Graeme Bailey

Graeme Bailey

Graeme Alfred Bailey (born 11 July 1943 in Ourimbah, New South Wales), was an Australian 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 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 in the 1983 Australian Endurance Championship in McLeod's Mazda RX-7.

With the advent of Group A in Australia for the 1985 season, Bailey considered competing in the open class. In 1986 he sold the Celica and acquired a Holden VK Commodore for the 1986 season. Teaming up with Allan Grice in a Les Small built Commodore, he took it to Europe to race in the 1986 European Touring Car Championship. Budgetary problems saw the team return to Australia earlier than they had hoped, but with renewed confidence. At the Bathurst 1000 that year Grice and Bailey dominated the race, finally giving Grice a long deserved Bathurst victory.

Bailey's career wound down at that point, choosing to concentrate on the successful family business, Chickadee Foods, of which he was Managing Director. Bailey's son briefly raced in Sports Sedans in the mid-2000s, racing a Chevrolet powered Nissan 300ZX.