Australian Gold Star 1969

Alec Mildren now had two cars bearing his own name: a spaceframe car built by Bob Britton to a Rennmax pattern and a monocoque car designed by Len Bailey and built in England. The latter car was called the Mildren 'Mono' but better known as the 'Yellow Submarine'. The original plan had been to use the Alfa V8s from the Brabham BT23D but local engine builder Merv Waggott built a 4-valve Ford-based engine for ANF2 and the Mildren team used 1900cc and 2000cc versions of this engine with great success.

With the Scuderia Veloce Brabham BT23A-Repco now retired and Mildren's BT23D pushed into a corner, only Bob Jane's BT23E-Repco and Leo Geoghegan's evergreen Lotus 39-Repco remained of the traditional 2.5-litre competition. Mildren lead driver Kevin Bartlett retained his title quite comfortably from Geoghegan and Bartlett's teammate, rising star Max Stewart, in third. Niel Allen's F2 McLaren M4A proved very effective with its Cosworth FVA engine which was at the time eligible for ANF2.

Australian racing was locked into an abrasive debate over whether to move to a 2-litre formula based on the forthcoming European F2 or to move to Formula 5000. For now, they would continue with the 2.5-litre formula but a decision was needed as grids continued to decline.

The races

03 Mar 1969 > Symmons Plains

07 Apr 1969 > Bathurst

20 Sep 1969 > Sandown Park

13 Oct 1969 > Mallala

26 Oct 1969 > Surfers Paradise

07 Dec 1969 > Hordern Trophy at Warwick Farm

1969 Australian Gold Star table

Previous: the 1968 season

Next: the 1970 season

All cars are 2.5-litre ANF (Tasman formula) cars unless otherwise noted.