41 replies to this topic

[David Shaw]

I have had a small website up since early this year which covers the 2.5 litre races (1964-69) run during Australia's domestic season, to what is commonly known as Tasman Formula.

I have just done a significant update, with results now posted for all 35 races, running point score for each season, and race reports for the years 1964 and 1965. The others will follow along with track maps, photos and reports on people involved.

Any corrections or additional information will be greatly appreciated. There is an e-mail contact on the webpage. Link is in my signature.

[Allen Brown]

Beautiful job Dave!

Allen

[JBE]

David,

We would be happy to swap links with you - our banner is available under links:

www.jack-brabham-engines.com

There is a lot of valuable info on your site.

[Robert Bailey]

Well done,can't wait till you post car and driver details.

[David Shaw]

I'm accumulating track maps at the moment, and two that I can't find are Lakeside and Symmons Plains. If anyone could supply a track map for either of these from the 1960s, such as that found in a program, it would be much appreciated. I think for a lot of people it will help to be able to refer to a period trackmap when reading the race reports.

[ron-c]

Hi David,

I can only find this one Lakeside which might be suitable.

[Ray Bell]

Why not beg your fellow TNF member Terry Walker to allow you to link to his great maps, David?

[David Shaw]

Thanks ron-c, one of the first ports of call yesterday was BAPOM as I know it well from GPL. I have received a couple of maps from Chris Meaden from http://members.tripo...orsportarchive/

I agree that Terry has excellent maps Ray, but as the others I had were period maps I wanted to keep them all similar with that old feel about them. There is also the issue when corners change names etc. There are also the little things on old track maps, like the spectator areas defined along with car parks etc.

Thank you both for your input, and thanks again to Chris. I should have the track maps up within the week.

[David Shaw]

I am starting to compile data for the 1970 Gold Star Series because, as Allen Brown kindly pointed out to me, that was also run under the 2.5 Litre formula. I had made the incorrect assumption that the Gold Star had changed to F5000/2 litre along with the Tasman Series in 1970.
I have some other things waiting in the wings for the next update as well, including track maps and hopefully some photos.
I have a list of the winners and dates for each of the 1970 races which were posted on another thread, but little else as my RCN collection came to an abrupt halt after January 1970. If anyone can help me with any contributions it would be greatly appreciated. I would ultimately like to get a hold of the RCN race reports, but any contributions would be greatly appreciated.

[Ray Bell]

Remind me when I head for Melbourne next, David, and I'll lend you the 1970 issues for a whole day...

I just don't feel like photographing those pages at the moment. I might be a bit more positive in a day or so.

[David Shaw]

Thanks Ray, that'd be great.

[Allen Brown]

David

My scanner's bust at the moment so I'll have to do this the hard way.

RSN August 1970 pp58-59. Oran Park Gold Star (can't see a specific race title mentioned).

Grid (2x2, pole on left)
1 Harvey (Brabham Repco 2.5) 42.7s
2 Stewart (Mildren Waggott 2.0) 42.8s
3 Geoghegan (Lotus 59 Waggott 2.0) 43.0s
4 Muir (Rennmax Waggott 2.0) 43.6s (DNS)
5 Ramsay (Elfin 600 Repco 2.5) 43.8s
6 Cooper (Elfin 600D Repco 2.5) 43.8s
7 L Goodwin (McLaren M4A FVA) 44.8s
8 McCormack (Elfin 600B Climax 2.5) no time shown
9 Scott (Elfin 600 Waggott 2.0) no time shown
10 K Goodwin (Rennmax 1.6 twin cam) no time shown

'Also' Bono (Brabham 1.6 twin cam), Fergusson (Bowin 1.6) Potts (Elfin 600B Alfa 1.6).

Result
1 Alec Mildren Racing/Stewart 1h 2m 5.5s 85 laps (42.8s)
2 Geoghagan Sports Cars/ 1h 2m 22.5s 85 laps (42.7s =fastest lap)
3 Elfin G T Harrison Racing/Cooper 82 laps (44.3s)
4 Elfin G T Harrison Racing/Ramsay 81 laps (44.4s)
5 McCormack 80 laps (55.0s [sic])
6 Bob Jane Shell Racing/Harvey 80 laps (43.9s)

The report mentions that:
Ken Goodwin first retirement after five laps with 'diff. and gearbox trouble'.
Bono 'fell by the wayside' 'on lap 11'
Len Goodwin out 'with engine problems' '31 laps out'
Scott retired 'on lap 48'.
The other two, Fergusson and Potts, 'had fallen well back' earlier in the race but it doesn't say if they finished.

[Allen Brown]

Bono's car was in the classifieds as a "BT6 updated Formula Two chassis".

That's my only 1970 RCN.

Allen

[Ray Bell]

You picked up well on the spelling of Fergusson's name there, Allen... very good!

From the manner in which the report is worded towards the end, I'd be pretty sure that Ian and Noel Potts did continue circulating until the race ended. Perhaps they didn't cover enough laps to be classified, but that's really unlikely judging by their progress to quarter distance.

Potts, of course, was in the Elfin Alfa Jim and Carmen put together and Ian was in the P3a Bowin.

[Allen Brown]

Hi Ray

I didn't see your offer to David. It must have been while I was clumsily compling my post.

Allen

[Ray Bell]

It certainly would have been smart typing to get that post together in under six minutes Allen...

But I won't be going that way for a month or two, so he might not want to wait that long. I might well get the camera out tomorrow for him, but at the moment my frame of mind is dead against it.

[David Shaw]

Thanks for the information Allen.

Originally posted by Allen Brown
Bono's car was in the classifieds as a "BT6 updated Formula Two chassis".

That's interesting, because in my 1969 results I have Jack Bono in Graham Collier's BT2 [FJ-12-62].
Surely in 1970 you wouldn't 'update' to a BT6, or is it more likely that somebody was confused as to the model (the chassis plates not being stamped with the BT number at this stage), or was trying to sell it as a newer chassis than it actually was?

[Ray Bell]

I think you're right in saying that, David...

The car was owned by Jack Bono, I think, Graham Collier being his sponsor (Collier's Tools). He wouldn't have updated like that. Look, for instance, at his next move... a brand new Elfin 600B.

Hmmm... I've got a pic of that somewhere...

[ellrosso]

Hi David, great site! Well done. If you would like to e-mail me at info@oldracephotos.com so I have your e-mail address,I will scan the track map from my 1969 Gold Star Symmons program and e-mail it to you. Just let me know what size file,dimensions etc.
Cheers,Lindsay Ross

[BT 35-8]

Re. Jack Bono Brabham , the car is a BT2 FJ-12-62 ex David Walker , track tested in Sports Car World about August 1963 , the car was ex factory 26-12-1962 so didn't arrive until early 1963 and as SCW reported car as this years model and the BT6 was the 1963 model some misunderstanding may have been the order of the day.
The car was run by Dave Walker in 1100cc and 1498cc form untill his good accident at Lakeside Tasman Feb. 1965, then it went to Alec Mildren Racing first in pushrod form for Ralph Sach and then Kev. Bartlett , then Frank Gardner sent out a Twin-cam and other bits and pieces and the car first debuted in this form at the Hordern Trophy at the Farm Dec. 1965 with Frank driving , for the Australian half of the Tasman in Feb. 1966 Kevin used the car including 1st F2 and 5th outright at Lakeside.
The car was then sold and went through the following hands all with about 2 years ownership each , Mike Champion , Jack Bono then Chris Farrell.
I purchased and restored car debuting at the Oran Pk. Bi-Centennial meting Oct 1988 , raced car for about 10 years and car is now with Col. Haste of Pt. Macquarrie.

Everybody believed it was a BT6 simply as that was how it was entered , not 'till I purchased the car and went investigating , including info. from ex Brabham employee George Thornton was the full story revealed

[David Shaw]

Thanks Lindsay, but I already have my trackmaps scanned and altered where applicable. They are all (hopefully) period correct. Here is the Symmons map I will be using:


Thanks too BT35-8 for the confirmation on the BT2.

[ellrosso]

No problem David,its almost the same as mine anyway. I scanned the front cover and Gold Star entry list if you're interested. Cheers,Lindsay Ross

[David Shaw]

Yes thanks Lindsay, that would be a valuable contribution.

[Ray Bell]

Now we're cooking with gas...













Was going to post thumbnails, and I did even though I thought I wasn't... this new system of Imageshack's is a bit strange to me!

Sorry about last night, David, I've been having a few problems. I should be able to catch up with you in December, anyway... will be in Melbourne for two or maybe three days...

[David Shaw]

Thanks a lot Ray. Looking forward to December.

[David Shaw]

I've finally knuckled down and updated the site. It now has results from 1970, a small gallery and trackmaps. You can also now navigate back to the homepage by clicking on the small Gold Star in the top left corner of most pages. Still missing are a trackmap of the Oran Park short circuit as used in 1970, and it could always do with more photos.

A special thanks to Allen Brown, Ray Bell, Kevin Drage, Lindsay Ross, Scott Mackay and David Blanch of Autopics for their assistance and support.

[Ray Bell]

David, where did you get the information that Warwick Brown drove the McLaren at the Warwick Farm meeting?

I don't recall him doing so, he had the little Brabham, didn't he?

[David Shaw]

Australian Motoring News Wednesday September 16 mentions:

"The first session was rounded off by Ian Fergusson (Bowin P3A Ford) 1m 34.6s; Warwick Brown (McLaren M4A FVA) on 1m 35.5s......"

and further on:

"and Len Goodwin joined the second session with 1m 33.5 in the Pat Burke Racing McLaren M4A FVA." No further mention of it in this report.

RCNs only mention is that Goodwin was one of the 2 fastest Formula 2 cars in qualifying. I can't find among my notes, emails and race reports where I found that the M4A developed a cracked piston. A colleague and I conferred and came to the conclusion that they had both qualified the same M4A, but neither started because of the piston issue.

This is a typical issue of trying to piece together reliable data from races nearly 30 years ago where reports usually only appeared in the specialist racing press, and it is a jigsaw of trying to compile snippets of information into one seamless spreadsheet. You don't want to put in incorrect or misleading information but you also want the data to be as complete as possible. Sometimes you will have 2 conflicting sets of qualifying times and you have to study them until you find just one inconsistency, and then you tend to go for the figures without the error. Then you sit back and wait for a response.

Which Brabham did you believe he was in Ray?

[Ray Bell]

The cracked piston was mentioned near the beginning of Peter Wherrett's report:

The racing was generally good, but the "Gold Star" lacked lustre, due maninly to the absence of Kevin Bartlett, the "demise" of Max Stewart and the non-appearance of such drivers as John Walker, who did not turn up, and Len Goodwin, who practised but did not start in the M4A McLaren after cracking a piston.....

But there is something else to consider... in the November issue there's a preview of the AGP, which was the very next meeting. In that the wrap-up of the F2 runners, Len Goodwin leads and it states of him:

Driving for Pat Burke Racing he has had little chance to show his worth since he took over the ex-Niel Allen McLaren, because of unreliability. However, he has been under 30s with the car and, if it is properly sorted, should take out the class.

At first I was at a loss to understand this, but then I found that Goodwin had been racing the car for almost a year and had done that time in the International meeting - his first outing.

At Sandown's round, Len crashed the M4A 'near Dunlop' and it's mentioned that he 'wrecked it'. That's hardly a reliability issue. He was among the runners at Symmons, Oran Park and Lakeside, but failed to do very well, and he missed Mallala. I guess it was after the Sandown bingle that they built the spare tub with the tapered rear section to the 'pontoons' (similar to McLaren M10), which finished up becoming a hillclimb car run by Erroll Richardson IIRC.

As for Warwick and the Brabham, so far the only mention I can see of it is in the report on the May 3 Warwick Farm. Goodwin was there at that meeting too, but nobody bettered 33s.

The whole story was that Warwick and Pat were neighbours who enjoyed each others' passion for racing. They decided that they'd get a Lotus Elan and go racing. In the end they plumped for the Brabham for Warwick to drive with Pat being the entrant. Somehow they then grabbed the Allen McLaren when it came on the market and put Len Goodwin into it.

This 'team' were traditionally late on deck for meetings at Warwick Farm. It was not at all unknown for Paul Collins, in charge of preparation, to just get them there in time for the usual late afternoon 'untimed' session. The drivers would get into cars unloaded in the parking lot outside the horse track and drive them around the house on the outside of Homestead just before that session began and go backwards across the Western Crossing, nip across the Causeway using the link for the short circuit and on into the pits.

It is possible that Warwick drove it at the Farm, of course. Nothing's impossible. But for the most part he raced the 1100cc Brabham while Goodwin drove the McLaren for that year.

[David Shaw]

I think it was possible that they decided to give him a few laps in it just to see how he would go. Is it possible that he ran the first practice session in it even though he wasn't an official entry? Would Percy Sykes have let that happen?

[Ray Bell]

I doubt that they would have done that in the first session...

They wouldn't want to impinge on Goodwin's chances, would they? Unless, of course, they hoped that Warwick would be quick enough to justify taking over the entry.

Geoffrey Percival Frederick might well have allowed that to happen. Dot and cross the appropriate letters and ask something reasonable of him and it always took place. That was one of the things that made our flag point exciting too... we were away from the pits so didn't seen anything happening, just noticed different helmets as the cars came by.

The other possibility is that he was entered in the Brabham and it wasn't ready, but should have been on Sunday. Two or three laps were required on practice day to allow a driver to start on race day, maybe that was it?

[David Shaw]

A few extra photos added to the galleries, plus the usual tidy up of details.

[jeremy durward]

i might be wrong... and i probally am but i thought that mallala was the longer version, with a longer "straight" during this period

[David Shaw]

Jeremy, I don't think the circuit with the longer 'straight' was used after the 1961 AGP. The trackmap on my website was actually scanned from a 1964 or 1965 Gold Star race report.

I am aware that I don't have an Oran Park map (for the 1970 round) as I have yet to find an appropriate one of the short circuit.

[jeremy durward]

Originally posted by David Shaw
Jeremy, I don't think the circuit with the longer 'straight' was used after the 1961 AGP. The trackmap on my website was actually scanned from a 1964 or 1965 Gold Star race report.

I am aware that I don't have an Oran Park map (for the 1970 round) as I have yet to find an appropriate one of the short circuit.

i wasn't sure when they changed it, although i personally think the longer track looked like more fun.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by David Shaw
Jeremy, I don't think the circuit with the longer 'straight' was used after the 1961 AGP. The trackmap on my website was actually scanned from a 1964 or 1965 Gold Star race report.....

David, I'm fairly sure it was used in 1962 and probably 1963... unlikely in 1964... but possible...

The end of the straight was breaking up and they just shortcut it. Lap times from the races would tell you more.

[David Shaw]

You're probably right Ray, there was something in the back of my head that told me it wasn't used after the AGP but I must have got crossed wires. Trackmap was definitely scanned from a 64 or 65 report though.

[David Shaw]

As my next development, I would like to add the results from the Formula Libre races from 1957-1963. This would then cover all the Gold Star races up until it was run to Formula 5000 in 1971, which is well covered on Allen Brown's oldracingcars.com site.

I have compiled a reasonable chunk of the data, using a large variety of sources such as the AGP book, Blanden's book, posts from TNF, RCN, AMS, SCW, Modern Motor etc. Very little of my magazine collection goes back that far, so I was hoping that fellow TNFers may be able to supply some additional information, and correct some of the inaccuracies.

The first part of the problem was ascertaining exactly which races were involved, but David McKinney was able to supply the complete list in another Gold Star thread. In 1963 it lists 2 rounds at Sandown, and in David McKay's Scuderia Veloce book he maintains that the Sandown International was not a Gold Star round, hence it is in pink as possibly not a Gold Star round.

Here are the links to what I have so far:
http://members.optus...lts/races57.htm 1957
http://members.optus...lts/races58.htm 1958
http://members.optus...lts/races59.htm 1959
http://members.optus...lts/races60.htm 1960
http://members.optus...lts/races61.htm 1961
http://members.optus...lts/races62.htm 1962
http://members.optus...lts/races63.htm 1963

I won't supply links from the menu until I have the results more complete.

And thanks in advance for any assistance you are able to provide.

[David Shaw]

Thanks to Sam Snape from Multi Media Motor Sport, Terry Walker and many magazines, I have been able to fill in a lot of missing detail from these Formula Libre races and have updated the 7 pages listed above. There is still a lot of detail missing, and there will be many inaccuracies, but I felt it was time to update with what I had and hopefully I will get some corrections or more information. I don't have enough information on the 1957 series to apportion points as yet.

Entrant names and engine capacities are most likely where the information is inaccurate, not to mention chassis numbers, especially with problem children such as Cooper T51s.

I hope to be able to do a decent update to the site in a few weeks with the Formula Libre results, expanded gallery etc.

All additions and corrections will be gratefully accepted.

[David Shaw]

I've done a major update today, and a change of name (see below), as it now covers all races up to 1970.

[David Shaw]

I've done a minor update to most years (57 and 58 didn't work for some reason, will look into it later) with some corrections and, thanks to Scott Mackay, additional details added.

[Lola5000]

Great site,can't wait till theres more detail on the cars and drivers.