OldRacingCars.com

Sandown Park Cup

Sandown Park, 4 Feb 1979

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Alfredo Costanzo Lola T430 [HU1] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 1)
40 42m 13.9s
2 Geoff Lees (F1) 3-litre Ensign N177 [MN09] - Cosworth DFV V8
40
3 David Kennedy (F1) 3-litre Wolf [WR4] - Cosworth DFV V8
40
4 Kevin Bartlett Lola T400B [HU1] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 2)
40
5 Vern Schuppan Elfin MR8B-C [8783-2] - Chevrolet V8
40
6 Jim Richards Matich A51/A53 [005] - Repco Holden V8
40
7 Larry Perkins Elfin MR8-C [8761] - Chevrolet V8
40
8 Graham McRae McRae GM3 [01] - Chevrolet V8
40
9 Terry Hook Lola T332 [HU28] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 3)
40
10 Rob Butcher Lola T330 [HU8] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 4)
37
11 David "Salt" Walther McRae GM1 [015] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 5)
37
12 Wolfgang Prejawa (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 763/76B - Ford BDA
37
R Colin Bond Brabham BT43 [1] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 6)

R Peter Larner (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B39/B45 [39-77-02] - Ford BDA
(see note 7)

R John McCormack (F5000) 4.9-litre McLaren M23 [2] - Leyland P76 Repco V8

R Colin Trengove Lola T332 ['071-084'] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 8)

R Johnnie Walker Lola T332 ['HU22-3'] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 9)

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

R Jon Davison Lola T332 [HU34] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 10)

R Chas Talbot Lola T332 [HU36] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 11)

R John Wright Lola T400 [HU15] - Chevrolet V8
(see note 12)

DNSC Warwick Brown Lola T333/T332C [HU1] - Chevrolet V8
[Racing Team VDS]
Did not start (crashed)
DNA Barry Singleton Gardos BL1 - Repco Holden V8
Did not arrive
DNA Mel McEwin Matich A53/A55 [007] - Repco Holden V8
Did not arrive

All cars are 5-litre F5000 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Alfredo Costanzo (F5000) 5-litre Lola T430 [HU1] - Chevrolet V8 1m 01.3s
2 Warwick Brown * (F5000) 5-litre Lola T333/T332C [HU1] - Chevrolet V8 1m 01.4s
3 Jon Davison (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU34] - Chevrolet V8 1m 02.1s
4 Larry Perkins (F5000) 5-litre Elfin MR8-C [8761] - Chevrolet V8 1m 02.2s
5 Vern Schuppan (F5000) 5-litre Elfin MR8B-C [8783-2] - Chevrolet V8 1m 02.3s
6 Geoff Lees (F1) 3-litre Ensign N177 [MN09] - Cosworth DFV V8 1m 02.5s
7 Kevin Bartlett (F5000) 5-litre Lola T400B [HU1] - Chevrolet V8 1m 02.6s
8 Johnnie Walker (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 ['HU22-3'] - Chevrolet V8 1m 03.0s
9 Jim Richards (F5000) 5-litre Matich A51/A53 [005] - Repco Holden V8 1m 03.0s
10 Colin Bond (F5000) 5-litre Brabham BT43 [1] - Chevrolet V8 1m 03.1s
11 Terry Hook (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU28] - Chevrolet V8 1m 03.1s
12 Graham McRae (F5000) 5-litre McRae GM3 [01] - Chevrolet V8 1m 03.2s
13 David Kennedy (F1) 3-litre Wolf [WR4] - Cosworth DFV V8 1m 03.3s
14 Rob Butcher (F5000) 5-litre Lola T330 [HU8] - Chevrolet V8 1m 04.7s
15 John Wright (F5000) 5-litre Lola T400 [HU15] - Chevrolet V8 1m 06.6s
16 Chas Talbot (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU36] - Chevrolet V8 1m 07.2s
17 Peter Edwards (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [T330 HU23(B)] - Chevrolet V8 1m 07.2s
18 David "Salt" Walther (F5000) 5-litre McRae GM1 [015] - Chevrolet V8 1m 07.4s
19 Wolfgang Prejawa (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 763/76B - Ford BDA 1m 08.6s
20 Peter Larner (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Chevron B39/B45 [39-77-02] - Ford BDA 1m 09.0s
21 John McCormack (F5000) 4.9-litre McLaren M23 [2] - Leyland P76 Repco V8 1m 36.8s
22 Colin Trengove (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 ['071-084'] - Chevrolet V8 no time
 
* 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 T400B [HU1] (Kevin Bartlett): See full history: Lola T400 HU1.
  3. Lola T332 [HU28] (Terry Hook): Graeme Lawrence (NZ) for Tasman 1974, New Zealand Gold Star 1974; Tasman 1975; Tasman 1976; Gold Star Oct/Nov 1976; Australian Internationals 1977 - Terry Hook (Aus) Australian Internationals 1978, Australian Internationals 1979; heavily crashed at a club event at Lakeside 21 Jun 1981. Rebuilt by March 1982 by Chas Talbot on a new tub. Sold to Bob Minogue and Pete Brennan in the mid-1980s who sold the rear end to Peter Bick to complete his ex-Davison HU34. The ex-Hook car was then built up with other parts and sold to Manuel Jimenez who in turn passed it to Murray Richards (Murrumbeena, Australia). To David Sharp (New Zealand) 1993. To Murray Sinclair (Hong Kong, and Christchurch, New Zealand) 2001, and raced in the F5000 Tasman Revival from 2003 to 2007. To Russell Greer (Blenheim, New Zealand) 2007, who continued to race it in the Revival series. More information about Lola T332 HU28
  4. 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
  5. McRae GM1 [015] (David "Salt" Walther): Longer wheelbase car built for Graham McRae and raced in the 1973 British season. To Ian Ward Racing early 1974 and modified as "Ward KS1" but not raced in this form. It was then sold to Chris Featherstone and raced by him once at the end of 1974, then through the 1975 and 1976 seasons. After a single race at the start of 1977, the car was raced by Keith Holland in four races later in the year, and then by Featherstone in the Australian Rothmans series in February 1978. To Gary Dumbrell (Australia) 1978, then to Bob Tomlinson 1978, and then to Salt Walther 1979 for the 1979 Rothmans series, but it may be that Lee Seaton of Thomson Motor Auctions owned it though this period. Sold to Ray Gibbs (Australia) September 1979 and kept by him until sold to Stuart Lush (Auckland, New Zealand) 2000, and raced at Historic Sandown that year and in 2001. Lush raced it in the Tasman Cup Revival series from 2003 to 2015, during which time it was also raced by Chris Hyde in the 2009/10 season and by Greg Thornton in the 2012/13 season. Lush also raced the car in England during the Kiwis' visits to the UK in 2005 and 2008, and at Road America in 2014. Lush sold it to its former driver Garry Dumbrell in 2016, and after Dumbrell died in October 2021, it was sold to Peter Brennan (Melbourne, Australia) in December 2021. More information about McRae GM1-015
  6. Brabham BT43 [1] (Colin Bond): Brabham BT43/1 race history.
  7. Chevron B39/B45 [39-77-02] (Peter Larner): 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.
  8. Lola T332 ['071-084'] (Colin Trengove): See full history: Lola T330 HU7.
  9. 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'
  10. Lola T332 [HU34] (Jon Davison): See full history: Lola T332 HU34.
  11. Lola T332 [HU36] (Chas Talbot): See full history: Lola T332 HU36.
  12. Lola T400 [HU15] (John Wright): See full history: Lola T400 HU15.

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.

Rothmans series results have been collated and checked by Glenn Moulds from the widest possible range of sources: Racing Car News, Australian Auto Action, Car & Driver Australia, Chequered Flag, Motor Sport Reporter and Australian Competition Yearbook. Elfin material has been checked against "Australia's Elfin Sports and Racing Cars".

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.

Individual sources for this event

Practice times, race time, and laps completed provided by Wolfgang Klopfer from Australian Motor Racing Yearbook.

Qualifying times provided by Wolfgang Klopfer from Motoring News.