Holden Dealer Racing Team
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorsport |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | Racing cars (Holden Monaro) |
The Holden Dealer Racing Team (HDRT) was an Australian racing outfit secretly supported by Holden through its dealer network as a means to bypass General Motors' worldwide prohibition on direct involvement in motorsport. HDRT took part in the 1968 Bathurst 500 endurance event at the Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst, as well as the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon, showcasing Holden's newest vehicle, the Holden Monaro HK.
Although its existence was brief, HDRT played a crucial role as the forerunner to the enduring Holden Dealer Team formed the following year, which went on to dominate Australian touring car racing for twenty years.
1968 London–Sydney Marathon
At the start of 1968, David McKay—manager of the Scuderia Veloce racing team and motoring journalist for Sydney’s Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph—established the Holden Dealer Racing Team. Upon learning about the imminent London–Sydney Marathon, sponsored by Sir Max Aitken’s Daily Express, McKay secured additional sponsorship from his editor David McNicoll and Telegraph proprietor Frank Packer. He also convinced Holden to provide three unreleased Holden Monaros for this competition.
Contrary to common assumptions, it was Holden’s Sales Director John Bagshaw and chief engineer Bill Steinhagen who prepared the Monaros specifically for the grueling 7,000-mile race spanning eleven countries, rather than Scuderia Veloce. The vehicles were entered under their principal sponsor’s name, The Sydney Telegraph, bearing "Sydney Telegraph Racing" branding instead of being registered under Scuderia Veloce or HDRT.
Despite encountering mechanical setbacks that affected their outcomes, the second car driven by prominent Australian Rally Championship competitor Barry Ferguson achieved 12th place overall; meanwhile, the third vehicle piloted by triple Australian Grand Prix champion Doug Whiteford secured 14th position. Team leader McKay's Monaro did not finish after rolling during a rally segment near Broken Hill, which resulted in injury to a crew member and disqualification. After fitting a replacement windscreen, McKay proceeded directly to Sydney to witness the race conclusion.
1968 Bathurst 500
Following the official unveiling of the Monaro on the Gold Coast, Melbourne-based Holden dealer and ex-racer Bill Patterson expressed interest in entering three new Holden Monaro GTS327s in the 1968 Bathurst 500 at Mount Panorama for the Group E Series Production Touring Cars category. This prompted an arrangement whereby McKay’s Scuderia Veloce team, competing as the Holden Dealer Racing Team, would campaign three Monaros funded by three Holden dealers: Patterson Motors (Victoria), Midway Motors (Queensland), and Sutton Motors (New South Wales), with each dealer’s name displayed on all cars. The vehicles were delivered to Scuderia Veloce’s workshop in Wahroonga, Sydney, where chief mechanic Bob Atkins undertook their preparation.
Car #23D was driven by international sports car and Formula One competitor Paul Hawkins alongside Bill Brown; #24D by New Zealander Jim Palmer and Phil West; and #25D by 1964 Armstrong 500 winner George Reynolds paired with seasoned driver Brian Muir.
The event was ultimately won by a privately entered Monaro driven by Bruce McPhee and Barry Mulholland. The Palmer/West entry finished second overall, while Muir/Reynolds secured fifth place. The Hawkins/Brown car faced disqualification due to outside assistance following a wheel failure. Initially finishing third, Palmer and West were elevated to second place after the original runner-up was disqualified post-race.
The permanent Holden Dealer Team, under manager Harry Firth, made its debut at the 1969 Datsun Three Hour held at Sandown. None of the drivers from 1968 nor McKay or Scuderia Veloce took part in Firth’s 1969 campaign.