1975 Tasman Series

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The 1975 Tasman Series, (officially the Tasman Championship for Drivers [1] ), was a motor racing competition open to Racing Cars complying with the Tasman Formula. [2] Contested over eight rounds in New Zealand and Australia beginning on 5 January and ending on 23 February, [3] it was the twelfth and final Tasman Series. The series was organised jointly by the Motorsport Association of New Zealand and the Confederation of Australian Motorsport [1] and was promoted as the Peter Stuyvesant International Series for the 1975 Tasman Championship. [2]

The series was won by Australian driver Warwick Brown in his fourth year of Formula 5000 racing with the Pat Burke Racing team, driving a Lola T332 Chevrolet. The series was resolved in a dramatic final race inwhat turned out to be the final Tasman Series race of all, at Sandown Raceway. Brown, fellow Australian Johnnie Walker and New Zealander Graeme Lawrence all sat on 30 points prior to the last race. All three struck trouble but with a sixth position Brown claimed the final point in Tasman Series history, breaking the deadlock to win the crown by one point. Race wins had been shared around with Brown and Lawrence each winning twice, with single victories going to Walker, Chris Amon who finished fifth in the points behind the winless but consistent John McCormack, and to Graham McRae and John Goss who each completed partial series runs focussed on their home country events.

In the aftermath of this series, the two legs of the Tasman Series broke apart. The New Zealand half became the Peter Stuyvesant Series and converted to Formula Atlantic in 1977. The Australian half became the Rothmans International Series. [4]

Races

Warwick Brown won the series driving a Lola T332 similar to the example pictured above Lola T332 at Goodwood FOS 2008.jpg
Warwick Brown won the series driving a Lola T332 similar to the example pictured above

Additional information sourced from: [4]

RoundNameCircuitDateWinning driverWinning carWinning entrantReport
New
Zealand
1Levin International Levin 5 January Flag of New Zealand.svg Graeme Lawrence Lola T332 Chevrolet Marlboro /Singapore Airlines / Wix Filters [5] Report
2 New Zealand Grand Prix Pukekohe 12 January Flag of Australia (converted).svg Warwick Brown Lola T332 Chevrolet Pat Burke Racing Report
3 Lady Wigram Trophy Wigram 19 January Flag of New Zealand.svg Graham McRae McRae GM2 Chevrolet Commercial Bank of Australia [6] Report
4Teretonga International Teretonga 26 January Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon Talon MR-1 Chevrolet MacCormack Racing [7] Report
Australia5Oran Park 100 Oran Park 2 February Flag of Australia (converted).svg Warwick Brown Lola T332 Chevrolet Pat Burke RacingReport
6Surfers Paradise 100 Surfers Paradise 9 February Flag of Australia (converted).svg Johnnie Walker Lola T332 Repco-Holden Walker RacingReport
7Adelaide 100 Adelaide 16 February Flag of New Zealand.svg Graeme Lawrence Lola T332 Chevrolet Singapore Airlines [2] Report
8Sandown Park Cup Sandown 23 February Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Goss Matich A53 Repco-Holden John Goss RacingReport

Points system

Championship points were awarded at each round on the following basis:

Position [8] 123456
Points [8] 964321

Championship Standings

Pos [3] Driver [3] Car [3] Entrant [2] LEVPUKWIGTERORASURADESANPts [3]
1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Warwick Brown Lola T332 Chevrolet Part Burke Racing21RetRet182631
2 Flag of New Zealand.svg Graeme Lawrence Lola T332 Chevrolet Singapore Airlines1359291Ret30
= Flag of Australia (converted).svg Johnnie Walker Lola T332 Repco Holden Walker Racing4434313Ret30
4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John McCormack Elfin MR6 Repco Holden Ansett Team Elfin862255DNS223
5 Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon Talon MR1 Chevrolet McCormack RacingRet7Ret14Ret4517
6 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Goss Matich A53 Repco Holden John Goss RacingRet3Ret113
7 Flag of New Zealand.svg Graham McRae McRae GM2 Chevrolet
Matich A51 Repco Holden
Commercial Bank of Australia [6]
Ampol (Australia)
RetRet1DNS8412
= Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kevin Bartlett Lola T400 Chevrolet Chesterfield Filter Racing3RetRet3106Ret412
9 Flag of New Zealand.svg Ken Smith Lola T332 Chevrolet la Vilase Travel Agents [9] 559862Ret711
= Flag of Australia (converted).svg Max Stewart Lola T400 Chevrolet Max Stewart MotorsRet8457Ret5311
11 Flag of New Zealand.svg Jim Murdoch Begg 018 Chevrolet Begg & Allen Ltd627RetDNS7Ret7
12 Flag of New Zealand.svg David Oxton Lola T330 Chevrolet Coca-Cola Bottlers (N.Z.) Ltd [6] 6Ret1
= Flag of New Zealand.svg Baron Robertson Elfin MR5 Repco Holden Robertson Racing [7] 911DNS61
= Flag of Australia (converted).svg Garrie Cooper Elfin MR5 Repco Holden Ansett Team Elfin [9] Ret7681
PosDriverCarEntrantLEVPUKWIGTERORASURSANADEPts
ColourResult
GoldWinner
SilverSecond place
BronzeThird place
GreenPoints classification
BlueNon-points classification
Non-classified finish (NC)
PurpleRetired, not classified (Ret)
RedDid not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
BlackDisqualified (DSQ)
WhiteDid not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
BlankDid not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Key

AbbreviationCircuit
ADEAdelaide
LEVLevin
ORAOran Park
PUKPukekohe
SANSandown
SURSurfers Paradise
TERTeretonga
WIGWigram

References

  1. 1 2 Tasman Championship for Drivers, CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1975, pages 80 to 83
  2. 1 2 3 4 Official Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, February 16th 1975
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Tasman Series, Australian Competition Yearbook, 1976 Edition, pages 64 to 81
  4. 1 2 Allen Brown. "Tasman Cup (F5000) races « Formula 5000 « OldRacingCars.com". Archived from the original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2009.
  5. Tasman Rd. 1, Racing Car News, February 1975, page 28
  6. 1 2 3 Tasman Rd. 3, Racing Car News, February 1975, page 6
  7. 1 2 Tasman Rd. 4, Racing Car News, March 1975, page 30
  8. 1 2 Tasman Series 1975, www.sergent.com.au Retrieved 23 November 2015
  9. 1 2 Official Programme, Sandown, February 23rd 1975