1968 Hardie-Ferodo 500

Motor race in Australia February 2020 October 2011 1968 Hardie-Ferodo 500 1967 1969 thumb|250px|Layout of the Mount Panorama Circuit (1938–1986) The 1968 Hardie-Ferodo 500 was a production car race held on 6 October 1968 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia. It was the ninth running of the Bathurst 500. The race was won by the Wyong Motors entered Holden Monaro driven by Bruce McPhee (apart from one lap mid-race driven by Barry Mulholland) who defeated the big teams with a tactical strategy of running a buffed hard wearing street tyre rather than a racing tyre. Initially Des West and Ron Marks were classified second but were later disqualified for illegal engine modifications. Second place was then awarded to the factory supported Holden Dealer Racing Team Holden Monaro of Jim Palmer (to that point the best finish by a New Zealander) and Phil West. The AM Roberts entered Holden Monaro driven by Tony Roberts and Bob Watson finished third. Future two-time Bathurst 1000 winner Allan Grice made his Mount Panorama debut in 1968. Driving with author Bill Tuckey in a Class D Fiat 124 Sport for Scuderia Veloce, the pair finished the race in 18th outright and 9th in class, 11 laps down on the McPhee/Mulholland Monaro. Midge Whiteman and Christine Cole (who would later be better known as Christine Gibson, the wife of driver Fred Gibson), driving in a Morris Mini De Luxe, contested the race as an all female duo, placing fifth in their class. Class structure Cars competed in five classes based on the purchase price (in Australian dollars) of the vehicle. thumb|A replica of the winning Holden Monaro GTS327 thumb|The Seton / Gibson Ford XT Falcon GT at the 1968 Hardie-Ferodo 500 Class A Class A was for cars which cost up to $1,850. It was contested by Datsun 1000, Ford Cortina, Hillman GT, Morris Mini De Luxe and Toyota Corolla. Class B The $1,851 to $2,250 class entries were dominated by the Datsun 1600, but also included Hillman Arrow, Hillman Gazelle and Morris 1100S. Class C The $2,251 to $3,000 class was contested by Ford Falcon, Holden Kingswood, Fiat 125 and Morris Cooper S. Class D The $3,001 to $4,500 class featured the outright contenders, Ford Falcon GT and Holden Monaro GTS 327, and also included single entries of Chrysler VE Valiant, Fiat 124 Sport and Studebaker Lark. Class E For cars over $4,500, the class was contested by Alfa Romeo 1750 GTVs and a single Citroen DS21 Pallas. Top 10 Qualifiers Pos No Team Driver Car Qual Pole 13 Wyong Motors Pty Ltd AUS Bruce McPhee Holden HK Monaro GTS327 2:56.7 2 14 Lorack Motors (Granville) Pty Ltd AUS Des West Holden HK Monaro GTS327 2:56.9 3 23 Holden Dealer Racing Team AUS Paul Hawkins Holden HK Monaro GTS327 2:59.3 4 8 Ford Motor Company of Australia AUS Ian Geoghegan Ford XT Falcon GT 2:59.8 5 25 Holden Dealer Racing Team AUS Brian Muir Holden HK Monaro GTS327 3:00.1 6 24 Holden Dealer Racing Team New Zealand Jim Palmer Holden HK Monaro GTS327 3:00.5 7 7 Ford Motor Company of Australia AUS Spencer Martin Ford XR Falcon GT Auto 3:00.5 8 9 Ford Motor Company of Australia AUS Fred Gibson Ford XT Falcon GT 3:00.9 9 15 AM Roberts AUS Tony Roberts Holden HK Monaro GTS327 3:02.1 10 3 Brian Foley Motors AUS Brian Foley Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV 3:02.4 Results Pos Class No EntrantHow they finished last year..., Official Programme, 1969 Hardie-Ferodo 500, Mount Panorama, Sunday, October 5, page 27 Drivers Car Laps QualPos 1 D 13 Wyong Motors Pty Ltd Australia Bruce McPheeAustralia Barry Mulholland Holden HK Monaro GTS327 130 1 2 D 24 Holden Dealer Racing Team New Zealand Jim PalmerAustralia Phil West Holden HK Monaro GTS327 130 6 3 D 15 AM Roberts Australia Tony RobertsAustralia Bob Watson Holden HK Monaro GTS327 129 9 4 E 1 Alec Mildren Racing Pty Ltd Australia Kevin BartlettAustralia Doug Chivas Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV 129 11 5 D 25 Holden Dealer Racing Team Australia Brian MuirAustralia George Reynolds Holden HK Monaro GTS327 127 5 6 E 3 Brian Foley Motors Australia Brian FoleyAustralia Laurie Stewart Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV 126 10 7 D 10 Wright Ford Motors Australia Bruce McIntyreAustralia Ken Stacey Ford XR Falcon GT 125 15 8 E 5 Canberra Speed Shop Australia Peter BrownAustralia Ray Gulson Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV 125 18 9 D 17 Stanmore Auto Port Australia Chris BrauerAustralia Murray Harrod Ford XT Falcon GT 125 17 10 C 30 C Smith Australia Don HollandAustralia Charlie Smith Morris Cooper S 123 23 11 C 34 Ford Motor Company of Australia Australia Barry ArentzNew Zealand Mike Champion Ford XT Falcon 500 V8 123 20 12 D 8 Ford Motor Company of Australia Australia Ian GeogheganAustralia Leo Geoghegan Ford XT Falcon GT 123 4 13 D 21 Needhams Motors Pty Ltd Australia Warren WeldonAustralia John Hall Studebaker Lark 123 13 14 C 29 Marque Motors Australia Digby CookeAustralia Mal Brewster Morris Cooper S 121 22 15 B 50 Datsun Racing Team Australia John RoxburghAustralia Doug Whiteford Datsun 1600 120 32 16 C 38 Denis Geary Motors Pty Ltd Australia Damon BeckAustralia Gary Hodge Morris Cooper S 120 21 17 C 63 R Marquet Australia Alan CantAustralia Ray Marquet Morris Cooper S 120 24 18 D 26 Scuderia Veloce Australia Allan GriceAustralia Bill Tuckey Fiat 124 Sport 119 30 19 B 46 Peter Langwill Autos Pty Ltd Australia Bruce StewartAustralia George Garth Datsun 1600 118 38 20 C 36 W Gracie Australia Warren GracieAustralia Don James Morris Cooper S 118 36 21 B 49 Datsun Racing Team Japan Kunimitsu TakahashiJapan Yoshikayo Sunago Datsun 1600 118 28 22 B 65 Vern Curtin Motors Australia Alton BoddenbergAustralia Rusty French Hillman Gazelle 117 35 23 C 61 Varsity Auto Centre Australia John PriskAustralia Alan Cameron Morris Cooper S 116 31 24 B 42 Dependable Motors Pty Ltd Australia Dennis CookeAustralia Hans Tholstrup Datsun 1600 116 44 25 C 33 Tony Basile Motors Australia Tony BasileAustralia Gary Leggatt Fiat 125 116 42 26 B 41 Dependable Motors Pty Ltd Australia Bruce DarkeAustralia Bill Ford Datsun 1600 115 45 27 C 27 Scuderia Veloce Australia Mike KableAustralia Ron Kearns Fiat 125 114 40 28 C 35 Young & Green Pty Ltd Australia Sib PetraliaAustralia Jim Sullivan Holden HK Kingswood 186S 114 43 29 D 22 C Hodgins Australia Clyde HodginsAustralia Stan Pomroy Chrysler VE Valiant Auto 113 34 30 A 56 AMI Racing Team Australia Bruce HindhaughAustralia Bob Morris Toyota Corolla 113 49 31 D 9 Ford Motor Company of Australia Australia Fred GibsonAustralia Barry Seton Ford XT Falcon GT 113 8 32 A 55 AMI Racing Team Australia Barry FergusonAustralia Brian Sampson Toyota Corolla 113 47 33 B 45 WH Motors Pty Ltd Australia Don SmithAustralia Herb Taylor Datsun 1600 112 33 34 B 64 MG Car Club NSW Australia Matt DaddoAustralia Peter Ulbrich Datsun 1600 111 56 35 C 66 A Olsen Australia Arthur OlsenAustralia Ray Scanlen Morris Cooper S 110 46 36 B 47 Austen & Butta Motors Pty Ltd Australia Joe ButtaAustralia Bob Genders Hillman Arrow 109 53 37 B 48 Tynan Motors Australia Trevor MasonAustralia Neil Mason Morris 1100S 109 54 38 A 52 Central Auto Sales & Services Australia Lionel AyersAustralia Max Volkers Ford Cortina Mk.II 220 107 58 39 B 43 Kenthurst Motors Australia Carl KennedyAustralia Jack Mullins Datsun 1600 107 55 40 A 58 A Johns Australia David FrazerAustralia Allan Johns Hillman GT 107 57 41 A 54 P & R Williams Australia Christine GibsonAustralia Midge Whiteman Morris Mini De Luxe 98 60 42 D 7 Ford Motor Company of Australia Australia Spencer MartinAustralia Jim McKeown Ford XT Falcon GT Auto 95 7 43 C 32 W & N Howes Australia Martin CheneryAustralia Ernie Johnson Fiat 125 88 39 44 C 28 Marque Motors Australia Lindsay AdcockAustralia Bill Stanley Morris Cooper S 81 26 45 A 57 AMI Racing Team Australia Brian ReedAustralia Dick Thurston Toyota Corolla 74 50 46 A 60 North Shore Sporting Car Club Australia Bob DraneAustralia Jim Laing-Peach Toyota Corolla 74 52 47 C 31 Frank Croft Motors Pty Ltd Australia Gary CookeAustralia Bob Muir Fiat 125 69 29 48 D 16 M Savva Australia Mike SavvaAustralia Bob Wilkinson Ford XT Falcon GT 62 16 DNF C 39 Vern Potts Australia Rick RadfordAustralia David Seldon Morris Cooper S 37 DNF C 40 Vern Potts Australia Ron HeylenAustralia John Smailes Morris Cooper S 88 25 DNF D 11 Wright Ford Motors Australia Bob BeasleyAustralia Ray Morris Ford XT Falcon GT 87 14 DNF B 44 Eiffeltower Motors Australia "Jack Eiffeltower" Australia David O'Keefe Hillman Gazelle 54 27 DNF E 4 Citroen Cars (Citco) Pty Ltd Australia Bill DalyAustralia Glyn Scott Citroen DS21 Pallas 41 DNF D 19 I Haynes Australia Ian HaynesAustralia Max Stahl Holden HK Monaro GTS327 19 DNF A 62 Imp Spares & Repairs Australia Mel MollisonAustralia Roger Withers Hillman GT 59 DSQ D 14 Lorack Motors (Granville) Pty LtdClass D (entry list), Official Programme, 1968 Hardie Ferodo 500, Mount Panorama, Sunday, October 6, page 35 Australia Des WestAustralia Ron Marks Holden HK Monaro GTS327 130 2 DSQ E 2 Alec Mildren (Qld)Adrian Ryan, Alfa's uncontested win, Racing Car News, November 1968, pages 30 to 32 Australia John FrenchAustralia Frank Gardner Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV 12 DSQ D 23 Holden Dealer Racing Team Australia Paul HawkinsAustralia Bill Brown Holden HK Monaro GTS327 3 DSQ A 51 Datsun Racing TeamGeorge Stefanoff, All conquering Corollas, Racing Car News, November 1968, pages 24 to 25 Australia Bill EvansAustralia John Colwell Datsun 1000 112 48 DSQ A 53 Datsun Racing Team Australia Dick SorensonAustralia Bevan Gibson Datsun 1000 112 51 DNS D 12 Jubilee Motors Pty Ltd Australia Roy GriffithsAustralia Wayne Rogerson Ford XT Falcon GT DNS A 59 Bryan Thompson RacingClass A (entry list), Official Programme, 1968 Hardie Ferodo 500, Mount Panorama, Sunday, October 6, page 13 Australia Adrian RyanAustralia Bryan Thompson Ford Cortina 220 Mk.IImages of the No 59 Ford Cortina in the "1968 Bathurst" section of the autopics.com.au DVD "The Great Race – 1960 to 1996 – 30,000 images" shows the car to be a Mark 1 rather than a Mark II DNSAustralian Muscle Car, Issue 17, January /February 2005, page 38 D 20 Ken Waggott Speed Equipment Australia N Petrilli Australia W Slattery Holden HK Monaro GTS327 Note : Jack Nougher competed in car 44 under the name "Jack Eiffeltower" in this race. Statistics Pole Position – No.13 Bruce McPhee – 2:56.7 Fastest Lap – No.13 Bruce McPhee – 2:58 (lap record) Average Speed – 119 km/h Race time of winning car – 6:44:07 References Australia's Greatest Motor Race 1960–1999 Greenhalgh David Thomas B. Floyd Bill Tuckey Chevron Publishing Group 2000 1-875221-12-3 154–161 & 456 Bill Tuckey, Australia's Greatest Motor Race, 1981, pages 130–137 Racing Car News, November 1968, pages 24–32 External links CAMS Manual reference to Australian titles race results Category:Motorsport in Bathurst, New South Wales Hardie-Ferodo 500