OldRacingCars.com

Australian Gold Star Race

Sandown Park, 9 Sep 1979

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Alfredo Costanzo Lola T430 [HU1] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 1)

2 Johnnie Walker Lola T332 ['HU22-3'] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 2)

3 Rob Butcher Lola T330 [HU8] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 3)

4 Graham McRae McRae GM3 [01] - Chevrolet V8

5 John Smith (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/77 [91] - Ford BDA
(see note 4)

6 Peter Edwards Lola T332 [T330 HU23(B)] - Chevrolet V8

7 Andrew Miedecke (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 763/76B - Ford BDA

8 Mel McEwin Matich A53/A55 [007] - Repco Holden V8

9 Ian Adams Lola T330 [HU1] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 5)

10 Chas Talbot Lola T332 [HU36] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 6)

R John Bowe Elfin MR8B-C [8783-2] - Chevrolet V8
tyre
R John Wright Lola T400 [HU15] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 7)
engine
C Kevin Bartlett Brabham BT43 [1] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 8)

DNSC Peter "Chris" Middleton Elfin MR5-B [5724] - Repco Holden V8
(see note 9)
Did not start (crashed)
DNQ Allan R. Nitschke Begg FM5 [2] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 10)
Did not qualify
DNQ Barry Ward (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Birrana 273 [273-010] - Ford BDA
Did not qualify
DNP Colin Trengove Lola T332 ['071-084'] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 11)
Did not take part in official practice
(unable to practice "due to a legal hitch")
DNA Ron Trim (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Rennmax BN7 - Ford BDA
Did not arrive

All cars are 5-litre F5000 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Alfredo Costanzo (F5000) 5-litre Lola T430 [HU1] - Chevrolet V8
2 John Bowe (F5000) 5-litre Elfin MR8B-C [8783-2] - Chevrolet V8
3 Kevin Bartlett (F5000) 5-litre Brabham BT43 [1] - Chevrolet V8
4 Johnnie Walker (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 ['HU22-3'] - Chevrolet V8
5 John Wright (F5000) 5-litre Lola T400 [HU15] - Chevrolet V8
6 Chas Talbot (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU36] - Chevrolet V8
7 Graham McRae (F5000) 5-litre McRae GM3 [01] - Chevrolet V8
8 Rob Butcher (F5000) 5-litre Lola T330 [HU8] - Chevrolet V8
9 Peter "Chris" Middleton * (F5000) 5-litre Elfin MR5-B [5724] - Repco Holden V8
10 John Smith (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Ralt RT1/77 [91] - Ford BDA
11 Andrew Miedecke (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 763/76B - Ford BDA
12 Mel McEwin (F5000) 5-litre Matich A53/A55 [007] - Repco Holden V8
 
* Did not start

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 ['HU22-3'] (Johnnie Walker): Effectively a new Lola T332 built for Kevin Bartlett to replace the T330 crashed at Pukekohe in January 1974. Raced by Bartlett in the Australian Gold Star from August 1974 onwards. To Bruce Allison for 1975 and raced in Australian Gold Star 1975, and New Zealand and Australian Internationals 1976, but crashed and heavily damaged at Oran Park 1 Feb. Rebuilt again on another T332 tub and raced by Allison later in 1976. Sold by Allison to Martin Sampson of Magnum Wheels, and raced for him by Kevin Bartlett in the 1977 Australian Internationals 1977, by Alan Jones at Surfers after he wrecked his T332C HU61, then by Johnnie Walker in September 1977, and in Australia in 1978 and 1979. Sampson retired the car after 1979, and it was displayed at the Birdwood Museum until sold to Bob Minogue in 1987. Raced for Minoque by Barry Ward in 1987, then sold to Paul Cromarty (Aus), then Adrian Whapham (NZ) in 1994 or 1995. To Stan Redmond (Christchurch, NZ) by 2001 and raced in F5000 Tasman Revival series. To Peter Sundberg (Auckland, New Zealand) 2009. To David Banks (Auckland, New Zealand) and raced by him in the 2017/18 Tasman Revival series. More information about Lola T332 'the Kevin Bartlett car'
  3. Lola T330 [HU8] (Rob Butcher): To Haas/Hall and developed by Jim Hall with revised bodywork, radiators and rear wing for Brian Redman in the 1973 US series. Then to Rogers Racing for Larry Harley in the 1974 US series. To Ken Smith (New Zealand) for the 1974/75 season, the New Zealand and Australian Internationals 1976. To Chris Milton (South Australia) and raced in Australia from Sep 1977 to Sep 1978. To John Blanden 1978, and driven for him by Rob Butcher from 1979 to 1982. To Bib Stillwell 1988 for Australian historic racing. To Noel Robson (Melbourne, Australia) 1993, and raced in Australian historic racing for many years. More information about Lola T330 HU8
  4. Ralt RT1/77 [91] (John Smith): New to Larry Perkins (Victoria, Australia) for the 1978 New Zealand Formula Pacific series. Then to John Smith (NEW, Australia) and raced in the 1979 New Zealand series. Smith used the car in some Rothmans International and Gold Star races later in 1979, still with its BDA engine, before converting it to single cam ANF2 specification for the Australian ANF2 series. Again raced by Smith in New Zealand in January 1980, then in ANF1 and ANF2 events in Australia. Retained for a third season in 1981, and used in the New Zealand series and in the National Panasonic Formula Pacific series in Australia. Smith then bought a new Ralt RT4/81, but the RT1 was retained as a spare car, and loaned to Brett Fisher for the 1982 Australian GP. Raced by Terry Ryan in ANF2 in 1984.
  5. Lola T330 [HU1] (Ian Adams): Works car for Frank Gardner at the end of 1972, then to Max Stewart for the 1973 Tasman series, the 1973 US series, 1973 Australian Gold Star, 1974 Tasman, and 1974 Gold Star. In ecember 1974, Kevin Bartlett used the car to win a New Zealand Gold Star race. Driven by David Oxton in the 1975 New Zealand Tasman races, then by Stewart for last two races of Tasman 1975 after he gave up on his Lola T400. Driven by John Leffler, Stewart and Paul Bernasconi during 1975. To Ian Adams (NSW, Australia) 1976, and raced until 1982. Sold by Adams to Darcy Russell (Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia) in 1988, and raced in historic racing from 1992 onwards. Appeared regularly at the VHRR Phillip Island Classic from 1997 to 2016, and in the Australian GP support races in 2009 and 2010. More information about Lola T330 HU1
  6. Lola T332 [HU36] (Chas Talbot): See full history: Lola T332 HU36.
  7. Lola T400 [HU15] (John Wright): See full history: Lola T400 HU15.
  8. Brabham BT43 [1] (Kevin Bartlett): Brabham BT43/1 race history.
  9. Elfin MR5-B [5724] (Peter "Chris" Middleton): New to John Walker 1972, but he quickly replaced it with a Matich A50. Sold to Stan Keen and fitted with a Ford V8 later in the 1972 season, but not raced after October 1973. Sold to Peter "Chris" Middleton 1977, and raced in the 1978 Australian Internationals, and in the 1978 and 1979 Australian national seasons. Sold to Tony Parkinson 1979, then to Mike Adams 1981. It was then rebodied by Elfin, renamed 815, and raced by Mike Trengove and by Adams in 1981 and 1982. Sold to Paul Trevethan, then to Peter Brennan (Melbourne, Victoria) in the mid-1980s who restored it to original specification, and fitted a flat plane crank Repco Holden engine. To David Doubtfire in 1991, then to Max Floreani in 1996, and raced by Tony Floreani in historics up to 2013.
  10. Begg FM5 [2] (Allan R. Nitschke): Built new in 1973 by Fred McLean for Allan McCully for the 1973/74 New Zealand Gold Star, and regarded by McLean as a FM5, not a Begg FM5. To Graham Baker 1974 and raced in Tasman 1974, the 1974/75 and 1975/76 Gold Star, and the 1976 NZ Internationals. To Charles Talbot (Australia) 1976, and raced by him in the 1977 and 1978 Rothmans Australian Internationals. Presumably the car raced by Allan R. Nitschke in Australia from 1979 to 1982. Then unknown until acquired by Bryan and Graham Sala about 1990. Bought at auction in Australia by Gavin Hicks (Auckland, NZ) about 1991 and sold by him to Lindsay O'Donnell (Christchurch, NZ) 2001. Raced by O'Donnell in the F5000 Tasman Revival from 2003 to the 2012/13 season. Returned two years later for the New Zealand Festival at Hampton Downs in January 2015. More information about Begg FM5/2
  11. Lola T332 ['071-084'] (Colin Trengove): See full history: Lola T330 HU7.

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.