Graeme Bailey
| Graeme Bailey | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |
 Australian
|
| Born |
11 July 1943 Ourimbah, New South Wales, Australia |
| Retired | 1986 |
| Related to | Derek Bailey (son), Simon Bailey (son), Kara Bailey (daughter), Elissa Bailey (daughter), Serena Bailey (daughter) |
| Australian Endurance Championship | |
| Years active | 1979-86 |
| Teams | Chickadee Racing |
| Best finish | 10th in 1986 Australian Endurance Championship |
| Previous series | |
| 1979-82 | Australian Touring Car Championship |
| Championship titles | |
| 1986 | Bathurst 1000 |
Graeme Alfred Bailey (born 11 July 1943 in Ourimbah, New South Wales), is an Australian retired racing driver, best known as co-winner of the 1986 Bathurst 1000.
Bailey's career emerged in the late 1970s, becoming a front runner in two-litre touring car racing in Toyota Celicas, usually driving the car raced the year prior by factory supported Sydney based Toyota racer, Peter Williamson. In 1980 Bailey won the two litre class at the Bathurst 1000 and finished 12th outright.
By 1983 small capacity class touring cars were falling out of favour, and at Bathurst the two litre class was merged into the three litre class. Bailey spent the next few years out of racing himself, although he did co-drive with Peter McLeod at the 1983 James Hardie 1000 at Bathurst in McLeod's Mazda RX-7 where they finished 5th outright. The race was run as part of the 1983 Australian Endurance Championship, which McLeod would go on to win.
Bailey again teamed with McLeod at the 1984 Castrol 500 at Sandown in Melbourne, but the RX-7 was retired after just 57 laps. The 1984 James Hardie 1000 wasn't much better for the pair, despite reportedly having the most powerful RX-7 in the field. After a troubled practice, the car was retired with overheating problems on just lap 39.
With the advent of Group A in Australia for the 1985 season, Bailey considered competing in the open class and together with regular partner Peter McLeod, the pair entered a Holden VK Commodore in the James Hardie 1000. After a strong run which had seen them rise from 22nd on the grid to the top 10 by mid-morning and into the top 5 by mid race, the near standard Commodore (as they were in 1985) was retired with a broken gearbox on lap 126.
...
Wikipedia