Australian Gold Star Race
Sandown Park, 22 Feb 1981
| Results | Laps | Time/Speed | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alfredo Costanzo | McLaren M26 [4] - Chevrolet V8 #84 Alan Hamilton |
20 | 20m 53.7s |
|||||
| 2 | John Bowe | Elfin MR9 [80231] - Chevrolet V8 #12 Ansett Team Elfin |
20 | 22.05.8* |
|||||
| 3 | Rob Butcher | Lola T332 [T330 HU8] - Chevrolet V8 #10 John Blanden (see note 1) |
19 | ||||||
| 4 | Peter Edwards | Lola T332 [T330 HU23(B)] - Chevrolet V8 #21 Peter Edwards |
19 | ||||||
| 5 | Colin Trengove | Lola T332 ['071-084'] - Chevrolet V8 #34 Trengove Racing Cars (see note 2) |
19 | ||||||
| 6 | Ray Hanger | (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 77B [30] - Ford BDA #48 Ray Hangar (see note 3) |
17 | ||||||
| 7 | Peter "Chris" Middleton | Elfin MR8-C [8761] - Chevrolet V8 #5 Peter Middleton |
17 | ||||||
| R | Chas Talbot | Lola T332 [HU36a] - Chevrolet V8 #3 Chas Talbot (see note 4) |
12 | Punctures/damaged rims | |||||
| R | John Wright | Lola T400 [HU15] - Chevrolet V8 #76 John Wright (see note 5) |
2 | Leaking rocker cover | |||||
| DNS | Garrie Cooper | Elfin MR9 [80231] - Chevrolet V8 #12 Ansett Team Elfin |
Did not start (Bowe drove in race) |
||||||
| DNA | Jon Davison | Lola T332 [HU34] - Chevrolet V8 #4 Formula 1 Automotive (see note 6) |
Did not arrive | ||||||
| DNA | Max McGinley | (F/Pac) 1.6-litre Birrana #6 Max McGinley |
Did not arrive | ||||||
| DNA | TBA | Elfin MR8-C - Chevrolet V8 #11 Ansett Team Elfin |
Did not arrive | ||||||
| DNA | Mel McEwin | Matich A53 [007] - Repco Holden V8 #17 Mel McEwin |
Did not arrive | ||||||
| DNA | Russell Davidson | (F5000) March 732/A ["732-15"] #70 Russell Davidson (see note 7) |
Did not arrive | ||||||
| DNA | Alfredo Costanzo | Lola T430 [HU1] - Chevrolet V8 #84 Alan Hamilton (see note 8) |
Did not arrive | ||||||
All cars are 5-litre F5000 unless noted.
| Qualifying | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alfredo Costanzo | (F5000) 5-litre McLaren M26 [4] - Chevrolet V8 | 00.59.7 | ||
| 2 | John Wright | (F5000) 5-litre Lola T400 [HU15] - Chevrolet V8 | 01.01.1 | ||
| 3 | Peter "Chris" Middleton | (F5000) 5-litre Elfin MR8-C [8761] - Chevrolet V8 | 01.03.8 | ||
| 4 | John Bowe | (F5000) 5-litre Elfin MR9 [80231] - Chevrolet V8 | 01.02.9 | ||
| 5 | Rob Butcher | (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [T330 HU8] - Chevrolet V8 | 01.03.9 | ||
| 6 | Peter Edwards | (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [T330 HU23(B)] - Chevrolet V8 | 01.05.6 | ||
| 7 | Colin Trengove | (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 ['071-084'] - Chevrolet V8 | 01.09.7 | ||
| 8 | Chas Talbot | (F5000) 5-litre Lola T332 [HU36a] - Chevrolet V8 | 01.10.8 | ||
| 9 | Ray Hanger | (F/Pac) 1.6-litre March 77B [30] - Ford BDA | 01.11.9 | ||
Notes on the cars:
- Lola T332 [T330 HU8] (Rob Butcher): To Haas/Hall and developed by Jim Hall with revised bodywork, radiators and rear wing for Brian Redman in the 1973 US series. Then to Rogers Racing for Larry Harley in the 1974 US series. To Ken Smith (New Zealand) for the 1974/75 season, the New Zealand and Australian Internationals 1976. To Chris Milton (South Australia) and raced in Australia from Sep 1977 to Sep 1978. To John Blanden 1978, and driven for him by Rob Butcher from 1979 to 1982. To Bib Stillwell 1988 for Australian historic racing. To Noel Robson (Melbourne, Australia) 1993, and raced in Australian historic racing for many years. More information about Lola T330 HU8
- Lola T332 ['071-084'] (Colin Trengove): See full history: Lola T330 HU7.
- 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.
- Lola T332 [HU36a] (Chas Talbot): See full history: Lola T332 HU36.
- Lola T400 [HU15] (John Wright): See full history: Lola T400 HU15.
- Lola T332 [HU34] (Jon Davison): See full history: Lola T332 HU34.
- March 732/A ["732-15"] (Russell Davidson): Reported to have been bought from Jock Topin's Ecurie Santos (Watford, UK) and imported to Australia by Ray Gibbs (East Malvern, Victoria, Australia) in 1978. Entered by Gibbs for Russell Davidson in the Australian ARCO Graphite series in 1980. To Ron Cullen (Sydney, NSW) about 1996 and restored, then to Graham Smith (Bellbrae, Victoria) late 2000/early 2001. Raced by Smith in F5000 Revival Series races in early 2006, and in Australian historic races including the Australian Grand Prix support races in 2009 and 2010. Sold by Smith to an unknown owner in Victoria in 2014. Sold at auction in April 2016 to Rob Splatt. More information about March 732/73A 'the second Gibbs car'
- Lola T430 [HU1] (Alfredo Costanzo): VDS for Teddy Pilette US 1976 (6 races; best result 3rd at R3 Mosport Park 20 Jun); used as spare car to Brown's HU2 in Australian Internationals 1977 - Alan Hamilton (Australia): used as spare car; maybe Jon Davison's car Australian Gold Star 1977 (R1 Surfers Paradise 28 Aug 1977 only). Built up after Hamilton's crash at the 1978 Australian GP and raced by Alfredo Costanzo: Australian Gold Star 1978; Australian Internationals 1979 (won at Sandown Park and Adelaide); Australian Gold Star 1979 (won at Sandown 9 Sep); Australian Gold Star 1980 (won at Sandown 14 Sep and Winton 26 Oct); Australian GP 1980 (4th) - Bob Minogue: Australian Gold Star 1981, Arco Graphic 1981/82. Minogue still holds several lap records in Australia, including the Sandown International circuit record for F5000, set on 2 Mar 1986 and the Historic F5000 record at Winton on 30 May 1993. Subsequently sold to Gavin Bain, then to Graham Cameron, who raced it at Historic Sandown in 2000. To David Abbott (Christchurch, NZ) by 2002, and raced in the F5000 Tasman Revival regularly from 2003 to 2008, when Abbott moved over to his newly rebuilt HU2. Then raced by Ken Smith in the series from 2008 to 2010.
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.
Australian Gold Star results for the period 1971-1976 are now available from a variety Australian magazines and yearbooks. As well as Racing Car News, results have been cross-checked against the 1972 Australian Motoring Yearbook and the 1973 and 1974 Australian Competition Yearbooks. Information is added from Autosport where available. The 1975 season was collated by Glenn Moulds using Racing Car News, Australian Auto Action, Chequered Flag, Australian Competition Year, "50 Years Of The Australian Grand Prix" and "Australia's Elfin Sports and Racing Cars". For the 1976 season, Glenn was also able to use Motor Sport Reporter from R3 Calder onwards.
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
Results for Sandown Park from Milan Fistonic, using Motor Racing Yearbook.