HTCAV - Appendix J revival
Words: Chris Ralph
Photos: Various (colour), Peter Weaver (mono)
Next year will mark the 45th Anniversary of Australian historic touring car racing. But before we go back to the first local meeting for historic touring cars held in 1980, let’s go waaay back...
In the two decades after World War II, an explosion of different automotive makes and models from around the world became available for Australian drivers - and race enthusiasts - to enjoy. With engines from two to eight cylinders in different formats and placed longitudinally, transversely, fore or aft, the variety of sights and sounds made the new touring car events hugely popular with spectators. Additionally, touring cars were accessible for the amateur racer, unlike open wheelers, which were pretty exotic, even back then.
The boom in touring car racing saw the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) introduce ‘Appendix J’ in 1960; a national system of rules replacing ad hoc regulations that had varied from state to state and even meeting to meeting, depending on the promoter.
But things never stay the same, and in 1965, Improved Production (aka Group C) replaced Appendix J, with cars either moving up to the new class, transformed into Sports Sedans or quietly reverted back to road use.
Why can’t things stay the same?
Although it was gone, Appendix J remained popular, leading enthusiasts who wanted to turn back time to lobby CAMS for its revival as an historic class. Cars and parts were inexpensive and it represented a way to boost historic racing generally within a tightly controlled and affordable class that the general public could relate to.
Towards the end of 1980, a group of Melbourne enthusiasts started the ‘Appendix J Association of Victoria’ in the North Melbourne pub operated by racing brothers, Lezn and Neil Shields. Such was the excitement that the first events were organised for Calder Park’s first all-historic race meeting on December 7th of that year. Thanks to the meticulous noting, filing and memory of veteran motorsport photographer Peter Weaver, we’re able to bring you details and photographs from that first day.
Bleak, treeless Calder…
Seventeen entries were logged for a practice (qualy) session and two races. From NSW came Ron Hodgson’s Jaguar 3.8, which practiced but didn’t race, while Rowland Short in another Jag did race, winning Race 1 and finishing runner-up in Race 2. Robert Edgerton brought down his Renault R8, achieving some awesome oversteer angles on 135x60x15 Michelin X tyres.
Two current members of the HTCAV competed, too: Don Green in the Jaguar 3.8 his son Brock drives today, and the redoubtable John Mann who won Race 2 in an EH Holden.
The late SA driver, John Virgo, brought his EH over, with he and Mann moving to V8 power when Mustangs were allowed into the category.
If you need to hunt down photographs (and even results) for Victorian race meetings - from 45 years ago to last weekend - there’s a good chance Peter Weaver will have them (easier if you can nominate the race meeting). Email him at: [email protected] or Facebook ‘Peter Weaver Motorsport Photography’.
Where are those pioneer cars now?
John Emery’s 1964 factory Alfa Romeo Giulia TI Super was perhaps the most famous of all. It’s the same car that won the Sandown International Six Hour in 1964, entered by Alec Mildren Racing, driven by Alfa factory driver Dr Roberto Bussinello and Mildren driver Ralph Sachs.
The homologated Autodelta race special ran like clockwork, while the 4-wheel discs saved it from the brake issues and longer pit stops suffered by works teams that included the 7-litre Ford Galaxie of Lex Davison and Sir Gawaine Bailey, Indy driver Rodger Ward’s Studebaker Lark and the Lotus Cortinas of Jackie Stewart and newcomer Allan Moffat. The modest qualifier won by seven laps!
In 1965, the Alfa repeated the hare-and-tortoise trick, winning in the hands of Frank Gardner and Kevin Bartlett. It now lives with a British Alfa enthusiast in Japan.
Ron Hodgson’s 3.8 Jaguar didn’t complete any racing laps in 1980, but it had already earnt its place in history. The colourful Sydney car dealer placed third in the 1961 Australian Touring Car Championship (held at Lowood, Queensland), as well as featuring throughout the ’61 racing year.
After going missing for many years, Hodgson’s Jag was perfectly resurrected and is now part of the extensive Bowden collection.
John Mann’s EH Holden was the ex-Herb Taylor car. Formerly a 221,000-mile Sydney cab bought to tow his 48-215 racer, Herb converted the EH to a race car in 1967. A crowd favourite in NSW, it was once guest-driven by Aussie international Brian ‘Yogi’ Muir at Amaroo Park.
Sold to fellow NSW racer Ron Wittig, the EH ended up as a Sports Sedan in Melbourne before John returned it to Group N specs. A year later, he sold it to Wonthaggi car dealer Hugh Grieve, who raced it in the ’80s before keeping the immaculate car for display, where it lives today.
Don Green’s Jaguar 3.8 was white in the 1980s but is now black and still an HTCAV favourite in the hands of his son Brock, who won three from three at Historic Sandown in 2019.
Cossetted and continually improved by Don, this Jaguar is now immaculate inside and out, representing an outstanding investment for a collector. It was for sale at time of writing. Don’s number is 0419 574 763 if you’re interested.
Neil Shields’s Cortina GT was written off at Phillip Island in 1993.
Others on the entry list at Calder in 1980 included a Mini (Michael Holloway, but not that Michael Holloway), Valiant (Tony Klay), Lotus Cortina (Barry Jupp), Austin Lancer (Peter Bick) and a Ford Anglia (Alex Reid). If readers know anything of the whereabouts of these and other entries, please email: [email protected]
Small, wet and miserable
Even the most magnificent race circuits sometimes have their off weekends, and so it was with the JUST CARS racers for the July State Race Series round at Phillip Island; a makegood meeting for a cancelled event earlier in the year. The new date suited only a few – and the wet conditions suited no-one.
On Saturday, wheels went on at the last possible moment after staring at the sky and checking the weather app – but this is Bass Strait and the heavens opened over the dummy grid for R1 with the field on dry tyres. All the ‘s’ words applied – slow, slimy, slippy and sideways - and probably a couple more.
