Photos: The Graham Ruckert Collection: Part 1

[Steve Holmes]

Ron Dickson in his immaculate EH Holden, circa 1972. Is this the car that ended up going to New Zealand? There was a very nice black EH that ended up with one of the Dymand brothers, for OSCA racing.

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[Steve Holmes]

Leo Geoghegan in the Grace Bros Porsche in 1972, hangs the inside wheel out to cool off. Beautiful shot!

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[Steve Holmes]

John French wrestles with Pete Geoghegan's Super Falcon at the Lakeside round of the 1971 Australian Touring Car Championship. Pete opted to race his Mustang GTA in this event, after practising both cars, and went on to finish 2nd to Allan Moffat. French battled the Super Falcon to a 5th place finish.
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[Steve Holmes]

Titanic Honda N600 battle at Surfers Paradise.

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[Steve Holmes]

Warwick Brown in the handsome McLaren M10B at Surfers Paradise in the 1972 Glynn Scott Memorial Trophy.

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[Steve Holmes]

Norm Beechey and Brian Foley at Lakeside. This is the 1971 season, Beechey's Monaro proudly displays the #1 from his 1970 Australian Touring Car Championship success. But 1971 would not be a good year. Beechey managed just a single ATCC win (at Calder) in a season dominated by Bob Jane and Allan Moffat. Other than Beechey's single win, every other race was won by either Jane or Moffat.

Note the massive brake cooling ducts on the front of the Monaro. No doubt these also serve to provide some front downforce, as non-factory spoilers weren't allowed.

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[Steve Holmes]

Another spectacular shot of Dick Johnson in one of his XU1 Torana's. This was typical Johnson pose, open face helmet, and head out the side window.

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[Steve Holmes]

An interesting shot here of the Centaur GT, originally raced by John French in the early 1960s. This is the car more than a decade on, in 1973, and wearing fairly typical '70s attire!

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[Steve Holmes]

This is Leo Geoghegan, smoking it (literally!) through Lakeside's Eastern Loop in his E38 Charger. John Humphrey chases in the Cooper S.

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[Steve Holmes]

I really like this shot of the two popular Queensland racers going at it at Lakeside. John French in the famous purple Bryan Byrt Phase III GTHO fends off the young charger Dick Johnson in his Torana XU1. French was really at his racing career high point at this stage, and would gradually wind down his activities throughout the next few years. But he was also very keen to help the young Johnson establish himself, and was instrumental in getting him a couple of good rides which furthered his career. The pair eventually teamed up together at Bathurst, culminating in their famous win in 1981 in Dick's XD Falcon.

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[Steve Holmes]

I never tire of posting photos of the Pete Geoghegan Super Falcon. It seems there is not a single boring photo of this car in existence!

This superb shot was taken at the 1971 ATCC round at Lakeside. Geoghegan took both the Falcon and his elderly Mustang GTA to this race, but after practising both, opted for the Mustang, which brought him home in 2nd behind Allan Moffat, but ahead of Bob Jane. Meanwhile, the Super Falcon was handed over to John French, who wrestled with it throughout, sliding the tail and cocking the inside wheel. It was a truly spectacular display. After all his hard work, French finished 5th, one lap down on the winner.

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[Steve Holmes]

Bob Jane in his glorious Shelby factory 1968 Mustang Trans-Am racer, competing at Lakeside. The Mustang was supplied to Bob with one of the infamous tunnel-port motors, which produced so many issues for the Shelby team in 1968. Shelby team manager Lew Spencer was later quoted as saying most Trans-Am races in 1968 were six engine races; the two cars would each blow a motor in practice, qualifying, and the race! But it was fast!
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[Steve Holmes]

This is John Goss in his famous blue GTHO Phase III, at Surfers Paradise in 1972. Goss and the GTHO were competing in the South Pacific Touring Car series, this being Round 2, which the big Ford won.

Note the angle of the rear boot spoiler. Did these spoilers actually provide any downforce in these big heavy cars?

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[GeebeeNZ]

Oldfart could relate to post 24. We owned a couple of those little Hondas between us many years ago. Sold one as a runner and cut the other one in half in the hope I could turn it into a trailer. Sold it in bits

[Oldfart]

Trying to forget that! Mine got shortened by a drunk driver outside the flat in Belmont (Auck). Punted it down the road about 70 metres and the tail lights finished up at the B pillar. His insurance paid within 12 hours!

[Steve Holmes]

Wow, a shortened Honda N600, with a person still inside it! Now theres a scary thought!

[Oldfart]

Wow, a shortened Honda N600, with a person still inside it! Now theres a scary thought!

Thankfully it was not with anybody inside. My brevity has created this. It was parked outside the flat when he snotted it from behind, and also parked his car in the power pole. Thankfully they were not badly hurt, the wife/girlfriend took the blame as she had not been drinking, but emerged from the car on the "not drivers' side" We took them inside, removed all the mirrors so she did not see her face, cleaned them up some and waited for the ambulance. It was not till the ambulance arrived and the towies too, that I remembered the Honda had been there and had to go searching down the road to find it. Sorry for the OT ramble.

[Steve Holmes]

Wow!!!

[Steve Holmes]

One of the beautiful Alec Midren Racing Alfa's. We have an Alfa expert on here and I vaguely recall them saying this right hand drive Alfa came after the lhd version the team had.

This car was often driven, with much gusto, by Kevin Bartlett.

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[Steve Holmes]

More Italian eye-candy. Gorgeous little Lancia Fulvia HF 1600. This example was owned by Graeme Ward.

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