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1960s Tasman Revival Meeting - Eastern Creek, Sydney 1st - 3rd December 2006
Living the dream...
The Event
The meeting was held over three days (1-3 December 2006) with practice and qualifying on the Friday and racing on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday was the preserve of cars up to 1969 when the Tasman Cup was run for 2.5 litre cars.
While Formula One ran 1.5 liter capacity engines during the early 1960s (till 1966 when it went 3-litre), the Southern Hemisphere had a 2.5 litre formula that was suited to the Coventry Climax engine. The Tasman Cup began in 1964 and ran the maximum 2.5 litre rule until 'liberalization' in 1970. The 1960s Tasman Revival meeting embraced all the developments from that era of racing, along with saluting the drivers, the cars and the behind the scenes personnel.
While the Northern Hemisphere shivered during its winter months, Australia and New Zealand (and to a lesser degree, in Southeast Asia and Macau) bathed in sunshine and attracted the Formula One gaggle. Fabulous cars and some of the greatest drivers of all time made the journey to New Zealand and Australia during the summers of the ‘swinging sixties’. While the Tasman Cup was held at Warwick Farm ("The Farm"), this Revival event was held at Eastern Creek ("The Creek").
Entrants from outside Australia:
From the UK Classic Team Lotus, Lotus 32B, Driver Malcolm Rickets * This 32B was driven by Jim Clark to win the 1965 Tasman Championship before going to Greg Cusack Classic Team Lotus, Lotus 49B, Driver Dan Collins * This car was driven by Jochen Rindt in the 1969 Tasman (won in the wet at Warwick Farm)
Classic Team Lotus, Lotus 58, Driver Denis Welch (Austin Healey Bathurst) * The experimental car built for Graham Hill for the 1969 Tasman, tested but never raced after Graham found out that Rindt would be in a Lotus 49. Hill insisted on bringing a Lotus 49 too. The Tasman committee are hopeful of having Clive Chapman attend as well
Other UK entrants Brabham BT7 Climax V8 Driver James King (from USA) * The first ever Brabham to win a Grand Prix (Dan Gurney)
Kieft Climax V8 Bill Morris Driver Greg Snape (from Australia) * This one was built for the 1954 F1 season but never raced until 5 years ago!
Lola T100 F2 Paul Busby
Cooper Type 79 Bob Woodward (from USA) * This one was driven by Bruce McLaren in the 1965 Tasman series From the USA Brabham BT23C Phil Harris Brabham BT4 Climax 2.5 David Jacobs * Driven by Jack Brabham 1963 Tasman. Also won the 1963 AGP. Lotus 35 Climax 2.5 John Dimmer Driver Carolyn Dimmer Tyrrell 004 John Dimmer * The ex-Jackie Stewart Formula 1 car Ferrari 246 T (Chris Amon's car from the 1968 Tasman before going to Graeme Lawrence) * scheduled to make the journey has developed an engine malady and is unable to make the sea-freight container, but the owner Graham Adelman understands the significance of the car to this meeting and has told the Tasman Revival committee that if it can be ready in time, he will airfreight the car here for the meeting.
From NZ Brabham BT22 Climax 2.5 Roger Munns BT18 Twin Cam F2 Eli Solomon (car from the US but now in New Zealand, driver from Singapore, FIA license from Hong Kong) Below Left to Right: BT18 at Teretonga's Castrol Loop in 2005, in the wet; The twin cam now installed; BT18 on a trailer about to head to Auckland for shipping to Eastern Creek, October 2006
Begg Daimler Brian Grant - Photo below shows Grant's Begg Damiler at Teretonga Park in 2005
Those that attended the event:
Frank Gardner - the event Patron
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The more famous names from Australia and NZ who raced during the period - Leo Geoghegan, Kevin "KB" Bartlett, Spencer Martin, Johnny Harvey, Frank Matich, Bob Jane, Roly Levis, Graeme Lawrence, Denis Marwood, Bill Stone, Charlie Smith, Barry Collerson, Greg Cusack, Fred Gibson, Lionel Ayres, John Leffler and many others.
Of the above, the following raced in Asia during the period:
Leo Geoghegan - A late started in the Asian racing scene, Geoghegan first took part in Asia in the 1972 Singapore GP using Graeme Lawrence's BT30 which was entered by Doug Lawrence. He also ran an Opel in the Saloon and Tourers event that year. The following year Geoghegan arrived in the Alcock-designed Birrana 273 Ford TC [chassis 007] and actually led the main GP for fifteen laps till the engine began to stutter as result of a malfunction in the master switch on the roll-over bar. Geoghegan's problems sorted, he set about blowing the lap record (on the 9th lap), knowing a win was out of the question. He had to pit again later, but the record was his at 1:54.9 (94.71 mph) and he completed 41 laps for ninth place.
Kevin Bartlett - One of the first of the Aussies to come over to Asia to race with proper backing. In Bartlett's case, backing was from Alec Mildren. Bartlett entered the Macao GP eight times, winning once, in 1969 with the Mildren Waggott. Both Bartlett and Max Stewart were better known for driving the "Yellow Submarine" Alfa V8 2.5-litre cars. Until the final Singapore GP in 1973, Barttlett held the official fastest lap time for the Singapore GP which he set in 1970 in the Mildren Alfa V8 at 1min 55.5 sec. Photo below shows "Big Rev Kev" after winning the Macao GP in 1969 in the Mildren Waggott.
Frank Matich - One event in Asia - the Singapore GP of 1970 in the Rothmans Team McLaren M10A Traco Chevy 4992cc F5000 car (which had won the NZ GP). Matich had lost his M10 in practice on Thursday doing 160mph on the Thomson Straight. The car lost its nose cone, amongst other things, and all he could do was manage 5th fastest in practice. Matich was to have a torrid time again in the preliminary race on the Saturday with a front tyre puncture on the 3rd lap. By lap 8 he was out with engine trouble. He wasn't able to get his car ready for the Sunday race and also withdrew from the Selangor GP at Batu Tiga due the following weekend. It was said that his crew pushed the car away with “all its impedimenta of spare wheels, engine, gear box and air conditioned caravan and (were) not seen again.”
Roly Levis - ran a BT23C FVA in Singapore and Batu Tiga in 1969, the year Graeme Lawrence won both races back to back in his McLaren M4A. Yet in both events it was Roly who set FTD.
Graeme Lawrence - Triple Singapore GP champ from 1969-1971 plus prolific winner in Malaysia. Graeme's results in Asia speak for themselves: Singapore GP - 1st 1969; 1st 1970; 1st 1971 Selangor Circuit Race - 1st 1969 Selangor GP – 1st 1970; 1st 1971 Malaysian GP – 1st 1978; 2nd 1979 Macau GP - 3rd 1973; 2nd 1976
Greg Cusack - was the hot favourite when he entered the 1966 Singapore GP with a Brabham BT6 Formula Jr. Cusack went to Asia together with Max Stahl, Editor of RCN. Cusack had the option of running his most recent purchase - Jim Clark's 1965 Tasman winning Lotus 32B Climax but decided to run the BT6 instead. This 32B will be at the Revival, entered by Classic Team Lotus and driven by Malcolm Rickets. * Cusack Singapore GP notes from 1966 - In the main GP race on Easter Monday, Lee Han Seng won in a new record of 2:29.41.9 hrs with Rodney Seow's Merlyn Mk7 2nd, Tony Goodwin's Lotus 20B 3rd. Lap record was set by Cusack at 2:15.13 at 83mph on lap 38 but on lap 42 his Brabham spun into the embankment at Devil's and suffered clutch and gear linkage problems. He finished 4th.
Winners of the 1960s Tasman Series - Tasman Cup winners (1964-1969) were:
Notable names who raced the series included Sterling Moss, Phil Hill, Graham Hill, Dan Gurney, John Surtees and Jack Brabham. Local names included everyone who raced in that parted of the world - Frank Gardner, Leo Geoghegan, Kevin Bartlett, Spencer Martin, Frank Matich, John Harvey, Graeme Lawrence and Roly Levis.
From 1970, the Tasman formula was liberalized to admit the American 'A' and British Formula 5000 5-litre V8. For the first time cars could run standard push-rod motors up to 5-litres or racing engines up to 2.5-litres (based on the old Formula Tasman). The National Formula Championship capacity was also raised to 1600cc.
About the the Brabham BT18 and the C2P Racing BT18 Twin Cam that has been invited to enter the event:
Brabham BT18 Twin Cam - The original configuration for the BT18 was as an F2 or F3. It was then converted to F2 for the Tasman Series. First time a Brabham BT18 raced in the Tasman Series was in 1967 when Graeme Lawrence and Roly Levis were the only two who drove BT18 Twin Cams at Pukekohe in January 1967. The BT18s were nowhere to be found in the Australian series however, Jack Brabham opting for a Repco V8 powered BT23A with Denny Hulme in a BT19 Repco V8. For 1968, both Graeme and Roly continued with their BT18 with Ford engines. Once again, neither ran in the Australian races. With the proliferation of wings in 1969, the BT18 would have been totally outclassed and yet David Oxton ran a BT18 with 1498cc engine, as did Allan McCully and John Nicholson. Graeme Lawrence had since progressed to a McLaren M4A with a 1600cc Cosworth, while Roly Levis had a BT23C with a similar engine. Both these cars were run successfully in the Singapore and Malaysian Grand Prix with Graeme and Roly taking 1-2 at both events in 1969. The BT18's life in the Tasman Series didn't end in 1969 and in 1970, Graham Watson had one with a 1600cc Ford engine against some seriously powerful F5000 cars (and Graeme Lawrence's 2.4-litre Ferrari Dino 246T). Wayne Murdoch raced one as well in NZ that year.
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