KATOOMBA (NSW)
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1954 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT
Catalina Park Road Racing Circuit was located in the Blue Mountains at Katoomba, Construction on the circuit first began in 1954 and the circuit was officially opened in 1960 and was operated by the Australian Racing Drivers Club, The race track was 1.3 mile or 2.1 km in length.
Many forms of motorsport used Catalina Park from Motorcycle and Sidecar racing to Touring Cars, Sport Cars and Open Wheelers.
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1958 - THE VISOR MAGAZINE REPORTED
Published 31st January 1958
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1961 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 12th February 1961 |
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1961 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 4th July 1961 |
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1961 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 27th August 1961 |
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1962 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 21st January 1962 |
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1962 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 11th March 1962 |
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1962 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 20th May 1962 |
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1962 - CALALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 26th August 1962 |
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1962 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 28th October 1962 |
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1962 - LEO GEOGHEGAN
Old Motor Racing Photographs - Australia facebook photo feature
1962 - Leo Geoghegan in the Lotus 20B leads Frank Matich in the Elfin. Photo: Noel Conlon.
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1963 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 28th January 1963 |
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1963 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 10th March 1963 |
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1963 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 19th May 1963 |
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1963 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 25th August 1963 |
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Old Motor Racing Photographs - Australia facebook photo feature
1963 - Sports Car racing at Catalina Park. Photo: Bob Williamson.
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1963 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 10th November 1963 |
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1963 - NORM BEECHEY
Peter Garlick pictorial feature
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1963 - Norm Beechey's big Chevrolet Impala at Catalina Park. Photo's: Peter Garlick.
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1964 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 17th May 1964 |
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1964 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 23rd August 1964 |
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1964 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 8th November 1964 |
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1965 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 1st February 1965 |
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1965 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 22nd August 1965 |
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1965 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 7th November 1965 |
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1965 - CATALINA PARK RACEWAY
Old Motor Racing Photographs Australia facebook photo feature
1965 - Norm Beechey with the Neptune team and the Mustang. Photo: Bruce Wells.
1965 - The S4 Holden EH. Photo: Bruce Wells.
1965 - George Murray in the Bill Warren owned Austin Spares Special. Photo: Bruce Wells.
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1966 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 31st January 1966 |
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1966 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 28th August 1966 |
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1967 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 30th January 1967 |
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1967 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 23rd April 1967 |
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1967 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 20th August 1967 |
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1968 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 28th January 1968 |
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1968 - JOHN WARD New Zealand
Old Motor Racing Photographs - Australia facebook photo feature
1968 - John Ward from New Zealand in his Lotus Cortina. Photo: Mike Norris collection.
Mike Norris recalls: It would be remiss of me not to mention John Ward from New Zealand who brought his Lotus Cortina to Catalina Park in 1968 along with his mate and business partner Rod Coppins with the Mustang, John Lost his life that terrible day.
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1968 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 18th August 1968 |
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1968 - BEECHEY verses GEOGHEGAN
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1969 - CATALINA PARK ROAD RACING CIRCUIT 15th June 1969 |
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1969 - FRANK MATICH
Old Motor Racing Photographs - Australia facebook photo feature
1969 - Photos: Dale Harvey.
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1970 - NORM BEECHEY
Old Motor Racing Photographs - Australia facebook photo feature
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1970's
By 1970 the narrow undulating race track surrounded with armco railings and solid earth walls had lost its apeal to many competitors who were more in favor of the newer circuits of Oran Park and Amaroo Park, as time passed the track would be used for Rallycross mainly.
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1972 - CATALINA PARK RALLYCROSS
Rallycross was conducted at the venue from 1972 through to the July 1980, The track ran partly on the bitumen section and also a section of the dirt infield that contained jumps.
Chris Heyers in the Volkswagon leads the unknown driver of the mini and the Beast on a charge. Photo: Robert Kinder.
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1980 - BARRY COOPER
Friends of Catalina Park Raceway facebook photo feature
Photo: Barry Cooper Durant
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1980 - CATALINA PARK RALLYCROSS 8th June 1980 |
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Friends of Catalina Park Raceway facebook photo feature
1980 - 8th of June the final rallycross meeting. Photo: Warren Hawkless.
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 9 images)
1980 - Photo's Warren Hawkless.
Rod Kinder recalls: My grand farther Lesley Kinder was part of the original build back in 1954 of the circuit, My farther Robert and his brother Bill spent many weekends bolting the timber walls in place around the circuit.
As kids we went to every Rallycross meeting and parked dads EH Holden wagon backwards against the fence near the water splash, I remember seeing all the greats of the time running around the track while sitting on the tailgate.
My favorite was the Holden Dealer team "Beast" as well as Tom Rabolds Holden and the V8 Hillman Imp that spun every time he put his foot down.
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1980's - CATALINA PARK RACEWAY
In the eighty's and midway through the ninety's the full circuit was used for time trials only until it was closed for ever.
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2007 - CATALINA PARK RACEWAY LOCATION
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 2 images)
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2009 - CATALINA PARK WALKABOUT
The circuit does still exzist and can be walked around however water seepage has broken up sections of the race track and it is also overgrown with vegetation.