Scuderia Veloce

Scuderia Veloce was an Australian motor racing team founded by journalist racer David McKay and his chief mechanic Bob Atkin. The team, which competed in many motor racing categories in the 1960s, is regarded as the first professional motor racing operation in Australia. It was based in Wahroonga on Sydney's upper North Shore. It later became a motor car dealership Specialising in Volvo, Porsche and Ferrari with Bob Atkin as the Managing Director.

Single seat red racing car with open cockpit being track driven
Chris Amon won both the 1969 New Zealand and Australian Grands Prix and the 1969 Tasman Series driving a Dino 246 Tasmania for Scuderia Veloce

Low slung red road legal sports and racing car with closed cabin exhibited on grass in 2014
Scuderia Veloce won a number of major Australian Sports Car endurance races with this Ferrari 250 LM seen in 2014

McKay gained prominence as a racing driver and as a motoring writer during the 1950s. He won many races including the inaugural Australian Touring Car Championship in 1960 driving a Jaguar Mark 1.

McKay's operation began sporting the Scuderia Veloce name in 1960, following a change of sponsorship from Ampol to Castrol.[1] It ran 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 venture was a success with Amon 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 with Ferraris. A Scuderia Veloce entered Ferrari 250 LM won the 1965 Six Hour Le Mans, the 1966 Rothmans 12 Hour International Sports Car Race, the 1967 Rothmans 12 Hour and the 1968 Surfers Paradise 6 Hour.

As well as his own racing efforts, McKay supported several drivers including Brian Muir and Greg Cusack, although the driver most associated with SV would be Spencer Martin.

Tasman Series results

Year Entrant Chassis Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rank Points
1964 Scuderia Veloce Brabham BT4 United Kingdom Graham Hill LEV PUK WIG TER SAN WAR
4
LAK LON
1
6th 12
Brabham BT6 Australia Greg Cusack LEV PUK WIG TER SAN WAR
11
LAK
7
LON
10
- 0
1965 Scuderia Veloce Repco Brabham BT11A United Kingdom Graham Hill Puk
1
Lev
-
Wig
-
Ter
-
War
5
San
Ret
Lon
4
7th 14
1966 Scuderia Veloce Repco Brabham BT11A Australia Spencer Martin Puk
Ret
Lev
3
Wig
4
Ter
Ret
War
5
Lak
Ret
San
Ret
Lon
5
7th 11
1969 Scuderia Veloce Dino 246 Tasmania New Zealand Chris Amon PUK
1
LEV
1
WIG
3
TER
3
LAK
1
WAR
Ret
SAN
1
1st 44
United Kingdom Derek Bell PUK
4
LEV
Ret
WIG
5
TER
5
LAK
2
WAR
2
SAN
5
4th 21

References

  1. Barry Lake, Gentleman racer, Motor Racing Australia, No 84, Feb/Mar 2005, pages 75-78
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