Lowood circuit
Encyclopedia
The Lowood Airfield Circuit was a motor racing venue in Queensland
, Australia
which was used from 1946 to 1966. It was located at a former wartime airfield site at Mount Tarampa
, near Lowood
, 72 km west of the state capital Brisbane
. The circuit utilised the airfield’s runway for its 1.9 km long 200 metre wide main straight and also used various taxiways and tarmac from the old hangar area. Lap distance was 4.54 km (2.8 mi).
The circuit was first used in June 1946 for the running of the Queensland Grand Prix, however it hosted only occasional meetings between then and 1956. In that year the Queensland Racing Drivers’ Club took over the site, hosting their first meeting there in November and subsequently developing the circuit into Queensland’s premier motor racing venue. The circuit was closed in November 1966.
were held at Lowood each year from 1957 to 1962.
.
. It was won by Alec Mildren driving a Cooper Maserati.
, in 1961. The race was won by Bill Pitt
, driving a Jaguar 3.4
. .
was staged at the Lowood circuit in June 1964 and was won by Greg Cusack driving an Elfin Ford.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
which was used from 1946 to 1966. It was located at a former wartime airfield site at Mount Tarampa
Tarampa, Queensland
Tarampa is a rural suburb of Somerset Region, Queensland, Australia.During World War II a military airfield was located at nearby Mount Tarampa called Lowood. The United States Army Air Forces based its 80th Fighter Squadron there between 28 March – 10 May 1942), flying P-39 Airacobras...
, near Lowood
Lowood, Queensland
Lowood is a town in south east Queensland, Australia. The town is located on the Brisbane River, 66 kilometres west of the state capital, Brisbane or 17 km birds line and 31 kilometres north of Ipswich...
, 72 km west of the state capital Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. The circuit utilised the airfield’s runway for its 1.9 km long 200 metre wide main straight and also used various taxiways and tarmac from the old hangar area. Lap distance was 4.54 km (2.8 mi).
The circuit was first used in June 1946 for the running of the Queensland Grand Prix, however it hosted only occasional meetings between then and 1956. In that year the Queensland Racing Drivers’ Club took over the site, hosting their first meeting there in November and subsequently developing the circuit into Queensland’s premier motor racing venue. The circuit was closed in November 1966.
Australian Drivers Championship
Rounds of the Australian Drivers' ChampionshipAustralian Drivers' Championship
The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...
were held at Lowood each year from 1957 to 1962.
- 1957 Round 5 - Lex DavisonLex DavisonAlexander Nicholas Davison was a racing driver who won the Australian Grand Prix four times between 1954 and 1961 and won the Australian Drivers' Championship in 1957...
– Ferrari 625/750 - 1957 Round 6 - Stan Jones – Maserati 250FMaserati 250FThe Maserati 250F was a racing car made by Maserati of Italy used in '2.5 litre' Formula One racing between January 1954 and November 1960. Twenty-six examples were made.-Mechanical details:...
- 1958 Round 5 - Alec Mildren – Cooper Climax
- 1958 Round 6 - Alec Mildren – Cooper Climax
- 1959 Round 6 - Alec Mildren – Cooper Climax
- 1959 Round 7 - Alec Mildren – Cooper Climax
- 1960 Round 3 - Alec Mildren – Cooper Maserati
- 1960 Round 4 - Alec Mildren – Cooper Maserati
- 1961 Round 3 – Bill Patterson – Cooper Climax
- 1962 Round 3 – Greg Cusack – Cooper Climax
Australian Tourist Trophy
Lowood twice hosted the nation’s premier sports car race, the Australian Tourist TrophyAustralian Tourist Trophy
The Australian Tourist Trophy is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for sports car drivers. The title was awarded for the first time in 1956 and then annually from 1958 until the introduction by CAMS of an Australian Sports Car Championship for 1969...
.
- 1959 Australian Tourist Trophy - Ron Phillips – Cooper JaguarCooper Car CompanyThe Cooper Car Company was founded in 1946 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. Together with John's boyhood friend, Eric Brandon, they began by building racing cars in Charles' small garage in Surbiton, Surrey, England in 1946...
- 1963 Australian Tourist Trophy – Ian GeogheganIan GeogheganIan "Pete" Geoghegan, was an Australian race car driver, known for a quick wit and natural driving skills. Geoghegan was one of the iconic characters of the 1960s and 1970s Australian motor racing scene...
– Lotus 23Lotus 23The Lotus 23 was designed by Colin Chapman as a small-displacement sports racing car. Nominally a two-seater , it was a purpose-built for racing with a driver alone. The 23 used a wider version of the Lotus 20 space frame, with the same suspension, clothed in a fibreglass body...
Australian Grand Prix
Lowood hosted the nation’s premier motor racing event of 1960 the Australian Grand PrixAustralian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has...
. It was won by Alec Mildren driving a Cooper Maserati.
Australian Touring Car Championship
The Lowood circuit was the host track of the second Australian Touring Car Championship1961 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1961 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Appendix J Touring Cars. The championship, which was contested over a single 72 mile race staged at the Lowood circuit in Queensland on 3 September 1961, was the second running of the Australian...
, in 1961. The race was won by Bill Pitt
Bill Pitt (racing driver)
William Pitt is a former Australian racing driver and motor racing official.For most of his racing career Pitt was associated with Jaguars, racing XK120 and D-Type sports cars, a Mark VIII rally car and Mark I touring cars with the assistance of Queensland's Jaguar agents Cyril and Geordie Anderson...
, driving a Jaguar 3.4
Jaguar Mark 1
The Jaguar Mark 1 was a saloon car produced by Jaguar between 1955 and 1959. Referred to in contemporary company documentation as the Jaguar 2.4-litre and Jaguar 3.4-litre, the word "Saloon" was often added. The designation "Mark 1" was included retrospectively upon its replacement by the Mark 2...
. .
Lowood 4 Hour
Three 4 Hour races for production sedans were held at the Lowood circuit during the mid sixties. Although the emphasis was on class victories, the entries credited with line honours for covering the greatest distance were:- 1964 Lowood 4 Hour1964 Lowood 4 HourThe 1964 Lowood 4 Hour was an endurance race for production cars staged at the Lowood circuit in Queensland, Australia on 12 April 1964. The event, which was promoted by the Queensland Racing Drivers' Club Ltd...
- Harry Firth & John Raeburn – Ford Cortina GT Mk 1Ford CortinaAs the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era... - 1965 Lowood 4 Hour1965 Lowood 4 HourThe 1965 Lowood 4 Hour was an endurance motor race for production touring cars held at the Lowood circuit in Queensland, Australia on 28 March 1965....
– John Harvey & Brian Foley – Morris Cooper SMiniThe Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers... - 1966 Lowood 4 Hour1966 Lowood 4 HourThe 1966 Lowood 4 Hour was an endurance motor race for production sedans held at the Lowood circuit in Queensland, Australia on 27 March 1966. The 34 starters competed in four classes based on vehicle retail price with an additional class for cars with automatic transmission...
– David McKay & Bill Orr – Volvo 122S
Australian Formula 2 Championship
The inaugural Australian Formula 2 Championship1964 Australian Formula 2 Championship
The 1964 Australian Formula 2 Championship was open to drivers of racing cars complying with CAMS Australian Formula 2 regulations.The title was contested over a single race staged at the Lowood circuit in Queensland on the 14 June 1964. Race distance was 30 laps x 2.825 miles = 85 miles...
was staged at the Lowood circuit in June 1964 and was won by Greg Cusack driving an Elfin Ford.