GROWING SPORT

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31255, 30 December 1966, Page 7

GROWING SPORT

AIOTOR-RACING in Aus- “ A tralia has so grown in the last six years that it has become big business and, as a spectator sport, is threatening tite position of older-estab-lished sports, it is reported from Australia. It has become the “in” sport for young people. Its most enthusiastic followers include a High Court judge. Not only have the crowds increased, but there has also been a vast increase in competitors. In New South Wales, for example, there is a meeting at least once every two weeks, and three new circuits have been built within 100 miles of Sydney in the last five years.

One race promoter said recently that the sport was still not quite socially respectable, but its image was changing fast The situation was different in England, where at Aintree, for instance, the Duke of Richmond owned the course and three of the flag marshals were members of the House of Lords. However, the number of sponsors who now supported the sport in Australia showed how the situation there was changing. Sponsorship and bigger

prize money has meant that drivers are spending more on cars. The Geoghegan brothers, for instance, are this year spending £15,000 to equip and race a team of two cars. They expect to break even on their expenditure, but are among the top drivers in Australia.

BRITAIN spends about £l4om a year on road research.