Up the Creek

In the early seventies production-based sedans - whether the Series Production Falcons, Toranas and Valiant Pacers/Chargers, or the heavy metal touring car division, with the Moffat and Geoghegan Mustangs, Jane's Camaro and Beechey's Monaro - were pulling enormous crowds to tracks all around Australia.

In Sydney the place to be was Creek Corner, the hairpin at the end of the long Warwick Farm back straight. The Creek was where action was guaranteed. There was always a prang or two under brakes at the hairpin, and the top guns (especially Norm Beechey!) would smoke out of the corner in massive oversteering slides.

I remember reading at the time that people were so desperate to see the likes of Moffat, Brock and Jane in action that they’d sneak in across the river (it’s officially called Cabramatta Creek) on surf mats. This was confirmed by legendary Bob Jane mechanic Pat Purcell in an interview when he recalled seeing his first motor race at the age of 12.

“I actually went to Warwick Farm once and I remember us running across the river there and I got down at the end of the straight. I remember seeing Pete Geoghegan (in his white Mustang). It was just something else. There was Brian Muir in the S4 Holden and stuff like that. From then on it just did something to me.”

We can assume from Purcell’s comments that in dry weather surf mats weren’t necessary to cross the creek. But even in a flood they were willing to risk it on an inflatable raft. Who can blame them?

Up to three thousand spectators would cram into this small area for a big event, inspired by the legendary Lone Trumpeter, a character who would mark the start of a big feature race with a rousing rendition of Herb Alpert’s hit ‘The Lonely Bull’.