After finishing it’s press car duties for Alfa Romeo Australia, Ray took the car back to Canberra to prepare it for Bathurst. The car ran at Bathurst with sponsorship from the Queensland hairdresser Stefan - the story goes that Ray was looking $5k from 6 people (total of $30k) to go to Bathurst - When he visited Stefan, Ray asked for the $5k, Stefan asked what he needed all up - Ray said $30k - Stefan said OK.
Ray was joined by Queenslander Bruce Lynton (of Bruce Lynton BMW fame) as co-driver.
The car had limited preparation and was remarkably standard in specification and appearance, in its original red paint. Body roll suggests that suspension mods were minimal.
The times told the story, the car qualified last with a 2:45.8 giving away 14 seconds to the Nelson Capri and a little less to the Bo Seton Capri - of course the gap would be closed over the next few years.
However, the car did finish the race in 20th outright completing 136 laps. It’s five year Bathurst career was underway.
The Gary Leggatt GTV
Many publications have Gary Leggatt going to Bathurst in another GTV6 which he crashed during qualifying severely injuring himself, taking no further part in the race. The car was not a GTV6 but a 2Litre GTV in the Cinzano livery. See here. No other GTV6’S competed in the Group C era, and only 3 in the Group A era.