Johnson won four races from 37 starts, including in 1981 where he clinched his first title in a thrilling race with Peter Brock. However, plans for 2.5 mile Grand Prix circuit had gone quiet, as all involved grappled with the likely costs involved. The name Amaroo comes from the Aboriginal word meaning beautiful place. Amaroo Park started on the short pit straight, and from there the track had a kink to the right up towards Bitupave Hill. The story of the Sabrina forms part of another I've posted here before Other internationals to race there, Do Jones and the Brabhams count? amaroo park races from the 1960 July 2, 2022 1:35 pm . The cars of Peter Hopwood and Graham Watson touched wheels as they headed up Bitupave Hill on the first lap, with Hopwood's Ralt veering onto a 10-foot embankment and then catapulting a distance of 30 feet over the heads of onlookers before landing upside down in a group of spectators. https://www.youtube.com/super100mphThe return of Bob Morris, Mazda RX7. This was helped by most of the major ATCC teams at the time usually not competing in the series. 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). Along with its abrasive surface, 3-2-3 grid format, and drainage ditches in close proximity to the tarmac it had been built on a Nerang River flood plain, after all the circuit's signature was its first corner. Amaroo, what an awesome place to go to a race meeting. A quick video recapping the action from this non-championship touring car event at Amaroo Park in Sydney featuring some of the heavy hitters of the time - Al. Talk about what services you provide. 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. The AMSCAR Series had its origins in Amaroo's own Sun-7 Chesterfield Series for touring cars, first held in 1971 and was won by Sydney's Lakis Manticas driving a Morris Cooper S. This would continue, under various names relating to series sponsorship, through to 1981, with a 3-litre maximum engine capacity limit being applied from 1975 to 1980. Fittingly, the record crowd saw yet another piece of history made. The early seasons of touring car warfare featured more than a bit of panel bashing and the spectators that filled the hill surrounding the final corner were often treated to fierce scraps. 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. . The 1984 Silastic 300 was the only race held under wet conditions. 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. He was about the tenth last car knocked out the fuel pump fell out of its bracket and shorted out!One day, in what John Medley would refer to as an 'alcoholocaust' we - the demo derby guy, his mates, Wally Gates and myself, stripped out the bits and the engine went away to become the basis for what Sabrina wore for her return.For the benefit of the Yanks reading, Sabrina was a lithe sports car on a fabricated twin-tube chassis she had the engine as described, together with a huge crank-driven air-pump up front with twin SUs (those 'jugs') something of an 'Old Yella' look and attraction about her she was yellow, and she went like stink. 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. The ARDC was in the process of moving away from Catalina Park and soon had big plans for its new home. The owner sold it to property developers for over $500 million. 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. The ARDC lost money promoting the Super Touring Bathurst 1000 from 1997 to 1999 and this circuit was sold to recover some of the loss. The track hosted its first ATCC race in 1964, back when the championship was decided over a single race, and maintained a regular presence on the calendar through to the turn of the millennium. Various parties enquired about taking over where the ARDC left off, though all came to nought in the end. The first car meeting did not take place until March 12, 1967 and was a relatively low-key closed affair for Country Club members, with around 1,000 spectators watching club races featuring entrants from the Australian Racing Drivers Club, Australian Automobile Racing Club and the New South Wales Road Racing Club. Amaroo Park held its own touring car series from 1971 to 1993, initially as the Sun-7 Chesterfield Series and then under various names, including the "AMSCAR Series" from 1982. On many occasions these events featured larger grid numbers than did the rounds of the national level Australian Touring Car Championship. 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 . Short but challenging, the circuit was carved out of a valley with spectators given a view of proceedings something similar to a Roman amphitheatre. Originally posted by Catalina Park Here is the plan of Amaroo taken from Sports Car World, July 1959. [4] The series was then not held in 1980 and 1981. Popular with spectators and easy for Sydney's Channel 7 to telecast, it became the backbone of the Sydney touring car scene, a scene which once consisted mostly of privateers who have largely disappeared since Amaroo closed, with the major touring car teams now operating from Melbourne and south-east Queensland. Gees, when one considers the topography and those rock faces at Amaroo Park, this seemed wildly ambitious. Eventually, after two years of being effectively mothballed, Glaser did a deal with the Australian Racing Drivers Club to take over the running at Amaroo. The Sierras would have been quick around there I would imagine. Once we have received payment, we will e-mail you a jpeg . Join Date: Feb 2005. A compromise of a dog-leg chicane was installed on the inside of the corner, regaining the track it's licence, but it was deemed unsuitable for use by the Willoughby Club, who switched the Castrol 1000 to Oran Park. Much improved spectator areas were also gradually introduced, making it a much more attractive proposition to racing fans. A full length Grand Prix circuit was planned but never built. It reflected the rather straightened finances of the Country Club, whose debenture issue had failed to raise anything like the funds anticipated. Glaser had a vision of converting this rocky outcrop into a world class sports complex, complete with a Grand Prix circuit, Olympic diving pools, tennis courts, bowling greens, a motels, restaurants and conferencing facilities. IN 1960, Laurie Knight was someone I had never heard of . more stories, one day perhaps? [5] This allowed the V8 powered Holden Commodores, Ford Falcons and Chevrolet Camaros, as well as the V12 Jaguar XJS, to compete in the series alongside the under 3.5-litre cars such as the BMW 635 CSi, the Ford Capris and the growing list of rotary powered Mazda RX-7s, as well as the factory Nissan Bluebird turbo's. . Most race wins: Dick Johnson, Tony Longhurst, Allan Moffat (four apiece). GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Sabrina, however was someone everyone had heard of. Amaroo Park Pty was formed to build the complex and first up was a bike scrambles course, which was fashioned out of a rocky area on the fringe of the valley floor. . The last race meeting thus take place on August 23, 1998, with a meeting billed as the 'Goodbye to Amaroo State Open Meeting'. Certainly, both namesakes were very curvy.The car seemed to be even more desirable because it was road registered, and I couldnt help conjuring up images of terrorising the neighbourhood with tyres, supercharger, exhaust and passenger screaming in unison! [1][2] The name Amaroo comes from the Aboriginal word meaning beautiful place. Despite this unpromising start to motor racing activities, plans for the rest of the complex continued. Probably the most expensive destruction to ever occur at that track. [1] Despite this, young Sydney driver Steve Masterton would win the 1981 Better Brakes 3.5 Litre Series driving his Ford Capri Mk.II from the JPS BMW of Allan Grice. Amaroo Park was located in Annangrove, on the outskirts of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. Rare as hens teath footage of a 1981 AMsacr race from Sydney's Amaroo Park Raceway I was certainly interested in his theory of how the ARDC had the ability to come along and run an existing circuit and then, though a variety of reasons, cause its demise. At the end of the circuit's longest straight, the nearly flat right hander under a bridge with both sides lined by walls represented one of the most demanding corners in the country. I'd like to but you're closer to it than I am Of course and Frank G raced the Corvair there too, didn't he? In the circuit's place came a new access road leading to a small number of expensive executive homes, similar to others that had sprung up across the Annangrove suburb. The final race held at Amaroo Park was a "Butchers Picnic" which included the top 3 cars from the competing classes all in one final race. 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 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. From 1970, Amaroo Park was run and promoted by the Australian Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) who also promoted the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, and later were the promoters of Sydney's Eastern Creek Raceway. Amaroo Park 1970 31st May 1970 13th September 1970 1980 Calder Catalina Fishermans Bend Geelong Sprints Hepburn Springs Leyburn Sprints Oran Park Phillip Island Rob Roy Templestowe Formula 5000 Formula Vee Formula Ford Speedway Hillclimbs Rally & Rallycross Bikes Drag Racing DVDs Shop by Brand Holden Ford Lotus Morris Elfin Mazda Brabham Lola Most race wins: Mark Skaife (15). There was a very old thread about Amaroo from a few years ago where member Buckshot went in and took a bunch of photo's, and all he found that remained of the circuit was a toilet block. -tempting very tempting, engine? At times but the usual run of it was such that someone wanting to get some good placings on their CV without facing an ASSC field could do all right. After a second bike meeting in August, the next major event was the new Castrol 1000 for production machines. The first event open to the general public was held on 9 April. This would go on to become one of the circuit's signature events, attracting top riders and major sponsorship money. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. This was the 84 Historic meet. Championship rounds held: 29 That 85 event was the last race on the original layout. A site to recall and enjoy the early days of Amaroo Park racing complex. This year the championship visited 15 of those, including second visits to the most recent additions Albert Park [which before 2018 was a non-championship event] and The Bend. After holding its own touring car series from 1971 to 1993 (initially as the Sun-7 Chesterfield Series and then under various names, including AMSCAR), in 1974 the top-tier Australian Touring Car Championship arrived. The circuit, in the western suburb of Annangrove, around an hour from the Sydney CBD, was the brainchild of wealthy industrialist Oscar Glaser, one of the pioneers of plant hire in Australia in the 1950s. 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. Contents 1 Background 2 History 2.1 Demise 3 Broadcast 4 Winners 5 Multiple winners 5.1 By driver 5.2 By team 5.3 By manufacturer 6 Event sponsors 7 References Background [ edit] The story goes that, semi-conscious in the ambulance, Lauries only concern was . 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. Posts: 355. How the Photo Download Works. Championship races held: 20 I have vague memories of running there and a photo to prove it on the autopics site but it doesn't show much of the track. Last championship visit: 1998 Amaroo Park offers a range of accommodation options in a conveniently located quiet location just off the main street in Cowes. Rounds of various Australian motor racing championship were held at the circuit. 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. A programme of upgrades were carried out around the track, including the construction of a new race control and commentary tower at the end of the pit lane. Its a long list: - Mt Druitt, Catalina, Bathurst (I know it survived) and Amaroo. amaroo park races from the 1960. by | Jul 3, 2022 | bet365 bangladesh link | Jul 3, 2022 | bet365 bangladesh link -28 pit/start. Last championship visit: 1994 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. Drivers such as Amscar series winners Steve Masterton and Terry Shiel, as well as Terry Finnigan, Garry Willmington, Brian Callaghan, Barry Jones, and the late Mike Burgmann got national TV exposure they would otherwise have struggled to get in the ATCC, or had ATCC headline drivers like Peter Brock (HDT), Dick Johnson, Allan Moffat, Allan Grice (Roadways), and Jim Richards (JPS Team BMW) been regular competitors, although Grice did win the 1982 series, Brock and Johnson contested limited rounds from 1982 to 1984, while Richards was a regular competitor from 1983 and placed 3rd in the 1984 series. At the fastest part of the circuit, the run up to Bitupave Hill, the faster cars (Sports Sedans, Sports Cars and F5000) were able to reach just over 220km/h (137mph). Arthur Hayes, ARDC member number one, waved the chequered flag to bring to a close 31 years of continuous racing activity at one of Australia's most popular circuits. If you continue to use this site, you agree to the terms and conditions identified in our privacy policy, Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia, remain in the frame for a return in future seasons, Slade not finished with full-time driving. 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). amaroo park races from the 1960. Spent a lot of time in the "Loop" and at Honda. An anti-smoking sponsorship deal took Calder off the championship trail for several seasons before returning in 1996. Yes I was wondering but not being very good on Aussie cars I wasn't sure, in which case its 1982 and driven by Terry Cornelius, thanks Ray. Was it 1982? The incredible 1971 championship decider between Bob Jane and Allan Moffat where Moffat overcame a jammed gearbox and a spectator's rogue car joining the race, but fell just shy of beating Jane to the flag and the title played out on Oran Park's original 1.96km track. The dirt circuit was off to the upper right of that photo. AMSCAR (Amaroo Saloon Cars) was a touring car series held in Australia between 1979 and 1997, based at Amaroo Park in Sydney. Primitive! RacingCircuits.info. That layout was later known as the South circuit once the over-under loop was added in the 1970s. By age 16 I had a very well developed sense of appreciation of mechanical contrivances, and most of my private fantasies dwelt not only on girls, but also the svelte and sexy curves of the Maserati 250F. For 1981 the Australian Racing Drivers Club increased the maximum engine capacity limit of cars competing in their series to 3.5 litres. Copyright 2023: Alongside the road racing circuit would be other motorsport facilities, including a hillclimb, scrambler course and go-kart facilities, to help cash in on the age's new-found fascination with speed. Amaroo Park was built by Industrialist Oscar Glaser as part of a plan to build a full motorsport complex. This was the 84 Historic meet. * Amaroo hosted two rounds of the 1989 Australian Drivers' Championship (both held on the same day). i vividly remember a guy in a gemini (you know, those really boxy old ones from isuzu) getting catastrophically sideways in a manner that seemed to contradict the laws of physics the instructors were alarmed and baffled, i think they wanted to condemn the car on the spot! From there it was a short straight up to Wunderlich Corner, with the pit entry on the outside of the turn. Hmm. Sign up to the Repco Supercars Championship Newsletter, We use cookies to ensure we give you the best experience on our website. The dog-leg (or the flip-flop, depending on your generation) was a driver favourite, as was the kink at the end of pit straight, and the rolling left-hander at Suttons since replicated in the reverse direction at The Bend Motorsport Park while the bridge overpass was unique in Australian motorsport. I'm also sufficiently old to remember Silverstone with horizontal rain, north-easterly winds and the mercury hovering just above the 32 mark.And the prospect of hitch-hiking home. Notice the two roads going off at the top right corner of the pic? Out of 13 starts, Brock claimed six race victories and finished on the podium in all but his final start. The race, called "The Last Race, The Main Event, Amaroo's Final Fling" started at 4:30pm and was held over 10 laps. This was mostly as the large number of Sydney privateers who usually filled the grid in the nationally televised (by Ch.7) Bathurst 1000, rarely raced outside of NSW or Queensland due to limited budgets. It was closed in 1998. One of the features of Amaroo Park's history was their promoted touring car series, created by Amaroo's promoters, the Australian Racing Drivers Club (ARDC). 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. 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.