The Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit was a motor racing circuit at Orange, New South Wales, Australia. The circuit was formed from rural roads and highways outside the town, around the grounds of Bloomfield Hospital and what is now known as Sir Jack Brabham Park. It was 6.03 km long. The name came from the Aboriginal name for nearby Mount Canobolas.[2]
The first race meeting was staged over the Anniversary Day holiday weekend of 24 to 26 January 1953 and was organized by the Australian Sporting Car Club, the former promoters of the Easter car races at the Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst.[1][3] The January 1955 meeting, which featured the 1955 South Pacific Championship for racing cars, was the first FIA sanctioned international race meeting to be staged in Australia.[4] The circuit played a crucial part in the growth of Australian open wheel racing in the post war era but faded before the peak created by the Tasman Series.
Continuing battles with New South Wales Police Force who authorised motor racing through the Speedway Act eventually forced the track's closure,[5] with the last race meeting being held on 22 October 1961.[6]
The locally based Gnoo Blas Classic Car Club hold an annual classic car show at the site.[7]
gnoo, blas, motor, racing, circuit, motor, racing, circuit, orange, south, wales, australia, circuit, formed, from, rural, roads, highways, outside, town, around, grounds, bloomfield, hospital, what, known, jack, brabham, park, long, name, came, from, aborigin. The Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit was a motor racing circuit at Orange New South Wales Australia The circuit was formed from rural roads and highways outside the town around the grounds of Bloomfield Hospital and what is now known as Sir Jack Brabham Park It was 6 03 km long The name came from the Aboriginal name for nearby Mount Canobolas 2 Gnoo Blas Motor Racing CircuitLocationOrange New South WalesTime zoneGMT 10Coordinates33 19 1 S 149 5 39 E 33 31694 S 149 09417 E 33 31694 149 09417Opened1953Closed1961Major eventsSouth Pacific Championship for racing cars Australian Touring Car ChampionshipLength6 03 km 3 75 miles Turns8Race lap record2 07 4 105 2 mph Jon Leighton Cooper Coventry Climax 1960 1 The first race meeting was staged over the Anniversary Day holiday weekend of 24 to 26 January 1953 and was organized by the Australian Sporting Car Club the former promoters of the Easter car races at the Mount Panorama Circuit Bathurst 1 3 The January 1955 meeting which featured the 1955 South Pacific Championship for racing cars was the first FIA sanctioned international race meeting to be staged in Australia 4 The circuit played a crucial part in the growth of Australian open wheel racing in the post war era but faded before the peak created by the Tasman Series Gnoo Blas hosted the inaugural Australian Touring Car Championship event in 1960 the race being won by David McKay driving a Jaguar Mark 1 3 4 litre Also competing were Bill Pitt 2nd Ron Hodgson 3rd Bruce McPhee Des West Ian Geoghegan and Brian Foley Continuing battles with New South Wales Police Force who authorised motor racing through the Speedway Act eventually forced the track s closure 5 with the last race meeting being held on 22 October 1961 6 The locally based Gnoo Blas Classic Car Club hold an annual classic car show at the site 7 Results of major races edit nbsp Jack Brabham during the 1953 New South Wales Grand Prix Year Race Winning driver Car 1953 New South Wales Grand Prix Jack Brabham Cooper Type 23 Bristol 1955 South Pacific Championship for racing cars Peter Whitehead Ferrari 500 1956 South Pacific Championship for racing cars 8 Reg Hunt 8 Maserati 250F 1958 South Pacific Championship for racing cars Jack Brabham Cooper T43 Coventry Climax 1959 South Pacific Championship for racing cars Jack Brabham Cooper T45 Coventry Climax 1960 Australian Touring Car Championship David McKay Jaguar 3 4 LitreGallery edit nbsp A sign commemorating the Gnoo Blas circuit at its former location nbsp The run into Mrs Mutton s Corner nbsp Looking back towards Connaghan s Corner from The Sweep nbsp Looking down Bloomfield Straight from The Sweep nbsp Looking back up Hospital Straight from Windsock Corner nbsp A sign marking the location of Speet s Bend Many signs similar to this appear at various locations around the former circuit References edit a b Jim Scaysbrook Gnoo Blas Motor Sport magazine May 2006 pages 84 to 87 Gnoo Blas Fast and Furious Tasman Series com The 2 5L Tasman Series 1964 69 Archived from the original on 17 August 2003 Retrieved 24 July 2008 Orange To Stage Motor Cycle And Car Racing Lithgow Mercury New South Wales Australia 15 January 1953 p 2 CITY EDITION Gnoo Blas Classic www gnooblas com as archived at web archive org Walker Terry 1995 Fast Tracks Turton amp Armstrong Pty Ltd Publishers pp 70 amp 71 ISBN 0 908031 55 6 Denis Gregory October 1961 The last harrah Chequered Times A History of Gnoo Blas Orange 1953 1961 pages 169 173 Gnoo Blas Circuit Sport and Recreation Tourism New South Wales Retrieved 24 July 2008 a b Denis Gregory Second South Pacific Championships Chequered Times A History of Gnoo Blas Orange 1953 1961 pages 81 89 KML file edit help Template Attached KML Gnoo Blas Motor Racing CircuitKML is from Wikidata nbsp This article about a sports venue in Australia is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte nbsp This article about a motor sport venue is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte nbsp This Motorcycle racing related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte nbsp This article about a building or structure in New South Wales is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit amp oldid 1060741054, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
