I've started this a separate thread so it doesn't get lost at the bottom of a thread about Neil Nicoll's book. The question is what were the races that qualified for the Gold Star in Australia during the 2.5-litre period?

Milan Fistonic gave us a starting point - the 1966-1969 races - and I have added to that the dates of those races plus my best stab at the 1964, 1965 and 1970 races.

1964
The Sandown Park GP and Longford Tasman rounds qualified for Gold Star points plus:
Round 3 - 13 September - Lakeside - Bib Stillwell
Round 4 - 12 October - Mallala - Lex Davison
Round 5 - 6 December - Warwick Farm - Leo Geoghegan
Only five rounds?

1965
The Warwick Farm GP and Longford Tasman rounds qualified for Gold Star points plus:
Round 3 - 11 April - Sandown Park - Bib Stillwell
Round 4 - 25 July - Lakeside - Spencer Martin
Round 5 - 11 October - Mallala - Bib Stillwell
Round 6 - 5 December - Warwick Farm - Bib Stillwell

1966
Round 1 - 10 July - Lakeside - Spencer Martin
Round 2 - 14 August - Surfers Paradise - Spencer Martin
Round 3 - 10 October - Mallala - John Harvey
Round 4 - 16 October - Sandown Park - Spencer Martin
Round 5 - 13 November - Symmons Plains - Greg Cussack
Round 6 - 4 December - Warwick Farm - Frank Gardner

1967
Round 1 - 25 June - Lakeside - Kevin Bartlett
Round 2 - 27 August - Surfers Papadise - Spencer Martin
Round 3 - 17 September - Sandown Park - Leo Geoghegan
Round 4 - 9 October - Mallala - Spencer Martin
Round 5 - 13 November - Symmons Plains - Greg Cussack
Round 6 - 3 December - Warwick Farm - Frank Gardner

1968
Round 1 - 15 April - Bathurst - Phil West
Round 2 - 28 July - Lakeside - Kevin Bartlett
Round 3 - 24 August - Surfers Paradise - Kevin Bartlett
Round 4 - 15 September - Sandown Park - Glyn Scott
Round 5 - 14 October - Mallala - Leo Geoghegan
Round 6 - 1 December - Warwick Farm - Kevin Bartlett

1969
Round 1 - 3 March - Symmons Plains - Kevin Bartlett
Round 2 - 7 April - Bathurst - Jack Brabham
Round 3 - 21 September - Sandown Park - John Harvey
Round 4 - 13 October - Mallala - Garrie Cooper
Round 5 - 26 October - Surfers Paradise - Kevin Bartlett
Round 6 - 7 December - Warwick Farm - Kevin Bartlett

1970
Round 1 - 2 March - Symmons Plains - John Harvey
Round 2 - 7 June - Lakeside - Max Stewart
Round 3 - 28 June - Oran Park - Max Stewart
Round 4 - 6 September - Warwick Farm - Leo Geoghegan
Round 5 - 13 September - Sandown Park - John Harvey
Round 6 - 12 October - Mallala - Leo Geoghegan

As well as these races, the HMV Trophy at Warwick Farm in July/August time was a major event for these cars.

All contributions welcome. I think it's the 1964 and 1965 races that are in the most doubt.

Allen

Allen, your list is very useful. Now I can compare it with the race reports in my mags to see what is missing. Most of them probably!
What was the formula for these races? Did it change from year to year?

These were all held to the 2.5-litre 'Intercontinental' Formula. Prior to 1964, the races were libre. After 1970, they were F5000.

Allen

Allen

I can confirm the rounds for 1970 are as you have them.

The Formula was F. libre to 1963, then 2.5 litre (not Interconintal), then in 1970 for F5000 and also cars with 'free design' engines up to 2000cc. Tasman races of that year included 'free design' engines up to 2500cc.
The 1965 Tasman race at Warwick Farm probably was not included, but the AGP at Longford was.
I think the Bathurst race of 1966 was also included. I'll check when I get home.

Now I'm home I find that you're dead right about those races, and I'll add that I am shattered to learn that the AGP was not automatically a round in the latter years of the sixties.
I feel sure it was automatically included in the F5000 era up until 1980, when the Gold Star was limping sadly and the AGP was stuck at Calder and run for F Pacific/Atlantic from 81 to 84.
The point here is that from 1970 the AGP was separated from the Tasman races.

Ray

Thanks for your confirmation on those races. I have reasonable results for all of those races and can now construct the car-by-car histories to go onto OldRacingCars.com.

I'll post here if I get any questions about the less well covered events (Mallala!) and I'll also post so people know when everything is complete.

Allen

Which cars do you want to know about?
Malcolm Bailey's Elfin Peugeot... scored nice points at Bathurst, 1968?
John McCormack's Elfin 600 Repco, fastest ever Repco-powered car at Warwick Farm?
Glynn Scott's Bowin, unlikely winner at Sandown?
John Harvey's Brabham, took a rare win at Mallala in 1.5 form?
The car Jackie Stewart drove at the 1966 Surfers Paradise opener?
The Elfin Imp or the Elfin Alfa?
Just ask, they're all here somewhere.

I had the pleasure of a short chat with and shook the hand of Spencer Martin at Wakefield Park the other day....nearly 40 years after winning two Gold Stars (1966/67) he is still extremely quick in a Porsche 911 and took it right up to the likes of Vince Macri (Torana) and Alan Morrin (Milano GT) both six cylinder holden powered and no slouches behind the wheel.

Great to see this largely unpublicised Australian who competed in the halcyon days, drove overseas (Silverstone, Laguna Seca etc), drove for David McKay and Bob Jane, Repco Brabham power, Ferrari LM250, Elfin V8....nine Bathurst starts including a third factory Falcon GT at Bathurst 1967 - with Bob Jane.

Sad to see there is no TNF thread bearing his name....I will fix that

I am currently trying to compile as much detail as possible on the 2.5 litre Australian Gold Star races, as I haven't been able to find a website that has this. What I have compiled so far can be seen here:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/dandsshaw/

As I have no HTML programming skills, it is using a basic template that is moderately suitable. The results I have so far can be viewed under GALLERY.

I am using RCN as my primary research source, but my collection only extends from January 1967 until December 1969, therefore I have no reports from 1964-1966 with the exception of the final round of 1966.
Of the years 67-69, I am missing the following RCN issues (and have had to use secondary research material which is not as detailed):

October 1968 (covering rounds 3 and 4)
January 1969 (covering round 6 1968)
January 1970 (covering round 6 1969)

If anybody could possibly supply scans of these race reports, or can add further to the information provided, it would be very much appreciated.

David

If you can get hold of a copy of Neil Nicoll's excellent "A Record of Tasman Formula Racing (1960-1969)" which also contains fairly comprehensive stats for all the Gold Star races 1957-1970, then your task will be much, much easier.

It was published in 1998 by St Leonards Press, the publishers of the Black Books, but only 100 were printed.

John

Thanks John, I have read of this book but I am not confident of being able to find a copy, let alone afford one.

October 68 RCN

Sandown report first:

And Surfers:

Gordon Bennett! wrong page...

Try again.

Thanks Terry, now updating.

Retirements from the Victorian Trophy - Sandown Park - 15.09.1968:



Sam Hordern Trophy - Warwick Farm - 07.12.1969 (round 6)



Advertiser Trophy - Mallala - 12.10.1970 (round 6)




Source: "A Record of Tasman Formula Racing 1960-1969" by Neil Nicoll (no 100 of of a 100 published...)

/Conny


Edit: Corrected finger- and eye-trouble...

Thanks conny I believe that the Hordern Trophy results are probably from December 7 1969, as the results to not match mine, and 1968s round was run on December 1 as also ascertained.

A couple of other points from that meeting, the Repco in Geoghegan's car should be a 740 I believe, as the only 620 Series engines ran in the works cars in the 1966 Tasman Series.

I think Niel Allen would be rather surprised to find a Repco V8 in the back of his M4A too.

Yes, David, for Hordern Trophy read 1969 instead of 1968 (finger trouble), and for Niel Allen's propulsion read Cosworth FVA instead of Repco 620 (eye trouble in following the tabulated layout).

As for Geoghegen's engine - the books says a Repco 620 (the one I put in Allen's car...), but on the other hand it has Ian Fergusson in a 'Powin P3' rather than a 'Bowin P3', so maybe the proof reader got a little tired at the end of the book; these are pages 312 and 313 out of 318...

The thing that struck me the most was the spelling of Fergusson's name - doubling up on the 's' is common in the Scandinavian countries (my surname is spelled Johansson in my passport, though I prefer Johanson), but I can't recall having seen it in a name from an English-speaking country (I hope I don't offend any Australians by calling their language English...).

/Conny

Hi Conny, well theoretically we do speak English, although with England in Australia for the cricket at the moment, there have been some necessary translations happening.

All references I have had to Fergusson have been spelt exactly that way, so there doesn't appear to be a problem there.

So thanks for the 1969 Hordern Trophy results.

A bit OT but results for Mallala 1970 show Helene Bittner coming 5th.

Helene brought the Rebelle out of the shed again a few years ago and ran it historic races at Mallala until recently when she sold it (she said that she was getting a bit to old or that her husband / mechanic was too old or both maybe). New owner has been running it last few meetings.

'Fergusson' is not nearly as often misspelled as I would have expected... unlike Niel Allen, for instance...

Morrie and Ian were racing right through the sixties, being farmers from Dunedoo and involved in the construction of the Pound Hill circuit in that area.

Their self-built IRM Holden was quite an interesting device. Until Morrie upended it in nearly the same spot as Ian took the Bowin to its death.

It was good to see Ian again after all these years at Eastern Creek. Must drop in on him at Dunedoo some time, I seem to go through there about every second month.

Hope I'm not going too far off topic here...
Since the McLaren FVA was mentioned, I thought you guys might be interested in this colour pic of the car in line for scrutineering at Calder in 1968....

I'd say it's the August 4th meeting again, still sunny and I cannot find another Calder meeting in 1968 where than ran openwheelers larger than ANF1.5.

The bandaging of the nose is unusual though, no mention of it from the previous week, the Gold Star meeting at Lakeside. And a photo from that meeting shows a neat nose.

Is that Alan Jones looking on?

Leo D... I've just e.mailed you...

By the way, that's a different McLaren M4a FVA.

Peter Macrow's mount, owned by Tony Osborne (Argo Racing).

As far as I Know, this was the Tony Osbourne car..... latter owned by Ken Hastings...
Don't think that is Alan Jones..... I'm pretty sure that is Tony Stewart to the right of pic though


Ray... got your email... I've sent you a reply

And more often driven in Gold Star events by Alfredo Costanzo...

Did Tony Osbourne have more than one McLaren?

AS far as I know, Tony Osbourne only had the one.

David

I've only just spotted that this thread had reopened.

I'm delighted to see someone has picked up the baton as I got distracted by F5000, F/Atlantic and now F2. I'd like to get back to this subject and help you fill any gaps you have. I also have a copy of "A Record of Tasman Formula Racing 1960-1969" by Neil Nicoll (mine is No 99 of 100 published) but I think your approach of starting with RCN is preferable. The other experts here can add their knowledge from the other mags and from their own observations.

Anything else you need?

Allen

Only one... Macrow drove it for a while, then Alfie got into it...

Isn't it 'Osborne'?



RCN isn't infallible, Allen... I just noticed yesterday that they forgot to put Rindt on the grid for the 1969 AGP!

Absolutely. When Glenn Moulds did the 1971-1976 F5000 Aussie Gold Star races for OldRacingCars.com he used RCN, Australian Auto Action, Chequered Flag, Australian Competition Year, "50 Years Of The Australian Grand Prix" and "Australia's Elfin Sports and Racing Cars". For the 1976 season, Glenn was also able to use Motor Sport Reporter.

I'd never suggest using only RCN but it does seem a good place to start.

Allen

Yes, the absence of Rindt from the Lakeside grid was a rarety...

In that case I had the 50 years AGP book as a backup. Usually, however, I have only RCN and I get by pretty well.

The 50 years AGP book, on the other hand, has its fair share of problems in the results and grid panels.

That's why we have David...

Alfie Costanzo......

The actual Elfin Mono Mk1, which I believe was his first car. A car he did particularly well in, especially in the Lucas Davison Series at Calder..

I had a lovely evening at Alfie's a few years ago and we talked about all these old times...

He and his wife were great. And though he may have retired now, his job was interesting. Selling advertising for an Italian language newspaper in Melbourne.

Clearly a case of the right man to get the doors open!

I remember this car well, though I never saw it at Calder. Wasn't he the first Aussie home in a Tasman race in it too? '68 Warwick Farm that was... albeit in eighth place and four laps down. Kind of made up for the time he bundled it up in the esses.



Wonder what you could do with that pic if you knew how to use Photoshop?

David,

I hope the following is not too anarachish for you but I am posting results from Glod Star Heat V - Mallala Oct 13th 1969.
Unfortunately the paper size they were printed on doesn't quite fit my scanner so I have had to provide 2 'shots'
per page in some cases. I may have other results too (for Mallala) for the next year if you want them - I will have a look.

First up title sheet.

Race results - first half of page.



Second half

Next Page

And finally

Thanks for the memories, i was a spectator at that meeting, the lap times are interesting ..........

Hi Peter,

Yes - to me too, for a slightly different reason - I was in car 110 in the previous race (shown above gold star results).

Beat me there, Peter, I never saw a race at Mallala...

There or Baskerville or the new Calder or Caversham.

How are you Bob, long time no see , Mallala is a great venue ,for both competitor and spectator................ And Ray you really should visit the place if you can.................

I've actually been there...

After all, I had to go there as part of my AGP circuit project, didn't I?

The day I went the Ducati Owners' Club were there having a bit of a ride day. So as I was obliged to go around the circuit at part of my project, I went as a pillion passenger on a Ducati. But it wasn't finished yet.

I then realised that this was the shortened Mallala, the bit that got cut off still had to be seen, so I did that on foot.

Thanks for posting those. Now nobody can argue about laps completed.

Allen

Thanks very much for that Bob, can't get much more detail than that.

I've done some small updates to the results, and have included a column for the racing number where known.

There was an advertisement in RCN in one of the 1968 issues where Alfie was selling his Mono Mk2. This car appears to have a silver tub (was the first all black?).

So he must have had 2 Monos before he got into the M4A. Does anybody know when his Mk2 first appeared?

David,

I can't really help you to answer the question but I can say that Alfie was one of my heroes in those days. The Mono that I remember always looked a little bit 'rough' (sorry Alfie if you are watching) and probably was a little bit outclassed but Alfie made up for it with driving the %^*$ out of it in the Lucas Davidson series (is that the right name for the series?).

Actually it was pretty unusual for Mono tubs to be painted, unless, maybe, you wanted to hide the stains from the av gas leaks...