GALLOPING MUSTANGS

Heath McAlpine authored this article, which was published in Auto Action # 1735, on May 3, 2018 just as a new Mustang era in Australia’s premier touring car category, Supercars was announced. Heath took a look back at the marque’s rich Australian motorsport history and the stars who drove them.

Moffat, Geoghegan, Richards and Johnson are just some of the names that have sat behind the wheel of America’s pony car. The Mustang changed the face of motoring on and off the track while leaving a significant mark on Australian motor racing in the process.

From Mustang’s debut in early 1965 to the recent announcement of its re-emergence, much fanfare has made the nameplate an icon of the motoring industry.

Norm Beechey was the first to trade in his tried and trusted Holden S4 for the then recently released two door coupe, which up to that point in time had failed to match its looks with success on the racetrack.

Racing Car News columnist, competitor and car dealer Ron Hodgson said at the time: “So Norm Beechey has imported a Mustang. Strange, as the Yanks haven’t got them to win either, but then Norm always likes to be first.

Another reason for his buying it is probably its erratic handling – violent under- then oversteer – most spectacular, and should suit the big fellow. “I would suggest, though, that Geoff Sykes immediately start widening the Warwick Farm track!”

Norm Beechey, one of the world’s Mustang early-adopters at Warwick Farm in 1965 (autopics.com.au)

To say that the Minis, S4s and Cortinas were outclassed is an understatement – the new Neptune Racing Team Mustang took a debut victory at Calder and then a week later took the chocolates at Catalina Park as well.

The writing was on the wall. In his pursuit of the American invader, Ian Geoghegan tipped his Lotus Cortina over in pursuit. On the basis of its promising early results, both Geoghegan and Bob Jane decided to jump on the next plane to America.

Jane’s Mustang arrived just prior to the 1965 Australian Touring Car Championship at Sandown and, much to everyone’s surprise, the unsorted car took pole position, while Stormin’ Norm suffered a transmission issue in the Neptune Racing Team example and started from the back. It was no surprise that Beechey was in the top four by the back straight. It was the Mustang pair that led until Jane’s example expelled all of its water and retired, leaving Beechey to take the honours by a lap over Geoghegan in his Cortina.

The following year, the ATCC (one race until 1969) was held for the first time at Bathurst, with excitement levels high in anticipation of a three-way Mustang battle for the crown. Geoghegan had won on his car’s debut at Calder, a race that triggered Beechey to look for his next front-running car. His answer? The Chevy Nova.

Bob Jane used one of his lives at Catalina Park in 1965, RIP this Mustang shell (autopics.com.au)

Jane, on the other hand, was missing from the grid altogether. His Mustang was written off in a frightening accident at Catalina Park when an axle-housing split in two, breaking an axle and throwing the car into the ‘safety fencing.’ It rolled three times before landing on its wheels behind the fence. Jane emerged dazed and cut, but otherwise alright – the same couldn’t be said of the car.

The battle was down to two. Beechey had bought both the Nova and Mustang but preferred the powerful Nova. Geoghegan was significantly quicker but the battle was intense between the two. Ultimately it was Geoghegan who took the first of his four crowns on the trot.

Geoghegan’s dominance was demonstrated by his winning record – 89 wins from 144 starts – with the second of his Mustangs, the 1967 GTA. Legendary car preparer John Sheppard looked after the car and was said to have a deal with Geoghegan that was ‘I won’t tell you how to work on the car if you don’t tell me how to drive the car.’

Others, such as New Zealand pair Paul Fahey and Rod Coppins, along with Bryan Thomson and Fred Gibson, were among those to drive Mustangs during this era, but none could touch the Geoghegan-Sheppard-Mustang combination, though 1969 was the last time the pony took the title.

Pete Geoghegan leads Norm Beechey through The Karussel, Lakeside in 1965 (autopics.com.au)

Mention Coca-Cola and Mustang and, straight away, Allan Moffat comes to mind (the opening shot is at Peters Corner, Sandown in 1970). The Canadian was the new kid on the block and driving what is arguably the greatest Australian touring car ever (if you ask Ford fans). The state-of-the-art Trans Am car changed the game as it went onto amass 101 wins from 151 starts.

The rivalry between Moffat and Jane – now in a Chevrolet Camaro ZL/1 – was volatile, as it even came down to fisticuffs between the two. But it was time for Holden to take its first victory in the ATCC, with Beechey creating further history.

Moffat continued with the Trans Am Mustang until 1974. By that stage, the ATCC had moved to Group C regulations based on Australian-built cars. In Sports Sedan trim, the now United Shipping Mustang was an ageing machine, but still competitive.

Another Mustang creating headlines was Jim Richards’ Sidchrome liveried example; this car provided the start of his Australian career.

It was 10 years later that the Mustang reappeared. Dick Johnson’s Greens Tuff fox-body debuted during practice at Bathurst in 1984. The Zakspeed-built cars provided the battler with a gap-filler until the potent Ford Sierra RS500 appeared in mid-1987.

Johnson’s Mustang won the 1985 Australian Grand Prix support race, the first event on the streets of Adelaide and the first win for the green Mustang. It might well not have been – if not for broken stub axle, the Queenslander would have cruised to victory in the Pepsi 250 at Oran Park earlier that year.

1986 was a tough year as Volvo, Holden and Nissan ramped up their development programs, leaving both the Mustang and the previous year’s champion, the BMW 635CSi, behind.

Dick Johnson, Mustang GT from Peter Brock’s Commodore VK and one of the TWR Jag XJ-S through Murrays early in the 1985 Great Race (autopics.com.au)

Mustang has had a modest presence since, in Sports Sedans, with Steve Johnson driving one in the Thundersports category in the mid-1990s and remains on racetracks today through the TA2 category, the Touring Car Masters and Group N, which has kept the Mustang name on the winner’s rostrum.

Now, having first made motorsport history over 50 years ago, Mustang will continue to do so in the years to come with Tickford Racing and DJR Team Penske.

A footnote to this article is that since the Mustang has joined Supercar grids Scott McLaughlin and others have enjoyed great success including two Supercar Championships in 2019-20 and Bathurst in 2019.

Images: autopics.com.au