Hi!
The car made its debut at the 1974 Adelaide
Tasman. Sangster qualified at 51.3, equaling
Lawrence`s time in the T332. There is a
picture of the Gardos in "AUtoweek". Looks
similar to the McRae GM2. Do you know more
about this car, Ray? Was it all new or did
it base on the Mclaren M22, Sangster ran a
year before (4th in the AGP).
Two years later, Keith Poole raced the Gardos
again at Adelaide and qualified it 9th out
of 19 (at 51.2, right between Max Stewart
and John Leffler). Quite a surprise, I think.
Speaking of F5000 one-offs Ray, do you know
something about Stephen Fraser`s Cicada?
It first appeared in 1975, I believe.
I have never seen a photo of it.

I never saw much of the Gardos - 1974 was a year I didn't travel much, then Keith Poole never raced it often. I'm sure it contained a lot of McLaren round its one-off tub, but how much was M10, M22 or anything else I don't know. Jaime Garde was right in the thick of things with the Lola T70 and some other sports cars that lived in Western Australia.
Others might know more.

As for the Cicada, you just wouldn't want to know. Don Fraser (I suppose I shouldn't speak ill of the dead) did his best, I suppose, and I'm sure he kept holding back on money anyway. He first of all ran the Cicada BRM with a 2.5 engine in the earlier Tasmans, then built the F5000 for his son, Stephen. It was not in the same category as the other cars running, more or less like a very tired (Baron Robertson or Peter Edwards style) Elfin MR5. It probably contained MR5 bits, come to think of it, as it also came from Adelaide.


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Life and love are mixed with pain...

Island,

Here is a photo of the Cicada:

http://www.oldracephotos.com/shop/product935