GRAHAM HILL, fresh from his New Zealand G.P. win, added the Australian G.P. to his list at Lakeside on February 20 with a masterful drive in a race of varied misfortunes.

The thirty-first A.G.P. went to Lakeside, a demanding high-speed short circuit, a circuit which in the past has offered so much excitement that it came as no surprise to find an incident-packed race as the open wheelers battled it out. The sunny season started officially on Friday with extended sessions for the big boys, and in-betweens for the tiddlers.

Tyres were soon sorted out, and as Hill and Clark got under way (both having competed previously on the circuit, the lap record belonging to Clark) one expected these old masters to soon get under the 55-second lap. However, Clark's Lotus was misfiring badly (tiger hair in the carbie jets) and Hill, though making full use of the five gears and 10,000 screaming revs. of the V8, managed only 55.5 secs., which proved fastest of the day. Stewart preferred to await Saturday before fully extending himself on the new circuit, and the most startling performances came from the 1.5 litre machines, several lapping around 57 sets., well ahead of many celebrated 2.5-litre jobs.

STEWART SCORES FASTEST TIME

Saturday's weather appeared kind early in the day and, after Friday's heat, the low cloud and cool breeze promised ideal racing conditions. Hill soon scored 55.6 sets., and Stewart, keeping faithful to his promise, did a long spin in the first session, cracking Hill's best time by a 10th of second, after fifteen laps. Clark still had not sorted out fuel pump and carburetion troubles but managed 57 secs. Gardner, showing more polish than ever before, scored a beautiful 55.8 secs. in the Mildren Brabham, and Martin hit 57 secs. in the Scuderia Veloce Brabham. Palmer in another big banger managed 58.3, while Leo Geoghegan better the 1.5 boys with 57.6, followed by Bartlett on 58 secs., Cusack 58.7, Harvey 59.1 and Scott 59.3 secs.

Light showers spoiled the second session, but Clark stayed out for some thirty laps till the circuit had dried and using all his skill managed a 56.6 lap. Martin also bettered his previous best with 56.9 sets. while all others were content to study the wet circuit just in case Sunday dawned that way.

BARTLETT STIRS UP GEOGHEGAN, CUSACK

Saturday's programme included four short events, and the final ten-lapper was for Aust. 1.5 litre Formula machines. Geoghegan and Bartlett sat on the front row, and as the flag fell, the Mildren boy floored the BRM-Ford motor and the little Brabham scorched away in a series of tail wobbles to open out a ten yard lead on Geoghegan. Scott and Cusack. Bartlett left the approach to BMC Karrussell wide open and Geoghegan, using plenty of grass verge, forced his way up the inside to emerge ahead of the field, left to find their own way through the shower of stones. Bartlett soon recovered, and lapping repeatedly on 58 secs., kept the eager Cusack Brabham at bay. Cusack tried desperately to peg the yellow car, drawing right under the tail pipe in the back straight and East loop, but finding Bartlett too quick through Shell on the sweep into the straight to draw the Castrol car through at the only spot where the gates were wide open. This dice continued for seven laps when Bartlett swept through slower machinery in the Esso Elbow in a beautiful maneuver that put Cusack back some forty yards.

Geoghegan went on to a fifty-yard win, setting fastest lap of 57.5 sees., while Bartlett squeezed into second spot a few yards over Cusack, these two setting fastest laps of 57.9 and 57.8 respectively. Scott headed in Jane. Howard and Levis in a race that really showed the promise of excitement from the coming 1.5L Formula.

HILL TAKES FIRST HEAT

Sunday's programme got under way in cloudy, hot conditions and Hill and Gardner rolled into the front stalls for the first heat, a quick ten-lapper designed to give the spectators more for their money (four dollars!).

Gardner made a beautiful start, and though Hill screamed the V8 up to maximum revs. in an effort to draw clear, the green Brabham was right under the high abbreviated end of the BRM as the field headed into BMC. Martin, Bartlett, McEwin. Jane and Buchanan followed while Harvey, Bolton and Williams tailed the field. Hill settled down, the BRM sounding like a St. Trinians' choir, but very much in control as Martin and Gardner fought out the placings. Harvey and Buchanan closed hard on to Jane, these three adding interest to the tail of the field. Buchanan pushed the 2.5-litre Brabham past Jane's little Elfin in the Elbow on the fourth lap, Harvey being left in behind. Jane swept up B.P. in hot pursuit. but his race ended here as a half shaft let go, Harvey very neatly avoiding the writhing tube as it thrashed itself into the verge.

The race pattern settled and Bartlett, steering the Brabham with short power bursts, hung gamely on the heels of the big bangers, being by far the fastest through the big BMC loop, and scoring a great fourth spot behind Hill. Gardner and Martin. Hill scored fastest lap of 56 sets., four-tenths quicker than Gardner.

STEWART CLINCHES HEAT 2 FOR BRM

Jackie Stewart sat in pole for the second ten-lap heat alongside Jim Clark's Lotus. which still showed signs of fuel trouble despite further overnight attempts to clear up the problems.

Stewart roared away to a perfect start, going well away from Clark, who was followed through BMC by Geoghegan. Palmer and Cusack. McDonald, Marwood, Scott and Howard followed, with Levis and Max Stewart well back. By lap three, Stewart, lapping just over 56 sets., had opened up an 80-yard lead on the ailing Clark, while Palmer and Cusack used the gravel repeatedly in their efforts to gain on the flying Geoghegan, tenaciously holding third spot. Palmer slowly made ground, leaving Cusack all alone, and closing well on Geoghegan, while Scott had a great battle with Howard at the rear of the field.

Stewart went on to an easy win for BRM, with Clark clear of Geoghegan in third spot. Stewart set fastest lap of 56.1 secs., while Clark chalked up a gallant 56.2 secs., Geoghegan managed 57.4 secs., three-tenths outside Cusack's record.

CONTROVERSY

A motor race meeting would indeed be somewhat funny peculiar without a pre-race controversy and, true to form, Lakeside scored with a beauty. It seems the new Shell Bridge was located without final approval from the people who look after the safety interest around a circuit, and, true to form, these people didn't like it. Seems the huge steel supports on the outer end were too close to the circuit, blocking some eight feet of former "grace space" in an area that's nearer to God than most (ask Matich!). Anyway, all was solved well past the eleventh hour by three rows of formidable Armco fence, and to render the bridge well-nigh useless, it was to be used only between races. That's progress!

The thing that really hurt the A.G.P. was a new restriction on circuit capacity. Formerly a full grid was eighteen, and it was hoped that the A.G.P. could be extended to twenty, but alas, it was restricted to FIFTEEN! The task of selecting this final fifteen was indeed a dirty one, for when the fastest fifteen was decided, we were left with two who had broken the minute, both 1.5-litre cars, including a Kiwi (brought out at great expense?) and several more on the minute. Now, these were not slow cars, and over 66 laps they surely could have found a place and, as eventuated, more starters could have enlivened the second half of the event.

STEWART GOES TO THE FRONT

Hill and Stewart pulled into pole seats after a few fast warm-up laps, their BRM's sounding like a midnight cats' chorus, with Gardner and Clark tucked in behind. The BRM's both had huge wallops of dry ice packed around the fuel tanks ("Racing in the tropics, you know, old chap!"), while Clark looked most unhappy on second row, the Lotus giving only 75% power and the huge Firestones giving Clark one hell of a problem on Lakeside's recently developed lumpy patches (saw Clark talking often in quiet corners with some big wheel from an English rubber company).

Stewart and Hill brought a new thrill to Lakeside as the two V8 motors screamed to the BMC Karussel, Stewart edging into the lead from Hill, then Clark and Gardner closely bunched with Gardner looking most satisfied. Martin slipped by, then followed a great battling pack, headed by Palmer, Geoghegan, Cusack and Bartlett, Marwood, Harvey and Buchanan. McDonald and Scott headed the tail-ender, McEwin.

Stewart swept through the standing lap in 61.8 sees., with Hill a half-second away, well clear of Clark, who was being shadowed by Gardner. Martin slipped into a slot all by himself and Bartlett eased back a few yards to let Geoghegan and Cusack hound Palmer's 2.5L Lotus for fifth spot. So the field settled, Stewart and Hill really flying, lapping to either side of 56 secs., and pulling away from Clark and Gardner, who, it seemed, had the power to go by Clark, but also had a big boss who said to sit in behind and wait.

CUSACK OPENS OUT

Cusack made the first break on lap four, the little Brabham gathering in Geoghegan in the straight to run right under Palmer's tail as BMC appeared.

The race pitch at this stage had the crowd running from vantage point to vantage point, a rare thing in open wheel competition, and to really set seal on excitement, the tail closed up and made a magnificent show as Marwood, Harvey, Buchanan, McDonald and Scott raced wheel to wheel. Stewart and Hill opened up a seven second lead over Clark in as many laps, and McEwin, lapped at this stage, pitted to solve his problems. Buchanan went past Harvey on the eleventh, this group not missing Marwood, who retired on the eighth with falling oil pressure, leaving Scott and McDonald to hound them along.

The BRM motors now showed signs of trouble, and it seems the dry ice, which was intended to cool the fuel, had caused moisture condensation inside the tanks. Water in petrol was never a great idea and it certainly ruined the note of the V8, though lap times showed no fall as yet. By lap fifteen the order remained Stewart & Hill nose to tail, ten secs. to Clark and Gardner, some distance to Martin, then the great battles between Palmer, Cusack and Geoghegan, with Bartlett some 100 yards away, then our fierce group headed by McDonald and Buchanan, who had changed places several times with Scott and Harvey, who was relegated to the tail when Scott went through on the inside of the East loop.

Cusack and Geoghegan closed well on to Palmer, being hampered by falling oil pressure and tired front shock absorbers, while Hill and Stewart gathered in Bartlett for the first time. Buchanan was now left with only Scott and Harvey as McDonald retired.

CUSACK, GEOGHEGAN IN BINGLE

Race drama occurred on the 28th lap as Palmer headed up into the East loop, braked early and Cusack, sitting right on his tail, nosed into a rear tire, sending the Brabham into a half-spin. Geoghegan arrived from his place a few feet back, catching Cusack and sending him off into a full spin. The Brabham stopped, facing back down the hill as Harvey arrived at a great rate (had just been lapped by Cusack & Geoghegan) and neatly swerved to avoid Cusack. Flag marshals soon restarted Cusack, who drew into retirement with torn rubber doughnuts three laps later. Geoghegan set off at full bore, but eased back and pitted when he found his steering badly affected (must be a great sensation to sweep through the elbow and find the front wheels pointing the wrong way!). The Lotus had bent a top front wishbone and though quickly straightened to allow Geoghegan back in the race, his pace was now much much slower, gallantly creeping the last 12 laps to the finish.

STEWART BLOWS GEARBOX

The excitement hadn't settled before Stewart ended his day as the gear box on the BRM blew, leaving a great oil slick through Shell and a quarter of an inch gaping crack right round the box casing. Hill now slipped into a winning position, easing back a few secs a lap while Clark and Gardner gradually closed the gap. McEwin finally gave up with fuel pump trouble after twenty-six laps, leaving a field of ten at the halfway mark. Martin was the next casualty, packing in another fuel pump after forty-six laps while holding an easy fourth spot. Bartlett now headed the 1.5-litre class and, though lapped again by Hill, was obviously driving to a great pattern.

MILDREN TEAM IN GREAT COUP

Hill sat comfortably, though a little fluffily, at the head of the field, and as the checkered flag drew nearer, Gardner closed on Clark, showing now the power that he had held in reserve for over sixty laps. The Mildren car swept by the ailing Clark, and though Clark showed beautiful mastery in sweeping the hopelessly underpowered Lotus through the corners, his race was run.

Scott seized a final opportunity on the last lap, slipping past the 2.5-litre Brabham of Buchanan in the East loop after Buchanan had clobbered the kerb. Scott filled second spot in the 1.5-litre class behind Bartlett, after the greatest race of his long career.

Hill went on to a great win from Gardner and Clark, with Palmer fourth and Bartlett fifth. Scott filled sixth place, ahead of Buchanan and Harvey. Mildren's team, dogged by lousy luck early in the Tasman series, really had a field day, taking second and fifth outright, and first in the 1.5-litre class.