On January 27, 1936, Eric Armstrong, Clem Dyer and J.L. Warburton motored down to Albany to propose a Monaco style "round-the-houses" race for the Albany festival. The idea was received cautiously at first, but soon captured the imagination of everyone and was to become the highlight of the festival. This race was the first true road race in Western Australia, and it can be said that the history of road racing in WA really begins in Albany in 1936.
Thus began the highly successful series of race meetings held in Albany, Pingelly, Bunbury and Dowerin until motor racing ceased in 1941. The great enthusiasm of the spectators resulted in a boom within the Car Club- there were eight starters in 1936 and 20 at Albany in 1938. Round-the houses racing provided a much wider public profile for the sport, and cheering crowds attended the races, lining the circuits six deep, and swarming around the cars and drivers when the races finished. Some weekend papers provided lavish, photograph-laden previews and race reports.
By today's standards, the races were not close, nor were they fiercely contested, and they were run under the handicap system, which tended to make them hard to follow. But the sound and the spectacle of racing cars roaring down the main streets of country towns was compelling, and the crowds loved it.
One thing is clear about these races: they were immense fun. All concerned enjoyed themselves hugely and those who have raced round the houses look back on these events with utmost pleasure. Usually they were organised by the Car Club, in conjunction with a local sporting or charitable organisation. The local team would arrange for the closure of roads, obtain haybales, erect barricades, publicise the event in the local press and organise the officials, timing crews and commentary, and the RAC would provide the Stewards.
On race day the circus would descend on the town, the roads would be closed off, and the early morning air would echo to the rasp of racing engines being tuned. The cars would practice for a few laps and handicaps would be calculated. Around noon there would be a grand parade, sometimes with brass bands and floats, and the out-of-town spectators would start building up.
There would be several short scratch and handicap races as warm-ups, and then the big event would be run over forty or fifty miles. Collectors would circulate through the crowds selling programmes and collecting admission donations to cover costs. By late afternoon the racing would be over, the crowds would disperse home or to the hotels or even to a post-race Ball.
The circuits were run on short courses, with lots of slow corners and few long straights. The circuits used in the various country towns didn't allow cars to reach maximum speed. In any case, few of the racing cars of the 1930's (or 1950's for that matter) could top 100 mph (160 km/h) even if they had the room.
Pre-war racing ended after the 1941 Pingelly event, held not long after the fabulous Patriotic Grand Prix at Applecross on November 11, 1940. This event brought round-the houses racing right into the metropolitan area, and saw the debut of two significant new racing cars -Clem Dwyer's superb Plymouth-based special, and Jack Nelson's Ford 10 engined single seater, both of which are still competing today.
