Australian Gold Star Race

Mallala, 14 Oct 1968

All cars are 2.5-litre Tasman unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Brabham BT23D [1] (Kevin Bartlett): The one-off BT23D was built for Alec Mildren Racing for Tasman racing and fitted with a 2.5-litre Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 V8. It debuted in Frank Gardner's hands at the Warwick Farm Gold Star race in Dec 1967 and was then raced by Garder in every race of the 1968 Tasman series. Kevin Bartlett took over the drive for the 1968 Australian Gold Star season and the 1969 Tasman series. It was then sold to Jim Abbott who acquired a 5-litre Traco Oldsmobile engine from Frank Matich and built what was claimed to be the first Formula 5000 in Australia. It was displayed at Abbott's Melbourne Racing Car Show and thereafter mainly used in hillclimbs. It was sold to Gavin Sala for the 1974 Victorian hillclimb season, and was then sold to Peter Neilsen, who had Gordon Dobie restore it to its original Alfa Romeo specification. Its racing career ended after the death of a later pilot, Chris Murphy, but the remains were acquired in 1985 by Paul Moxham who had it fully restored with its original Autodelta engines. It was advertised by oldtimeraustralia.com from 2011 to 2015, noting that it had been owned by the same person for 31 years.
2. Brabham BT23A [1] (Phil West): Built for Jack Brabham to use in the 1967 Tasman series and fitted with a 2.5-litre Repco 640 V8. Brabham won the last race of the series at Longford in March. The car was then sold to David McKay's Scuderia Veloce and entered for driver Greg Cusack in the 1967 Australian Gold Star. Cusack finished second in the series having won the Gold Star round at Symmons Plains in November, and two weeks later also took the Australian Hill Climb Championship in the car. Cusack then raced the BT23A in the Australian rounds of the 1968 Tasman series but was injured when he crashed at Longford in March, and decided to retire. Although extensively damaged, the car was repaired and Phil West took over the drive for the 1968 Gold Star, starting with victory at Bathurst on Easter Monday. The Brabham was then sold to Brian Page, who used it in Gold Star and regional events during 1969. After being missig for a couple of seasons, the Brabham was mentioned again in 1972 when Monarch-Ford racer Alan Stewart was said to have it for ANF2. At some point the car was crashed, and the rear of the chassis was replaced. Acquired by Peter Simms (Kurrajong, NSW Australia) in January 1980, restored and raced for the first time at Amaroo in August 1984. Raced in Australian historics by Simms for many years.
3. Brabham BT2 [FJ-12-62] (Brian Page): Sold via Brabham's Australian agent Alec Mildren Pty Ltd to David Walker, and raced by Walker in 1963, 1964 and early 1965. Raced by Ralph Sach in 1965 then a Mildren entry with a 1500cc Ford twin cam for Frank Gardner and Kevin Bartlett during the 1965/66 season. To Competition Cars (Aust) for Mike Champion in the 1966 and 1967 Gold Star seasons, then to Brian Page for 1968. Entered by Graham Collier for Jack Bono in 1969. Through Australian owners Chris Farrell 1971, James Crawford 1973, Greg Kinlin 1977 and Graham Healey 1984 to Bryan Miller 1984 who restored it to Alec Mildren late 1965 spec with Ford twin-cam and raced extensively. To Colin Haste (Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia) 1998 and raced extensively in Australian Formula Junior Association events.
4. Brabham BT16 [F2-8-65] (Col Green): John Coombs entered this Brabham BT16 for Graham Hill in 1965, fitted with a BRM P71 engine. Hill continued to race it in the early part of 1966 after which it was then refitted with a 2.5-litre Climax FPF and taken to Australia by Frank Gardner to be used in Tasman racing. Gardner won first time out at a Gold Star race at Warwick Farm in December 1966 and then raced it in the 1967 Tasman series as part of Alec Mildren's team. After the series it was acquired by Niel Allen who planned to race it himself but instead entered it for Fred Gibson in 1967 and again in early 1968 before it was sold to Col Green in mid-1968. Retained by Green for three seasons and then sold in mid-1971 to Neil Rear (Perth, Western Australia), who raced it at Waneroo Park in 1972. In 1973, it was fitted with a Cosworth 1600 engine and at the end of that season, Rear sold it to Colin Hall, who planned to fit a Lotus twin cam, but continued to drive his Macon instead. Rear raced the car again in early 1974, before clouting the barrier in a race at Wanneroo in April 1974. The Brabham passed through various owners until acquired by photographer Julian Cowan. Sold via Bonhams to Rob McMillan (Sydney, NSW, Australia) and rebuilt on a replica chassis for historic racing, the original chassis being cut up and scrapped.
5. McLaren M4A [M4A/1] (Peter Macrow): Entered by Bruce McLaren Motor Racing for Bruce McLaren in F2 in 1967. Sold to Jim Palmer (NZ) 1968, then to Tony Osborne's Argo Racing in Australia July 1968, driven by Peter Macrow in 1968 and then Alfredo Costanzo from 1968 to 1971. To Ken Hastings mid-1971, who swapped the FVA for a Ford twin-cam for 1972, and the to John Sheppard August 1973. Fitted with a 1300cc Toyota Corolla engine by Geoff Kennett 1974. Later Tony Armstrong (Victoria, Australia) in November 1982 and rebuilt around 1985. At Christie's Melbourne auction 1990 where it was sold to Art Valdez (Torrance, CA). It remained in Valdez' collection for many years, until sold to a UK consortium in 2017.

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.

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.