National Panasonic Formula Pacific Series Race

Lakeside, 19 Jul 1981

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

Notes on the cars:

1. Chevron B39 [39-77-02] (Larry Perkins): New to Tony Martin (Durban, South Africa) and raced in the 1977 South African series. Retained for 1978 as a spare car to Martin's new B45, and and upgraded to B45 specification. Sold for 1979 to Paul England for Peter Larner to race in the early 1979 Australian Internationals. Larry Perkins took over the drive later in 1979, and also drove the car in the Aurora AFX Formula Pacific Championship in New Zealand in early 1980 and the Australian National Panasonic Formula Pacific series in 1981. Some time about 1985 or 1986, the car was sold to Norm Carr (Victoria) who raced it once or twice before damaging one corner at Calder. When Carr acquired it the chassis plate was missing so he had a new one issued by Roger Andreason at Chevron which read "39-77-B-02". It was still owned by Carr in 2003.
2. Ralt RT4/81 [258] (Bruce Allison): Ralt sales record says sold to Bruce Allison, without delivery date. [Tub no: EDA002, a unique style of number in the record; gearbox: FT1426; fuel cell: JM34731 12/80]. Chassis number given for Allison's car at Selangor GP 29 Nov 81 [NZMA 11 Jan 82 p3] and presumed to be Allison's car in the 1981 Australian and South East Asian races. Chassis number given for Allison's car in NZMA report of 1981 AGP [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]. Sold to Richard Davison for 1982 Australian season - Davison's car at the Calder race of 28 Feb 82 is described in NZMA as 'ex Allison'. Chassis number given for Davison's car at the 1982 AGP. [CT]
3. Ralt RT1/76 [39] (Graeme Lawrence): New to Bruce Allison, and raced in the New Zealand International Formula Pacific series in January 1977. Not seen for the rest of 1977 and through 1978, but sold to Bob Johns in Australia in 1979. Then unseen again until borrowed by Graeme Lawrence for two races at Lakeside in July 1981.
4. Ralt RT1 [145] (Charlie O'Brien): Ralt sales record says sold to Bernard Hunter, delivered 12 Jul 78, but not raced until the 1979 Formula Atlantic season in the UK. Sold to David Duffield for 1980 British Atlantic races. Chassis number given for Ron Barnacle’s car in NZMA report of 1981 AGP, and said to be ex Charlie O’Brien, so presumed to be his car earlier in the 1981 season.
5. March 73B [8] (Graham Brown): 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.
6. March 77B [30] (Ray Hanger): Entered by March for Danny Sullivan in the 1978 New Zealand International series. Sold to Colin Giltrap and entered by him for Dave McMillan at Baypark Mar 1978 then for Larry Perkins in the 1978/79 series. Raced by Desiré Wilson in the Jan/Feb 1980 series then John Smith in Jan 1981. Sold to Ray Hanger (Australia) and used in the 1981 AF1 and Pacific series. Also raced at Shah Alam in October 1981.
7. Ralt RT4/81 [256] (Andrew Miedecke): Ralt sales record says sold to Andrew Meidecke, without delivery date. [Tub no: 81/94; gearbox: FT1423; JM34732 11/80]. The car of Andrew Meidecke in the 1981 Australian season; chassis number given for Meidecke's car in NZMA report of 1981 AGP [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]; chassis number given for Meidecke's car at the Selangor GP 29 Nov 81 [NZMA 11 Jan 82 p3]. [CT]

Sources

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' original 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.