Where did all the Monaros go? - RetroAutos

Retroautos
It’s
Collectible & Classic
about the cars !
Where did all the Monaros go
RETROAUTOS January 2013 ISSN 1836-9472
In the early 1970s second hand Monaros could be bought very cheaply. Many found their way onto race tracks, and no where was this
more evident than speedway. At RETROAUTOS we delved into our photo files to bring you a little bit of oval track nostalgia.

Retroautos
It’s
Collectible & Classic
about the cars !
Where did all the Monaros go To the speedway , of course!!
RETROAUTOS January 2013 ISSN 1836-9472
It’s 1973, and Newcastle speedway ace, Ralph Ranger, has the inside running at the Motordrome.
Check out the adjustable left rear leaf spring, which was the tops in suspension technology at the time.
In the colour image he’s doing it tough on the outside of Mini crusader Peter Graham.

Retroautos
It’s
Collectible & Classic
about the cars !
Where did all the Monaros go To the speedway , of course!!
RETROAUTOS January 2013 ISSN 1836-9472

Retroautos
It’s
Collectible & Classic
about the cars !
Where did all the Monaros go To the speedway , of course!!
RETROAUTOS January 2013 ISSN 1836-9472
Long time Newcastle speedway star, George Lodge, raced the first
Monaro in the Hunter region. He debuted it at Morisset, and then
went on to race it at Heddon Greta and the Motordrome. All three
Newcastle speedways are now gone. The latter two to houses and
an industrial estate. Local authorities and political types have not
been helpful in re-establishing oval track racing in the Hunter.

Retroautos
It’s
Collectible & Classic
about the cars !
Where did all the Monaros go To the speedway , of course!!
“Hurricane” Gary Bevan at the now-closed Newcastle Motordrome , 1972.
RETROAUTOS January 2013 ISSN 1836-9472

Retroautos
It’s
Collectible & Classic
about the cars !
Where did all the Monaros go To the speedway , of course!!
Liverpool Speedway’s Peter Crick towed
his Monaro with a Monaro. In mid-1972
Crick moved to an XU1 Torana, then
followed a succession of GM race cars: a
Camaro , a SLR 5000 Torana , a 4 door
HZ Monaro and a Chevrolet Monza .
RETROAUTOS January 2013 ISSN 1836-9472

Retroautos
It’s
Collectible & Classic
about the cars !
Where did all the Monaros go To the speedway , of course!!
At the Sydney Showground
speedway , Gosford’s Alan
Butcher ran his Monaro for a
couple of years in the early
Brisbane-based Allan Butcher ranged up and down the east coast for 20 years ,
1970s. Having two Butchers in
winning every major speedway sedan event. Here he is in 1971 at the long gone
Monaros always confused the
and long lamented Liverpool City Raceway. Liverpool was owned by the late
media at the time.
Frank Oliveri and managed by Mike Raymond . It was , and remains , Australia’s
best speedway. Try as others might, you will never see the likes of Liverpool
RETROAUTOS January 2013 ISSN 1836-9472
Speedway again in Australia. It is the benchmark by which all are now judged.

Retroautos
It’s
Collectible & Classic
about the cars !
Where did all the Chargers go To the speedway , of course!!
Of course, it was not only Monaros which
made their presence felt on the dirt ovals.
In early 1972 Newcastle’s Lindsay Smith
debuted this pristine Valiant Charger .
RETROAUTOS January 2013 ISSN 1836-9472

Retroautos
It’s
Collectible & Classic
about the cars !
Where did all the Customlines go To the speedway , of course!!
Before Monaros hit the ovals, the speedway sedan of
choice was the OHV Customline, And , to tow your
Ford , you obviously had to have a 1961 Ford
Thunderbird as a tow car! I wonder what has
happened to the Thunderbird The Customline, like
most speedway cars probably ended its days on the
local garbage tip or cut up as scrap metal.
RETROAUTOS January 2013 ISSN 1836-9472

Retroautos
It’s
Collectible & Classic
about the cars !
Where did all the FJs go To the speedway , of course!!
For those who could not afford to race a Customline, the
humble FX and FJ Holden was the alternative. So many were
demolished to provide entertainment for us speedway fans.
RETROAUTOS January 2013 ISSN 1836-9472
All images from: Ralph Ranger Collection, David Burrell
Collection and www.oldtimespeedway.com.au