So the evolution of the Howler began. Beechey set about defending his ATCC crown at the single 1966 round at Bathurst. It was the Novas first race and my first time at Bathurst, Beechey told The Race Torque. Norm led at the end of lap one, and by lap eight of the twenty lap event was nearly ten seconds ahead. The peak of his popularity was in 1970, when he won the ATCC in his iconic Shell Racing Team HT Monaro GTS 350. He was known as Stormin Norman for his spectacular, press-on driving style luridly sideways, rear tyres smoking, inside front wheel waving in the air, always charging. Autographed photo by Bob Jane & Norm Beechey. Without warning and with a comfortable lead once again, the Nova blew a tyre and bounced off the Armco on the run down to Hungry Corner and was out with only ten laps to run. ", Beechey and the massive Impala were a sensation wherever he raced, though. SIGNED NORM BEECHEY, ALLAN MOFFAT, BOB JANE. Norm Beechey had long been a crowd favourite, his flamboyant driving style was addictive. It raced here in early '63, that would usually mean it was a '62 model. We'd worn the brakes out and everything had got so hot that the master cylinders were leaking because the washers got red hot!". It was Beechey's first of two Australian Touring Car Championship wins. The famed yellow Trans-Aus Monaro was the first Australian model to claim what is now the Supercars championship. He excelled and entertained in an era of interesting drivers in exciting cars. My new for 71 Galaxie LTD in the US had 2 and 4bbl versions of that engine along with numerous others from 240 6 through to 429 Cobrajet. I reckon we spent a week just getting him comfortable in the car. Beechey, now 75, and sharp as a tack with a prodigious memory, still has the June 1961 issue of Motorsport that includes a report on Gurney shocking the British racing establishment by leading the International Trophy Race at Silverstone from the start until a rear wheel packed up two laps from the chequered flag. Which means it would have been one of the first cars off the line of that model year, usually the release is towards the end of August. Vinnie Bentley. Tell us your email address and we'll email you a new password. In 1968, Beechey was again in the USA to find a replacement for the Nova. The very first HK Monaro of Norm Beechey was a pretty cool bit of gear in the day, looked great, but had lots of issues and not much race success. Genealogy profile for Richard Beechey Richard Beechey (1828 - 1902) - Genealogy Genealogy for Richard Beechey (1828 - 1902) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Unfortunately once again a little gentle pressure was applied and Max sold the car to track competitor Barry. Moffat ran in Improved Touring during '65 and actually had some good dices with Muir's castrated S4 before Brian left for Europe about May that year. By: Steve Nally, Photography by: Ellen Dewar, There was only ever one car driving legend Norm Beechey wanted to buy back. he is one of famous Racecar driver with the age 88 years old group. The pressure plate was a standard Holden plate, but modified so I could use it as a twin-plate clutch. Stephen , the red 4 door Galaxie seems to have had a few pilots . BJR heads into the September 15-17 Wilson Security Sandown 500 without a pre-event test after rain meant it abandoned planned running on Monday. I think the Supercars Retro Round is a great throwback to the early days of touring car racing in Australia, he said. "The diff in the Chev was about the size of the one in an EH Holden, it was tiny, and it used to burn the pinion. They were always fast, but were usually underdeveloped for what was an annual one-race title-decider until 69. The HT Monaro GTS 350 debuted at Beecheys home track at Calder. But it did take up a hell of a lot of time and money.. It will be a real thrill to see them on track, and hopefully on the podium at the end of the 500.. He raced a new Ford Customline that won the main Touring Car Race, beating Len Lukey in the procerss. Of the seven rounds, Beechey took three victories, finished second in one other and had a Did Not Start in the final round at Symmons. View PDS. The build of the HT Monaro GTS 350 was to be overseen by young engineer, Lou Mallia. It was a huge luxury car but in that era if you were a bookie, wealthy businessman, or a farmer you had a Pontiac Parisienne, a Buick or a Chev and the Impala wasn't considered big in those days. Named after director Piero Rivoltas wife, the Lele filled the gap between the muscular Iso Grifo and Fida models, combing Italian styling with American V8 power, it was more grand tourer than sports car. But the Impala was the first of the muscle cars." The harmonic balancer was off a Perkins 6354 diesel, a viscous coupling type, which acted a bit like a washing machine balancer. BJR reveals three-car Norm Beechey tribute, Sign up to the Repco Supercars Championship Newsletter, Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia, Davison: Webb ready to race after Ipswich test, Whincup chasing qualifying gains at Ipswich test. V8 legend Norm Beechey was the first superstar of Australian motor racing, thrilling crowds in the 1960s and very early '70s with his exuberant driving in a series of exotic machines. While both marxist method and feminist analysis are necessary to an . BEECHEY'S HK MONARO - AUTOGRAPHED PHOTO $ 75.00 Sold Out This car cost a lot of money in 1962, 2750. We only ever raced it with Chev conrods - it's got Carillos in it now - but we never had conrod problems, only bearing trouble." Then a friend said there was a bloke in Reservoir who claimed he had a pretty fast car, but my friend reckoned mine would beat it. For those unfamiliar, Iso Rivolta - or just Iso for short - was an Italian company that built cars between . View or bid on all 2022 Shannons Autumn Timed Online Auction lots Thanks pete53 . A small Datsun alternator and twin-blade fan reduced extraneous loads on the engine. He was just brilliant to watch.. Shannons Pty Limited ABN 91 099 692 636 acts as an agent and authorised representative No 239594. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. Itd take an hour or so to convert the car to race trim and to return it, but as time went on it would take a whole day. I saw it, 4 door, 406, manual, multiple carburetors and unbelievably 2 brake boosters. Norm Beechey. Larger than life personalities. That was the easy part, turning the Impala into a racer would take more heartache and, crucially, more money than Beechey had counted on when he signed on the dotted line at Coad's dealership. Ever the showman, Beechey sat on the bonnet of the stricken black Nova and watched another ATCC slip away. The 1970 ATCC was all about Beechey and the fabulous HT Monaro GTS 350. There is no mention of the Chev's kerb weight in Beechey's catalogue and why should there be? Harrop bought a traded FJ from Beechey for $29, installed the engine, gearbox and diff from the EH, all in the standard positions, and $1300 later it ran a 13.42 at its first meeting (April 1969). Not great resolution to the photo though. Chevy Impala, Mustang, Chevy Nova II and Camaro, HK Monaro GTS 327 and, finally, the cheekily dubbed Trans-Aus Monaro (a dig at the imported Trans-Am Mustangs). The first segment, where Norm and his team load the Monaro onto the back of the team transporter really amazes me . The Galaxie paddock bashing at the 1963 Longford. It was dyno tuned by Jack Wilson - whose son Craig now runs Walkinshaw Racing - and he used to say, "Boss, if it won't live on the dyno it won't live on the track." Norm Beechey, better known by her family name Norm Beechey, is a popular Australian Racecar driver. It finished with a dish in the piston and still had 13.3:1 compression.. Frankly, it was a humble beginning. Wilson Security Sandown 500 | Tickets | EventInfo. Somebody claimed in print it cost us a six-figure sum to develop the car. Page 1 of 3 - Old Holden owner - posted in The Nostalgia Forum: I am really trying to stretch my memory back to try and get the name of the owner driver of a couple of Holdens raced years ago. "I've spoken to my wife and we'll do the interview. . I watched Norm race from his six cylinder Holden days through the Mustang and then the Nova. Stormin Norman, as the fans now called him, stuck with the Nova into the 1967 season and again faced his biggest rival Pete Geoghegan in the showdown for the ATCC at Lakeside. "And hopefully on the podium," Beechey said. Harrop overcame a slight holeshot to drive past John Whites Bad Man Chevy, scoring an 11.96sec win over the Queenslanders spluttering 12.26. We often romance about heroes in motor sport. In back-to-back testing it gave 7hp more than the Lucas or Bosch coils that we had used previously. Although popular with the fans, his constant car-swapping cost him titles. Beechey was a household name thanks to widespread promotion by his long-time sponsor Shell, which featured him in print and TV advertising campaigns. The 1973 Iso Lele being auctioned by Shannons in its 2022 Autumn Timed Online Auction from May 17 - 24 comes from long-term ownership by 1970 Australian Touring Car Champion, Norm Beechey and is one of just 285 of the Marcello Gandini of Bertone-designed, American V8 powered 2+2 coupes produced between 1969 and 1974.. Named after director Piero Rivolta's wife, the Lele filled the gap . Cracking shot from Longford , really shows how big those cars are . He starred in the 60s with his cavalcade of cars, changed almost annually. Arguably, this was the real beginning of the GM Ford battle, however it was an era where the drivers were undisputedly the heroes. Beechey competed in a wide variety of cars from as far back as the as the Albert Park meeting that was held in conjunction with the Olympic Games in 1956. I certainly got that impression when Sir Gawaine passed me down Tannery Straight From malomay's dad, Peter O'May's wonderful photos. It was the compression that resulted in the one nagging problem with the motor: blown head gaskets. I was driving for David McKay's Scuderia Veloce team and David had to write to Dan Gurney and ask him for advice. Wikipedia Citation. Just a couple of things that may help with your search , this car is an HT monaro , produced between july 1969 and july 1970 , the caption on pic may be correct as Norm did not use the HG ( the fllowing model) the car raced with and with out this sponser during its career. I'm pretty sure this is approaching the tight MG Corner which leads to the long blast down the runway. Back then you couldn't go to a shocker manufacturer and get a tougher shock absorber, so we used two shockers per wheel; the brackets are still there. Theres also a spare set of brake pads and brake hoses, both still in boxes. Beechey vann ett supportrace till det inofficiella Australiens Grand Prix p sin nuvarande bana Albert Park 1956, i en Ford V8. But what really pricked up Beechey's ears was a line about Gurney keeping at bay a certain "G. Hill in a 3.8-litre disc-braked Jaguar". According to various sources, Norm Beechey's net worth has grown significantly in 2023. "They had good engines, they were a monocoque construction and they were fairly light. It went all right for its day, I suppose. Just looking again at a You Tube clip of Dennis Obrien driving the 427 coupe at Sandown. In one of the reports And at Warwick Farm the entry form stated it was 6654cc. "A set of tyres used to last for one meeting because in those days we never did long races. Have your say and comment on news articles from Australias leading motoring journalists. Anyway, a race was organised up in the back-blocks of Coburg and I won that. Beechey is selling his rare 1974 Iso Rivolta Lele at the upcoming Shannons 2022 Autumn Timed Online Auction that will run from May 17-24. 64116 - Norm Beechey, Holden EH S4, Jim McKeown, Lotus Cortina & Peter Manton, Morris Cooper S - Lakeside 1964. Gurney's car though, is not Beechey's. 1965-66 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa: Classic Metal. In 1962, you could only race a two-door car if it was under 1500cc, so I had to race a four-door and I ordered it with a hard top and power windows so I could sell after I finished racing it and get my money back. Norm retired 3 years after Brocky ran his first Bathurst. Once again, Beecheys Shell Racing Team Brunswick HQ would be at work whilst still campaigning the HK Monaro. Stormin' Norm Beecheys Speed Shop Australia Essential T-Shirt Designed and sold by taspaul $25.29 $21.50 when you buy 3+ Style Essential T-Shirt Everyday tee, crew neck, slim fit Explore more styles Color White Size S M L XL 2XL 3XL View size guide Print Location Front Back Add to cart Delivery Express by February 18 Standard between February 18 Later Ron switched to Weber carbs, A sports wheel, floor shift and tacho replacing the speedo were the only interior mods in the early days, The Harrop Howler FJ Holden racing racing the XY Falcon of Larry Ormsby at Calder, Ron takes on the White/Mariani big-block Monaro at the 1971 Mr Holden meeting, Ron Harrop takes on Paul Ghosn at theold Castlereagh drag strip, Ron launching the FJ alongside the Parsons/Wilson HT Holden Monaro. One that Harrop adopted was slamming the bonnet on a piece of rolled-up rag at the back-left, which left a gap to help the carbs get a little more air. The Camaro was the replacement for Beechey's Nova, which he'd raced from 1966 through to '68, and was a stop-gap before the new HK Monaro came on in late '68. The Lele initially was powered by a 5.4 litre General Motors V8 with either a manual or four-speed automatic GM transmission, but in 1972, Iso replaced the Chevrolet engine with Ford's 5.7 litre Cleveland V8, also sourcing the automatic transmission option from Ford. The camshaft was a Thomas, ground by Pat Ratliffe, a 54L grind from memory, whatever that meant. also know about his Social media accounts i.e. This tribute to Norm is something Kim and I are proud of, and hopefully it brings back a lot of classic memories of those ATCC glory days for the fans, as it does for us. This Youtube clip shows the opening sequence and first two rounds of the championship, at Calder Park and Bathurst, and is absolutely magic. "The 409 engine had very non-descript bearings made out of aluminium and tin that were quite acceptable in their day, but the secret to getting them to run (at racing speeds) was to give it huge clearances, make a new oil pump with double the amount of gears in it (four in all), and then flow the oil through a very big cooler to cool the big-end bearings, otherwise they would seize. Discover Norm Beecheys Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. So much has been written about him that is hearsay or third party opinion that it pains them. .2.the cambridge history of the native peoples of the americas volume 1 part 2 north ameri Norm had this unique driving style, with plenty of sideways flair and a determined attitude. Surely there had to be some demon tricks: hydrazine in the fuel; nitromethane in the windscreen washers squirting into the carbie intakes; nitrous injection hidden inside the radiator hoses; bulk illegal extra cubes from some massive internal block rebuild. Haiti would be reunified as a republic under Jean-Pierre Boyer, a revolutionary leader who would remain president until 1843. In 1961 there was no internet, no email, and no TV coverage of international racing; how did Beechey research what car to buy? Jane was third ahead of defending champion Geoghegan, both in older Mustangs. Back in the day, Detroit released the next years' models in the fall of the preceding year. Copyright Race Torque Media 2021. ). The championship was won by Norm Beechey, driving a Ford Mustang. Ironically, Beechey failed to start the race following an engine failure in practice, but he had already clinched the title with victory in the penultimate round at Lakeside in Brisbane three-and-a-half months earlier. Norm only seems to have raced it a couple of times , was it a success ? Beechey had already tasted American iron having raced a Ford Customline in the late-'50s, but during this era 3.4-litre Jaguars ruled the racing jungle and his biggest nemesis was a nuggetty bloke named Bob Jane, who would have a quicker 3.8-litre MkII Jag for 1962. He then went on to race the famous early model Holden, known as PK 752 (its registration number plate number). he has decided to rationalise his car collection. In Oz we [reputedly] had 302W and 400 2bbl. The HT Holden Monaro was unlike any other Touring Car built in Australia: Innovative and borrowing much from the factory built Trans Am cars, the Beechey Monaro would be the first locally produced car to ever win the ATCC. "When I switched to the S4 Holden, Bobby had got his Jaguar going faster and it still dominated; the Jag's reign only finished when I brought the Mustang out in early-1965. Inboard disc brakes were used on all four wheels. Terms of Service. Symmons, Superbikes, Supercars, Shunts.. and Geese, COMMENT: Forget testing, and get on with it. Perhaps its most famous model doesnt wear an Iso badge, the BMW Isetta, the tiny city car that famously features the door at the front. Other than, perhaps, Norm Beechey's Chev Impala, the 405bhp Galaxie was the most powerful racing car in Australia of any sort upon its debut in November 1962. It probably took us six months to get it to race condition then we ran it for about a year. The rules were reasonably free, the CAMS manual was very thin, but no one had any knowledge. Privacy Policy. We were getting about 500bhp out of the engine while the Mustangs were only around 290bhp.. The fuel delivery was a pair of Stewart Warner electric pumps. What Bourke probably hadn't counted on, though, was the massive free kick his marketing campaign received from three of Australia's biggest names in motor sport at the time - Norm Beechey, Pete Geoghegan and Bob Jane - when all three chose to race Mustangs in 1965. 1997, A history of Dover & Port Esperance, Tasmania / by Norm Beechey & Dorothy Baker N. Beechey & D. Baker Dover, Tas. Norm Beechey memorabilia Jim Reddy has sent an invoice from a purchase he made from Norm Beechey's Speed Shop via store manager, Greg Goddard. And that made the brakes much better. Dick Johnson scored his first championship points by finishing in sixth place. speed ENV gearbox, with tuning by Jack Wilson of Norm Beechey fame) power output was In the vincinity of 110 bhp. Of Touring car championship wins Queenslanders spluttering 12.26 Len Lukey norm beechey wife the piston and still had compression. Little gentle pressure was applied and Max sold the car for David McKay 's Scuderia Veloce team David! 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