XXX AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
 Location - Longford Aust  Laps - 26  Distance - 188.29 km  Date - 01/03/65  Weather - Fine
ENTRY LIST
No. DRIVER ENTRANT MAKE ENGINE
1 Graham Hill Scuderia Veloce Brabham BT11A Climax FPF
2 Kerry Grant Scuderia Veloce Brabham BT4 Climax FPF
3 Frank Matich Total Team Brabham BT7A Climax FPF
4 Jack Brabham Ecurie Vitesse Brabham BT11A Climax FPF
5 Jim Palmer George Palmer Brabham BT7A Climax FPF
6 Bib Stillwell B.S. Stillwell Brabham BT11A Climax FPF
7 Frank Gardner Alec Mildren Racing Brabham BT11A Climax FPF
14 Lex Davison Ecurie Australie Brabham BT4 Climax FPF
19 Geoff McClelland Geoff McClelland Brabham BT2 Ford 1.5
21 Roly Levis Roly Levis Brabham BT6 Ford 1.5
22 Barry Collerson Hunter & Delbridge Brabham BT2 Ford 1.5
26 John McDonald Bill Patterson Motors Cooper T53 Climax FPF
10 Bruce McLaren Bruce McLaren Racing Cooper T79 Climax FPF
11 Phil Hill Bruce McLaren Racing Cooper T70/79 Climax FPF
12 Rocky Tresise Ecurie Australie Ecurie Australie Climax FPF
15 Jack Hobden Louise Hobden Cooper T51 Climax FPF
16 Andy Brown Andy Brown Elfin Mono 100 Clisby V6 1.5
18 Mel McEwin Mel McEwin Elfin FJ Ford 1.5
20 Lyn Archer Lyn Archer Motors Elfin FJ Ford 1.5
23 Bob Jane Bob Jane Autoland Elfin Mono 100 Ford 1.5
40 David Hallam David Hallam Elfin FJ Janim 1.1
8 Jim Clark Team Lotus Lotus 32B Climax FPF
17 Glyn Scott Glyn Scott Motors Lotus 27 Ford 1.5
25 Les Howard Howard & Sons Racing Lotus 27 Ford 1.5

The front row of what was to become a classic raceOn the weekend of February 27/March 1, the access roads around the sleepy town of Longford underwent their yearly transformation into Australia's finest and fastest road Circuit. The International Circus, plus Australia's finest equipes had assembled for the 7th and final round of the Tasman Cup series the 30th Australian Grand Prix. The circuit consists of a short Pit Straight, narrowing into a full chat right hander, downhill through a tight Ess bend under a brick railway viaduct, over Kings Bridge, then through the streets of Longford, around a rightangle hander past the pub, over a railway crossing, down Tannery straight touching 160 into sharp right Tannery Corner, drift onto Long Bridge with its attendant skin divers, and rescue craft, around the tricky right hand Newry Corner, climb a small rise then down the flying mile, reaching speeds in excess of 170 then round the very slow 90 degree Mountford Corner to complete the lap.

THE 30th Australian Grand Prix will go down in history as the fastest, most exciting and most tragic Grand Epreuve ever held in this country. All existing speed records for any race were broken. Bruce McLaren, Jack Brabham and Co. gave us Motor Racing of a calibre seen rarely anywhere in the world and the untimely and tragic death of Rocky Tresise, following so closely on that of his teacher and Patron, Lex Davison, makes it the most tragic race we have seen. Although he won the race, and he most certainly earned his victory, Bruce McLaren took second place in the hearts of the 30,000 crowd at Longford. Almost to a man the crowd was with Jack Brabham. This would have been his fourth A.G.P. and a race he dearly wanted to win.Under the Viaduct on Lap 1

Practice began on Friday afternoon in warm and overcast conditions, with a session for open wheelers and big sports cars. All drivers lapped quietly, familiarising themselves with the 4.5 mile long circuit, then Touring cars came out while mechanics changed final drive ratios and made adjustments to the formula Tasman machines.

During this session a train crossing the circuit banked cars up along Tannery and as they were released en masse, a spectacular pile-up occurred when Robbie Lawrence (Holden) spun in front of John Pooley, who shunted Lawrence, then bounced off the bank into ' John Goss (Holden) and Lyn Archer (Mini 'S'). Six cars shot up the escape road while 11 others halted in various attitudes around the bent sedans.

The track was cleared for the second racing car practice and the pressure was on this time, as 100 bottles of champagne was to be presented to the driver gaining fastest lap, following the custom at Reims which has often been compared with Longford.

The field streams into Pub Corner for the first timeBrabham began by cutting .2 off the record with a 2:21.3 (114.64), then lowered this to 2:20.6. Graham Hill turned in a 2:20.5 and Brabham answered with a fantastic 2:19.5. Excitement was high and the atmosphere electric around the circuit as the battle of tactics heightened with McLaren equalling Brabham's time and Phil Hill and Jim Clark undercutting the record.

Brabham then lowered his time to 2:19.3, but McLaren came back with a staggering and unbeatable 2:18.5 to demoralise the opposition and win the champagne.

During the session Jim Clark's Lotus was suffering from persistent but not severe misfiring which, despite an engine change, was to last for the entire meeting. The only driver making an off course excursion was Kerry Grant, who nudged the bank at Newry, damaging the nose of his Repco Brabham.

MCLAREN TAKES EARLY LEAD

Right from the word go the game was on in earnest! Bruce McLaren shot to the lead closely followed by Brabham, G. Hill, Clark, Gardner, Matich, Stillwell and P. Hill. Out of Newry and up the flying mile they went and the pace was really on. Matich, Stillwell and P. Hill moved up ahead of Gardner and Brabham was hounding McLaren as they went through Mountford for the first time.

The leaders were already pulling away from the rest of the field which was headed by Roly Levis, then Bob Jane, Glyn Scott and Rocky Tresise. As these cars accelerated past the pits Rocky tried to overtake Levis, who had just been passed by Jane, when he got out of control and crashed through the fence at the trackside. The terrible result of this accident is known to all and I will not dwell on this unfortunate accident.Graham Hill oversteering through Pub

BRABHAM TAKES MCLAREN BRIEFLY

For three laps the order was unchanged except that Phil Hill had forced his way through to fourth place behind Graham Hill. On lap 4 Brabham put in a burst and took McLaren as they braked for Mountford. Bob Jane had retired the Elfin at this stage with a noisy motor and likewise Grant and Archer were out at the pits.

Brabham held the lead for the next three laps until McLaren swept past on Tannery Straight and led again. In third place was G. Hill, followed closely by P. Hill and Clark, who were swapping places at any and all opportunity and in the most unlikely places.

Lap 8 saw Frank Matich stop briefly at the pits, then resume the race behind Jim Palmer. Gardner went wide at Longford and lost a couple of places and the order on lap 9 was McLaren, Brabham, G. Hill, Clark, P. Hill, Stillwell, Palmer, Matich, McDonald, Gardner, Levis, Scott, Hobden and McEwin.

This was rapidly changed, however, as P. Hill took Clark at Tannery on lap 10, Gardner repassed McDonald in lap 12 and Brabham started recordbreaking and took McLaren at Mountford again on lap 13 after recording 2:19.9. Jim Clark also slipped up a place when Phil Hill missed a gear out of Newry.

MATICH IN LUCKY ESCAPE

McLaren takes the flagMatich had retaken Palmer and was chasing Stillwell when his front suspension collapsed as he was braking for Mountford (at some 160+ mph) and he took the escape road with the front wheels at a most alarming angle.

Lap 14 and McLaren replied to Brabham's record by clipping .5 sec. off it and repassing him at Tannery. Then G. Hill thought he would get into the act and he started cornering by bouncing the Brabham off various parts of the scenery and he also took Jack.

This was not to be Jack's day. As he was closing on the leaders again at Mountford he passed Levis on the outside, lined up for the corner and, as he was turning, Levis locked up a brake and sailed right into the side of Brabham's car, hitting the right back wheel and sending him spinning up the escape road towards Perth.

Jack recovered, shot into the pits for a quick check to find the weights and a one-inch piece of rim missing! Nothing daunted he sped off, now of course in fifth place between Jim Clark and Bib Stillwell. Bruce McLaren, meanwhile, had recorded 2:19.0 and then 2:18.8, just to show that he was really trying.

One lap later (17) Bruce recorded his fastest lap of the race at 2:18.4 while Jack Brabham was hanging the tail out at Newry in a desperate effort to regain his former placing. During the next 10 laps we were treated to Motor Racing par excellence.

Not only was Jack Brabham driving at ten-tenths and better but also Phil Hill turned on the form that won him a World Championship. On lap 19 P. Hill went past Clark to take third place. Before the lap was over, Brabham had also passed Clark and was trying to get around the flying Hill.

NEW RECORD TO FLYING BRABHAM

Next time around and Brabham had taken Hill at Tannery after a blistering 2:18.7 lap. Hill fought back and regainedRace Winner McLaren the third spot a lap later as they raced down Tannery Straight recording the then record lap of 2:18.2. His glory was shortlived, though, as Brabham did an all time record lap at 2:18.0 on the next lap and went into third behind Graham Hill.

For the next few laps it was anybody's race. McLaren was slowing after putting in a 2.18.5 on lap 22 as he was having clutch trouble and was changing gears without the clutch for the last two or three laps. Phil Hill screamed past Brabham again at Tannery and then took G. Hill at Mountford to run into second to team-mate McLaren.

The gap to McLaren was closing now as the three cars behind got quicker and quicker. Graham Hill returned his fastest lap of the day at the finish with a 2.19.7, but he couldn't recatch the two cars in front.

MCLAREN WINS BRABHAM'S RACE

In a desperate effort with only three laps to go, Jack Brabham went past Phil Hill on the flying mile and was second to McLaren at Mountford. Phil responded with a 2:18.3 lap but Jack was getting faster and faster. He all but made up the leeway to McLaren and was a mere 3.3 secs. behind as the flag fell for McLaren's A.G.P. Phil Hill brought the Cooper into third, then followed G. Hill, Clark and Stillwell.

In the 1500 class, although there wasn't a class prize, Glyn Scott was first home and Roly Levis crashed at Tannery Corner on the last lap, although the results gave him as second to Scott. He was taken to hospital for facial cuts and a suspected broken nose. He was reported next day to be in a satisfactory condition.
 
RACE RESULTS
POSITION LAPS TIME
1. McLaren 26 1:01'10.9
2. Brabham 26 1:01'14.3 FL:2'18.0
3. Hill (P) 26 1:01'15.8
4. Hill (G) 26 1:01'18.8
5. Clark 26 1:01'19.3
6. Stillwell 26 1:02'25.1
7. Palmer 25 .
8. Gardner 23 .
9. Scott 23 .
10. Levis 22 Accident
11. McDonald 22 .
12. Hobden 21 .
13. McEwin 19 .
Matich 14 DNF:Suspension
Jane 04 DNF:Gearbox
Archer 04 DNF:Engine
Grant 03 DNF:Stopped
Tresise 01 DNF:Fatal Accident
Article submitted by Ray Bell

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