I have written about some of motorsport activities in the past, but Bev’s prompt reminded me of a situation that did throw a ‘curved ball’.

To set the scene, the event was held at Sydney Motorsport Park in October 1999. The event was the Alfa Romeo Club’s six-hour relay race. This event is not actually a race, but a reliability test, run over a period of six hours. There are teams of between two and six cars, with from one to three drivers. On the first day, all cars must complete testing and then complete a number of laps to establish a nominated lap time for the following day.

Points are awarded for the greatest number of laps completed closest to the nominated lap time.  Points are deducted for times over and under the nominated time.

The qualifying runs and times had been set for the day, when the Team Captain called all of our team drivers to a meeting. This is where the ‘curved ball’ appeared. He advised the team that I would be starting the race the next day. This meant a one hour stint on the circuit, completing laps as close to my nominated time as possible. The unfortunate aspect was, that it is usually in the first few laps that the incidents occur.

An experienced driver suggested that if we were to draw on the inside of the grid, then just stick to the lefthand side and go.

One car from each team starts the ‘race’ and at predetermined times during the race, the ‘sash’ is transferred to the next car. The Velcro slip is transferred from the front mudguard of one car to the next as shown here. The ‘sash’ is the red item in the man’s hand.

The 1999 6 Hour Relay at Eastern Creek comprised 42 Teams, 166 Cars and 214 Drivers. Believed to be possibly a world record. Guinness took photos of the grid set up on the Saturday. It was the largest participant motor sport event in Australia that year.

The next morning,we did in fact draw the inside of the grid. I was rather nervous about the start, however when the start lights went out, most of the drivers veered to the right, giving me a clear passage all the way down to the first turn, and being on the inside I had ‘right of way’ at the first turn.

I managed to complete almost thirty laps without incident, when the alternator warning light came on, so I signalled that I was coming into the pits. The sash was then transferred to the next car, with the Escort being taken out the back of the garage to cool down before being refuelled for the next driver.

Whilst I was very nervous starting the race, after around five laps you seem to get into a rhythm, and then only have to watch for slower cars, or incidents on the circuit in front of you.
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I must have settled down very well, as a few days after the event I received a phone call telling me that I had won the driver’s performance award for the number of laps completed closest to my nominated time. This was from a field of 214 drivers.  ​

Barry O'Connor
​October 2025

​I did my driving lessons with my mother whilst driving from Wollert to the Epping railway station to catch the train to and from work. After several months, it was decided that I should have a couple of lessons with a licenced driving instructor, which I did. After two lessons, it was in the driving instructor’s opinion that I was ready to go for my licence test as soon as I was eligible.

In 1966 I was 18 and went for my driver’s licence at the Epping Police Station. At this point in time, the Police Station was manned by a single policeman by the name of Mr. Gray. The Police Station was a weatherboard home with a small lock-up in the garden.

Whilst I passed my licence test on the day after my 18th birthday, I did not have enough money saved to buy a car at that point. I was working in the Commonwealth Bank and whilst I was paying board at home, every available cent was being saved towards a car. I did eventually save around the anticipated amount, along with a small loan from the staff credit union, to buy a secondhand car.

The FC Holden was selected, as my father had purchased a new FC Utility in 1958 for his building business and had a good run with it, having been driven from Wollert to Box Hill six days a week.

In 1967 I found a car at a dealership in Bell Street, Preston.

It was a 1958 model, identical to the one shown here. It was in very good condition and had the optional extras of a sun visor, radio and heater. From memory I paid $480 for it.

​The car got plenty of use. Not only did it get me to and from work, it was also used for a number of outings for friends to such events as Young Farmers Balls at various points around the state. With bench seats front and back, it could accommodate six people comfortably. In 1970 I did fit seat belts but did not retain the car long after that.

Later in 1970 I traded the FC in, and purchased a 1966 model Valiant Regal sedan, identical to the one shown here, which was a real step up, in comfort and performance. It had the slant six motor which was very economical.

​I can remember the registration number of this car - it was JOE-215.


Barry O’Connor
​August 2025.

Further to report last month on the aircraft crash at Lilydale in February 1982, this is the reason I was attending the Lilydale event.

I am not sure to this day, how I became involved with this display at the event at Lilydale airport in 1982. I was managing the Kenworth truck dealership in Footscray at the time.  The display had been organised by some of the factory staff in Bayswater, who were members of the local Rotary Club, which had organised the Lilydale airshow as a fundraising event.

Because I was part of ‘the event’, I was required to attend the morning briefing.  As it transpired, I was nominated to be the ‘bad’ person during the display. The basis was that the Rotary Club had set up a ‘tug-of-war’ between the recently released Kenworth C500 and around 100 plus, school children. Although on the day, I recall that a few parents lent a ‘little weight’ to the school children’s team.
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The basis of the event was for me to drive the C500 shown in the image below, on the right. 

From the Kenworth website: At the time, mining and drilling companies watched with interest. Rapid progress was then being made in the development of Australia’s vast natural resources, with increased production of black coal and discoveries of oil, gas and copper-zinc deposits. The C500 had already proved itself in the harsh landscapes of Arabia and Africa, and the locally manufactured version was soon reporting for an even more rugged workout on the Australian continent. The C500AR (Australian Right-hand drive) found its way into the mining, logging and oil drilling industries, with a number of trucks engineered to lift oil-drilling rigs and to move oversize rigs from one site to another.

This is one of the C500 models that was sold through the dealership in Footscray.  It was capable of moving equipment weighing up to 150 tonnes solo, in 50-degree ambient temperature from Port Augusta to the Olympic Dam mining operations in South Australia. 

On the day, the truck had been set up with a 9 tonne block of concrete on the chassis, so that it would have some grip on the grass where the display was to be held. The truck was positioned and three heavy ropes were attached to the front bumper.

I walked out with my black overalls on, and set up the truck for the competition.

The plan was to allow the children to pull the truck forward about two or three meters and then I would let the clutch out and pull them back.

This all went well and as I brought the truck to a hault, I stepped out of the cab and exclaimed, “You lot didn’t have your Weeties this morning”.

That was followed by my arrest by two local policemen for ‘child abuse’, and I was marched off in handcuffs.

“I was there”… (and then I wasn’t!)

 
Barry O’Connor.
​June 2025.

During some periods in your life you feel like you are riding the crest of a wave. This was one of those periods. However, I was oblivious to the result that would see me ‘dumped on the rocks’.

It was during one of my ‘in between jobs’ periods, when I obtained a position as the Credit Manager at Gould’s Toyota in Northcote in 1985. I was to look after the Parts and Service departments accounts, along with following up payments from insurance companies for the work completed in the Panel Shop. I was successful in maintaining the accounts and was very happy with my five days a week job.

For one Saturday, I was asked to fill in for the regular salesman who had a family wedding on that day, so I agreed to cover his role for the day.

The ‘wave’ started rolling, when soon after opening on that Saturday morning, a family who had just received their lottery winnings, came into the showroom to order six Toyota Landcruiser Sahara wagons for the members of the family. Whilst we did not have all of the desired colours in stock, I took the orders and the deposit and scheduled the delivery for the following week. Whilst I got the sale and the commission cheque, the regular salesman was less than impressed.

Having seen my ‘sales ability’, the General Manager asked me to leave the Credit Manager role and take up the role as Fleet Manager, which meant establishing the Fleet Department from scratch. This was done and we were successful in establishing relationships with a number of fleet clients in the region. This activity caught the attention of another Toyota dealer, as we had obviously called on a number of their clients.

The Lane family, who had a number of different car dealerships, including Melbourne City Toyota, contacted me and made me an offer that I could not refuse. I was to take over their Fleet Department, as the previous Manager had moved on, and they were looking for a replacement. Initially the department consisted of myself and one salesman. As the activity increased we employed another two salesmen in order to cover the Melbourne metropolitan area adequately.

I was still riding the crest of the wave.

Sales flowed and the department was showing good results……………..until on the 1st July 1986, when Fringe Benefits Tax was introduced.

Sales did not just drop off, they stopped totally. Companies were unsure how the new tax would impact on them financially and simply stopped ordering replacement fleet vehicles, instead opting to hold them for another twelve months.

The Fleet Department was disbanded and I found myself ‘dumped on the rocks’.

There ended my ‘almost brilliant career’.

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Barry O’Connor.
July 2024.
 

​Whilst living in Sydney I became involved with motor sport. As a member of the Southern Sporting Car Club, I developed a four door MK2 Ford Escort into a fairly competitive circuit car. In March 1998 I was accepted as a member of the club team to compete in a super sprint event at Amaroo. Amaroo was a very picturesque circuit located in the suburb of Annangrove. This was to be one of the last events at Amaroo, as it was scheduled to close in August that year to make way for a housing development.

Super sprints in club motorsport are time trials, and are run against the clock with only two cars on the circuit at the same time. My nemesis was Alistair Browne from the Alpha Romeo club who always seemed to produce a better lap time than myself. On this particular day I was determined to better my existing lap time and take the points from Alistair for the first time. The car had been tuned and was running perfectly, and with the first lap I was able to reduce my pervious lap time of 72 seconds, down to 66 seconds. However there were further improvements to be made. During the day, subsequent runs continually reduced the lap times down to almost 60 seconds.

For the last sprint of the day, I was lined up with Alistair Browne. I was determined to beat him and break the 1 minute barrier. After getting a blinding start, I led into the first corner. The third corner was a sweeping bend called Dunlop Loop, this is where the wheels fell off, literally!! After exiting the sweeper, an axle broke and the right rear wheel decided to leave the scene without permission, and took off into the bush. In the process of departing, the wheel managed to unbalance the car rather abruptly. I was desperately trying to regain control, however the car failed to respond at this critical point in the proceedings.

It is said that when a person is under severe stress, their life flashes before their eyes. This did not happen to me. What was flashing before my eyes, were the trees on the outside of the circuit, with the added complication that they were upside down.  I do recall saying to myself in a millisecond, “This may not end well”. One also tends to become very religious in these circumstances.

During the bumps, thumps and the bangs, I managed to turn off the ignition and firmly grasp the steering wheel to avoid my arms being thrown around inside, or outside, the vehicle. When the noise stopped, the car was on the grassy infield facing in the correct direction of travel, and upright. I do recall the flag marshal running up behind the car, speaking on the radio, “I think he’s dead”. To which I replied, “I am not dead, please help me out of the car”, or words to that effect. I emerged from the wreck unscathed, with only bruising to my shoulders from the racing harness.

A quick inspection of the car revealed that during the airborne activities, the other rear wheel had also departed.

From Alistair’s description, “When I came around the corner, the Escort was completely inverted, three metres above the track, and sideways to the direction of travel. You were still going that fast that I could not catch you, however when you hit the ground between rolls and flips, I did manage to catch up”.

Degree of difficulty….not rated as the jury is still out on whether the driver problem created the mechanical failure, or the mechanical failure created the driver problem. Artistic merit and presentation, as rated by Alistair Browne,…10/10.

After the compulsory medical check I was released to inspect the remains of the Escort, which had by this time been returned to the pits on a tilt bed truck. One bystander, who obviously had a Degree in Mechanical Engineering, offered his considered opinion, “It’s stuffed”. I could have done without that input at the time, but unfortunately the mighty Escort’s injuries were extensive and proved fatal. In a brief, but moving ceremony, the log book was closed and the Escort deemed gone forever at 19.00 hours on Sunday 29th March 1998.

The remains were transported to my local panel beater who offered a similar response to the trackside expert, only in more colourful language. His assessment was that the car had rolled from side to side, end to end and corner to corner, seven times. The impact was so severe that the axis of the body had been twisted around 5 degrees. The only panel on the car that was not damaged was the passenger side rear door, shown in the image below.

​Barry O’Connor,
August 2021'

​PS: The surviving mechanicals were salvaged from the wreck and installed in a two door Escort shell. This car then won the club circuit championship a number of times with subsequent owners from the same car club.

I had always had an interest in motor sport, but always as a spectator. In 1996 I was transferred by my employer to take over a senior executive position in the Sydney head office. I was soon approached to join a local club. The club was the Southern Sporting Car Club based in the southern suburbs of Sydney.

My early involvement was as support crew for other members, however I soon decided to get more involved. I purchased a MK2 Escort four door sedan from a family whose father had decided to hand in his licence.  Whilst it was an older vehicle it was basically sound and did not take a lot of restoration to bring it up to competition standard. The car was very quick and in the early days was still road registered and could be driven to events. In later years modifications meant that it could no longer be registered and it had to be trailered. In one event at Amaroo Park, whilst at full speed, the rear axle broke and inconveniently released one of the rear wheels. The car rolled seven times and was extensively damaged, except for the passenger side rear door, which was unmarked. I escaped with only minor bruising from the harness, but the car was a write-off.

Given that the mechanical components were all still in good working order, the search commenced for a donor shell. A two door shell was located and the process of transferring and restoring the mechanical components commenced. During the rebuild a 5 speed Sierra gearbox was fitted which lifted the top speed from 147kph to around 160kph.  The engine was 2litres which had been modified, however still within standard regulations.​

​I competed in many events including 6 Hour Relay events in NSW in 1998 and 1999 and at Winton in 1998 . I received a number of awards during my amateur racing career. In 1997 I was awarded the Club Encouragement Award and ran second for the Club Circuit Championship. In 1999 I won the Club Circuit Championship and also the Race Series Award. Also in 1999 I won the Driver Performance Award during the Six Hour Relay in Sydney. This award was won from over 240 drivers who competed in this event. The Six Hour Relays are the largest participant events in Australia, even bigger than Bathurst. The Escort is still in the club and on its fourth owner and still winning events and championships.

I branched out into tarmac rally events, but not with the Escort. A Falcon GT replica was located and converted into a very competitive tarmac rally car. We competed in the Indycar Rally in 1998, 1999 and 2000, when the event ceased due to regulations and insurance problems. We were placed in class in two of these events.

​My CAMS driver’s licence lapsed in 2004, but I still hold a CAMS Official’s licence.
 
Not many people would believe that I once swapped my business suit for a race suit on weekends.
 
Barry O’Connor.
April 2016.