Bathurst

[Quandary]

Hmm well I've been trying to locate info on it for awhile and seems appropriate since it's soon that time of year.

 

Does anyone have any info on the 260z that was raced in 1975?  I believe it was group C car which would have run it against some very special cars.  I've only ever seen small clips of it in Bathurst footage.  I'm wondering what they did with the car and why noone tried to run one again.

[C.A.R.]

I've never heard of a Z running at Bathurst.

I know a 240K was run though...

[sydney mike]

Here is the results for that race, it DNF

 

http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/bathurst_1975.htm

[Sirpent]

Entered by John Roxburgh motors, the drivers were Doug Whiteford / Geoff Perry in a Datsun 260Z entered in the Class "C" however the car Did Not Finish.

 

They Qualified 42nd on the grid as a private entry with a time of 2.53.9, and was the first retirement in the race on the third lap due to overheating.

 

Interestingly, there was another "Z" entry in the C Class, this time a 240Z entered by the "Datsun Racing Team", there is no information on the drivers, along with a 1200 in the A Class under the same team banner driven by John Leighton, and Roger Bonhomme, but both these cars failed to qualify for a grid position.

 

The dirvers of the 260Z previous raced at Bathurst in seperate teams in 1971, Geoff Perry as main driver in a Torana LC GTR, and  Doug Whiteford in a Datsun 1200 as co-driver.

 

Interestingly also, the team owner for the "John Roxburgh motors" entry was also the driver and winner of the 1960 Phillip Island Armstrong 500 race in a Vauxhall Cresta, John Roxburgh later became  president of CAMS and Australia's representative on the FIA, along with his co-driver Frank Coad.

 

I agree, would be interesting to find out what happened to the "Zeds".

[Quandary]

Wow, and there was also a 240z. Thanks for the info Sirpent, it's given me some good leads.

[Sirpent]

No problems Quandary,

 

The 240Z was a works car it seems, as I said the records say it was entered by "Datsun Racing Team" most probably a combined Datsun Dealers Team, similar to the olf "HDT" which you may want to contact Nissan Australia, they may have more info.

 

If you do find anything out keep us all in the loop.

 

Cheers

 

John

[Quandary]

I have a picture of the 260z at Sandown.  I'm not sure from what year it is but I figure it's the same one.  If I could figure out how to attach it I will.

 

2+2 by the way.

[Sirpent]

Some more clues......

 

DOUG WHITFORD / JOHN ROXBOROUGH and GORDON DOBIE

 

In Australian racing, the 2000 sports in the hands of drivers like Doug Whitford of the works Datsun Racing Team cleaned up the competition, and in the US drivers such as Pete Brock and Bob Sharp did likewise, production continued until 1970 when the huge success of the Datsun 240Z ended the roadster’s run, the factory space being required for the new model.

 

The Datsun Racing Team, whose Chief Mechanic at the time was Gordon Dobie, ran the imported Datsun 1600 P510 SSS factory race car which had a 5 speed gear box as fitted at the factory. This car was driven by both Doug Whiteford and John Roxburgh between 1968 and 1970 as an improved production touring car.

 

Very early examples were specially imported by John Roxborough's factory backed "Datsun Racing Team" to compete in the first 500 mile endurance car races at Phillip Island, later Bathurst.

 

So it seems that the both the 240z and 260Z belonfed to John Roxborough and that he raced the 260Z in 75 under his business' name and the 240Z which did not qualify under the "Datsun Racing Team" banner

 

It seems that the man that would have the answers to all your questions is Gordon, he runs Datsun Performance Centre, 1/3 ELMA ROAD, CHELTENHAM VIC' 3192, Phone (03) 9553 5309  Fax (03) 9553 5436, Email  datcar54@hotmail.com

 

Maybe we could invite him to write a piece on the "Zed's" and shed some light on their whereabouts, maybe they are lurking under some tarps at the back of his workshop.

 

Cheers

 

John

[Sirpent]

Pic of Doug Whiteford at Sandown Park 1970 in the Datsun 1600 P510 SSS factory race car, note the Datsun Racing Team logo on the RHF guard.

[Quandary]

Sandown 1975. Driver / Team?

 

I was also informed that they actually started racing the Z's in 1974 but have no real info on that.

 

But I do know that Motor Magazine in 1970 have an article about Datsun Japanese Racing 2 cars in Australia (called the R380 MK3 - they boast 1st and 2nd place at Surfers Paradise 6 hours), and were essentially testing the powerplant that was soon after engineered for the Fairlady Z432.  So yeah, I figure that 1975 is probably not the first year for the Z and if it was there is a big time gap.  Try Google images of the car if you haven't seen it, it looks very special.

 

I have those pages of the magazine in photocopy.  I will try attach them when I have time. The woman is pestering about dinner.

 

I've sent this Gordon fellow an email.  I am hoping he could shed some light.

[PeterAllen]

There are quite a few Aussie racing Datsun photos here, including 240Zs: http://www.autopics.com.au/cache/searchl-ncache0public_nameLIKE_datsun_name_0-0.html

 

Here is one from that site.  Bathurst 1973, but it looks more like Easter than October to me.

 

Note how ZED660's avatar shows him doing a impersonation of this some 36 yrs later!

[Quandary]

Oh wow what a fantastic shot.

[Sirpent]

And here are 2 pics of the car, Datsuns R380A MK3 driven by M. Kurosawa at Surfers Paradise on the 26th October 1969, still looks great after 40 years.

[Sirpent]

Great thread guys, hope this gets added too and that maybe Gordon Dobie may be able to add some light to it, does anyone know him well enough to see if we could interview him for an article on the site......any ideas?

[Sirpent]

Hey PeterAllen, Ive never seen a Bathurst car with NSW rego plates on it, hmmmmmmmm think you may be right, maybe not a Bathurst race day pic.

[PeterAllen]

Folks, please note is not appropriate to post images that are not yours without acknowledging the site or photographer where they come from. Copyright, professional acknowledgement and most of all common decency, (i.e. ethics), require it.

[Zedman240®]

I sometimes deliver parts to a security doors place that is next to Gordon's factory and have asked them if they see him. They say from time to time he drops in but his factory now is used for storage. Found out those pics of an early zed that I posted that belonged to a sandblaster in Mordialloc was bought by Gordon Dobie. I'll post it again to save you searching for it. Not sure if that was ever raced at Bathurst; was more like a sports sedan than production spec. Oh, found two zeds that ran at Le Mans..in 75/76? Nice history...

[Sirpent]

Hope you got Alain Joudaines permission to post them pics Zedman, no offense PeteAllen, just pointing out what you wrote in your last response.

[Zedman240®]

I think with his name watermarked all over it, I'm sure he won't mind..and I do have Peter Tobins' permission for the first one. He lent me his photo album to scan!

[Sirpent]

Good to hear it Dimitri..........

 

So what do you think, should we try and track down Gordon and take him out for a beer and a chat?

[gav240z]

Guys I'm very interested in this thread. I would be more than happy to place an article on the site about all of this.

 

RE: R380A perhaps Alan T knows something about it.

[Sirpent]

Gav,

 

Great to hear it, think that Gordon must be getting on in his years, it would be a testament to a man who spent 30 years behind the marque to have his story available to members to read, think I may place an email to him tomorrow see what I can do to track him down.

 

Whens the next club meet, maybe he could be invited as a guest speaker?

 

Cheers

 

John

[PeterAllen]

Those Peter Tobin photos look like the old Hume Weir circuit.

 

The number plate on Michael Connor's Zed at Bathurst look Victorian to me and the other images on that site suggest he hailed from there. In the truly great days of Bathurst registered car were often driven to the track and raced. Note also the earth embankment at the 'dipper', not the kitty-litter runoff these soft sissy blokes have today!

[Quandary]

And here are 2 pics of the car, Datsuns R380A MK3 driven by M. Kurosawa at Surfers Paradise on the 26th October 1969, still looks great after 40 years.

 

Anyone notice the HT Monaro?

 

[/Offtopic]

[Sirpent]

Sorry PA I still think they are NSW plates.

 

Note, K series plates in Victoria came out in 1968, I owned a 68 S-Type Jag first registered in Vic in 1968 with the prefix "KAJ" they didnt last till the time that pic was taken.

 

Secondly, all VIC plates had "vic" at the top centre, those seem to have it along the left hand side as I believe NSW plates did back then when both Victoria and NSW used black and white plates.

 

Cheers

 

John