1961 Australian GT Championship

The 1961 Australian GT Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title for Appendix K GT cars.^[1] The title, which was the second Australian GT Championship,^[2] was contested over a single 50 mile race held at the Warwick Farm circuit, in New South Wales, Australia on 30 July 1961.^[3] The race was conducted by the Australian Automobile Racing Co.^[4]

1961 Australian GT Championship

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1960

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1962

Layout of the Warwick Farm Raceway (1960-1973)

The championship was won by Frank Matich driving a Jaguar D-Type.

Results

Position[5]	Driver[5]	No.[6]	Car[5]	Entrant[6]	Laps[5]
1	Frank Matich	36	Jaguar D-Type	Team Leaton	23
2	David McKay	14	Lola 1100	Scuderia Veloce	23
3	Brian Foley	1	Austin-Healey Sprite	B. Foley	22
4	Bob Jane	33	Maserati 300S	Autoland Pty. Ltd.	22
5	Greg Cusack	20	Porsche Super 90	G. Cusack
6	Brian Lawler	28	Buckle	B. Lawler
? [7]	Keith Malcolm[8]	30	Skoden[9]	Bass Hill Service Station
?	John Callaway[10]	18	MGA Twin Cam[9]	Monaro Motors
?	Les Howard[9]	3	Austin-Healey Sprite[9]	Howard & Sons
?	Harry Firth[9]	37	Jaguar 3.8[9]	Autoland Pty. Ltd.
?	Bob Holden[8]	2	Austin-Healey Sprite[8]	Killara Motor Garage
?	Harry Cape[8]	17	MGA Twin Cam[8]	H. Cape
?	H. Fenton[8]	22	Peugeot 203[8]	H. G. Fenton
?	Martin Faithfull[8]	15	Simca[8]	Killara Motor Garage
DNF[9]	Ralph Sach	16	MGA Twin Cam	R. Orlando
DNF[9]	Graham White[9]	23	Porsche[9]	Continental Motors	12[9]
DNF[9]	Bruce McPhee[8]	31	Holden FE[11]	Wyong Motors	5[9]
DNF	Ron Hodgson	10	Lotus Eleven Coventry Climax[12]	Stathfield Motors Pty. Ltd.	3[10]
DNF	Leo Geoghegan	11	Lotus Elite	Geoghegan Motors	2
DNF	Bryan Thomson	26	Monza Holden	Ecurie Shepparton	0
DNS[13]	Harry Howard[8]	19	Simca Aronde[6]	Howard & Sons	-
DNS[14]	Peter Manton[10]	4	Morris 850[6]	Monaro Motors	-
DNS[15]	Max Laroux[10]	7	Morris Minor 1000[16]	W. Mitchell	-
DNS[17]	Peter Williamson[10]	32	Buckle[6]	P. Williamson	-
DNS[18]	Ken Lindsay[10]	29	Holden[6]	Ken Lindsay Motors	-
DNS[19]	Bill Mitchell[8]	25	Lotus Holden[6]	W. Mitchell	-

Notes

• Attendance: 25,000^[10][20]
• Number of entries in Official Programme: 33^[6]
• Number of starters: 20^[8]
• Pole position: Frank Matich (Jaguar D-Type)^[5]
• Fastest lap: Frank Matich (Jaguar D-Type), 1:53.5 (71.80 mph)^[3]
• Winner's race time: 44:40.8 (69.47 mph)^[3]
• Winning margin: 2:07.8^[5]

References

1. 1961 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 53
2. 2006 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 14-6
3. Young Sydney Driver Wins Car Race Title, The Sydney Morning Herald, Monday, 31 July 1961
4. Coming Events In N.S.W, Racing Car News, July 1961, page 8
5. David McKay, Matich G.T. Champ, Modern Motor, October 1961, pages 26,27 & 98
6. Official Programme, Warwick Farm Motor Racing Circuit, 30 July 1961
7. The report in Australian Motor Sport indicates that Malcolm finished the race but does not indicate the placing attained.
8. Mike Kable, Matich runs away with GT title, Sports Car World, October 1961, pages 46 to 48
9. Australian G.T. Championships at Warwick Farm, Australian Motor Sports, September 1961, pages 368 - 370
10. Warwick Farm - 30 July, Racing Car News, September 1961, pages 1 to 3
11. McPhee's car is referred to in the Sports Car World report as a Holden FC but the image published with the Racing Car News report shows it to be a Holden FE. It appears in the Official Programme simply as a Holden.
12. Mike Kable, The GT Jaguar That Ran Away, Wheels, October 1961, pages 34 & 35
13. The Racing Car News report notes that Harry Howard contested the first preliminary heat. He is not included in the grid list published with that report.
14. The Racing Car News report notes that Peter Manton contested the first preliminary heat but did not finish. He is not included in the grid list published with that report.
15. The Racing Car News report notes that Max Laroux contested the first preliminary heat but did not finish. He is not included in the grid list published with that report.
16. The Racing Car News Report lists Laroux's car as a Morris Minor. The Official Programme lists it as a Morris 1000.
17. The Racing Car News report notes that Peter Williamson contested the second preliminary heat. He is not included in the grid list published with that report.
18. The Racing Car News report notes that Ken Lindsay contested the second preliminary heat but did not finish. He is not included in the grid list published with that report.
19. The Sports Car World report notes that Bill Mitchell crashed in practice. He is not included in the grid list published with the Racing Car News report.
20. Matich [D Jaguar] Wins G.T. Title, Australian Motor Manual, 2 October 1961, page 39

Further reading

• Jim Shepherd, A History of Australian Motor Sport, 1980, pages 184-185

External links

• Greg Cusack's Porsche Super 90 leads Brian Foley's Austin-Healey Sprite during the 1961 Australian GT Championship, www.foleyalfa.com.au, as archived at web.archive.org