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Collie

The first Collie circuit (clockwise)	The second Collie circuit

THE first of the two Collie meetings was held on 1 February, 1960. The programme consisted of seven races – an 8-lap sedan and sports car handicap, a 5-lap racing car scratch, a 5-lap sports car scratch, a 5-lap sedan car scratch, a 6-lap sports car handicap, a 6-lap sedan car handicap, and the 15-lap feature for racing cars, the Australia Day Handicap. This was typical of the meetings of the 1950s and early 1960s. The course was a rather twisty one in the Wilson Park area.

Ace handicapper Noel Aldous produced several blanket finishes from the diverse field of starters. One of these was the feature race won by Vin Smith (Alpha) from Syd Negus (Repco Cooper) and newcomer Kevin Lang (HRG).

The following year’s Australia Day event, which was run over a different route, was a much faster one, similar to the well-established motorcycle course. It saw Max McCrackan star in his MGA, taking the feature race from Vin Smith and Peter Bond (Bondley). Minor races at this meeting were won by Dave Sullivan, Lionel Beattie, Kevin Lang, Bob Avery and Bob Annear.

The hoped-for repeat for 1962 did not eventuate and the town reverted to its usual motorcycle meetings once more, although an entirely new circuit had been laid out on the northen side of the town for the 1962 non-event. A study of the proposed circuit suggests that speed must have been a worry, because it was shorter, and had a lot more corners, than the 1961 circuit.

The Alta and the repco Holden Sports on the front row, with Vin Smith's Alpha behind. (Milton McCutcheon)	Shwoing the Start-Finish area in Prinsep Street; Vin Smith leads Sid Taylor (TS Spl) and Peter Bond (Bondley).(Milton McCutcheon)
Rod Donovan (left) in a production race at Collie (Ken Devine)	Streaming through the streets of Collie (Ken Devine)

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