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Narrogin Flying 50

Syd Negus, Plymouth Special, ahead of the Smith Mercury Special, possibly 1948 (Jack Nelson collection) Gridded up for a scratch race, probably 1952. The Three Sids are on the front row - Syd Anderson, Double V8, Syd Negus, Plymouth Spl, and Sid Taylor, TS Special. The white car on the front row is the Ballot V8
Wally Gibson in the nifty home-built 500 Special, same year as above (Jack Nelson collection) Morrie Maurice in the HRG Special, at the Butter Factory hairpin, 1954 (David Van Dal)

THE Narrogin circuit replaced Pingelly as the venue for the "Great Southern Flying Fifty" when motor racing resumed after the War. Conducted jointly by the Narrogin Combined Sports Club and the WASCC over a challenging circuit through the centre of town, the race became so popular that Narrogin was inevitably chosen as the site for the Australian Grand Prix when it came to Western Australia in 1951.

The Grand Prix circuit was much longer than the usual town tracks and was used only once. In 1952 the Flying Fifty returned to the shorter circuit and, in several slightly different circuit layouts, continued until 1955, after which it was abandoned as a consequence of the Le Mans disaster. A great deal of the credit for the success of the Narrogin races must go to the energetic President of the Narrogin Combined Sports Club, Jack Smith.


TOP: Official circuit map, 1952. There were, however, several variants. In 1954 there was a bowling carnival on the same weekend, so the circuit used Ensigh and Jersey instead of Clayton Street, which was the acccess road to the sports grounds. The Start-Finish was sometimes as shown on the official map, and at other times at the corner of Fortune Street. The bottom map shows some of the variations.

TOP: The Garage opposite the pub on the Corner of Egerton and Federal Streets was the usual start-finish and pits area. BOTTOM: Wally Gibson lining up on the grid in front of the garage. TOP and BOTTOM: The Corner of Fortune and Federal, Now and Then.

RESULTS

1948
1 Syd Negus Plymouth Special
2 Ron Blowes MG
3 Ross Smith Mercury Special
1949
1 Arthur Collett MGTC
2 Jack Nelson Ford 10 Special
3 Colin Uphill Morgan 4-4
1952
1 John Motteram V8 Special
2 Eldred Norman Maserati
3 Noel Aldous MGTC
1953
1 * Noel Aldous MGTC
2 Peter Morgan MG
3 Arthur Collett MGTC
1954
1 * Sid Taylor TS Special
2 Morrie Maurice HRG
3 Syd Negus Plymouth Special

* indicates Fastest time