Australian Gold Star Race

Symmons Plains, 3 Mar 1969

All cars are 2.5-litre Tasman unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Mildren 'Mono' (Kevin Bartlett): Designed by Len Bailey and built by Alan Mann Racing for Alec Mildren Racing in Australia in late 1968, when it was raced by Frank Gardner using one of 2.5-litre Alfa T33 V8 engines from the team's Brabham BT23D. Raced by Gardner in the 1969 Tasman series, then by Kevin Bartlett in the 1969 Gold Star series. Later in 1969 it was fitted a Waggott TC4V engine, and Bartlett used it in this form in the 1970 Tasman and the 1970 Gold Star. It was sold to Bob Muir at the end of 1970 and raced by him through 1971 and early 1972, both with his 2-litre Waggott engine and with a Ford twin cam engine for Southeast Asian events. Then to Ray Winter and used in ANF2 in 1973 and 1974. Winter used the car again on occasion in 1975 and 1976. Later on, when the new single-cam Australian F2 was introduced, the old Mildren was raced in that category by Greg Ferrall. Then unknown until acquired by Lionel Ayres and restored. The car was retained by Bruce Ayres after his father Lionel's death in 2013.
2. McLaren M4A [M4A/2] (Niel Allen): Entered by John Coombes for Piers Courage in F2 in 1967. Crashed at Brands Hatch in August 1967 and believed to have been rebuilt on a new tub before its next race at Albi four weeks later, but Autosport makes no mention of a rebuild nor of it being a new car. Raced by Piers Courage in the 1968 Tasman series. Sold to Niel Allen and raced in Australian events in 1968 until Allen crashed heavily at Lakeside in July, reportedly requiring another new tub to be fabricated. Raced again by Allen in 1969, then to Pat Burke for drivers Len Goodwin 1970-71 and Warwick Brown 1971. Sold by Burke and Peter Malloy to Erol Richardson but bought back by Pat Burke around 1982. Restored by Molloy for Burke and retained until sold to John Hugenholtz. To David Coplowe (England) by 1994. Raced in the HSCC Historic Formula Racing Car Championship in 1995. Raced by Coplowe until 2010, and sold to Gareth Williams (Oxfordshire) in 2012.
3. McLaren M4A [M4A/1] (Alfredo Costanzo): Entered by Bruce McLaren Motor Racing for Bruce McLaren in F2 in 1967. Sold to Jim Palmer (NZ) 1968, then to Tony Osborne's Argo Racing in Australia July 1968, driven by Peter Macrow in 1968 and then Alfredo Costanzo from 1968 to 1971. To Ken Hastings mid-1971, who swapped the FVA for a Ford twin-cam for 1972, and the to John Sheppard August 1973. Fitted with a 1300cc Toyota Corolla engine by Geoff Kennett 1974. Later Tony Armstrong (Victoria, Australia) in November 1982 and rebuilt around 1985. At Christie's Melbourne auction 1990 where it was sold to Art Valdez (Torrance, CA). It remained in Valdez' collection for many years, until sold to a UK consortium in 2017.
4. Brabham BT4 [IC-1-62] (John McCormack): New for Jack Brabham to drive at the November 1962 Australian GP. Used by Brabham in the New Zealand Internationals in January 1963, winning at Levin, then sold to Dave McKay's Scuderia Veloce for the Australian International races the following month. Raced by Graham Hill for McKay in the 1964 Tasman series, winning the Longford race in March. To Len Southward's Lesco Racing Team for Kerry Grant to drive during the 1964/65 season, and for Neil Whittaker in 1965/66. Sold to John McCormack (Davenport, Tasmania) and raced on through the next three seasons. From McCormack to John Blanden (Adelaide, South Australia) in 1978 and extensively rebuilt. To Ken Messenger (Adelaide) March 1982, then to Art Valdez (Torrance, CA) in 1986, and remained in his collection for many years, until sold to a UK consortium in 2017.
5. Brabham BT23E [1] (John Harvey): Built for Jack Brabham to use in the 1968 Tasman series and fitted with the latest "overhead everything" lightweight 2.5-litre Repco 830 V8. However, after an oil leak in practice at Warwick Farm, Repco supplied a replacement 740-series engine for the race. Also raced by Brabham at Sandown Park, this time with the 830 engine. Sold to Bob Jane Racing but crashed by John Harvey in practice at Bathurst in April. It was then raced by Jim Palmer, Ian Cook, and Bob Jane himself in a minor race at Calder. Then crashed again by Allan Moffat in practice at Sandown Park in September. For Harvey again in the 1969 Australian Gold Star, the 1970 Tasman series (Warwick Farm and Sandown Park only) and for the first race of the 1970 Australian Gold Star (won at Symmons Plains March 1970). Then sold to Bob 'Woody' Curran and fitted with a Ford twin cam for ANF2 racing in Tasmania from 1971 to 1977. From Curran to David Madrers in the early 1980s who started a restoration. He sold it in 1983 to Bill Marshall who completed the restoration and used it in historic racing in Australia. Then sold via Ray Delaney (Melbourne, Australia) to Art Valdez (Torrance, CA) in late 1990, and remained in his collection for many years, until sold to the Rare Metals consortium in the UK in 2017. Bought from the consortium by Aaron Lewis (Australia) and rebuilt for him by Tony Ditheridge's Hawker Racing (Milden, Suffolk).

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.