Australian National F1 Championship Race

Sandown Park, 15 Sep 1985

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

Notes on the cars:

1. Cheetah Mk8 [81-3] (Peter Macrow): Built to Formula Pacific (AF1) specification and delivered to Peter Macrow in February 1983. Macrow raced the car in Formula Pacific in 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986. It was sold to Graham (Graeme?) Smith in 1986, then to Rod Anderson in 1989. The next owner is reported to be a James Sears in 1995. It was next owned by Geoff Turner in 1996, and then to Geoff Wiseman in 1998.
2. Ralt RT4/82 [81-277] (Geoff Nicol): Ralt sales record says sold to Rajah, without delivery date. [Tub no: 81/138; gearbox: FT1420; fuel cell: JM37200 10/81] Chassis number given for Sonny Rajah's car at Selangor GP 29 Nov 81 [NZMA 11 Jan 82 p3]. Chassis number given for the car of Geoff Nicol at the Malaysian GP, 29-30 May 82. [CT]
3. Ralt RT4/81 [263] (Max Freeland): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson/Bob Jane, without delivery date. [Tub no: 81/119; Gearbox FT1480; Fuel cell: JM36736 6/81] Chassis number given in NZMA report for the car of Alan Jones at the 1981 Australian G.P, [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]. A note in A/S concerning Bruce Allison's entry at the Australian Gold Star Round at Calder [1 Aug 82] says that Allison used 'the car run by Jones at the Australian GP' at that race. Chassis number given for Alain Prost's car at the 1982 AGP. [CT]
4. Cheetah Mk8 [82-1] (Arthur Abrahams): Built to ANF2 specification and delivered to Keith McClelland in February 1984. McClelland raced the car in ANF2 in 1984 and 1985, although it has been suggested that the car was in ANF1 specification with a Ford BDD engine at some races. Then bought by Arthur Abrahams and raced in Ignis Fridges livery in 1985. This would be before Abrahams took delivery of a new Mk 8 in February 1987 which became known as the 'Ransburg Cheetah'. The McClelland car was then leased to Mike Hall for three races. It was then purchased by Tom Crozier and raced in ANF2 in 1987. Crozier considered converting the car to the forthcoming Formula Holden but he did not proceed with this. Bought by Peter Jones in December 1987 and raced in ANF2 at Mallala, Winton and Lakeside in 1988. Sold to Arnold Rigby (Wamboin, NSW) in 1989, and retained by Rigby for many years. It was acquired by Andrew Sutton in mid-2023.
5. Ralt RT4/81 [255] (Ross Zampatti): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson/John Bowe, without delivery date. [Tub no: 80/109; gearbox: FT1469; fuel cell: JM34734 11/80]. Chassis number given for Bowe's car in report of 1981 AGP, 6 Nov 81 [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4] and presumed to be Bowe's car earlier in the Australian season. Retained by Bowe for the 1982 season and taken by him to the race at Long Beach as well. Report of the Gold Star round at Oran Park says Bowe 'rushed getting car ready after Long Beach' [NZMA 7 May 82 p20]. Chassis number given for Bowe's car at 1982 AGP. [CT]
6. Ralt RT4/81 [263] (Graham Watson): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson/Bob Jane, without delivery date. [Tub no: 81/119; Gearbox FT1480; Fuel cell: JM36736 6/81] Chassis number given in NZMA report for the car of Alan Jones at the 1981 Australian G.P, [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]. A note in A/S concerning Bruce Allison's entry at the Australian Gold Star Round at Calder [1 Aug 82] says that Allison used 'the car run by Jones at the Australian GP' at that race. Chassis number given for Alain Prost's car at the 1982 AGP. [CT]
7. Ralt RT4/81 [273?] (Keith McClelland): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson/Bob Jane, without delivery date. [Tub no: 81/132; Gearbox FT1486; Fuel cell: JM37174 10/81] Chassis number given in NZMA report for the car of Jacques Laffite at the 1981 AGP, [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]. The car of Ray Hanger at 1982 AGP is described as 'ex Laffite 1981 AGP' [AMSYB-82 p166] and presumed to be the car used by Hanger earlier in the Australian Gold Star series. [CT]
8. Ralt RT4/82 [81-269] (John Beasley): Ralt sales record says sold to Theodore Racing, delivered 2 Oct 81. [Tub no: 81/123; gearbox FT1482; fuel cell JM36678 6/81] Chassis number given by NZMA for the car of Mike Rosen at Bay Park 3 Jan 82. Described by NZMA report as ex-Jarier, so presumed to be Jarier's car at Macau 1981. A note for Paul Radisich's car at the Bay Park Union Travel Championship race 11 Apr 82 [A/S 15 Apr 82 p48] says that this was the car used earlier in the year by Mike Rosen. Paul Radisich's car at Adelaide 4 Jul 82 is described as 'ex Mike Rosen' [AMSYB-82 p153] Chassis number given for Paul Radisich's car at 1982 AGP, and presumed to be the car used by him throughout the 1982 Australian Gold Star series. Chassis number given NZMN 21 Jan 83 p16 for the car of Paul Radisich at Bay Park, 2 Jan 83. [CT]
9. Cheetah Mk8 [81-1] (Ray Bond): Built to Formula Pacific (AF1) specification and delivered to Chris Hocking on 2 June 1982. Hocking raced the car in Formula Pacific in 1982 and early 1983. It was then converted to ANF2 using a VW Golf engine. Sold to Ray Bond (Wangaratta, Victoria) in August 1984 and raced in ANF2 until November 1991. It was then retained unused until sold to Kevin Lewis in November 2003. Sold to Edward Gavin (NSW) in December 2005, and used by him in Australian historic racing.
10. Ralt RT4/81 [256] (Terry Ryan): 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

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.

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.

Individual sources for this event

Top 10 finishers from Australian Motor Racing Year 1985-86, provided by Mark Bisset. Entry list provided by Stephen Dalton.