Photos: The Geoff Russell Collection

[GFR]

It's time to share a few images; some of these have been seen elsewhere but most are unpublished. I started with a few images from an instamatic in the mid-70s and progressed to better equipment over time. Some of the results follow. Where I can I will advise of where and when but of course I invite forum member's comments if you have something to add!

Unidentified Chevron, Oran Park, 1979 on a mid-week practice. No-one else on the track, no one in the grandstand.

[GFR]

Amaroo Park (probably) 1978 - Ross Bond and Ross Donnelly enjoying their Bolwell Nagari sporties.

[GFR]

Another 1978 Amaroo Park photo; Barry Singleton in the Gardos (apparently a McLaren copy) and one of the Gibson family(?) in the Rennmax following. These were the original Group A category.

[Michael Clark]

That Lola T430 sure looks like a Chevron B37!

[GFR]

Under 3-litre touring cars at Amaroo Park (as posted in the 70s-80s photo thread).

[GFR]

Bathurst 1980 and a Gemini limps back to the pits.

[GFR]

I am happy to be corrected about the Hamilton car! Maybe it's not a Hamilton car...any ideas? Thanks Michael, post #1 corrected to "unidentified Chevron".

[GFR]

Bob Stevens in a Monaro at Amaroo Park around 1983.

[GFR]

Oran Park again, Peter Edwards 78/79-ish.

[bry3500]

Another 1978 Amaroo Park photo; Barry Singleton in the Gardos (apparently a McLaren copy) and one of the Gibson family(?) in the Rennmax following. These were the original Group A category.

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The Renmax Repco 3L was owned by Paul Gibson and raced by Grant in the Group A series I think.

[Steve Holmes]

Oh wow, I can see I'm going to enjoy this.

[Steve Holmes]

Another 1978 Amaroo Park photo; Barry Singleton in the Gardos (apparently a McLaren copy) and one of the Gibson family(?) in the Rennmax following. These were the original Group A category.

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I've never seen that Gardos before. Really looks a lot like a McLaren M8D. At first I thought this was the Graduate M8F, but its quite different. Great looking car. I knew Gardos (Tony Gard and Don O'Sullivan) had built a superb looking Formula 5000 car in the mid '70s, but I wasn't aware they'd also built a big banger sports car. Would love to get more info on this.

[Dale Harvey]

It's time to share a few images; some of these have been seen elsewhere but most are unpublished. I started with a few images from an instamatic in the mid-70s and progressed to better equipment over time. Some of the results follow. Where I can I will advise of where and when but of course I invite forum member's comments if you have something to add!

Unidentified Chevron, Oran Park, 1979 on a mid-week practice. No-one else on the track, no one in the grandstand.

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That is probably Ivan Tighe in the ex Bruce Allison Chevron. It was that colour when he had it.

Dale.

[Oldfart]

Another 1978 Amaroo Park photo; Barry Singleton in the Gardos (apparently a McLaren copy) and one of the Gibson family(?) in the Rennmax following. These were the original Group A category.

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Dumb question, if it's the Gardos, and I am not debating that, why does it have McLaren written on the nose?

[Rod Grimwood]

Yep noticed that also, but not up on Ausssie muscle sports cars.

[bry3500]

I've never seen that Gardos before. Really looks a lot like a McLaren M8D. At first I thought this was the Graduate M8F, but its quite different. Great looking car. I knew Gardos (Tony Gard and Don O'Sullivan) had built a superb looking Formula 5000 car in the mid '70s, but I wasn't aware they'd also built a big banger sports car. Would love to get more info on this.

I found this on Old Racing Cars site Steve. " Towards the end of 1971, Don O'Sullivan and his mechanic Jamie Gard ran a McLaren M18 in occasional Australian Gold Star events. The pair skipped the Tasman series and returned to Gold Star racing later in 1972 with the M18 now upgraded to M22 specification and with Howie Sangster taking over the driving from O'Sullivan. The team then again skipped the Tasman series and did not turn out for the mid-1973 Gold Star races. By the time they returned, they had acquired the ex-Redman/Hobbs M18/M22. The older ex-O'Sullivan McLaren M18 now became redundant.
Gard built O'Sullivan a sports car using various left-over McLaren components and this was the first "Gardos". He then set about creating a Gardos F5000 car and it appears that this latest creation consumed much of the McLaren M18."

and a great thread on the Gardos/McLaren here
http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74014

[GFR]

Another photo that I took at Amaroo Park, this one is the Roberts S2 but I don't have any further information about the car. The photo dates from about 1978.

[GFR]

Not one of my better photos, but this shows the effort that was made to wrap the Matich (SR3?) like a Chokito. Amaroo Park.

[GFR]

Back to Bathurst 1980 and the Grice Commodore having a moment at the end of Conrod Straight. The question of the day is whether the can came from the car or the marshall?

[GFR]

A pair of Mazda RX3 coupes light up the late afternoon at Amaroo Park with some backfiring flame and noise...