The 1965 and 1966 Wills 6Hr Race

[Steve Holmes]

Does anyone have a photo of that Jag, as well as details of the 2nd and 3rd finishers in the '66 race? I have the details of the '65 race.

The only photo I have of it is from the 1966 Shell annual. Will try and scan it. 2nd and 3rd place finishers were both Alfa Romeo's, those of Jensen/Jensen and Emson/Bremner.

[Ost]

Thank you for the info.

It would be great if you could post what details you have on the 65 race? I am wondering weather my dad Bruce McLean was driving one of the Lotus Cortina's in either of those years.

Unfortunately I only have the top three finishers, not the entry list.

[macpac]

Thank you for the info.



Unfortunately I only have the top three finishers, not the entry list.

No worries Ost thanks anyway.

[Milan Fistonic]

It would be great if you could post what details you have on the 65 race? I am wondering weather my dad Bruce McLean was driving one of the Lotus Cortina's in either of those years.

Your Dad and Barry Phillips drove a Ford Zephyr (No 32) in the 1965 Wills 6-Hour. From what I wrote in my programme it would appear they qualified seventh fastest. I can find only one mention of the car in the Motorman report and that states: Barry Phillips (Zephyr) and Graham Lucas (Peugeot 403) kept up their close dice for lap after lap. The Peugeot finished in eighth place but your Dad's car is not listed in the top 15 so they must have had trouble or retired.

He was not entered in the 3-Hour race that year but in 1966 they entered a Lotus Cortina in the 3-Hour race and were first reserve for the 6-Hour event driving a Papakura Motors entered Fiat 1500. They finished third in the Lotus Cortina behind Fahey and Palmer's Mustang and Innes and Grant's Mini Cooper. That was an impressive result as Phillips had tangled with a Jaguar in the loop on the first lap and dropped to the rear of the field with damage to front and left guard.

Their 6-Hour campaign started badly when the Fiat siezed its engine on the back straight during practice. The Motorman report states 'it required an all-night repair job to make the grid the next day.'

They retired from the race just before 7 p.m., after 4 hours racing.

[Milan Fistonic]

Does anyone have a photo of that Jag, as well as details of the 2nd and 3rd finishers in the '66 race? I have the details of the '65 race.

The 1966 race was won by Ray Archibald and Tony Shelly (Jaguar 3.8) who completed 170 laps. Second was another Jaguar 3.8 driven by Ernie Sprague and David Simpson who did 167 laps. Third went to the Alfa Romeo Guilia TI of Ray Thackwell and Ronnie Moore on 166 laps.

I'll post a photo of the Jag later.

[Milan Fistonic]

[stubuchanan]

I discovered this when looking for another photo (can't remember what) -



Late afternoon 1965 B & H - #22 Hawes/Leonard Alfa passing the #2 Harrington/Bailey Fiat coming out of the hairpin. Looks like both cars are number 22, but speed differential and poor light means slow shutter speed so slower car is blurred. But #2 Fiat was second in class, don't know if Alfa was a finisher.

Stu

[GeebeeNZ]

Milan, Many thanks for your confirmation of the 65 and 66 winners. That would explain why Tony Shelley is shown in his car at the end of the 1966 video clip. The Rod Coppins thread says he won the 66 race which I didnt think was correct but had no way of proving it. Thanks to your Jaguar ad it is clear Rod won the 1965 race not the 1966.
Graeme

[macpac]

Your Dad and Barry Phillips drove a Ford Zephyr (No 32) in the 1965 Wills 6-Hour. From what I wrote in my programme it would appear they qualified seventh fastest. I can find only one mention of the car in the Motorman report and that states: Barry Phillips (Zephyr) and Graham Lucas (Peugeot 403) kept up their close dice for lap after lap. The Peugeot finished in eighth place but your Dad's car is not listed in the top 15 so they must have had trouble or retired.

He was not entered in the 3-Hour race that year but in 1966 they entered a Lotus Cortina in the 3-Hour race and were first reserve for the 6-Hour event driving a Papakura Motors entered Fiat 1500. They finished third in the Lotus Cortina behind Fahey and Palmer's Mustang and Innes and Grant's Mini Cooper. That was an impressive result as Phillips had tangled with a Jaguar in the loop on the first lap and dropped to the rear of the field with damage to front and left guard.

Their 6-Hour campaign started badly when the Fiat siezed its engine on the back straight during practice. The Motorman report states 'it required an all-night repair job to make the grid the next day.'

They retired from the race just before 7 p.m., after 4 hours racing.

Thanks so much for the run down Milan. Appreciate your time and knowledge of the 2 events. It's great to know, as I was a little to young to remember (1965 I would have only been 6years old).

[Ost]

The 1966 race was won by Ray Archibald and Tony Shelly (Jaguar 3.8) who completed 170 laps. Second was another Jaguar 3.8 driven by Ernie Sprague and David Simpson who did 167 laps. Third went to the Alfa Romeo Guilia TI of Ray Thackwell and Ronnie Moore on 166 laps.

I'll post a photo of the Jag later.

Thank you Milan, this clears up the confusion I had around the '65 and '66 races.

[Steve Holmes]

I discovered this when looking for another photo (can't remember what) -



Late afternoon 1965 B & H - #22 Hawes/Leonard Alfa passing the #2 Harrington/Bailey Fiat coming out of the hairpin. Looks like both cars are number 22, but speed differential and poor light means slow shutter speed so slower car is blurred. But #2 Fiat was second in class, don't know if Alfa was a finisher.

Stu

Beaut photo Stu!

[stubuchanan]

Beaut photo Stu!

It may be my brother's, not mine. Maybe too much zoom for my equipment of the time. But possession is 9 points of the law!
I may have been using a Bell & Howell 8mm movie camera that year, to no great effect unfortunately.

Stu

[GeebeeNZ]

At last I found the programme to match the 1965 Video on this thread

[GeebeeNZ]

This is the listing for the 1965 three hour race

[GeebeeNZ]

And the 1963 1964 Winners