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Norman Edward Beechey (born 9 July 1932) is a retired Australian race car driver, who was given the nickname "Stormin Norman" by his fans. To some, he was the closest thing Holden had to a star racing driver, before Peter Brock.[2] Beechey competed in the Australian Touring Car Championship from 1963[3] to 1972 winning the title in 1965 driving a Ford Mustang and in 1970 at the wheel of a Holden Monaro.[4] Along the way, he achieved seven round wins, and one pole position. His championship win in 1970 was the first victory by a Holden driver in the Australian Touring Car Championship.
| Norm Beechey | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Australian |
| Born | 9 July 1932[1] |
| Australian Touring Car Championship | |
| Years active | 1963–1972 |
| Teams | Scuderia Veloce Neptune Racing Team Trident Racing Shell Racing Team |
| Starts | 25 |
| Wins | 7 |
| Best finish | 1st in 1965 & 1970 |
| Championship titles | |
| 1965 1970 | Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship |
| Awards | |
| 2000 | V8 Supercars Hall of Fame |
Beechey began racing at the age of 22 in a Ford Customline V8. He came to prominence only a year later when he won the Olympic Touring Car Race at Albert Park, a support event at the Australian Grand Prix meeting which was held in conjunction with the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. As the expense of running this and two subsequent Customline V8s proved too prohibitive he reverted to a Holden 48-215 in 1959. After becoming part of David McKay’s Scuderia Veloce team he again returned to V8s, developing a Chevrolet Impala with which he won the New South Wales Touring Car Championship at Catalina Park. He progressed to a Ford Galaxie owned by Len Lukey and was then instrumental in forming the Neptune Racing Team in 1964. He raced a Holden EH S4 as part of that team alongside Jim McKeown’s Lotus Cortina and Peter Manton’s Morris Cooper S. He subsequently developed and raced a series of V8 powered Touring Cars with which he contested the Australian Touring Car Championship and other events. The first Ford Mustang to race in Australia was followed by a Chevrolet Chevy II Nova, a Chevrolet Camaro, a Holden Monaro GTS 327 and a Holden Monaro GTS 350.[5]
Beechey retired from racing at the end of the 1972 season.[6] He was inducted into the V8 Supercars Hall of Fame in 2000.
| Season | Title | Position | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 2nd | Holden EH Special S4 | Neptune Racing Team |
| 1965 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 1st | Ford Mustang | Neptune Racing Team |
| 1966 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 2nd | Chevrolet Chevy II Nova | Neptune Racing Team |
| 1969 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 3rd | Holden HK Monaro GTS327 | Norm Beechey |
| 1970 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 1st | Holden HT Monaro GTS350 | Norm Beechey Shell Race Team |
| 1971 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 5th | Holden HT Monaro GTS350 | Shell Racing |
| 1972 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 13th | Holden HT Monaro GTS350 | Shell Racing |
Complete Australian Touring Car Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Holden 48-215 | MAL Ret |
NC | - | ||||||||
| 1964 | Neptune Racing Team | Holden EH Special S4 | LAK 2 |
2nd | - | |||||||
| 1965 | Neptune Racing Team | Ford Mustang | SAN 1 |
1st | - | |||||||
| 1966 | Neptune Racing Team | Chevrolet Chevy II Nova | BAT 2 |
2nd | - | |||||||
| 1967 | Tridents Racing Team | Chevrolet Chevy II Nova | LAK Ret |
NC | - | |||||||
| 1968 | Norm Beechey | Chevrolet Camaro SS | WAR Ret |
NC | - | |||||||
| 1969 | Norm Beechey | Holden HK Monaro GTS327 | CAL Ret |
BAT DNS |
MAL DNS |
SUR 1 |
SYM 1 |
3rd | 18 | |||
| 1970 | Norm Beechey Shell Race Team | Holden HT Monaro GTS350 | CAL 8 |
BAT 1 |
SAN 1 |
MAL 2 |
WAR Ret |
LAK 1 |
SYM DNS |
1st | 33 | |
| 1971 | Shell Racing | Holden HT Monaro GTS350 | SYM Ret |
CAL 1 |
SAN Ret |
SUR Ret |
MAL Ret |
LAK 4 |
ORA Ret |
5th | 12 | |
| 1972 | Shell Racing | Holden HT Monaro GTS350 | SYM Ret |
CAL Ret |
BAT Ret |
SAN 3 |
AIR DNS |
WAR | SUR DNS |
ORA | 13th | 6 |
Complete Phillip Island/Bathurst 500 results
| Year | Team | Co-driver | Car | Class | Laps | Overall position |
Class position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Australian Motor Industries |
John French |
Standard Vanguard | D | 162 | 5th | 2nd |
| 1961 | W McB March |
Bill March |
Renault Gordini | D | 156 | 10th | 2nd |
| 1962 | Continental and General Distributors |
Greg Cusack |
Citroën ID19 | A | 160 | 11th | 3rd |
| 1970 | N Beechey |
Bruce Hindhaugh |
Chrysler VG Valiant Pacer 4 Barrell | D | 39 | DNF | DNF |
| 1971 | Shell Racing |
Jim McKeown |
Chrysler VH Valiant Charger R/T E38 | D | 127 | 12th | 6th |
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