Australian Grand Prix

Calder, 8 Nov 1981

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

Notes on the cars:

1. Ralt RT4/81 [261] (Roberto Moreno): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson, for own use, no delivery date, but appears in UK August 1981. [Tub no: 81/120; gearbox FT1474; fuel cell: JM36677 4/81]. Chassis number observed on Roberto Moreno's car at Australian GP, 1981, [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]. According to Dave McKinney's report of that race, this was the car raced by Watson in the latter stages of the 1981 British season. Chassis number given for Watson's car in NZMA report of the Bay Park race, 3 Jan 82 with a note that it was Moreno's AGP car. AMSYB-82, p167 says that car of Willy Stobart [chassis given as 261] is the car 'Moreno crashed in Macau after the 1981 AGP'. The NZMA report of the Selangor GP says that the car had been rebuilt around a new tub, but it may be that Moreno ran 265 there instead. [CT]
2. Ralt RT4/81 [265] (Nelson Piquet): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson/Pwee, no delivery date. [Tub no: 81/126; gearbox: FT1478; JM36735 6/81] "Pwee" is Gregg 'Peewee' Siddle, who ran the teams of first Nelson Piquet in F3, and then Roberto Moreno in all junior formulae. Chassis number noted in NZMA report on the car of Nelson Piquet at Australian GP 1981 [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]. Chassis number given for Moreno's car in NZMA report of the Bay Park race, 3 Jan 82, and presumed to be the car run by Moreno throughout the NZ series. Chassis number given for Phillip Revell's car at the 1982 AGP and presumed to be the car used by Revell in the 1982 Australian Gold Star series. Revell's car also described by AMSYB-82 p166 as 'ex Piquet 1981 AGP'. [CT]
3. Ralt RT4/81 [262] (Geoff Brabham): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson/Bob Jane, without delivery date. [Tub no: 81/118; Gearbox FT1356; Fuel cell: JM36679 5/81] Chassis number noted in NZMA report as on the car of Geoff Brabham at the AGP 1981, [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]. Chassis number given for Jacques Laffite's car at 1982 AGP. Chassis number given NZMN 21 Jan 83 p16 for the car of Ken Smith at Bay Park, 2 Jan 83. A separate note by Dave McKinney says that this was the car used by Brabham 1981 AGP and Jacques Laffite 1982 AGP. [CT]
4. Ralt RT4/82 [81-276] (Larry Perkins): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson for Rob Handford, without delivery date. [Tub no: 81/131; gearbox: FT1487; fuel cell: JM36739 6/81] Chassis number noted on the car of Larry Perkins, entered by Robert Handford Racing, at AGP, 1981 [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]. A note in the race report says that the car had been given a new tub after a testing accident. AMSYB-82 notes 'the RT4 Larry Perkins drove in the 1981 AGP' [AMSYB-82 p149] for the car used by Handford throughout the 1982 Australian Gold Star season; chassis number given for Handford's car at 1982 AGP. [CT]
5. 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]
6. Ralt RT4/82 [81-275] (Ray Mallock): Ralt sales record says sold to Mallock, delivered 2 Oct 81. [Tub no: gearbox: FT1476; fuel cell: JM36737 6/81]. Ray Mallock's car for Australian GP, 1981 and this number observed on Mallock's car in the NZMA report of that race, [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]. Dave McKinney's report of that race says that the car had been shaken down in a Formula Libre race in Britain. Chassis number given for the car of Hubert Phipps at the 1982 AGP. It is presumed the car was in fact owned by Bob Jane [owner of Calder] and leased to Mallock, and later to Phipps. [CT]
7. 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]
8. Ralt RT4/82 [81-274] (Charlie O'Brien): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson for Charlie O'Brien, delivered 29 Sep 81. O'Brien's car at Shah Alam GP 16-18 Oct 81 is described as 'new' by NZMA. Chassis number given for O'Brien's car in NZMA report of 1981 AGP [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4].
9. Ralt RT4/81 [264] (John Smith): Ralt sales record says sold to Graham Watson/Smith without delivery date. [Tub no: 81/122; gearbox: FT1475; fuel cell: JM36405 4/81]. The car of John Smith: chassis number given for Smith's car in NZMA report of 1981 AGP, [NZMA 23 Nov 81 p4]. Retained by Smith for the 1982 Gold Star season, but very badly damaged in testing before the Adelaide round. [A/S 15 Jul 82 p49; AMSYB-82 p152]. The car was rebuilt around a new Ralt tub. Chassis number given by AMSYB for Smith's car at 1982 AGP so presumably kept the plate. [CT]
10. Ralt RT1/78 [145] (Ron Barnacle): New to Bernard Hunter (Edinburgh, Scotland) in December 1978, and raced in the 1979 British Formula Atlantic series. Also used extensively in libre racing in the north of England in Scotland. Sold to David Duffield for 1980 British Atlantic races and for libre at Ingliston. Then sold to Australian Charlie O’Brien and raced by him in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series in December 1980 and January 1981. Then raced by O'Brien in the National Panasonic Formula Pacific series in Australia later that year. To Ron Barnacle for the Australian Grand Prix in November 1981 and the Australian National F1 Championship in 1982. Subsequent history unknown. In 2011, Grant Martin (Auckland, New Zealand) advertised the ex-O'Brien RT1 No 145.
11. 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.
12. Ralt RT4/81 [263] (Alan Jones): 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]
13. Ralt RT4/81 [273] (Jacques Laffite): 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]
14. Toleman TA860 [HU2] (Peter Williamson): Invoiced to Peter Williamson 16 Sep 1981. Fitted with a Toyota 2T-G Formula Pacific engine, and raced in Williamson in Australian F/Pacific and in some Southeast Asian Formula Pacific events. In 1982 it was crashed heavily at Oran Park, and rebuilt on a new monocoque produced by Liston & Fisher. Williamson raced the car until the end of 1984 when he crashed the car during practice for the Australian Grand Prix, and abruptly announced his retirement from racing. The Toleman was sold to Ken Shirvington who raced it in 1985. Retained by Shirvington thereafter.
15. Ralt RT4/81 [255] (John Bowe): 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]
16. Ralt RT3/81 [203] (Lucio Cesario): Ralt sales record says sold via Graham Watson, delivered 14.1.81. [Tub no: 80/42; gearbox Hewland Mk9 H93599; fuel cell: JM 27166 3/79]. The car was sold to Lucio Cesario who used it, fitted with a VW engine, as an Australian rules F2 car, but running it also in F. Pacific races with considerable success in 1981. [CT]
17. Ralt RT4/82 [81-269] (Mike Rosen): 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]
18. Chevron B39 [39-77-02] (Paul England): 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.
19. Brabham BT35 [36] (Kurt Seeberg): First known when a new F3 Brabham "BT35-36" was advertised by Bill Thompson from London and Brentwood telephone numbers in Autosport in November 1971. Although "BT35-36" could refer to a BT35 updated to Bt36 specification, that makes no sense for a brand new F3 car, so it must be assumed this was a reference to chassis number BT35-36. The advert said that the car had not been raced. This car was next seen 18 months later when it was raced in ANF2 specification by Bob Holden in Australia. It is understood to have been owned by Australian sometime MRD mechanic Ray Pounder at or just before this. It passed to Brian Cameron for 1974, and was raced by him and by Ken Hastings in early 1974. Then to Kurt Seeberg and raced by him from July 1974 to 1981 at least. Later sold to Brian Sampson (Melbourne) in 2003.

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.