1967 Australian Touring Car Championship

The 1967 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title open to Group C Improved Production Touring Cars.[1] It was contested over a single race, staged at the Lakeside Circuit in Queensland, Australia on 30 July 1967. The title, which was the eighth Australian Touring Car Championship, was won by Ian Geoghegan, driving a Ford Mustang.[2]

1967 Australian Touring Car Championship
Previous: 1966 Next: 1968

Report

Qualifying consisted of three preliminary heats, based on engine capacity, with the fastest lap times from the heats setting the grid for the race. Norm Beechey qualified his Chevrolet Chevy II Nova on pole position, while Ian Geoghegan qualified second in his new Ford Mustang, which had only arrived at the circuit on the morning of the race. Greg Cusack qualified third in another Mustang ahead of the Morris Cooper Ss of Brian Foley and Peter Manton.[2]

Beechey took the lead at the start of the race ahead of Geoghegan, with Jim McKeown moving into third from sixth place on the grid. Bob Jane's Mustang became jammed in top gear on lap 2, forcing him to retire. Beechey set a new lap record of 1:04.3 as he continued to build his lead, despite a minor clutch problem which meant that he had to make clutchless shifts.[2]

By lap 35, Terry Allan and Paul Fahey had both retired and Foley had moved into third place, with Manton running five seconds behind. The complexion of the race changed on lap 40, when the left-rear tyre of Beechey's car blew and caused him to hit the fence. Geoghegan inherited the lead and held it for the final ten laps to secure his third Australian Touring Car Championship title. Foley and Manton finished in second and third, less than twenty seconds behind Geoghegan.[2]

Results
Ian Geoghegan won the championship driving this Ford Mustang. The car is pictured in 2013 in different specification.

Class winners are indicated by bold text.

Pos. Class No. Driver Entrant Car Laps Time/Retired
1 Over 3000cc 1 Ian Geoghegan Mustang Team Ford Mustang 50 54:43.4
2 1101–1500cc 8 Brian Foley Brian Foley Motors Morris Cooper S 50 +12.0
3 1101–1500cc 2 Peter Manton Tridents Racing Team Morris Cooper S 50 +16.4
4 1501–2000cc 5 Kevin Bartlett Mildren Racing Team Alfa Romeo GTA 50 +52.7
5 Over 3000cc 7 Greg Cusack Mustang Team Ford Mustang 49 +1 lap
6 1501–2000cc 3 Jim McKeown Tridents Racing Team Ford Cortina Mark I Lotus 49 +1 lap
7 Over 3000cc 10 Rod Coppins R. Coppins Ford Mustang 47 +3 laps
8 0–1100cc 26 John French J. French Morris Cooper S 47 +3 laps
9 0–1100cc 85 John Humphrey Austin Cooper S 47 +3 laps
10 35 J. Rout Morris Cooper S 46 +4 laps
11 2001–3000cc 58 G. Clough Holden EH 43 +7 laps
12 74 M. McGregor Morris Cooper S 43 +7 laps
Ret 52 Laurie Stewart Morris Cooper S 45
Ret Over 3000cc 34 Norm Beechey Tridents Racing Team Chevrolet Chevy II Nova 39 Accident
Ret Over 3000cc 11 Paul Fahey Ford Mustang 31 Fuel pump
Ret 1501–2000cc 56 Brian Michelmore Ford Cortina Mark I Lotus 28 Gearbox
Ret 2001–3000cc 48 Evan Thomas Holden EH 20
Ret Over 3000cc 19 Terry Allan Chevrolet Camaro 17
Ret 2001–3000cc 80 John Reilly Holden EH 5
Ret Over 3000cc 6 Bob Jane Ford Mustang 2 Gearbox
Sources:[2][3]

Statistics
  • Pole position: Norm Beechey, 1:03.4[2]
  • Fastest lap: Norm Beechey, 1:03.3[2]
  • Race distance: 50 laps, 120.70 km[2]
  • Average speed: 132.34 km/h[2]

References
  1. Conditions for Australian Titles, 1967 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 69 to 71
  2. Greenhalgh, David; Howard, Graham; Wilson, Stewart (2011). The official history: Australian Touring Car Championship - 50 Years. St Leonards, New South Wales: Chevron Publishing Group. pp. 70–75. ISBN 978-0-9805912-2-4.
  3. White, Des (September 1967). "Third title for Ian Geoghegan". Racing Car News. Chippendale, New South Wales: Publishers Photo Digest Pty Ltd. pp. 26–27.
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