NORM BEECHEY, FIRST OF THE 60's BIG GRUNT CAR RACING HEROES . . . . WITH THE RELEASE OF THE FALCON XR GT IN 1967 OZ WAS SUDDENLY RACING BIG, V8 POWERED CARS . . . . BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL HOLDEN'S TWO DOOR MONARO HIT THE STREETS IN 1968 THAT SHIT GOT REAL.

FILE THIS UNDER "FLAMBOYANT, FREAK, FULL-ON, FEROCIOUS, FEARSOME AND FUCKING FAST"

BIG NORM BEECHEY WAS THE MAN OF THE MOMENT, A CHARISMATIC, DINKY DI AUSSIE AND HELLUVA DRIVER. FROM THE MOMENT HE SAT BEHIND THE WHEEL IN THE BEST LOOKING TWO-DOOR EVER DESIGNED IN OZ, HE THRASHED THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF IT ON THE TRACK, HE WAS 'THE MAN', AND BECAME MY HELLMAN HERO . . . . AS A KID I REMEMBER NOT ONLY SEEING THE BIG COUPE POWERING AROUND THE LIKES OF ORAN PARK, CALDER AND SANDOWN RACE TRACKS ON THE BOX BUT MUM AND DAD BUYING ME HIS SIGNED KIDS HELMET FROM A SHELL SERVO ON THE WAY BACK FROM BRISBANE IN 1970, I FELT LIKE A MILLION BUCKS . . . . HE WENT ON TO TAKE OUT THE TITLE WITH THE 350 CHEV POWERED HT MODEL MUNRO AGAINST SOME PRETTY SERIOUS OPPOSITION BUT IT WAS THE STYLE AND THE FLARE WITH WHICH HE DID IT THAT WILL ALWAYS REMAIN ETCHED IN THE MINDS OF RACE FANS IN THIS COUNTRY, BALLS TO THE WALL, LOOSE AS A GOOSE, TIRE SMOKIN BADNESS.