1964 Armstrong 500

Layout of the Mount Panorama Circuit (1938-1986)

The 1964 Armstrong 500 was a production car race held on 4 October 1964 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia. The 500 mile race was open to Australian built production sedans of which 100 examples had been registered.[1] It was the fifth Armstrong 500 and the second to be held at Bathurst although it is commonly referred to as the fifth "Bathurst 500".

Official results reflected only class placings, with no outright winner recognized by the organizing body, the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club. The first car to complete the full 130 lap distance race was a factory backed Ford Cortina GT driven by Bob Jane and George Reynolds, the 1964 event being the fourth consecutive Armstrong 500 in which Jane had achieved an unofficial "line honours" victory.

Class structure

Cars competed in four classes based on the purchase price of the vehicle in Australian pounds. There was little change from the 1963 race. Class A entries proliferated, taking up space on the grid from a shrinking Class B. Ford Australia had a strong presence in Class C with three factory entered Cortina GTs.

Class A

The up to £900 class was composed of Hillman Imp, Morris 850, NSU Prinz, Vauxhall Viva and Volkswagen Beetle.

Class B

The £901 to £1,000 class featured Ford Cortina 1500, Morris Cooper, Renault R8 and Simca Aronde.

Class C

The £1,001 to £1,200 class included only Ford Cortina GT and Holden EH entries.

Class D

The £1,201 to £2,000 class featured Chrysler Valiant, Citroën ID19, Ford Zephyr, Humber Vogue Sports, Holden EH Premier, Studebaker Lark, Triumph 2000 and Vauxhall Velox.

Race

While the V8 powered Studebaker Larks again led early, fragile brakes saw them overtaken by the leading Cortinas as the race wore on. The Cortina driven by the Geoghegan brothers fell from the mid-race lead after a generator bracket broke, allowing teammates Jane and Reynolds into the race lead they would not relinquish. Barry Seton and Herb Taylor finished second ahead of Jane's former partner Harry Firth co-driving the third factory Ford with John Reaburn. In the other three classes, the early leaders each retained their leads throughout the day. Bert Needham and Warren Weldon brought their Class D winning Studebaker home as fourth car across the line, two laps down on Jane/Reynolds and a lap behind Firth/Reaburn. Charlie Smith and Bruce Maher won Class B, leading home a 1-2-3-4 for Morris Cooper ahead of four Renault R8s. Smith/Maher finished just six laps behind the Cortina GTs. Class A was dominated by Vauxhall, with the Viva of Spencer Martin and Bill Brown leading home five other examples. Seven cars failed to finish the event, with another being disqualified.[2]

Results

As follows:[3][4]

Pos No Entrant[5] Drivers Car Laps
Class A
1 46 Boyded Pty. Ltd. Australia Spencer Martin
Australia Bill Brown		 Vauxhall HA Viva 116
2 55 Boyded Pty. Ltd. Australia Ron Clarke
Australia Brian Muir		 Vauxhall HA Viva 115
3 58 Clinton Motors Pty. Ltd. Australia John Marchiori
Australia Arnold Ahrenfeld		 Vauxhall HA Viva 114
4 56 Boyded Pty. Ltd. Australia Tony Simmons
Australia Mike Champion		 Vauxhall HA Viva 114
5 54 Apex Autos (Newcastle) Australia Jack Gates
Australia Mike Nedelko		 Vauxhall HA Viva 114
6 44 Bill Warren Austin Spares Australia C. McLean
Australia George Murray		 Vauxhall HA Viva 112
7 40 Lennox Motors Pty. Ltd. Australia Brian Milton
Australia David Walker		 Volkswagen 1200 112
8 47 Peter Williamson Pty. Ltd. Australia Midge Bosworth
Australia Peter Williamson		 Hillman Imp 112
9 41 Wal Truscott & Co. Pty. Ltd. Australia Chris McSorley
Australia Phil West		 Hillman Imp 110
10 59 Stradbroke Motors Australia Lionel Ayers
Australia Dennis Geary		 Hillman Imp 110
11 43 Denlo Motors Pty. Ltd. Australia Bernie Haehnle
Australia Neil McKay		 Volkswagen 1200 110
12 38 Lanock Motors Ltd. Australia Barry Ferguson
Australia Bill Ford		 Volkswagen 1200 109
13 49 Buckle Motors Pty. Ltd. Australia Brian Reed
Australia Lorraine Hill		 Hillman Imp 108
14 51 Wal Truscott & Co. Pty. Ltd. Australia Paul Bolton
Australia John Schroder		 Hillman Imp 107
15 42 Kinsley Pty. Ltd. Australia George Forrest
Australia Frank Hann		 Volkswagen 1200 105
16 50 Scuderia Octagon Australia Matt Daddo
Australia Keith Russell		 Morris 850 104
DNF 39 Ryan Equipment Coy. Australia Bryan Thomson
Australia Bruce Wilson		 NSU Prinz 94
DNF 52 Vaughan & Lane Pty. Ltd. Australia Peter Cray
Australia Phil Barnes		 Morris 850
DNF 53 White Nicholson BMC Australia Bill Stanley
Australia Steve Harvey		 Morris 850
DNF 57 Vaughan & Lane Pty. Ltd. Australia Eric Lane
Australia Stan Pomroy		 Morris 850 15
DNF 45 W. G. Orr Australia Lex Bailey
Australia Bill Orr		 Hillman Imp 0
DNS[2] 48[2] Fairfield Motors Pty. Ltd. Australia Kennedy
Australia Stewart[2]		 Ford Anglia[2] -
Class B
1 26 Ron Ward Pty. Ltd. Australia Bruce Maher
Australia Charlie Smith		 Morris Cooper 124
2 36 P. & R. Williams Pty. Ltd. Australia Don Holland
Australia Laurie Stewart		 Morris Cooper 123
3 23 College Auto Port Australia Ray Kaleda
Australia Barry Thiele		 Morris Cooper 121
4 33 W. Blomfield Australia Warren Blomfield
Australia Jerry Trevor-Jones		 Morris Cooper 120
5 34 W. March Australia Bill March
Australia John White		 Renault R8 120
6 35 R. Emmett Australia John Connolly
Australia Rex Emmett		 Renault R8 120
7 28 Killara Motor Garage Australia Bob Holden
Australia Keith Pascall		 Renault R8 119
8 29 G.P. Cars Australia Brian Fleming
Australia Bill Gates		 Renault R8 119
9 32 P. Brown Australia Peter Brown
Australia Ray Gulson		 Morris Cooper 118
10 37 L. Park Tyre Service Pty. Ltd. Australia Les Park
Australia John Roxburgh		 Renault R8 117
11 30 Ira L. & A. C. Berk Pty. Ltd. Australia Jim Bonthorne
Australia John Dando		 Ford Cortina Mk.I 1500 116
12 27 M. Martin Australia Mike Martin
Australia John Prisk		 Morris Cooper 114
13 25 Alton Boddenberg Australia Alton Boddenberg
Australia Digby Cooke		 Simca Aronde 112
14 31 Sentinel Motors Australia David Burton
Australia Brian McGrath		 Renault R8 103
DNS[2] 24[2] Dennis Summers Conversions Australia Doug Chivas
Australia unknown[2]		 Morris Cooper[2] -
Class C
1 15 Ford Motor Coy. of Aust. Pty. Ltd. Australia Bob Jane
Australia George Reynolds		 Ford Cortina Mk.I GT 130
2 18 Fairfield Motors Pty. Ltd. Australia Barry Seton
Australia Herb Taylor		 Ford Cortina Mk.I GT 130
3 19 Ford Motor Coy. of Aust. Pty. Ltd. Australia Harry Firth
Australia John Reaburn		 Ford Cortina Mk.I GT 129
4 22 Ron Hodgson Motors Pty. Ltd. Australia Ron Hodgson
Australia John French		 Ford Cortina Mk.I GT 127
5 21 Ford Motor Coy. of Aust. Pty. Ltd. Australia Ian Geoghegan
Australia Leo Geoghegan		 Ford Cortina Mk.I GT 127
6 20 Frank Delandro Pty. Ltd. Australia Bruce McPhee
Australia Barry Mulholland		 Ford Cortina Mk.I GT 126
7 16 W. H. Lober & Co. Pty. Ltd. Australia Phil Ismay
Australia Bob Skelton		 Holden EH 179 101
DNF 14 Beautihome (Australia) Constructions Co. Australia Anthony Cooper
Australia Joe Hills		 Ford Cortina Mk.I GT
DSQ 13 J. Turner & Sons Pty. Ltd. Australia Ian Grant
Australia Peter Mitchell[6]		 Holden EH 179 10
DNS[2] 17[2] H. Budd Australia Budda
Australia Smith[2]		 Holden EH S4[2] -
Class D
1 11 Needham's Motors Pty. Ltd. Australia Warren Weldon
Australia Bert Needham		 Studebaker Lark 128
2 8 Canada Cycle & Motor Co. (Sales) Pty. Ltd. Australia Fred Sutherland
Australia Allan Mottram		 Studebaker Lark 126
3 9 Buckle Motors Australia Brian Foley
Australia Bill Buckle		 Citroën ID19 124
4 2 Jubilee Motors Pty. Ltd. Australia Bill Burns
Australia Brian Lawler		 Ford Zephyr Mk III 123
5 1 British & Continental Cars Pty. Ltd. Australia Arthur Davis
Australia Paul Mander		 Triumph 2000 123
6 4 Selke Motors Australia Bob Cook
Australia Alwyn Rose		 Chrysler SV1 Valiant 123
7 7 Alex Strachan Motors Australia Bill Barnett
Australia Don Johnston		 Humber Vogue Sports 119
8 10 Ecurie Australie Australia Lex Davison
Australia Rocky Tresise		 Triumph 2000 117
9 3 Reg Smith Motors Pty. Ltd. Australia Tony Allen
Australia Tony Reynolds		 Triumph 2000 116
10 5 M. C. Stewart Australia Bob Salter
Australia Max Stewart		 Triumph 2000 105
11 6 Stack & Coy. Ltd. Australia Lyndon McLeod
Australia Lionel Williams		 Holden EH Premier 95
DNF 12 Alec Mildren Racing Pty. Ltd. Australia Ralph Sach
Australia Max Brunninghausen		 Vauxhall Velox

The Team Prize was won by the three Ford Motor Co. entered Ford Cortina GTs driven by Jane/Reynolds, Seton/Taylor and Firth/Raeburn.[7]

Statistics
  • Fastest Lap - #21 Geoghegan/Geoghegan - 3:21.3
  • Fastest "flying eighth mile" speed was achieved by the Studebaker Lark of Warren Weldon & Bert Needham at 114.65 mph[2]
  • Race Time - No time published by the ARDC

References
  1. Armstrong classes, Australian Motor Sports, September 1964, page 4
  2. A Freezing 500, Sports Car World, December 1964, pages 46, 47 & 52
  3. Greenhalgh, David; Thomas B. Floyd; Bill Tuckey (2000). "1964 Here come the works team". Australia's Greatest Motor Race 1960-1999 The first 40 years. Hornsby: Chevron Publishing Group Pty Limited. pp. 122–129 & 452. ISBN 1-875221-12-3.
  4. "Bathurst 1964: Armstrong 500". Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
  5. Official Programme, 1964 Armstrong 500, Bathurst, Sunday, 4th October
  6. David Greenhalgh and Bill Tuckey, The official history of The Great Race, Bathurst, 50 Years, page 520
  7. Bathurst 500, Australian Motor Manual, December 1964, pages 42-43
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