Baypark ; lost tracks - Australian Muscle Car issue 83

[Steve Emson]

People commenting about tracks. Levin was a drivers track, you needed to be committed to be quick there. Manfield was also a drivers track, and I did drive there at the very first meeting as a school boy which was my 2nd national race meeting, the first being Baypark. Loved the place. I remember the thing you had to learn, the special line through the sweeper were you drove through the first part of the corner without lifting, did you braking in a straight line and then turned right. the fast guys were using this line from day one.

Baypark was unfortunately not on the same list. It was not a drivers track, more a power down horsepower track. A skilled driver could keep you behind by just using the inside line and running you out to the fence. I learnt that the hard way.

All race tracks are a good thing, however they are not created equal. Of course as we lose them we should remember them fondly.

Bring back Levin!

[khyndart in CA]

Steve,
Do these two photos help to show where I was at Baypark in Dec. 1975.
If you look closely at the crowd past the F5000 field you might see a young Grant Sprague drinking beers with his mates, out of sight from his dad !

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(Ken Hyndman photos ) I am still waiting for someone to name the COMPLETE field of 9 or 10 cars for this event. Thanks.

[Roger Dowding]

(Ken Hyndman photos ) I am still waiting for someone to name the COMPLETE field of 9 or 10 cars for this event. Thanks.

Ken is there a prize or do you just get a copy of the picture !! .. cheers Roger D.

[Marty]

Please correct me if I'm wrong. I was 8 in 75 .....

Moffat, Baker, Richards, Nazer, Halliday, Dawson, Fahey, Edmonson, Lancaster, (can't make out next red car),Hart, Blackberry.

[khyndart in CA]

Roger,
Your job is to count how many are in the crowd in this photo ! ( I am recycling the "shoebox" )
Thanks for all your inputs.
Baypark Saloon Car event. Dec. 1975

(Ken Hyndman photo )

[khyndart in CA]

Marty,
Sorry I messed up with the saloon car photo. I have been trying to get the F5000 field named correctly.
You did a good job on what some say was the best salon car line up ever in NZ. Leo Leonard was driving the PDL Mustang that day.
You may have been young then but I took my wife and thought she would enjoy the racing and also being up close to the track.
She slept most of the day and has never been to a race track since !

(Ken H)

[khyndart in CA]

Marty,
These two are for you.
I never get tired of looking at them and I hope you like them also. Same day at Baypark. Just taken from different locations and we went to the front straight stands for the final saloon car event. (She still went to sleep !)

(Ken Hyndman photos )

[khyndart in CA]

Marty,
These two are for you.
I never get tired of looking at them and I hope you like them also. Same day at Baypark. Just taken from different locations and went to
the front straight stands for the final saloon car event. (She still went to sleep !)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]34534[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]34535[/ATTACH]


(Ken Hyndman photos )

[GD66]

Please correct me if I'm wrong. I was 8 in 75 .....

Moffat, Baker, Richards, Nazer, Halliday, Dawson, Fahey, Edmonson, Lancaster, (can't make out next red car),Hart, Blackberry.[

Looking at the lower pic, the obscured red car looks as though it could be Clyde Collins in the Cortina V8 ?

[Marty]

I agree , Collins, Coachman sponsored Cortina, also in this one is Brent Bullivant and Bill Leckie.

No idea on the white car with black stripe.

[khyndart in CA]

" I am still waiting for someone to name the COMPLETE field of 9 or 10 cars for this event. Thanks."


You have all let me down and not helped me at all with my question on the F 5000 field.

Graeme Lawrence leading Jim Murdoch in his Begg 018, Baron Robertson in his Elfin MR5 alongside Ken Smith in his Lola 332.
Further back are Frank Radisich in a March 722, Robbie Booth in his Katipo M70, Ross Calgher in a McLaren M4, Peter Hughes in a Brabham Fiat BT 29 and Bill David in a Begg Chev FM5.

So how did I do ?


(Ken Hyndman )

[spinner32]

I agree , Collins, Coachman sponsored Cortina, also in this one is Brent Bullivant and Bill Leckie.

No idea on the white car with black stripe.

I think that you will find that it is Bruce Bellis in the ex Collins Cortina. As Bruce owned the Coachman Steakhouse it seems likely. Bruce converted the car from the 4 headlight GT grill that Clyde had fitted to the square headlight grill. He also changed the car from Ford to Chev power
The Mk 1 Cortina is a chap Wall from Taupo if I recall correctly. It had 351 power

[Rod Grimwood]

White with purple stripe (looks black in photo) would be Alan Woolf I think.

[TonyG]

White with purple stripe (looks black in photo) would be Alan Woolf I think.

Agree with you Rod - Allan Woolf. Def Escort not Cortina Sponsored by Mac Mufflers. Won the class championship with it if I remember correctly.

[khyndart in CA]

Does this photo clarify anything ? Look closely at the wide side stripes compared to the Woolf Escort.

The old MkI Cortina is that of Peter Wall, and running a 351 V8.

Check this Roaring Season thread.
http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?822-1975-Bay-Park-Big-Bangers&highlight=Baypark+1975

I was there that day taking my photos from the back of the white Bedford tow truck with the blue roof in this photo. (I can almost see me ! )

(Ken Hyndman )

[Grant Sprague]

Very cool photos mate thank you

[Ost]

Baypark was always special to me, my Aunt and Uncle owned the adjacent campground for a few years.

[SPman]

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The old MkI Cortina is that of Peter Wall, and running a 351 V8.

(Ken Hyndman )

Aah - not our old 2 door Cortina (CE6670)

[GD66]

Baypark was always special to me, my Aunt and Uncle owned the adjacent campground for a few years.

A summer goldmine ! I've had a couple of big Christmas hols Saturday nights in there, Bay Park provided a great boost for all sorts of associated businesses, including some tacky evening sessions at Willow Park...

[TonyG]

Does this photo clarify anything ? Look closely at the wide side stripes compared to the Woolf Escort.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]34601[/ATTACH]
The old MkI Cortina is that of Peter Wall, and running a 351 V8.

Check this Roaring Season thread.
http://www.theroaringseason.com/showthread.php?822-1975-Bay-Park-Big-Bangers&highlight=Baypark+1975

I was there that day taking my photos from the back of the white Bedford tow truck with the blue roof in this photo. (I can almost see me ! )

[ATTACH=CONFIG]34602[/ATTACH]

(Ken Hyndman )

You are indeed correct about the stripes being the difference. The shot in post 44 shows the Woolf car with narrow stripes above wheel arch at extreme left next to the Hart Escort however the car in the 2nd shot in post 47 is not the Woolf Escort as can be seen by the wider stripes right down the guards. I wrongly assumed that the Escort had fallen behind the Hart car as it is no longer in the picture - I wonder where it went as the rest of the field appears to still be holding station as per the shot in post 44. Different heat as Nazer Victor is further back on grid. My bad!