2020 marked 50 years since my friend, Niel Allen, set the lap record at Mount Panorama Bathurst that stood for 32 years.
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Niel Allen was one of the most famous names at Bathurst for more than 30 years. Niel recorded the fastest ever lap time at the fabled mountain.
In 1970 Niel Allen, driving a McLaren M10-B Chevrolet F5000, set the track alight with a blistering lap time of 2:09.7 seconds.
Niel recounted some of his record breaking lap: "The problem with Bathurst back then was that it was very bumpy, quite different to what it is like now. Doing 300 kilometres an hour down the straight was heart in your mouth stuff.
"The McLaren was very fast, it was a very good car, but it shook a lot, vibrating would be a better word.
"The car would take off; it was just a matter of managing the vibrations and the torque.
"There were a couple of times during that lap that I managed to get it a bit sideways, the temptation is to take the foot off the throttle, but if you do that you're nowhere."
Amongst Niel numerous race credits was winning the NZ Grand Prix.
His exploits in the exFrank Matich Traco Oldsmobile V8 sports car and fearless duels with Pete Geoghegan in the Ford Mustangs are also legendary. Niel told me his favourite race car was the exPiers Courage McLaren M4a Ford. He said it was a beautifully balanced race car.
My thoughts of Niel go back to his epic battles with Fred Gibson in Lotus Elans at Oran Park, Warwick Farm and Catalina Park in the mid 60s'.
These days Niel is experiencing tough health conditions. I wish him all the very best. Thank you for you friendship mate.
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