Photograph courtesy Wally Gates.
Photograph courtesy Wally Gates.
Wally Gates leads the way. Photograph by Paul Bradley.
Daryl Jackson Leads Wally Gates. Photograph by Paul Bradley.
The 1976 '6 hour relay race' contested by the Austin Healey Owners Club NSW, was at Calder Motor Raceway, Melbourne on 5th September, 1976. The NSW AHOC team came 7th outright, from a field of 25 teams - and finished 2 laps behind the Victorian AHOC team. The 1976 6 hour race was full of dramas for the NSW AHOC team. Starting with only 3 cars meant the pressure was really on. Chris Gray blew the clutch; Phil Lyon burst a radiator hose, had a door fly open, got Black flagged for a loose bonnet. The black & white car had a puncture before the first hour was completed, then tore the centre out of a standard 60 spoke wheel (while the puncture was being fixed on the 72 spoke wheel). Despite all of the dramas, Wally and the black & white car raced for 4 of the six hours - taking 7th place outright. Once again - Wal had driven down to Victoria, competed for 4 race hours, and driven home - covering over 2,000 miles on the weekend.
Car A: Phil Lyon driving an Austin Healey 100/4
Car B: Ian Russell driving an Austin Healey 100/6 (DNS)
Car C: Chris Gray driving an Austin Healey 100/4
Car D: Wally Gates driving the black & white 3000Team Manager was Alan 'S' Jones.
Click the highlighted links below for the programmes, pictures etc. from each race nominated meeting... If you have any old 'Racing Car News' magazines from this era - or copies of the race results - I'd love to hear from you...
