The Longford international races of the 1950s and 1960s gripped Tasmania like few sporting events elsewhere. A sixth of the island’s population was estimated to watch the Formula 1 stars battle stars from the mainland on one of the most difficult road courses in the world. The fastest and longest circuit in Australia at the time, cars passed under a railway viaduct, negotiated a level crossing, two wooden bridges, passed the Longford Pub where spectators watched with pint in hand, and passed flat-out on a pair of mile-long straights. It was here that the 12-year-old Alan Jones watched his father Stan’s Maserati 250F win the 1959 Australian Grand Prix. Bruce McLaren won the 1965 and Bob Jane was crowned Australian Touring Car Champion for the first time in 1962. However, it was narrow and the dangers of racing on the open road were evidenced when Tim Mayer was killed in 1964 on the eve of his debut full F1 season. The local state government had always supported the race, but recent events had lost money so Longford was closed after the 1968 Tasman race.
