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VI SANDOWN INTERNATIONAL
Location -
Sandown
Park Aust
Laps -
52
Distance -
160.55 km
Date -
26/02/67
Weather -
Fine |
|
ENTRY LIST |
|
No. |
DRIVER |
ENTRANT |
MAKE |
ENGINE |
|
1 |
Jack
Brabham |
Brabham Racing Org. |
Brabham BT23A |
Repco V8 2.5 |
|
2 |
Denis Hulme |
Brabham Racing Org. |
Brabham BT22 |
Repco V8 2.5 |
|
7 |
Kevin Bartlett |
Alec
Mildren Racing |
Brabham BT11A |
Climax FPF |
|
8 |
Frank Gardner |
Alec
Mildren Racing |
Brabham BT23B |
Climax FPF |
|
9 |
Spencer Martin |
Bob
Jane Racing |
Brabham BT11A |
Climax FPF |
|
10 |
John
Harvey |
R.R.C. Phillips |
Brabham BT14 |
Ford
1.8 |
|
15 |
Paul
Bolton |
Rorstan Racing |
Brabham BT7A |
Climax FPF |
|
28 |
Mike
Champion |
Competition Cars |
Brabham BT2 |
Ford
1.5 |
|
3 |
Jackie Stewart |
R.H.H. Parnell |
BRM
P261 |
BRM
V8 2.1 |
|
4 |
Chris Irwin |
R.H.H. Parnell |
BRM
P261 |
BRM
V8 2.1 |
|
? |
Peter Macrow |
R.P.
Creed |
Cheetah MkII |
Ford
1.5 |
|
60 |
Don
Fraser |
Don
Fraser |
Cicada |
BRM
2.5 |
|
12 |
Don
O'Sullivan |
F.D.
O'Sullivan |
Cooper T70/79 |
Climax FPF |
|
21 |
Ian
Cook |
Ian
Cook |
Elfin Mono 100 |
Ford
1.5 |
|
16 |
Mel McEwin |
Mel
McEwin |
Elfin Mono 100 |
Ford
1.5 |
|
30 |
Jack Hunnam |
Jack
Hunnam Motors |
Elfin Mono 100 |
Ford
1.5 |
|
24 |
Mike
Fenwick |
Vern
White Motors |
Elfin FJ |
Ford
1.5 |
|
39 |
David Collins |
Amoco Swan St |
Elfin Mono 100 |
Ford
1.5 |
|
41 |
Dean Rainsford |
Tudor Access |
Elfin FJ |
Ford
1.5 |
|
52 |
John
Walker |
Gilbert Motors |
Elfin Mono 100 |
Ford
1.5 |
|
50 |
Clive Millis |
Merlynston Motors |
Elfin Mono 100 |
Ford
1.5 |
|
6 |
Jim
Clark |
Team
Lotus |
Lotus 33 |
Climax V8 2.0 |
|
11 |
Leo
Geoghegan |
Geoghegan Racing |
Lotus 39 |
Climax FPF |
|
20 |
Glyn Scott |
Glyn
Scott Motors |
Lotus 27 |
Ford
1.5 |
|
40 |
Max Volkers |
Motor Racing Comp. |
MRC
Lotus 22 |
Ford
1.5 |
|
45 |
Alton Boddenberg |
Advance Motors |
Lotus 32 |
Ford
1.5 |
|
36 |
Barry Wraith |
Barry Wraith |
Wren |
Ford
1.5 |
|
 After a
blistering practice session on Saturday which left
the lap record of last year's International Sandown
Cup looking like the time you would need just to
qualify. Jim Clark was thinking about what to do for
Longford to gain some points for the Tasman.
Jackie Stewart started things with a screaming
1:06.1, the first 105 m.p.h. lap at Sandown a full
1.6 secs. under the record. Brabham came out for a
look, darted back to the pits, turned in 1:07.7 back
for more adjustments, out again 1:06.6, still not
good enough as Stewart pulled -another 6.1, so out
once more in the final session to burn rubber with a
5.9, then 'three 5.7's in a row!
Stewart tried again for a 6.2, Denny Hulme went down
to 6.6 while Clark's best was a 1:07.5. Chris Irwin
followed Stewart around and brought his. time to a
respectable 1:09.2. Gardner was on 8.5, Martin 8.9,
Geoghegan 9.3 and Bartlett did a 9.7. Unlucky was
newcomer to the big cars, Paul Bolton.. In ten
consecutive lays he went like this, 26.4;
19.7; 17.0; 16.3; 14.7; 14.6; 13.8; 12.1;
10.7; and 09.7! Then he overdid things in the Esses
and crunched the armco at Dandenong Rd. corner,
wiping the rear end out of the Brabham. He was
offered a drive in the Cooper by Don O'Sullivan but
the Stewards would not let him run as he hadn't
practised in the car. (Bet if any of the
Internationals were in a similar position a special
session would have been arranged somehow!)
J.B. hit the front off the grid for the 10-lap
qualifying heat, while Stewart and Gardner were slow
away. Clark shot the Lotus in behind Brabham but
Hulme was second into Shell.
Stewart took Clark into Peters and chased
after Hulme as Brabham cleared away on Mobil
Straight. Behind was Clark followed by Gardner,
Martin, Bartlett, Irwin, Harvey and Leo Geoghegan
well back, after stalling on the grid and getting
away well back in last place.
Jackie Stewart closed with Hulme on lap 2 as Spencer
Martin squeezed past Gardner on brakes at Shell.
Stewart
 came up on the inside of the Kiwi at Shell
next lap and slipped under him
to take second slot. Hulme squirted the Repco
hard and almost regained second at Lukey's.
Meanwhile Leo Geoghegan was coming up and he
passed John Harvey and set out after Bartlett.
The Martin/Gardner duel was really on and the lap
times were soon tumbled.
Gardner found a 1:08.4 and went by the red car at
Shell on the 4th lap but Spencer rallied with a
1:08.2 to take the Australian resident record and
close on Gardner's yellow Brabham.
Stewart was pulling 156 m.p.h. on the BP Straight in
an effort to catch J.B., but Brabham replied. by
doing an official 1:05.7, a new record. The best the
small Scot could do was a close 1:05.9, before being
content to settle for second spot.
Spencer Martin again challenged Frank Gardner and
almost went past at Shell on lap 7. He came out of
the dog-leg on Mobil Straight just a bit quicker and
shot past at Lukey's to snatch 5th spot. Denny Hulme
and Jim Clark circulated quietly for 3rd and 4th and
Leo Geoghegan eventually took Kev Bartlett and
closed to within a few seconds of Chris Irwin. As
Brabham crossed the line the Repco's timing chain
let go and his crew were faced with an engine change
before the main race, 21 hours later! They did it,
too!!
Down the flag fell for the 101-mile Sandown Cup Jack
Brabham was off to a perfect start, with Jim Clark
slipping through from the second row past an almost
stalled Jackie Stewart. Stewart quickly recovered,
however, and was second at Shell followed by Clark,
Hulme, Gardner, Martin, Irwin, Geoghegan, Bartlett,
Harvey, Scott, Cook and the others.
On the run to Lukey's, Hulme took Clark for third,
while Martin shot. past Gardner at Dandenong Road.
 In the 1.5 litre class, Glyn Scott took an early
lead from Ian Cook and there was nothing between
them for the first five laps. On lap 5 Cook slipped
under Scott at Shell and started to build up a
slight lead.
First real excitement came on lap ten as Jackie
Stewart came alongside Brabham at Shell for the
third consecutive lap.
This time he braked a fraction later and was through
to lead. But all was not
right in the Brabham camp as Jack slowed on Mobil
Straight and coasted to a stop around Dandenong Rd.
corner. This left Stewart well clear, but only half
a lap later the wee Scot was out on Mobil Straight
with a broken crown wheel and pinion and the new
leader was Denny Hulme.
Close behind and getting quicker was Jim Clark, and
on lap 14 he went under Hulme in a delightful
passing manoeuvre at Shell. Hulme got the message,
though, and took him back on the long run up Lukey
Hill. Meanwhile, Brabham had located the reason for
his engine failure the pick-up wire from the
flywheel to his transistorised ignition had come
adrift. Risking burns from the underside of the hot
engine, he replaced the wire and crept slowly back
to the pits for a more permanent repair.
Ian Cook, after a spin which put him back behind
Glyn Scott, was again challenging but found the gate
shut at every corner. Hunnam pitted the Elfin with a
leaking fuel tank.
Attention now switched to the threeway battle
between Spencer Martin, Frank Gardner and Leo
Geoghegan. These three were nose-to-tailing it all
over the circuit. Martin had held a narrow lead from
Gardner all the way and Leo was challenging the
yellow car (Gardner's) at every opportunity. Both
the locals were showing superb driving skill with
the experienced Frank Gardner having his work cut
out to keep them apart.
By lap 23 Clark was right on Hulme's tail again and
several times we had seen him draw alongside into
Shell. On
 this lap his tactics paid off and he led
out of Shell, past the pits. Two laps later they
lapped Bartlett and Irwin, who were circulating in
close company.
More drama a lap later! Denny Hulme was in pit row
with a handful of the wrong gears. The box had
jammed in two gears at once and he was out. A
surprised Clark was now the leader and he had the
Tasman series in his grasp!
Lap 31 saw the end of Spencer Martin's epic drive as
he sheared a half shaft accelerating from Peter's
Corner and parked the Brabham beside Stewart's BRM.
As Martin retired, Leo shot past Gardner to take
over second spot almost half a lap behind the flying
Jim Clark. Interest now centred on the 1500 dice
with Cook trying everything to get past Scott. They
closed at each corner and actually touched wheels on
one occasion. Ian slipped under Scott at Peter's on
the 26th lap and held this position for another ten
laps. Now, Geoghegan
steadily opened up a lead from Gardner, while
further back the Bartlett/Irwin dice continued. John
Harvey was having a lonely drive, sighting the
faster cars occasionally as they lapped him and
seeing the 1500 cars every now and then as he went
past them.
 Lap 36 saw Leo Geoghegan and Frank Gardner about to
lap Scott and Cook down BP Straight.- In the braking
area Cook moved to the outside to let Leo through
and Scott hopped in behind and passed on the inside
ahead of Gardner. Cook swapped. to the inside and
'retook the blue car into Peter's and made Sure he
stayed there for the duration of the event.
At the same time Brabham rejoined the race after an
agonisingly long pitstop, but his gesture was
appreciated by the crowd and they greeted his return
accordingly.
Mel McEwin pulled into the pits at 39-laps and
Macrow was left to finish third in the 1500 class.
Clark took the chequered flag 59 mins. 9.9 secs.
after the start and Leo Geoghegan was home some 50
secs later for second outright and first Australian
home. Gardner finished 9 secs. behind for third and
Irwin and Bartlett took 4th and 5th a lap behind.
Harvey was down four laps, as was Cools, who won the
1500 class from Scott and Macrow. Jack Brabham
completed 29 laps, but equaled the fastest lap of
the race with Stewart at 1:06.9.
A race of changing fortunes
and one of the best of the Tasman series as
no less than four different drivers led at different
stages. The driving of Geoghegan. Martin and
Bartlett augurs well for the coming "Gold Star."
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RACE RESULTS |
|
POSITION |
LAPS |
TIME |
|
1.
Clark |
52 |
0:59'09.9 |
|
2.
Geoghegan |
52 |
0:59'59.5 |
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3.
Gardner |
52 |
1:00'08.6 |
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4.
Irwin |
51 |
. |
|
5.
Bartlett |
51 |
. |
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6.
Harvey |
48 |
. |
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7.
Cook |
48 |
. |
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8.
Scott |
47 |
. |
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9.
Macrow |
47 |
. |
|
10. McEwin |
39 |
. |
|
Martin |
31 |
Half Shaft |
|
11. Brabham |
29 |
FL:1'06.9 |
|
Hulme |
26 |
DNF:Gearbox |
|
Hunnam |
16 |
DNF:Fuel Leak |
|
Stewart |
10 |
DNF:Crown Wheel & Pinion |
|
Millis |
? |
DNF:? |
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Written
by Adrian Ryan for
RCN. Article
submitted by Milan Fistonic
Every
effort has been made to trace the owners of
copyright and we apologise to any we have been
unable to contact |
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