The first Castrol Six Hour race was held in Australia in 1970. 68 riders lined up for the Le Mans start. Thirteen riders dropped their machines in the first four laps. The first race was for 3 classes - 250cc, 500cc and Unlimited.
The race was run by the Willoughby District Motorcycle Club and held at Amaroo Park. At the time it was the biggest and most prestigious bike meeting in Australia, enjoying huge support, not only Castrol and much of the motorcycle trade, it was also a great hit with the motorcycle community, who saw it as a real test of the motorcycles they might wish to buy; the main character of the race being the bikes had to be stock and were rigorously inspected to ensure they were.
Originally the event was called the Castrol 1000 in recognition of the prize money on offer from Castrol. $1000 was a considerable sum in 1970. The winning bike in the first race, a Triumph Bonneville 650, could be purchased for around $1,150 at the time.
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