OldRacingCars.com

Australian National F1 Championship Race

Wanneroo Park, 26 Aug 1984

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 John Bowe Ralt RT4/84 [479] - Ford BDD Jennings
#4
35 31m 49.83s
2 Alfredo Costanzo Tiga FA81 [183] - Ford BDD
#1
35
3 Graham Watson Ralt RT4/82 [81-269] - Ford BDD
#8 Graham Watson Motor Racing (see note 1)
35
4 Peter Hopwood Ralt RT4/81 [273] - Ford BDD Jennings
#22 [Steve Webb/Menage] (see note 2)
34
5 Peter Macrow Cheetah Mk8 [81-3] - Ford BDD
#25 (see note 3)
34
6 Bob Creasy Ralt RT4/82 [81-279] - Ford BDD
34
7 Geoff Nicol Ralt RT4/82 [81-277] - Ford BDD
(see note 4)
34
8 Ross Zampatti Ralt RT4/81 [264] - Ford BDD
(see note 5)
33
9 Graham Brown Argo JM9/82 - Ford BDD
32
10 Domenic Mannello (ANF2) 1.6-litre Brabham BT23E/BT36 (Jane) - Fiat single cam
(see note 6)

UNK Rod Housego March 73B/80A [73B-8] - Ford BDD
(see note 7)

UNK Head Ralt

DNS Willie Stobart March 832 [3] - Ford BDD
Did not start
(oil pressure)

All cars are 1.6-litre F/Pac unless noted.

Qualifying
1 John Bowe (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/84 [479] - Ford BDD Jennings 52.21s
2 Alfredo Costanzo (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Tiga FA81 [183] - Ford BDD 53.51s
3 Graham Watson (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/82 [81-269] - Ford BDD 53.86s
4 Peter Hopwood (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/81 [273] - Ford BDD Jennings 54.75s
5 Ross Zampatti (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/81 [264] - Ford BDD 55.46s
6 Peter Macrow (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Cheetah Mk8 [81-3] - Ford BDD 55.85s
7 Geoff Nicol (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/82 [81-277] - Ford BDD 55.97s
8 Bob Creasy (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT4/82 [81-279] - Ford BDD 56.14s
9 Head (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt 56.64s
10 Graham Brown (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Argo JM9/82 - Ford BDD 57.44s
12 Rod Housego (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 73B/80A [73B-8] - Ford BDD
13 Domenic Mannello (ANF2) 1.6-litre Brabham BT23E/BT36 (Jane) - Fiat single cam 66.72s
- Willie Stobart * (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 832 [3] - Ford BDD 58.33s
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. Ralt RT4/82 [81-269] (Graham Watson): Ralt sales record says sold to Theodore Racing, delivered 2 Oct 81. [Tub no: 81/123; gearbox FT1482; fuel cell JM36678 6/81] Chassis number given by NZMA for the car of Mike Rosen at Bay Park 3 Jan 82. Described by NZMA report as ex-Jarier, so presumed to be Jarier's car at Macau 1981. A note for Paul Radisich's car at the Bay Park Union Travel Championship race 11 Apr 82 [A/S 15 Apr 82 p48] says that this was the car used earlier in the year by Mike Rosen. Paul Radisich's car at Adelaide 4 Jul 82 is described as 'ex Mike Rosen' [AMSYB-82 p153] Chassis number given for Paul Radisich's car at 1982 AGP, and presumed to be the car used by him throughout the 1982 Australian Gold Star series. Chassis number given NZMN 21 Jan 83 p16 for the car of Paul Radisich at Bay Park, 2 Jan 83. [CT]
  2. Ralt RT4/81 [273] (Peter Hopwood): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson/Bob Jane, without delivery date. [Tub no: 81/132; Gearbox FT1486; Fuel cell: JM37174 10/81] Chassis number given in NZMA report for the car of Jacques Laffite at the 1981 AGP, [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]. The car of Ray Hanger at 1982 AGP is described as 'ex Laffite 1981 AGP' [AMSYB-82 p166] and presumed to be the car used by Hanger earlier in the Australian Gold Star series. [CT]
  3. Cheetah Mk8 [81-3] (Peter Macrow): Built to Formula Pacific (AF1) specification and delivered to Peter Macrow in February 1983. Macrow raced the car in Formula Pacific in 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986. It was sold to Graham (Graeme?) Smith in 1986, then to Rod Anderson in 1989. The next owner is reported to be a James Sears in 1995. It was next owned by Geoff Turner in 1996, and then to Geoff Wiseman in 1998.
  4. Ralt RT4/82 [81-277] (Geoff Nicol): Ralt sales record says sold to Rajah, without delivery date. [Tub no: 81/138; gearbox: FT1420; fuel cell: JM37200 10/81] Chassis number given for Sonny Rajah's car at Selangor GP 29 Nov 81 [NZMA 11 Jan 82 p3]. Chassis number given for the car of Geoff Nicol at the Malaysian GP, 29-30 May 82. [CT]
  5. Ralt RT4/81 [264] (Ross Zampatti): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson/Smith without delivery date. [Tub no: 81/122; gearbox: FT1475; fuel cell: JM36405 4/81]. The car of John Smith: chassis number given for Smith's car in NZMA report of 1981 AGP, [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]. Retained by Smith for the 1982 Gold Star season, but very badly damaged in testing before the Adelaide round. [A/S 15 Jul 82 p49; AMSYB-82 p152]. The car was rebuilt around a new Ralt tub. Chassis number given by AMSYB for Smith's car at 1982 AGP so presumably kept the plate. [CT]
  6. Brabham BT23E/BT36 (Jane) (Domenic Mannello): Built by Bob Jane's team using a frame supplied by Bob Britton to the Brabham BT23 pattern. The car was a replacement for the team's Brabham BT23E, and had a lower nose and higher cockpit than its predecessor, and triangular sidepods. It first raced at Lakeside's Gold Star round on 7 Jun 1970, driven by John Harvey, and Harvey later won a Gold Star race at Sandown Park in September. It was unused during 1971 and then sold to Fred Wheelhouse (St Albans, Victoria), rebuilt to ANF2 specification and registered with CAMS as a "Brabham BT23D". Sold to Rod Housego 1974 and moved to Western Australia, then sold in 1975 to Dominic Mannello (Perth), who fitted Brabham BT36 bodywork and a 1600cc Fiat twin cam engine for the 1978 ANF2. Retained by Mannello until sold to West Australian Racing Museum owner Neil McCrudden in 2001. Used in historic racing between 2007 and 2015 by Lance Carwardine as the "Brabham Jane".
  7. March 73B/80A [73B-8] (Rod Housego): New to Colin Vandervell (Purley, Surrey) and raced with great success in the Formula Atlantic in the UK in 1973, winning four races, and securing the Yellow Pages Championship. Sold to Des Donnelly (Naas, County Kildare, Ireland) for the Irish Formula Atlantic series, and raced by him in 1974 and 1975. This must be the March "74B" advertised by Gerry Kinnane in Belfast in June 1976. There is then no mention of the car in 1976 or 1977, but in 1978, the car was raced by Ken Fildes (Clonskeagh, Dublin), and it had been owned by Kinnane for part or all of this period. Sold to Graham Brown, who took it to Australia when he emigrated in 1979, and raced by him in Western Australia in 1980 and 1981. Also raced by Joe Ricciardo in 1981. To Rod Housego, and raced by him in Western Australia in 1982 and 1984. Acquired by Richard Carter in 1988, and restored. Raced by Carter in HSRCA events from 1999 to 2002. Later to George Makin (Melbourne), and raced by Andrew Makin in historic events from 2003 onwards.

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.

The Australian race results have been provided by Chris Townsend based on material in Autosport and Motoring News reports plus the information supplied by a wide range of contributors.

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.