Bob Morris

[Kingair]

A pretty handy steerer in his day, always seemed to have good equipment and a well funded operation for a privateer.
He must have given the big budget HRT and Moffat setups a little bit grief with his ability behind the wheel.
The recent episode on Legends of Motorsport showed us the beautifully prepared Channel 7 A9X, various Torana's along with various Falcons.
Did he race an RX-7 at one stage?
How did he get Moffat to jump ship into his spare A9X?

[chavez]

Originally Posted by Kingair

A pretty handy steerer in his day, always seemed to have good equipment and a well funded operation for a privateer.
He must have given the big budget HRT and Moffat setups a little bit grief with his ability behind the wheel.
The recent episode on Legends of Motorsport showed us the beautifully prepared Channel 7 A9X, various Torana's along with various Falcons.
Did he race an RX-7 at one stage?
How did he get Moffat to jump ship into his spare A9X?

Morris won his last ATCC start driving an RX-7 at Oran Park in 1984.

Also won some AMSCAR races in the RX-7. But had a poor run at Bathurst.

[Henry]

Morris was a very good steerer, and enjoyed some very good drives over the years. The Ron Hodgson team wasn't a small endeavour, but certainly didn't enjoy the relationship that HDT did with GM-H.

My first memory of motor racing was the televised coverage of the 1978 Hardie Ferodo 1000, and in the ensuing years, Morris was always mentioned in the same breath as Brock, and Moffat amongst my friends... the green-over-white Toranas and Falcons were good-looking and distinctive... when he transferred the livery to the new XD Falcon, it was a good move from where I sat, although Dick Johnson had quickly established himself as Moffat's successor. He was looking very competitive in 1981, up until lap 121, and his replacement car, the Alan Jones-bankrolled Seiko-Seven XE was quicker than Johnson's XE... it won the 1982 Oran Park enduro, but was let down by collapsing wheels in two of the next three enduros.

Morris wasn't lacking in heart or bravery... the XE was a badly-behaved car, and it's said that during practice for Bathurst 1982, not only were some of the marshals taking a step or two back as the Morris car approached the corners, one of them dropped his flags and ran...

The 1981 Bathurst accident left him with inner-ear damage that went undiagnosed for some time... when he picked up the drive in Alan Browne's Re-Car Commodore on Bathurst Friday 1983, he showed he retained his skill, but he suffered from motion sickness during the race.... he ran Barry Jones' Rx-7 a couple of times in 1984, winning one race in the ATCC IIRC, and looking quick at Bathurst, but that was the end. Sadly. A great part of the fabric of touring car racing through the 70's and early 80's.

[Starion13]

Moffat ran the second Hodgson A9X at Amaroo Park one meeting in 1979 to assist Morris beat Grice to the Amscar series title that year. Moffat was 'off contract' with Ford at that time following the withdrawal of support for his team and was thus without a drive at the start of 1979. Ron Hodgson brought him in for that meeting and there was some talk of Moffat doing some more events but nothing came of it in the end. Moffat ran the Black Federation Ford at Bathurst that year.

Morris and Moffat teamed up again later in Morris' XD at Bathurst in a unique entered entry that had Moffat included as a driver with Morris and, I think, Bill O'Brien. Moffat started the race in his own (hastily built) XD but retired it fairly early on and jumped in and did a stint with Morris. The Morris team weren't all that happy with Moffat's )slow) times compared to Morris and called him in early. The car failed shortly afterwards and was parked for the day.

Morris was an excellent driver and drobe for HRT on the odd occasion (Monaro 350) at Oran Park and regularly was at the front leading the bigger names, particularly at Amaroo Park. Shame the injuries from his big Bathurst crash ended his career earlier than it should have.

[one five five]

Originally Posted by Kingair

Did he race an RX-7 at one stage?

Morris at Amaroo in the Mazda in 1984, the ex-Barry Jones "Darrell Lea" car

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjCUBnQY_Gc

[db120176]

I've read a few places that the 1975 Bathurst victory should have been Bond and Harvey's but for a lap timing error and that GMH didn't kick up a stink since it was a prominent dealer that won - any truth to this?

I noted from the Dick Johnson 'Legends of Motorsport' that Bob didn't really rate Dick as a top rank driver. It was an interesting editing choice (along with George Fury's "Gee Dick could drink the night before a race" or words to that effect)

[m00neelee]

Originally Posted by db120176

I've read a few places that the 1975 Bathurst victory should have been Bond and Harvey's but for a lap timing error and that GMH didn't kick up a stink since it was a prominent dealer that won - any truth to this?

cough cough

'76

cough

[chavez]

The '76 result is often mentioned, but as no appeal was ever made, a formal review of the results, at least to my knowledge, has never been conducted.

Perhaps the MHDT did win, but the record book says differently.

[Casper]

Bob was a local to me, trade plates on the sports sedan across Taren Point Bridge, a series production Falcon was put on the dyno, the figures were down so it came back later with a lot more power.........it might have been illegal. The only way we could stop it wheel spinning on the dyno was put four people in the back.

[db120176]

Originally Posted by m00neelee

cough cough

'76

cough

That's right! I stand corrected

[Average Punter]

Originally Posted by Casper

Bob was a local to me, trade plates on the sports sedan across Taren Point Bridge, a series production Falcon was put on the dyno, the figures were down so it came back later with a lot more power.........it might have been illegal. The only way we could stop it wheel spinning on the dyno was put four people in the back.

Same. Grew up in Sans Souci just across the bridge and used to ride our bikes past his shop on the way out to Cronulla. Always hoping for a glimpse of the racecars.

George Tatnell was close by too. And Wayne Rogerson lived across the road

[Prancing Wombat]

When i was a kid (late 70's early 80's) we lived at Sylvania on the water. Our street had Sir Jack up at the end, and we had Bob Morris a few doors down. He was really nice guy. He had a catamaran the same as ours, and my brother used to crew for him occasionally.

My dad ran a sports sedan in the Camalco series back in the day. He and Bob used to see a bit of each other.

OT - but we spent a fair bit of time playing up at David Brabham's house. What a place that was for a 10 year old kid. Happy times....

[Casper]

Originally Posted by Average Punter

Same. Grew up in Sans Souci just across the bridge and used to ride our bikes past his shop on the way out to Cronulla. Always hoping for a glimpse of the racecars.

George Tatnell was close by too. And Wayne Rogerson lived across the road

I recall going to WR's house once as we had a mutual friend who could be at least as fast as Wayne if not quicker but motor racing never appealed to him.

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by Casper

I recall going to WR's house once as we had a mutual friend who could be at least as fast as Wayne if not quicker but motor racing never appealed to him.

Alan Mayne?

[Casper]

Originally Posted by 275 GTB-4

Alan Mayne?

No, but I know that name from somewhere. A Bob Morris memory, I was standing at the intersection of Holt Road and Taren Point Road when a Honda S600/800 turned left at the intersection. Bob was showing someone how well it went around corners and the passenger was holding onto the top of the windscreen for all he was worth and the Honda was just about on two wheels. His sister Sue who I knew quite well was on the first cover of the Australian Hot Rod Review with Mark Georgette's Model A Coupe, Australia's first supercharged street rod.