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Sandown International Raceway: Where It All Began

In the lead up to the Equity-One 32nd Historic Sandown motor racing event, between November 8th and 10th 2024, we thought we would take a trip down memory lane and go back to where it all began for Sandown International Raceway.


Sandown International Raceway in Victoria is famed for holding Australia’s first ever motor race all the way back in March 1904. Nestled in the Melbourne suburb of Springvale, the venue is steeped in history, like no other current race track in Australia.



[ The first motor race in Australia, 1904, photos : Darge, courtesy State Library of Victoria c/o lovellchen.com.au ]


The site is now Australia’s oldest and only surviving international raceway and dates back as far as 1888, when it was originally commissioned as a horse racing venue, for which it is still used today, over 135 years later.


The original name of the venue was actually Oakleigh Park Racecourse, coinciding with the opening of the Oakleigh to Gippsland railway line one year earlier in 1887, despite the train station’s location being 9 km south-east of Oakleigh.


The race track was later renamed Sandown Park in 1891, after the area in which it was located, Sandown Village. The race track was closed in 1931 when it’s land and structures were largely abandoned due to rival horse racing venues closer to the majority of Melbourne’s population.


In 1958 the owners of Sandown Park, the Melbourne Racing Club (of whom still own the venue today), developed the adjacent Sandown Park housing estate, and in 1962 the 3.1 kilometre Sandown International Raceway was re-opened after an extensive rebuild.


[ The grandstand, 1963, photo : Lyle Fowler, courtesy State Library of Victoria ]


Dubbed the country’s most expensive circuit when it reopened, it ran on the outside of the horse racing track with which it shared a brand new, purpose built 10,000 seat grandstand which still survives today.


[ Sandown Park, 1969, photo : courtesy State Library of Victoria ]

 

The track was officially reopened on March 11, 1962 when it held the first practice session for the 1962 Sandown International Cup, held the next day on March 12th.  


It is hard for one to fathom the names that competed in this event.

 

The 1962 race was won by none other than the Victorian Historic Racing Register founding club patron Jack Brabham, in a Cooper T55 Coventry Climax. Second to Jack in a Cooper T53 was John Surtees, and third was Bruce McLaren, also in another Cooper T53 Coventry Climax.

 

Other notable entries were Sir Stirling Moss, Jim Clark (Team Lotus – Lotus 21 Coventry Climax), Roy Salvadori and legendary Australian names such as Bib Stillwell, Lex Davison and Bill Patterson.


Sandown International grid; Surtees on the outside (left), Chuck Daigh’s Scarab middle, Jack Brabham inside on pole (pic: autopics.comprimotipo.com) Dunlop sign in background is today at turn 10 and sponsored by VHRR Club Partner Penrite Oil.


Drivers gather before the start of the 1962 ‘Sandown International’, Chuck  Daigh, Bruce McLaren, Lance Reventlow, John Youl, Roy Salvadori, Lex Davison, Jim Clark, Angus Hyslop, Stirling Moss, Bib Stillwell, Doug Whiteford and Jack Brabham. [photo : courtesy primotipo.com ]


In 1963, the race was held again - this time won by Bruce McLaren in a Cooper T62 Coventry Climax with famous Australian drivers Jack Brabham, Bill Patterson, Lex Davison, Bib Stillwell, Frank Matich and Frank Gardener all classed as a DNF.


The start of the 1963 Sandown International cup [photo : courtesy autopics.com ]


In 1964, the Sandown venue held the 29th running of the Australian Grand Prix which was also the 5th round of the 1964 Tasman Series as well as Round 1 of the Australian Drivers’ Championship. They sure did pack ‘em in back then!

 

Like the previous two events at Sandown in 1963 and 1964, the 1965 grid was littered with big names.

 

Jack Brabham, Bib Stillwell, Denny Hulme, David Walker, Frank Gardener, Bill Patterson, Bruce McLaren, Lex Davison, Frank Matich and Leo Geoghegan.

 

And of course, Jack Brabham (who was knighted in 1978) was first to the flag again in his Repco Brabham.


Chequered Flag: 1964 Australian Grand Prix [photo : courtesy speedcafe.com ]


Throughout the 60’s, Sandown Park hosted many international motor sport events from Formula One to Tasman Series races and even 6 Hour endurance events with names such as Jackie Stewart, Allan Moffat, Brian Muir, Bob Jane, Kevin Bartlett and Finnish Rally legend Timo Mäkinen alongside Sandown regulars Lex Davison and Frank Matich.

 

The six-hour races of 1964 and 1965 featured saloon cars. The mighty Morris Cooper S and Ford Lotus Cortinas were the order of the day with everything from Triumph 2000s to Ford Galaxies and everything in between filling packed grids.


[ The start of the 1964 Sandown 6 Hour , photo: courtesy of autoaction.com.au ]


[ Turn 1 with new grandstand in the background - 1964 Sandown 6 Hour ]


Since its establishment in 1976, the Victorian Historic Racing Register has enthusiastically and tirelessly promoted historic motorsport at Sandown, attracting many of these famous cars and racing personalities from interstate and overseas back to the circuit and their adoring fans, with wheel-to wheel racing action.

 

Many of these historic cars will be on track and on display at the annual VHRR Equity One 32nd Historic Sandown, conducted between November 8th-10th.


More information is available here on our website. Patrons under 17 years of age are free to enter if accompanied by an adult.


Author: Trent Collett


Resources:


wikipedia


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