OldRacingCars.com

Australian Gold Star Race

Symmons Plains, 23 Mar 1980

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 John Bowe Elfin MR8B-C [8783] - Chevrolet V8
#12 Ansett Team Elfin
30 26m 21.6s
2 Alfredo Costanzo Lola T430 [HU1] - Chevrolet V8
#84 Porsche Racing (see note 1)
30
3 Jon Davison Lola T332 [HU34] - Chevrolet V8
#4 Thomson Motor Auctions (see note 2)
29
4 Greg Doidge Matich A53 [A51-005] - Repco Holden V8
#9 GS Sheet Metal Products
26
5 Peter Edwards Lola T332 [T330 HU23(B)] - Chevrolet V8
26
6 Andrew Newton (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Elfin 700 [630 746301] - Ford
Clive Millis
26
R Mel McEwin Matich A53 [007] - Repco Holden V8
Broken throttle cable
R John Wright Lola T400 [HU15] - Chevrolet V8
#76 (see note 3)
14 Engine
R David Cooper (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Elfin 700 [75647] - Volkswagen Golf
11 Engine - broken crankshaft
R Peter "Chris" Middleton Elfin MR8-C [8761] - Chevrolet V8
1 Debris from Talbot crash
R Chas Talbot Lola T332 [HU36] - Chevrolet V8
#3 (see note 4)
1 Crashed

All cars are 5-litre F5000 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Alfredo Costanzo (F5000) 5-litre Lola T430 [HU1] - Chevrolet V8 0.49.55
2 John Bowe (F5000) 5-litre Elfin MR8B-C [8783] - Chevrolet V8 0.49.67
3 John Wright (F5000) 5-litre Lola T400 [HU15] - Chevrolet V8 0.50.98
4 Jon Davison (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU34] - Chevrolet V8 0.51.25
5 Chas Talbot (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU36] - Chevrolet V8 0.51.42
6 Peter "Chris" Middleton (F5000) 5-litre Elfin MR8-C [8761] - Chevrolet V8 0.52.18
7 Mel McEwin (F5000) 5-litre Matich A53 [007] - Repco Holden V8 0.55.30
8 David Cooper (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Elfin 700 [75647] - Volkswagen Golf 0.57.40
9 Peter Edwards (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [T330 HU23(B)] - Chevrolet V8 0.57.93
10 Greg Doidge (F5000) 5-litre Matich A53 [A51-005] - Repco Holden V8 0.58.23
11 Andrew Newton (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Elfin 700 [630 746301] - Ford 0.58.88

Notes on the cars:

  1. Lola T430 [HU1] (Alfredo Costanzo): VDS for Teddy Pilette US 1976 (6 races; best result 3rd at R3 Mosport Park 20 Jun); used as spare car to Brown's HU2 in Australian Internationals 1977 - Alan Hamilton (Australia): used as spare car; maybe Jon Davison's car Australian Gold Star 1977 (R1 Surfers Paradise 28 Aug 1977 only). Built up after Hamilton's crash at the 1978 Australian GP and raced by Alfredo Costanzo: Australian Gold Star 1978; Australian Internationals 1979 (won at Sandown Park and Adelaide); Australian Gold Star 1979 (won at Sandown 9 Sep); Australian Gold Star 1980 (won at Sandown 14 Sep and Winton 26 Oct); Australian GP 1980 (4th) - Bob Minogue: Australian Gold Star 1981, Arco Graphic 1981/82. Minogue still holds several lap records in Australia, including the Sandown International circuit record for F5000, set on 2 Mar 1986 and the Historic F5000 record at Winton on 30 May 1993. Subsequently sold to Gavin Bain, then to Graham Cameron, who raced it at Historic Sandown in 2000. To David Abbott (Christchurch, NZ) by 2002, and raced in the F5000 Tasman Revival regularly from 2003 to 2008, when Abbott moved over to his newly rebuilt HU2. Then raced by Ken Smith in the series from 2008 to 2010.
  2. Lola T332 [HU34] (Jon Davison): See full history: Lola T332 HU34.
  3. Lola T400 [HU15] (John Wright): See full history: Lola T400 HU15.
  4. Lola T332 [HU36] (Chas Talbot): See full history: Lola T332 HU36.

Sources

Note that the identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' published results.

Australian Gold Star results for the period 1971-1976 are now available from a variety Australian magazines and yearbooks. As well as Racing Car News, results have been cross-checked against the 1972 Australian Motoring Yearbook and the 1973 and 1974 Australian Competition Yearbooks. Information is added from Autosport where available. The 1975 season was collated by Glenn Moulds using Racing Car News, 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 from R3 Calder onwards.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.