Formula 5000 was an open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel racing cars that no longer fit into any particular formula. The '5000' denomination comes from the maximum 5.0 litre engine capacity allowed in the cars, although many cars ran with smaller engines. Manufacturers included McLaren, Eagle, March, Lola, Lotus, Elfin, Matich and Chevron.
Jason John Richards was a New Zealand motor racing driver. A multiple championship winning driver in his homeland in the New Zealand Touring Car Championship, he moved to Australia to pursue a career in the Australian-based V8 Supercar Championship Series. Richards career highlights include finishing second three times in V8 Supercar's most famous race, the Bathurst 1000. Richards died at the age of 35, just over a year after being diagnosed with cancer.
The Tasman Series was a motor racing competition held annually from 1964 to 1975 over a series of races in New Zealand and Australia. It was named after the Tasman Sea which lies between the two countries. The Tasman Series races were held in January through to late February or early March of each year, during the Formula One off season, taking advantage of winter in the Northern Hemisphere to attract many top drivers to summer in the south. The Tasman Cup was the permanent trophy awarded to the winning driver.
Oran Park Raceway was a motor racing circuit at Narellan south west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia which was operational from February 1962 until its closure in January 2010. The track was designed and started by George Murray and Jack Allen. Since its closure in 2010 it has been (re)developed into housing.
Sandown International Raceway is a motor racing circuit in the suburb of Springvale in Melbourne, Victoria, approximately 25 km (16 mi) south east of the city centre. Sandown is considered a power circuit with its "drag strip" front and back straights being 899 m (983 yd) and 910 m (1,000 yd) long respectively.
The 1966 Tasman Championship for Drivers was a motor racing competition for racing cars complying with the Tasman Formula. The championship was jointly organised by the Association of New Zealand Car Clubs Inc. and the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. It began on 8 January 1966 and ended on 7 March after eight races, four of which were staged in New Zealand and the remainder in Australia. The winning driver was declared Tasman Champion and was awarded the Tasman Cup.
The 1967 Tasman Series was a motor racing competition open to racing cars complying with the Tasman Formula. Officially known as the Tasman Championship for Drivers, it was organised by the Motorsport Association, New Zealand Inc. and the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport and was contested over six races in New Zealand and Australia between 7 January and 6 March 1967.
Frank GardnerOAM was a racing driver from Australia. Born in Sydney, he was best known for touring car racing, winning the British Saloon Car Championship three times, and sports car racing driver but he was also a top flight open wheeler driver. He was European Formula 5000 champion, and participated in nine World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 11 July 1964. He scored no championship points. Gardner also participated in numerous non-Championship Formula One races and his results included a third placing at the 1965 Mediterranean Grand Prix at the Autodromo di Pergusa in Sicily, fourth in the 1965 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch and third in the 1971 International Gold Cup at Oulton Park. He participated each year in the open wheeler Tasman Series held in New Zealand and Australia during the European winter, and shared the grids with the likes of Jim Clark, Graham Hill and Jochen Rindt and won the New Zealand Grand Prix.
Warwick Farm Raceway was a motor racing facility which was in operation from 1960 to 1973. Warwick Farm Raceway hosted numerous major events during its life such as the Australian Grand Prix and rounds of both the Australian Touring Car Championship and the Tasman Series.
Surfers Paradise International Raceway was a motor racing complex at Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The 3.219 km (2.000 mi) long circuit was designed and built by Keith Williams, a motor racing enthusiast who also designed and built the Adelaide International Raceway (AIR) in South Australia in 1972. It was located opposite the Surfers Paradise Ski Gardens at Carrara.
A 1979 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Australian Formula 1 racing cars. The championship winner was awarded the 1979 CAMS Gold Star. The title, which was the 23rd Australian Drivers' Championship, was won by Johnnie Walker, driving a Lola T332.
The 1968 Tasman Championship for Drivers was a motor racing series contested over eight races during January, February and March 1968, with four races held in New Zealand and four in Australia. The championship was open to Racing Cars fitted with unsupercharged engines with a capacity equal or inferior to 2500cc. It was the fifth annual Tasman Championship.
The Rothmans International Series was an Australian motor racing series which was staged annually from 1976 to 1979. Initially open to Australian Formula 1 cars, for the final year it was for ‘’Australian Formula 5000’’, ‘’World Formula 1’’ and ‘’Australian Formula Pacific’’ cars.
Johnnie Walker is a former Australian racing driver, born in Adelaide, South Australia. He first raced in the early 1960s at Mallala in his Holden FE road car. After competing in the Australian Formula 2 Championship he graduated to Formula 5000 in 1972, driving an Elfin MR5 and a Matich A50 before switching to the Lola marque in late 1973.
The 1970 Tasman Series was a motor racing competition staged in New Zealand and Australia for cars complying with the Tasman Formula. It was the seventh Tasman Series, beginning on 3 January and ending on 22 February after seven races. The series was won by Graeme Lawrence of New Zealand, driving the Ferrari 246T that fellow New Zealander Chris Amon raced to win the 1969 Tasman Series.
The 1971 Tasman Series was a motor racing competition staged in New Zealand and Australia for cars complying with the Tasman Formula. The series, which began on 2 January and ended on 28 February after seven races, was the eighth annual Tasman Series. It was won by Graham McRae of New Zealand, driving a McLaren M10B Chevrolet.
The 1973 Tasman Series was a motor racing competition staged in New Zealand and Australia for cars complying with the Tasman Formula. The series, which began on 6 January and ended on 25 February after eight races, was the tenth Tasman Series. Officially known as the Tasman Championship for Drivers, it was organised jointly by the Motorsport Association New Zealand Incorporated and the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. The championship was won by Graham McRae, driving a McRae GM1 Chevrolet.
The 1974 Tasman Series was an international motor racing competition which commenced on 5 January and ended on 23 February 1974 after eight races. The championship, which was the eleventh Tasman Championship, was open to Racing cars complying with the Tasman Formula. The winner was awarded the Tasman Cup.
The 1978 Rothmans International Series was an Australian motor racing competition open to Australian Formula 1 cars. The series, which was the third Rothmans International Series, was won by Warwick Brown, driving a Lola T332 Chevrolet.
The Lola T332 was a race car designed and built by Lola Cars for use in Formula 5000 racing and made its racing debut in 1973. The T332 was successful around the globe with race victories in places such as Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United States. The Lola commonly used the 5.0-litre Chevrolet V8 engine, though some competitors in Australia and New Zealand used the slightly cheaper and less powerful Australian made 5.0-litre Repco Holden V8.
