "Group A" category in Australia in 1985 that the headline teams started appearing in the series on a more regular basis, with part of the reason being that as Group A was new to Australia in 1985, the AMSCAR Series gave teams valuable testing under race conditions (also because from 1985 Amaroo would hold an annual round of the ATCC). Australia. Sabrina, however was someone everyone had heard of. 11 talking about this. mounted on that big supercharger thrusting Phallus-like in front of the Healey 3000 motor . Probably the most expensive destruction to ever occur at that track. In the end Amaroo Park was probably doomed, with rising land values and the reality that it would be unlikely to continue to be able to brought up to contemporary safety standards to allow anything other than club level racing. [1][2] The name Amaroo comes from the Aboriginal word meaning beautiful place. After the turn at Honda, there was another short right hand kink leading up to the tight right hand Stop Corner (sometimes called the Lake Corner). How the Photo Download Works. It prompted the New South Wales ACU to suspend the track's licence for two wheel racing. I was surprised to find that no thread has ever been dedicated to Amaroo Park raceway in NSW. Free shipping for many products! The dirt circuit was off to the upper right of that photo. brilliant shotsthose were the days (and of course a lot earlier than that). [2], The first motorcycle meeting was held on 26 February with a 30 lap production race won by Larry Simons on a BSA Mk.ll Spitfire in heavy rain. funny you say that: that's where we did a lot of the braking drills. Order a Photographic Print or a Download. What a waste of a race circuit, that is an absolute disgrace. Key to the success were the live race broadcasts on Channel 7 and the fact that many of the participants rarely had the funds to race out of state and were familiar from the Bathurst 1000 race. At its closing the outright lap record for the 1.94km circuit was 0:44.36, set by John Bowe in 1987 driving a 5.8L Chevrolet powered Veskanda C1 sports car. [2], The official opening meeting, promoted by the Amaroo Sporting Country Club, was held on 12 March 1967 with attendance restricted to members of several motoring clubs, around 1000 spectators visiting. Today, little remains of the circuit, though the large Amaroo Park signs remain at the former circuit entrance, though most people today would imagine that it describes the small business park beyond, rather than a racing circuit. Wonderful, distant memories. Amaroo Park offers a range of accommodation options in a conveniently located quiet location just off the main street in Cowes. This shot shows the braking area into the Lake Corner (Stop Go corner/ Speedway corner) In the top left of the photo you can see the track going over the top of the hill. Fittingly, the record crowd saw yet another piece of history made. Notice the two roads going off at the top right corner of the pic? You have got to be kidding. Last championship visit: 2008 Amaroo Park 31th May 1970 - 70-AM31570-108. Originally posted by Catalina Park Here is the plan of Amaroo taken from Sports Car World, July 1959. In fact, it straddled the pit exit, requiring traffic to pass under it to get out onto the circuit, in a sort of 1970s-style precursor to Jerez's famous 'spaceship' (though on a considerably more modest scale and budget!). or did the body match the name? Now the name matched the body . A total of 34 venues have held rounds of the Australian Touring Car Championship/Virgin Australia Supercars Championship since its inaugural running in 1960. Amaroo Park Raceway was a 1.930 km motor racing circuit located in Annangrove, New South Wales, in the present-day north-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Other car events included the Amaroo Park 300 endurance race, contested between 1980 and 1987 (though as a round of the Australian Endurance Series only from 1983), while the circuit also played host to the major single seat and sports sedan categories through to the 1990s. The tight confines made for close racing and more than a bit of panel rubbing. In 2020, Sydney Motorsport Park rejoins the calendar while Phillip Island and Queensland Raceway drop off, but remain in the frame for a return in future seasons. This is a great space to write long text about your company and your services. Amaroo Park Raceway was a 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) motor racing circuit located in Annangrove, New South Wales, in the present-day north-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia.Opened in 1967, the road circuit served as a venue for a variety of competitions including the Castrol 6 Hour motorcycle race, rounds of the Castrol 6 Hour motorcycle race, rounds Much improved spectator areas were also gradually introduced, making it a much more attractive proposition to racing fans. [1] This began with a hillclimb track, as well as a dirt short track, a motocross track, a little used speedway track, and finally the main (relatively short) 1.8km bitumen track. amaroo park races from the 1960. by | Jun 21, 2022 | yahoo facebook clubhouse | preluna hotel malta mercury direct | Jun 21, 2022 | yahoo facebook clubhouse | preluna hotel malta mercury direct The circuit lives on in the virtual world, hosting a round of the 2019 Supercars Eseries, having been laser-scanned and digitally replicated by simulation platform iRacing prior to its closure. How the Photo Download Works. This would go on to become one of the circuit's signature events, attracting top riders and major sponsorship money. Sign up to the Repco Supercars Championship Newsletter, We use cookies to ensure we give you the best experience on our website. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaroo_Park#AMSCAR_SeriesOne of the features of Amaroo Park's history has been the AMSCAR Series for touring cars, created by Amaroo's promoters, the Australian Racing Drivers Club and staged annually from 1982 to 1993. At fourteen years of age, and with my hormones in a tangle, I was lucky enough to be at the pit counter, directly opposite the VIP stand where she was guest of honour, at Albert Park. In Group C, the factory backed Nissan team also contested the series with Sydney-based team driver Fred Gibson (the Bathurst 500 winner in 1967 with Harry Firth in a Ford XR Falcon GT) and his wife Christine (regarded as the "fastest female in Australia") driving the team's second Bluebird turbo and its powerful, but evil handling, front-wheel drive Nissan Pulsar EXA respectively. The race was run as a Butchers Picnic as a salute to the very first meetings at the circuit where the first races run were indeed Butchers' Picnics. The rest of the land was left to grass, but all traces of the circuit itself are now long gone. Amaroo, what an awesome place to go to a race meeting. Copyright 2023: Amaroo Park Raceway was a 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) motor racing circuit located in Annangrove, New South Wales, in the present-day western suburbs of Sydney, Australia.Opened in 1967, the road circuit served as a venue for a variety of competitions including the Castrol 6 Hour motorcycle race, rounds of the Australian Touring Car Championship . The increasing national popularity of the Australian Touring Car Championship, improvements in Channel 7's ATCC telecast, and the 1991 economic recession which saw a number of privateer teams only racing in the two ATCC rounds in Sydney and the Bathurst 1000, all gradually reduced the grids until the AMSCAR Series was discontinued after the 1993 season. Tony Longhurst achieved more AMSCAR series wins than any other driver, with success in 1986, 1989, 1990 and 1991. 1986 APPENDIX J Series R1 Amaroo Park - YouTube http://www.youtube.com/Super100MPHWelcome back to 1986 Amaroo Park for the APPENDIX J Series Race Round 1, 5 laps.Appendix J Touring. It would never return. Although I now live in Adelaide, when I get back to Sydney to visit family, I always go back to Amaroo. Initially just one mile in length with only four corners, the deceptively simple Calder Park layout was a true bullring. Posts: 355. Needless to say, this was a far cry from the luxurious surroundings that had been promised. Championship races held: 17 Demanding and dangerous, Lakeside held the mantle as Queensland's premier circuit for several decades.