GNOO BLAS ^T AUSTRALIAN SPORTS CAR CHAMPIONSHIP
The inaugural winner of the Gnoo Blas^t Australian Sports Car Championship 2016 was Alex Kenny.
The 2016 Gnoo Blas^t Australian Sports Car Championship was run over 6 rounds as follows:
Round 1 - Bill Pitt Trophy
Queenslander Bill Pitt is one of Australia’s true motor racing legends. He won, along with co-drivers Geordie Anderson and Charlie Swinburne, Australia’s first 24 Hour car race at Mt Druitt in Jan 1954 in a Jaguar XK 120 FHC. He finished 11th in the 1954 Australian G.P. at Southport driving an Anderson-Jaguar which was an XK 120 modified as an open wheeler.
A punctured tyre miles from the pits (it was a long circuit) cost Bill 15 minutes and dropped him from a certain 3rd place and possible 2nd place finish behind winner Lex Davison in his HWM-Jaguar. A Jaguar D-type followed in 1956 and Bill often competed in CAMS Gold Star events to have some serious competition. Unfortunately because the D-type was not an open wheeler, Bill was awarded no championship points no matter how well he did. Bill came 2nd in the inaugural Australian Touring Car Championship in 1960 driving a Jaguar 3.4 sedan. He won the ATCC at Lowood in 1961 in the same car and was 2nd again in the ATCC at Longford in 1962 again in the 3.4 Jaguar. That’s a 100% finish rate, with a 33% win rate and 67% second place rate.
Round 3 - Vitesse Hyeres Trophy
Jack Brabham’s first race in Europe was the 12 Hour Sports Car race held at Hyeres (pronounced ee-air) in the south of France on 29 May 1955. Driving an Aston Martin DB3S with Tom Sulman, they finished 4th in a stirling display by the Kangaroo Stable of 3 Aston Martins finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
Round 5 - The Jolly Decca
Header photo:
MATTHEW PAUL PHOTOGRAPHY
0435 031 824
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Gnoo Blas ^t Australian Sports Car Championship Top 10 Point Scores after 6 Rounds:
Round 2 - Glyn Scott Gprix
Glyn Scott was Queensland’s leading open-wheeler and sports car racer in the 1960’s. Starting with Repco Holden open wheel specials, a progression of open-wheelers, Cooper_Climax, Lotus 20, Lotus 27, Bowin P3 FVA, and Elfin 600 Waggott followed, complemented by Lotus 15 and Lotus 23B sports cars. Zenith blue cars with # 20 were Glyn’s hallmark signature.
Glyn contested 3 “Surfers Paradise 12 Hour” sports car races, finishing 10th in 1966 in an E-Type Jaguar with Bryan Thomson, 3rd in 1967 in a Porsche 906 Spyder with Alan Hamilton followed by a retirement when leading in a Matich SR3-Repco V8 with Frank Matich in 1968. The Zenith blue Lotus 23B #20 defined Glyn’s sports car racing career.
Round 4- Montlhery 660 Trophy
Jack Brabham’s last race in Europe was the “PARIS 1000 KMS” at Montlhery in France on 18 Oct 1970. Driving a Matra 660 V12 sports racing prototype with Francois Cevert they drove to a decisive win, a fitting finale to close Jack’s outstanding career.
Round 6 - Matich SR 87
