1961 Armstrong 500
{{Short description|Motor race in Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2012}}
{{Motorsport season
| title = Armstrong 500
| link = Armstrong 500
| year = 1961
}}
The 1961 Armstrong 500 was an endurance motor race for standard production sedans. The event was held at the Phillip Island circuit in Victoria, Australia on 19 November 1961 over 167 laps of the 3.0 mile circuit, a total of 501 miles (807 km). The race was organised by the Light Car Club of Australia and was sponsored by Armstrong York Engineering Pty Ltd.Front cover, Official Programme, 1961 Armstrong 500, Philip Island, Sunday, 19 November 1961, pages 18 & 19
It was the second event held in the combined history of the Bathurst 1000, which had begun the previous year with the first Armstrong 500. Interest had waned since the previous year with the entry for this year the lowest in the races history until the fields were restricted to V8 Supercars only in 1995.
Geoff Russell and David Anderson backed up their 1960 class victory in their Peugeot 403 by winning their class again. Bob Jane and Harry Firth were the only combination to complete the full race distance, earning the pair the first of their four outright race wins, although the concept of outright race win would not be officially recognised until 1965. Mercedes-Benz, Studebaker and Renault all took their first class wins.
Class structure
=Class A=
Class A was for cars with an engine capacity over 2600cc. The class featured Ford Customline, Studebaker Lark and Vauxhall Velox.
=Class B=
Class B was for cars with an engine capacity between 1601cc and 2600cc. The class featured Ford Falcon, Holden EK and Mercedes-Benz 220SE.
=Class C=
Class C was for cars with an engine capacity of between 1001cc and 1600cc. The class featured Morris Major, Peugeot 403, Simca Montlhery and Volkswagen 1200.{{cite book | title = Australia's Greatest Motor Race The Complete History | last = Tuckey | first = Bill | publisher = Lansdowne Press | location = Sydney | chapter = 1961: The day the idea nearly died: | year = 1981 | pages = 74–81 | isbn = 0-7018-1547-7 }}
=Class D=
Class D was for cars with an engine capacity of 1000cc or less. The class featured Ford Anglia, Morris 850, Renault Gordini and Triumph Herald.
Results
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| style="font-weight:bold" |
| colspan=6 | Class A |
|---|
| 1
| align="center" | 43 | York Motors (Sales) Pty Ltd | David McKay | align="center" | 166 |
| 2
| align="center" | 41 | WF Coad | align="center" | 165 |
| 3
| align="center" | 44 | Canada Cycle & Motor Co (Sales) Pty Ltd | Fred Sutherland | align="center" | 165 |
| DNFAustralia's Greatest Motor Race, Second Edition 1990, page 292
| align="center" | 42 | SP Boyd-Squires | Peter Boyd-Squires | |
| colspan=6 | Class B |
| 1
| align="center" | 32 | Autoland Pty Ltd | align="center" | 167 |
| 2
| align="center" | 35 | KJ Harper | Ken Harper | align="center" | 161 |
| Disq
| align="center" | 33 | Ian Strachan | align="center" | 134 |
| colspan=6 | Class C |
| 1
| align="center" | 24 | GLA Russell | Geoff Russell | align="center" | 163 |
| 2
| align="center" | 26 | W Coe | Bill Coe | align="center" | 161 |
| 3
| align="center" | 22 | Ecurie - BJ Auto Service, | Bob Brown | align="center" | 160 |
| 4
| align="center" | 25 | Killara Motor Garage | Bob Holden | align="center" | 153 |
| 5
| align="center" | 21 | G Reynolds | George Reynolds | align="center" | 152 |
| DNF
| align="center" | 27 | JP Gray | Charlie Smith | align="center" | 141 |
| DNF
| align="center" | 28 | EA Clay | Eddie Clay | align="center" | 135 |
| colspan=6 | Class D |
| 1
| align="center" | 3 | Monash Service Station | Jim Gullan | align="center" | 157 |
| 2
| align="center" | 4 | W McB March | Bill March | align="center" | 156 |
| 3
| align="center" | 9 | JGR Poulton | George Poulton | align="center" | 155 |
| 4
| align="center" | 10 | Autoland Pty Ltd | Bill Jane | align="center" | 155 |
| 5
| align="center" | 15 | Alan Coffey Motors | Lou Molina | align="center" | 152 |
| 6
| align="center" | 2 | Ian W Robertson | Les Park | align="center" | 150 |
| 7
| align="center" | 11 | Viscount Motors Pty Ltd | Alan Caelli | align="center" | 149 |
| 8
| align="center" | 14 | KF Lott | Kevin Lott | align="center" | 148 |
| 9
| align="center" | 12 | Hilltop Auto | John Brindley | align="center" | 148 |
| 10
| align="center" | 16 | Alan Coffey Motors | Peter Coffey | align="center" | 146 |
| 11
| align="center" | 7 | HNE Johannesen | Neil Johannesen | align="center" | 136 |
| Disq
| align="center" | 8 | G Reynolds | Hoot Gibson | align="center" | 12 |
Note: There was no outright winner, with only the winners of the four classes being given official recognition and prize money.How the Armstrong 500 is run, Official Programme, 1961 Armstrong 500, Philip Island, Sunday, 19 November 1961, page 7 However the Mercedes-Benz 220SE driven by Bob Jane and Harry Firth was the only car to complete the full 500-mile distance and it is generally considered to be the "winner" of the race.
Statistics
- Fastest Lap - #32 Jane/Firth - 2:41 - Laps 14 & 121
- Race Time - 8:00:31
References
{{reflist}}
- Australia's Greatest Motor Race, 1960–1989, The First 30 Years
- The Australian Racing History of Ford, © 1989
- The First 15 Years (Hardie-Ferodo 1000, A Pictorial History 1960–1975)
- {{cite book | title = The Official Racing History of Holden | last = Wilson | first = Stewart | publisher = Chevron Publishing Group | location = Hornsby | year = 1988 | isbn = 0959037845 }}
- The Age, Monday, 20 November 1961, Page 17
- {{cite book | title = Australia's Greatest Motor Race 1960-1999 The first 40 years | last = Greenhalgh | first = David |author2=Thomas B. Floyd|author3=Bill Tuckey | publisher = Chevron Publishing Group Pty Limited | location = Hornsby | chapter = 1961 The day the idea nearly died | year = 2000 | isbn = 1-875221-12-3 | pages = 102–107 & 451 }}
External links
- [http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/bathurst_1961.htm Race results, www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au]
- [http://autopics.com.au/1961/ 1961 Armstrong 500 images, autopics.com.au]
{{Bathurst 1000 races}}