New Zealand Grand Prix

Pukekohe, 9 Jan 1971

All cars are 5-litre F5000 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. McLaren M10B [400-02] (Niel Allen): New to Niel Allen (Australia) late 1969, and raced in 1970 and 1971 Tasman series. To Kevin Bartlett for 1971 Australian Gold Star and 1972 Tasman 1972, then to US for at least one race in 1972. Then unknown until bought by Gil Cameron, and raced in Australia from 1975 to 1977. Donated parts to Tony Edmondson's Alfetta Chev sports sedan, and the remainder of the car stored at Elfin during the 1980s. Subsequent history unknown, but later owned by Llynden Riethmuller (Sydney, NSW) in 2007. After Riethmuller's death, sold to Alan Hamilton in 2011, and restored for historic racing. More information about McLaren M10B 400-2
2. McLaren M10B [400-10-2] (Frank Matich): New to Frank Matich (Australia) and fitted with Repco's new Holden V8 F5000 engine for Australian racing. Raced for the first time at Warwick Farm on 12 July 1970 but crashed, and rebuilt on a new tub as "M10C". Next raced at Calder on 18 Oct 1970, then at Australian Grand Prix 22 Nov 1970. Raced in the 1971 Tasman series, then to the US for the L&M series before returning to Australia for the 1971 Gold Star series. Crashed prior to Oran Park 27 June and rebuilt on third tub. To Frank Radisich at the end of 1971 and raced in the 1972 Tasman series, the 1972 Australian Gold Star, and the 1973 Tasman. To Keith Laney (NZ), fitted with a Chevrolet V8 and appeared in the Tasman series in 1974 and 1975. Then to Dennis Phillips for hill climbs 1976, then Russel Greer (Blenheim, NZ) and fitted with a 6.3-litre Chevy to win the 1979/80 NZ hill climb championship. Sold to Peter Addison (Australia) but history then unknown until acquired by Max Warwick (Australia) in the mid-1990s. Raced at Historic Sandown from 1998. Sold to Graham Wadsworth (Melbourne, Australia) 2006.
3. Surtees TS8 [001] (Mike Eyerly): Built for 1971 season. Announced late October 1970. Bonphil Racing for Mike Eyerly Tasman 1971 (where David McKinney observed the chassis number to be '001'). Crashed badly in practice at Warwick Farm and said by Motoring News to be "written off". Returned to the factory for repairs. The rest of the team returned to the US but had hit financial problems and everything was siezed as they came through customs. The equipment, including two Bartz engines but less the missing monocoque, was sold to Phil Palm and Ron Pohl. Although the tub may have been repaired, TS8/01 cannot be considered to exist after the Warwick Farm crash.
4. McLaren M10A [300-06] (Frank Radisich): See full history: McLaren M10A 300-06.
5. Lotus 59/69 [F3-2] (Ken Smith): Entered by Michael Spence Ltd for Tetsu Ikuzawa in F3 in 1969. Autosport noted that he was "giving his 59 its first outing" at Silverstone on 17 May 1969 and Motoring News called it "c/n 2". In September, it was reported that the car had been sold to Eddie Jacobsson, but Izukawa continued with it through October. Then entered by Mike Ticehurst's Motor Racing Enterprises for James Hunt at Thruxon in November. To Mike Stow for 1970 and, after a single F3 race, converted to Formula 2 for David Cole to drive at Crystal Palace in May, where he failed to qualify. Raced by Stow in a libre at Silverstone and then sold to New Zealander Ken Smith who entered it for Gold Star races from October onwards. Raced by Smith in the 1971 Tasman series as a Lotus 69, as the car now had 69-style bodywork, and using a 1.8-litre Cosworth FVC. Retained for Gold Star and International races in 1972, and also used at races in Singapore and at Batu Tiga with a Ford twin cam engine. According to Graeme Vercoe, the car was later owned by Simon Seagrave, Malcolm Webb and Steve Bullot as a Formula Ford car. Vercoe adds that it went via David Manton (Tauranga) to Allan Cattle (Auckland) in 1989. Subsequent history unknown.
6. Brabham BT23C ["17"] (Baron Robertson): Built by Baron Robertson using a new chassis acquired from Racing Frames in England and the remaining parts of BT23C/7 which had been crashed by Roly Levis while testing it for Robertson at Bay Park in December 1969. This car first raced at the start of the 1970/71 New Zealand season where Graham Vercoe says it wore a chassis plate '23/17'. New Zealand motor racing historian David McKinney referred to the car as 'BT23C/17' but did not believe it had any relationship to the car of that number that was still owned at that time by Kurt Buess in Switzerland. Raced by Robertson in New Zealand in 1971 and 1972, and then by Kelvin Cameron in 1973. By 1978 the car was with Frank Macskasy and he has confirmed to Andrew Fellowes that it was destroyed in a garage fire. The engine survived and was sold to Lloyd Evans.
7. Lotus 59/69 [59-F2/XB-40] (David McConnell): New to David McConnell (Montréal, Quebec, Canada) and raced in the SCCA Continental Championship for Formula B series and the Quebec Region Molson Championship during 1970. The car was entered by Jim Russell RDS (Canada) Ltd, and generally wore #86. McConnell then took the car out to New Zealand for the start of the 1971 Tasman Cup, where the car was described as a Lotus 69. After a run of poor results in New Zealand, he fitted an 1800cc Cosworth FVC engine for the Australian rounds, but failed to qualify for the Warwick Farm race. Local Lotus agent Leo Geoghegan tried the car in practice at that event. After one more race, McConnell abandoned the series. The subsequent history of the Lotus 59/69 is unknown.
8. Brabham BT29 [23] (Evan Noyes): Entered by Fred Opert Racing for Evan Noyes (Cedarville, MI) in the 1971 Tasman series, where it was fitted with a 1.8-litre Cosworth FVC. This was not the same BT29 that Noyes had used in Formula B in 1970, as that car was later advertised by Opert in the US. Sold to Graeme Lawrence (New Zealand) after the Tasman series, fitted with a Hart twin cam and used in races in South East Asia in early 1971, then with the FVC again for races in New Zealand and Australia. To Leo Geoghegan for SE Asian races in 1972, then to Ken Smith in New Zealand. Next seen when advertised by Bill David (Taupo, New Zealand) in June 1974, still with its FVC and twin cam engines. Raced by Frank Bray and entered by David in 1975, then to Peter Hughes and fitted with a Fiat engine for 1976, then a BDA for 1977. Observed by David McKinney in 1977 to be chassis BT29/23.
9. Lola T190 [190/F1/1] (Bobby Brown): New to Jerry Hansen and raced at Sebring in December 1969. Also driven by Chuck Parsons (his #44 Aqua Velva T190 at US R1 1970), then by Hansen at the Laguna Seca Pro race on 14 June 1970. Advertised 25 Jul 1970. Apparantly sold to Rich Galloway and raced in the US series, starting from R9 Brainerd 16 Aug 1970. Probably the car used by Galloway Tasman 1971 (crashed by Bobby Brown in practice for R1 but rebuilt for Brown in remaining New Zealand races and then for Galloway in Australia; then crashed at last race. To Charlie Hayes and raced by Bobby Unser at the Questor GP 1971; presumably then the car advertised by Hayes in August 1971. Advertised "Bobby Unser's Questor GP T-190-92" from Los Altos, CA (in the San Francisco Bay Area) April 1972 which would appear to rule it out from being the either the Cal Rayburn or Dick Losk cars. Subsequent history unknown.
10. Lola T192 ['190/F1/6'] (Frank Gardner): Said to be the fourth T192 but does not appear in Lola records. New (?) for Frank Gardner in the 1971 Tasman series; then to Colin Hyams for the 1971 Australian Gold Star, 1972 Australian Internationals, then to America for the 1972 US series. Via Carl Haas to Dan Furey (Columbus, OH) for the US series in 1973 and 1974 - Randall Dana 1975 - Phil Niles 1976 - Bob Danzi 1978 for Single-Seat Can-Am - Dana Seymour 1981 - Brian Blaine 1984 - Bob Young by 1987 - Hans J. Glaser 1992 to 2006. Acquired by Nick Shrigley-Feigl (Ramsey, Isle of Man) by 2010. To Roland David (Vienna, Austria) 2016. More information about Lola T192 "SL.192/14"
11. McLaren M10A [300-10] (Don O'Sullivan): New to Frank Matich (Cremorne, Australia) late 1969. Raced in the 1970 Tasman series, taking four pole positions and winning at Pukekohe and Wigram. Damaged in an accident during a preliminary race at the Singapore GP in March 1970 and replaced with a new M10B. The M10A was repaired, fitted with a Repco Holden engine and sold to Don O'Sullivan, who was entered by Team Matich in the 1971 Tasman series. O'Sullivan crashed at Teretonga and the car was destroyed. Parts were later used in O'Sullivan's Gardos F5000 car.
12. Lola T190 [190/F1/1] (Rich Galloway): New to Jerry Hansen and raced at Sebring in December 1969. Also driven by Chuck Parsons (his #44 Aqua Velva T190 at US R1 1970), then by Hansen at the Laguna Seca Pro race on 14 June 1970. Advertised 25 Jul 1970. Apparantly sold to Rich Galloway and raced in the US series, starting from R9 Brainerd 16 Aug 1970. Probably the car used by Galloway Tasman 1971 (crashed by Bobby Brown in practice for R1 but rebuilt for Brown in remaining New Zealand races and then for Galloway in Australia; then crashed at last race. To Charlie Hayes and raced by Bobby Unser at the Questor GP 1971; presumably then the car advertised by Hayes in August 1971. Advertised "Bobby Unser's Questor GP T-190-92" from Los Altos, CA (in the San Francisco Bay Area) April 1972 which would appear to rule it out from being the either the Cal Rayburn or Dick Losk cars. Subsequent history unknown.

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.

Sources include Autosport, Motoring News, the F1 Register books and Graham Vercoe's books "Historic Racing Cars of New Zealand" and "The Golden Era of New Zealand Motor Racing".

The start point for the 1970 Tasman results was Bruce Sergent's site which contains full reports on all these races. The 1970 results were then augmented by practice times and other information on R1 Levin and R2 Pukekohe (both in Autosport 15 Jan 1970); R3 Wigram (Autosport 29 Jan 1970); R4 Teretonga (Auto News Vol 3 No 14 9 Feb 1970 and Autosport 29 Jan 1970); R5 Surfers Paradise (Auto News Vol 3 No 15 23 Feb 1970 and Autosport 19 Feb 1970); R6 Warwick Farm (Auto News Vol 3 No 16 9 Mar 1970 and Autosport 26 Feb 1970); and R7 Sandown Park (Auto News Vol 3 No 16 9 Mar 1970 and Autosport 26 Feb 1970). Additional qualifying times have been provided by Milan Fistonic.

Individual sources for this event

There were no preliminaries for this race. Qualifying times provided by Wolfgang Klopfer from Motoring News.