Getting to know our members and their cars

Recently I have been both, updating members cars on our website, and preparing Media Cheat Sheets for each car.

This has been a great way for me to interact with each member, but also has been very rewarding, to find out the history behind these valuable, and very interesting cars.

I imagine other members may also not be aware of the background history to our cars, even though they may have raced against them for many years.  Therefore each month I am going to highlight several cars, and hopefully by the end of the season, we will all have a deeper understanding about the cars we race with.  The information on the cars has come from the current owners only, not from any research undertaken by myself, and as such any queries should be made directly with them.

This month I am going to start with Na, and the Nb V8's.

1956 Holden Special 138 Na U3L  Owned and driven by Gary Crosswell 56

Built and log booked in 2014 by Gary.  Gary purchased it as a wreck in 2012 from a guy in Joondalup for $2000.  Car was sandblasted and rotisserie restored over 18 months.

Gary holds the Collie short lap record in the Na class.

1964 Ford Mustang 289 Nb O4.5L  Owned and driven by Patrick Dick 33

Built and log booked originally by Race Craft UK Car 8903.  Pat purchased the car in 2011. Famously steered to success many times by the likes of 3 times Australian Trans-Am Champion John English and 5 times Australian Touring Car Champion Ian “Pete” Geoghegan who has driven the car at Oran Park, Lakeside, Amaroo & Bathurst. Converted by Jack Lacey in 1979 for Nb racing for David Barkley of Qld.

Has raced at Wanneroo, Phillip Isl, Collie, Bathurst, Philip Island, Sandown, Eastern Creek, Lakeside, Oran Park, Amaroo Park.

Previously owned by David Barkley, Ken Mathews, John McKeon, Doug Westwood, Kerry Finn, Ted Jordan.

1964 Ford Mustang 289 Nb O4.5L Owned and driven by Graeme Woolhouse 86

Supplied to Harry Firth, Ford Works Team Manager in 1967, as his company car.

Later it was converted by Paul Trevethan in 1980 to a race car for Barry Jupp.

Previous owners include Graeme Hunt, Michael Maselli, Tino Leo. Graeme bought the car in 2012 from Geoff Taylor of Victoria.

Has raced at Sandown, Wanneroo, Collie, The Bend, Phillip Island, Wakefield, Winton, Bathurst, Sydney Motorsport Park.

Graeme holds the Nb O4.5l long track record at Wanneroo.

1964 Ford Mustang 289 Nb O4.5L  Owned and driven by Simon Northey 44

Built by Peter Burchell from Mt Gambier, Log booked 31/07/2002

Bought by Simon in February 2020 from Shane Atwell.

Has raced at Sandown, Mallala, Sydney Motorsport Park, Winton, Wanneroo, Philip Island, Bathurst, and The Bend.

Previous owners Peter Burchall, Shane Atwell.

1963 Ford Galaxie Lightweight 427  Nb O4.5L Owned and driven by Don Behets 222

Purchased out of Washington State around 2006 as a rolling body. It is a factory big block car, base model. Built as a “Factory Lightweight”. Ford homologated the 63 Galaxie’s with Fibreglass Bonnet, Boot, Front guards, Door skins and aluminium bumpers with the 427 FE engine, Aluminium case T10. In the container Don managed to squeeze 4 Galaxie’s in. A 63, a 66 (currently in Adelaide), a 64 390 4 speed car (which is in Mandurah) and another 64 which is still sitting untouched as a backup to replace the 64 Targa Galaxie. The 222 race number came about because once stripped, hidden up under the guard on the firewall on the drivers side, “222” is visible as a factory marking.  The other link is Don's Grandfather lost his life in Rabaul, in WW2 in the 2/22.

Has raced at Wanneroo since late 2017, and the Baskerville Historics in Sept 2018.

1964 Ford Falcon Rallye Sprint  Nb O4.5L  Owned and driven by Mike Rowe 17

There were 4 Falcon Rallye Sprints (replicas) built to race in Historic Touring Cars in the late 1980’s.  One of these 4 cars was built by Jack Lacey in  QLD.  His car was originally a LHD 6 cylinder Falcon hardtop which he changed to a RHD V8.  Jack engaged the services of Alan Steel who helped him at Bathurst and became his mechanic/friend for a number of years.

 One day in 1990 as the two of them were driving through Brisbane, they saw an original 1964 Falcon Sprint V8, parked in the yard of a house.  On enquiring, a young guy said his father won the lottery, and bought his 4 kids a car each, out of the US in a container.  The V8 Sprint was his gift from the father.  Jack/Alan negotiated and bought the car to make a sister race car for Alan. The car was built up by Alan and a Log Book request was submitted in December 1999.  The car was then sold in 2005 to Jim Hodgson (Brisbane) where it languished in a shed, until John Gillingwater who had a Mustang stored in the same shed, purchased the car in 2013. John restored the car, had it repainted its original Wimbledon White colour and fitted a standard 302 motor.

Mike bought the car in 2017, and completely restored it again and fitted a compliant 289 V8 built by our own Peter Pisconeri.

The car has raced at Morgan Park Qld, SMSP, Sandown, Wanneroo and Collie.

1964 Chevrolet Nova 327  Nb O4.5L Owned and driven by Gary Crosswell 39

Car was built and log booked in 1992 by Rob Perozzi. 

Novas have a famous race history, one having been raced with success by Norm Beechey. Gary purchased it in 2020 from Brett Baker in Brisbane. 

Previously owned by James Innes, Craig Bradtke, Murray Paddison, Brett Baker.

The car has raced at Wanneroo, Morgan Park, Queensland Raceway.

regards

Mike Rowe

Media Liaison

WA Historic Touring Car

10-3-21