Re: Sydney circuits -Reply

[Patrick QUINN <QUINNP@gwise.dse.nsw.edu.au>]

Greetings

I couldn't resist making a few comments about the track at Bathurst
which is located about 120 miles inland from Sydney.

The track was first used in 1938 and has been used since then except
for the WW2 period. It was and still is a public road that is closed for the
race meetings The speed limit around it is 60kph and I can vividly recall
many years ago being caught by our friend in blue doing 75kph. 

It is definitely an exciting and difficult track. Back in the late 60s it was
back to second gear in my Mini Cooper to go up the hill and then red line
down con rod straight. So named due to the number of engine blowups
that would occur.

I'm fairly sure that the record of 181 mph in a P4 Ferrari back in 1968 still
stands. A good friend who was running a Austin-Healey 100 BN1 in the
50s/60s was nudging 135 mph down the straight. Both mind boggling
speeds when you think of the cars and that at the end of the straight is a
2nd gear left hand turn. 

The last open monoposto and sports car race occurred there in 1973
and sadly about the only racing that takes place now is saloon cars and
there is now a chicane halfway down the straight.

Regards

Patrick Quinn
Sydney, Australia