Sandown Park Cup

Sandown Park, 27 Feb 1966

All cars are 2.5-litre Tasman unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Brabham BT10 [IC-6-64] (Greg Cusack): Having driven a late-season Brabham BT6 for Scuderia Veloce in 1964, Greg Cusack bought a new Brabham BT10 which carried the non-standard plate 'IC-6-64' and fitted it with a 1500cc Ford twin cam engine for ANF1½ in 1965. The car probably came via Brabham's Australian agent Alec Mildren Pty Ltd. Cusack retained this for the first few months of 1966 and then sold it to Don Macdonald for racing in New Zealand in 1967 and 1968. It then went to Wayne Murdoch for the 1968/69 season and he returned with the car for the 1970 Internationals but it was then described as a BT18. The car was then acquired by Frank Radisich, converted to Formula Ford spec and sold to Peter Mahoney who raced it from 1971 to 1973. It may then have been the "BT18" raced by Ron Duirs in the 1973/74 and 1974/75 seasons. Then unknown until acquired by Richard Armstrong (New Zealand) as a rolling chassis in 1977, who planned to turn it into a hillclimb car with a Lotus-Ford twin-cam engine, but other commitments put paid to those plans. The car has remained in storage with Richard ever since, and, in 2017, his intention was to restore it to NZ National Formula specification.
2. Brabham BT2 [FJ-12-62] (Kevin Bartlett): 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.
3. Cooper T70 [FL-1-64] (John McDonald): New for Tim Mayer to drive as a Bruce McLaren Motor Racing entry in the 1964 Tasman Cup. Mayer finished second at Levin and Teretonga, and third at Pukekohe. For Warwick Farm, he swapped cars with team leader Bruce McLaren, and McLaren then took FL-1-64 to second place at Warwick Farm and at Longford, winning the Tasman Championship by six points from his great rival Jack Brabham, Retained for the 1965 Tasman Cup to be driven by Phil Hill but raced by McLaren at Pukekohe after he damged his new T79 in the Heat. Hill toook three podium finishes in this car. Sold to Bill Patterson and entered for John McDonald in Australian Gold Star events in 1965, in the 1966 Tasman series and in Gold Star again in 1966. Sold to Don O'Sullivan prior to the Internationals in February 1967, but he failed to qualify at Lakeside or at Warwick Farm. O'Sullivan then raced it in Western Australia, primarily at Caversham, in 1967. It was sold to Gordon Stephenson (Perth, WA) in February 1968 and he raced it eight times that season. In March 1969, he sold it to Ken Jones (Hamilton Hill, WA), and it passed from Jones to Ken Barnard (Sydney, NSW). Barnard sold it to Richard Berryman (Melbourne, Victoria) in 1974. Remained with Richard Berryman until 1985 when it passed to his son Adam Berryman (Melbourne, Victoria). An extensive restoration began in 2001 which was finally completed in early 2010. Raced by Adam in the NZ Motor Racing Festival in January 2010, at Winton in August 2010, and at Phillip Island and the Australian Grand Prix historic demonstration in 2011. Now numbered FL/2/64.
4. Cooper T53 (Don O'Sullivan): After Don O'Sullivan wrecked his Cooper T53 F1-5-61 at Warwick Farm in February 1966, he was back out just two weeks later in what appears to have been a completely different car. His new car was shaped like a 1961 T55 or T58, not a 1960 T53, and photographs of it appear to show features unique to the Cooper T58. After retiring on his debut in the car at the Sandown Park Cup, he took it back to Western Australia and raced it at Caversham later in 1966 and in early 1967. O'Sullivan then bought a Cooper T70, and this older car was raced by mechanic Jaime Gard later in 1967. Subsequent history unknown.
5. Cooper T53 [F1-2-61] (Don Fraser): Built for 1961 season. Yeoman Credit Racing (Reg Parnell Racing) 1961 for Roy Salvadori in F1. To Lex Davison (Australia) 1962 and crashed at Longford. Replaced by Jack Brabham's spare car 'F2-17-60'. F1-2-61 was sold damaged to Don Fraser (Australia) 1963, who rebuilt it with a 2.5-litre BRM engine and raced it from 1965 onwards. To Tony Osborne (Australia) 1976. To Don Thallon (Brisbane, Australia) May 1999 and used in historic racing. Raced by Thallon at Zandvoort in 2014 alongside Wulf Goetze's 'F1-1-61' and then returned to Australia.

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.