Scuderia Veloce
Scuderia Veloce was an Australian motor racing team founded by journalist racer David McKay that competed in many motor racing categories in the 1960s. The team is regarded as the first professional motor racing operation in Australia. The team was based in Wahroonga on Sydney's upper North Shore.
McKay emerged into prominence as a racing driver and as a motoring writer during the 1950s. McKay himself won many races, with his best remembered title winning the inaugural Australian Touring Car Championship in 1960 driving a Mark I Jaguar.
McKay's operation began sporting the Scuderia Veloce label in 1960, following a change of sponsorship from Ampol to Castrol.[1] First running first Cooper-Climax, then Brabham-Climax open racings cars in the Tasman Series, Australian Grand Prix and Australian Drivers' Championship. In 1969 the team was Ferrari's official Tasman Series team and had Chris Amon and Derek Bell in the drivers seats. The season was a considerable success with Amon having winning the 1969 Tasman Series, which included winning the Australian Grand Prix at Lakeside and New Zealand Grand Prix at Pukekohe.
Scuderia Veloce also competed in Appendix J Touring Cars running a variety of cars, as well as competing in Sports Car racing running Ferrari's.
Scuderia Veloce would eventually create the first factory supported Holden team, the Holden Dealer Racing Team which ran three examples of the then new Holden Monaros in the 1968 Hardie-Ferodo 500 at Bathurst.
As well as his own racing efforts, McKay supported the racing efforts of several drivers including Brian Muir and Greg Cusack, although the driver most associated with SV would be Spencer Martin.
References
- ↑ Barry Lake, Gentleman racer, Motor Racing Australia, No 84, Feb/Mar 2005, pages 75-78