1963 Australian Tourist Trophy Explained

The 1963 Australian Tourist Trophy was a motor race staged at the Lowood circuit in Queensland, Australia on 9 June 1963.^[1] It was the seventh annual Australian Tourist Trophy race, and it was recognized by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport as the Australian championship for sports cars.^[2] The race, which was organised by the Queensland Racing Drivers' Club, was won by Ian Geoghegan, driving a Lotus 23.^[1]

Results

Position[3]	Driver	No.	Car	Entrant	Class pos.	Class	Laps
1	Ian Geoghegan	5		Total Racing Team	1	1100 to 2000 cc	27
2	John Martin	111[4]	Lola	Martin's Neutral Bay Motors	1	Up to 1100cc
3	Les Howard	75	Lotus XI	Howard & Sons Racing Team	2	Up to 1100cc
4	Bill Gates		Elfin Clubman	GP Cars	2	1100 to 2000 cc
5	Ron Thorp	39	Aston Martin DB3S	Ron Thorp's Bargain Barn	1	Over 2000 cc
6	Bill Weekes		Elfin	GP Cars	3	Up to 1100cc
7	P Underwood		Holden Special	P Underwood	2	Over 2000 cc
?	Ann Thompson	21	Lotus XV Ford	Mrs A Thompson	4	Up to 1100cc
?	L Weiley		MGTC	Rawsthorne's Garage	3	1100 to 2000 cc
?	A Yannuccelli		MGA	A Yannuccelli	4	1100 to 2000 cc
?	Ted Laker		Lotus Super 7
?	Kinnane		Austin-Healey Sprite
?	Blair Salter		Elfin
?	Casey		MGA
?	Harding		Austin-Healey Sprite
?	Saba		MGA
?	Williams		Peugeot
?	Tapsall	45	Elford
?	Brewer		Simca Special
?	Austin		MGA
?	Doug Bright		MGTC
?	Hawley		Austin-Healey Sprite
?	Brian Tebble		MGTD
?	York		Holden Special
DNF	John French	16[5]	Turner	Alec Mildren		1100 to 2000 cc	24
DNF	Orlando (Tony) Basile[6]		Porsche Carrera				23
DNF	Bev Fleming		Lotus XI				15
DNF	Tom Sulman		Lotus XV			1100 to 2000 cc
DNF	Turner		Centaur				6
DNS	Denis Geary		Centaur Repco Holden				-
DNS	Greg Cusack	7[7]	Elfin Mallala	Scuderia Veloce		1100 to 2000 cc	-

Race statistics

• Race distance: 27 laps – 80 miles^[1]
• Number of starters: 29^[3]
• Number of finishers: not yet ascertained
• Winner's race time: 55 minutes 23.0 seconds^[3]
• Fastest lap: 1 minute 57.5 seconds, Ian Geoghegan, (Lotus 23)^[3]

References

1. Speedster makes it 22 starts, 22 wins, The Courier Mail, Monday, 10 June 1963, page 19
2. Australian Tourist Trophy, Australian Motor Racing and Sporting Guide - Motor Manual's Year Book for 1967, page 85
3. Total team Lotus 23 wins the Aust. TT, Australian Motor Sports, August 1963, pages 28, 29, 30 & 40
4. Des White, Ian Geoghegan wins Australian Tourist Trophy, Lowood, Racing Car News, July 1963, pages 1 & 4
5. Sportlight, Modern Motor, August 1963, page 91
6. Jim Shepherd, A History of Australian Motor Sport, 1980, page 167
7. https://web.archive.org/web/20151221025401/https://aussieroadracing.homestead.com/Queensland-1960s.html Lowood, 9 June 1963, mechanic Bruce Burr tends to Greg Cusack’s Elfin Mallala, aussieroadracing.homestead.com, as archived at web.archive.org