| When Sedans Were
King Western Australian
Saloon Car Championship 1976
| Text and images
copyright Graham
Mison |
| There
is no doubt that the 1976 WA
Saloon car title was an
experiment. Run over 3 qualifying
rounds and a final it moved
slightly away from the one track,
one meeting format and spread the
racing around 3 Speedways. Points
from the 3 qualifying rounds
would determine the starting
order of the Title race, so the
state champ would still be who
crossed the line first at the end
of the final. The first round
held at Bunbury, south of Perth,
on November 4 saw victory go to
Barry Blake. He was followed home
by brother (and track promoter)
Allan Blake with Colin Harper
3rd. Phil Myers suffered a
mechanical problem whilst leading
comfortably.
Round 2 saw the states best
Saloons front at
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mining town of Collie on November
11 with 'Flyers' Myers out to
avenge his misfortune of the week
before. At the end of the nights
feature that's just what he had,
a victory over Allan Blake with
Wayne Hine filling third place. Claremont,
Perth, hosted the 3rd qualifier.
Stan Starcevich was on the pace
for the 20 lap feature distance
and led Stephen Dale and Ron
Mitchell under the chequer.
| On
December 17, 1976 the
Claremont track was also
the site for the 30 lap
Title race. Top
pointscorer in the
qualifiers was Allan
Blake in the Swan Motor
Wreckers Torana and he
led the pack off Pole
with Mitchell beside him,
Myers, in the Karquip
Torana, was off the
inside of row 3, Barry
Blake from row 6 and
Starcevich behind him. From
the drop of the green
Allan Blake was on it and
shot to the lead from
Dale and a flying Myers,
Mitchell lost several
spots at the start when
he went up high in the
first turn. Myers used
his experience to dispose
of Dale in quick time and
began working on Blake's
white Torana. The dueling
came to a halt with the
caution lights on for an
incident in Pits Bend,
Thompson and Phil Hawkins
had both lost the
argument over ownership
of a piece of track and
were stranded across it.
At the re-start Myers
moved under Blake and
Mitchell followed in 3rd.
As the leaders began to
thread their way through
slower traffic Laurie
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| Hardie
grabbed an opportunity
and passed Mitchell for
third bringing Barry
Blake up to Mitchell's
rear bumper, who he
worked a pass on soon
after. Just past half way
Myers began to slow and
the threesome of Blake,
Hardie and Blake formed a
line on his rear bumper.
Barry Blake made a
successful move on Hardie
down the back straight. A
handful of laps from the
end 'Flyers' Myers six
pack expired and he
pulled to the infield
leaving the Blake's
running 1-2 followed by
Hardie. Barry didn't have
the speed to pass his
brother and followed him
across the line at the
end of the 30 lap journey
with Hardie taking 3rd. 1976
Western Australian Saloon
Car Title. 17
December 1976, Claremont
Speedway, Dirt surface,
30 laps. 1st:
Allan Blake 2nd:
Barry Blake 3rd:
Laurie Hardie.
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