The big 3

[Rob 18]

Back in the late 60's the 3 big teams fighting for Bathurst supremecy were the Ford Factory team, the Valiant Factory team & the Holden Dealer Team who weren't actually a factory team but were funded 'allegedly' by Holden Dealers Australia wide.

Now my question is....

Who were the 3 Team Managers of the respective teams for Ford, Holden & Valiant back in that era?????

2 of these should be relatively easy!!

 

[4EVER17]

Heavens to Betsy Man,That`s got the thinking cap on.Just as well I`ve got The Great Race 1963-92

 

[Racin Jason]

Well that's a doozy of a question and there could be a few answers. In the late 60's Al Turner was in charge at Ford, Harry Firth at Holden and this is where it gets a little more difficult. John Ellis was the man at Chrysler who was responsible for the homologation and signing off on the race cars but they were run by the Geoghegan Brothers.

 

[Henry]

Well, depends on the year(s) I guess.

Harry Firth originally ran the Ford works team... David McKay was the founding father of the HDT... at the end of 1969, Ford cast H aside, thinking he was too old, and imported Al Turner from the USA to head up their works team. Al lasyed until 1971 IIRC when Howard Marsden (ex-Alan Mann Racing) took over the reins.

Meanwhile, The Grey Fox was running the HDT, which he would do until the end of 1977, when his role was assumed by John Sheppard, who had spannered (among other cars) Geoghegan's Mustang, Bob Jane's Torana and Monaro, the Monaro that Geoghegan drove for Laurie O'Neill, and also the Group C Charger that the Fat Fella drove a bit, post HDT, Sheppo ran a Group A Bimmer for Charlie O'Brien, managed the Volvo Dealer Team in 1986, and built Bob Jane's batch of NASCAR's for the Thunderdome.

H went on the be CAMS chief scrutineer, and made everybody take all the bits off their cars that he had invented.

 

[Rob 18]

John Ellis was the one I was after & like usual, too easy for you guys!! I probably should have stipulated a particular year but anyways, doesn't matter as you guys worked it out anyhow!

It still sounds amusing to me that Valiant Pacers were competitive at Bathurst. I think they even led for a while in 1970 when Moff went into the pits for a tyre change.

Anyone else watch the DVD of Classic Touring Car races with Will Hagon?? Some great footage especially of Warrick Farm & the short track at AIR. How about the 4 corners doco on Touring car racing in that era & how even back then, they were asking serious questions on who actually owned the HDT, the Holden Dealers or, which was a GMH no no in the 60's & early 70's, General Motors. How about the interview with Frenchie when he said he 1st joined Ford in 69, he went down to check out the workshop & there were the 3 red XW GTHO's sitting side by side. Never seen anything like that in his life!

Sensational stuff!!

 

[Racin Jason]

Me being a Chrysler nut, the John Ellis bit was pretty easy! I have some really interesting corro between the various parties involved in the CAL race program. Even Norm Beechey gets a mention in one of them!