Scroll down for earlier stories

The Mystery of the Seized Cylinder
Magnetos – a care free alternative
Art Seniors’ very fast JAP
A short history of JAP speedway engines
With and without glory
Skirrow progress too slow!
Starting trouble?
Great Cooper pics on-line

GREAT DAY AT BUMBLE HILL in 1960

by Garry Simkin

In the Yarramalong Valley, inland from Gosford NSW, near the small village of the same name, is a stunning piece of road which seems ideally suited to make a decent long hillclimb. Steep in places, windy and newly black-topped, I have driven over it on many occasions of late and it seems to be an ideal venue.

In a chance conversation with John Wright of Gosford regarding the road, he told me that there were in fact a few hillclimbs held there in years gone by. On 11 September 2020 it will be 60 years since the Central Coast Car Club held a round of the New South Wales Hillclimb Championship on the hill, and not only was John there, but he had some fantastic photos to prove it.

Fastest time of the day was taken by Jack Myers in his WM Cooper, and the first of the air-cooled cars was 3^rd quickest, Geoff McClelland in his self built MacVincent.

Winner of up to 750 cc racing car class was Neal Simpson driving the Aquilla, a swing axle device that John describes as ‘an evil handling car’.

Geoff Surtees was second in the class in his Surtees JAP – see more on this car in Loose Fillings #32 at www.loosefillings.com/back-issues This car is shown in front of the Chrysler, with no number on it.

The MacVincent, number 67 has Loose Fillings’ founding editor Graham Howard to the right in the front-on shot (below), and with his back to the camera in the rear-on shot (earlier).

Car 18 is the Ewing with Harley Davidson bottom end and ES2 Norton heads. There is more on this car in Loose Fillings #14 and an obituary of Ron in #7.