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VIII SOUTH PACIFIC TROPHY
Location -
Longford Aust
Laps -
28
Distance -
202.78 km
Date -
05/03/67
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 |
|
? |
Kevin Bartlett |
Alec
Mildren Racing |
Brabham BT11A |
Climax FPF |
|
? |
Frank Gardner |
Alec
Mildren Racing |
Brabham BT23B |
Climax FPF |
|
9 |
Spencer Martin |
Bob
Jane Racing |
Brabham BT11A |
Climax FPF |
|
? |
Paul
Bolton |
Rorstan Racing |
Brabham BT7A |
Climax FPF |
|
? |
John
Harvey |
R.C.
Phillips |
Brabham BT14 |
Ford
1.8 |
|
? |
Jackie Stewart |
R.H.H. Parnell |
BRM
P261 |
BRM
V8 2.1 |
|
? |
Chris Irwin |
R.H.H. Parnell |
BRM
P261 |
BRM
V8 2.1 |
|
? |
Don
O'Sullivan |
F.D.
O'Sullivan |
Cooper T70/79 |
Climax FPF |
|
? |
Graham Hill |
Team
Lotus |
Lotus 48 |
Cosworth FVA |
|
6 |
Jim
Clark |
Team
Lotus |
Lotus 33 |
Climax V8 2.0 |
|
? |
Leo
Geoghegan |
Geoghegan Racing Div. |
Lotus 39 |
Climax FPF |
|
 The "No
Vacancies" signs were out in the northern Tasmanian
city of Launceston, marking the annual influx of
Tasmanians, mainlanders and Internationals for the
long weekend of March 4-6. It was the final round of
the Tasman Cup series, Longford.
World Champion Jack Brabham underlined his title
with convincing wins in the three open-wheel events
while Bob Jane and "Pete" Geoghegan dominated their
respective Sports and Touring car races.
It was cold and bleak for the Friday
afternoon official practice and the wind was such
that drivers joked about what sails to set and
talked seriously of fitting spoilers.
The B.R.M. team lost no time in getting started,
with Stewart settling in quickly and soon getting
down to near record times, then breaking his
standing record with a lap of 2:17.0 for the
4.5-mile road circuit.
Before a train across the circuit held up
proceedings, Brabham had got down to 2:16.4, with
team-mate Hulme a little slower at 2:17.1, while
Clark recorded 2:17.6; Martin was the best of the
Aussies, at 2:20.0; then Irwin in number two B.R.M.
2:23:5, Gardner 2:24.1 and Bartlett 2:27.3.
Leo Geoghegan managed only a few slow laps
and then retired with a dropped valve in the Climax
which had performed so well at Warwick Farm and
Sandown. Stewart finished the first session with the
quickest lap at 2:13:4 the first to surpass the 120
mark average speed.
The B.R.M's. were first out again for the second
racing car practice and, with 100 bottles of
champagne at stake, Stewart's time tumbled quickly
from 2:22.4 to 2:14.2. Although he was slower this
session, his previous time was good enough to
challenge the Brabham team, which began circulating
in close company with just 15 minutes of the session
left.
The usual excitement of times repeatedly established
and beaten was missing this year but the interest
still
 remained for, with Hulme slipstreaming,
Brabham turned in a 2:16.0, 2:15.3, 2:14.7, then
ending to equal Stewart's best at 2:13.4.
In an hilarious presentation ceremony the
pair decided to split the bubbly 50 each way.
All members of the B.R.M. and Brabham teams
topped 170 m.p.h. through the timed eighth.
Weather conditions had improved a little for
Monday's Tasman Cup race after Saturday's blustery
wilds but nonetheless the Brabham cars and Frank
Gardner's were fitted with tiny spoilers on each
side of the nose to keep the front down.
Grid positions were taken from times put up
in Saturday's races and Stewart had been ousted from
the front row due to his retirement in the first
race and his slower times in the number two car.
The flag came down and Clark made his usual
impeccable start to get the initial jump on Brabham
and Hulme, but both Repco cars moved past him on the
first lap and first time around the order was
Brabham, Hulme and Clark closely bunched, then
Martin, Stewart, Gardner, Irwin, Bartlett and
Harvey.
Martin, who had been going so well the whole week
end, unfortunately was forced out with sealing ring
problems at the start of lap 2, allowing Stewart to
inherit fourth as Irwin moved past Gardner into
fifth to spark off a long duel.
 Stewart now began to press Clark closely and the
power circuit proved itself as he swept through at
Newry on the third lap and they both took Hulme, who
began to misfire one lap later. Brabham, at this
stage, held a 4 second lead from Stewart, followed
closely by Clark and Hulme, a gap to Irwin and
Gardner, who were fighting all the way, then
Bartlett and tail-ender Harvey.
Lap six saw Hulme finally forced out with recurring
"black box" ignition failure and the main interest
momentarily held with Gardner and Irwin, who
thrilled the big crowd with the closeness of their
duel, pleasing Mr. Mildren no end.
Stewart was clearly outpowered by Brabham, who was
turning in relatively leisurely laps of 2:15:0, but
as soon as Stewart made up ground, Jack would put in
a fast one to get clear again.
Young Chris Irwin, was well ahead of Gardner in the
ensuing laps as Frank was badly hampered by oil,
which the scruffy second-string B.R.M. spewed into
his slipstream.
One would be tempted to label the race
"processional" at this stage, as positions held
unchanged for the next 20 laps. However, flagging
interest was revived on lap 19 as the previously
beautiful crisp note of Brabham's motor began to
sound like a sick Yank 427.
Stewart was given the word and set out even
more determinedly to catch the "old fox", turning in
a record 2:13:9 in the process, but despite the sick
exhaust note (which was later revealed to be a
cracked exhaust pipe), Jack replied with an
identical lap, and then a scorching 2:13.3 to open
the gap again to five seconds.
With only two laps to go, Stewart's transmission
gave way under the strain and he was out just after
Pub Corner, leaving the Champ. to finish nearly a
minute ahead of Clark, with Irwin third.
Stewart and Brabham made an equal start in the
"Examiner" 8-lap 36-mile scratch race but an unlucky
Stewart
 was barely in second gear before his crown
wheel and pinion gave out.
Stewart, Brabham and Hulme were on the front row
when the flag was dropped and, with Stewart out,
Spencer Martin stormed through into third, followed
by Gardner, Bartlett, Clark, Irwin, Geoghegan and
Harvey. On the second lap Harvey ,fitted with a
loose manifold, while out in the fray Clark began to
make his way through the field and by Pub Corner he
was holding fourth.
By lap 4 Brabham and Hulme had opened a six-second
lead and Irwin had moved past the two Mildren cars
into fifth. Geoghegan was trailing badly and he soon
retired with a run bearing as Clark poured on the
coals with his sights set on Martin and he was
successful on the fifth lap, getting past at Newry.
The leaders finished in the same order with an
untroubled 1, 2 victory for the green and gold Repco
cars, but Gardner took fifth spot from Irwin on the
last lap into Mountford. Dennis Hulme put up a
record 2:14.8 to take off fastest lap, while Martin
surpassed Stillwell's resident record by 2.5 seconds
with an impressive 2:17.5.
The open wheelers had their second showing for the
day for an eight-lapper and Stewart, driving Irwin's
B.R.M., again had pole position alongside the Repco-Brabhams.
Clark and Martin filled the second row, followed by
Gardner and Harvey.
Again Brabham's cars seemed set for a first and
second as they both began well after flagfall and,
together with Stewart, they were bunched ahead of
Clark, Martin and Gardner. Harvey trailed.
 The third lap, however, saw the retirement of
Gardner at the pits and then we were disappointed to
see Hulme park at Newry with ignition failure,
leaving only five cars circulating.
Clark now began to put in a bid to overtake Stewart
and he managed this momentarily during the fifth
tour opposite the water tower. Although repassed on
the same lap, he tried determinedly over the
remaining distance to finally take third only
one-tenth of a second behind.
Brabham's winning margin was a mere 4.6 seconds, and
under the pressure he put up the fastest lap at
2:14.5 to break the record Hulme had set in the
morning race.
|
|
RACE RESULTS |
|
POSITION |
LAPS |
TIME |
|
1.
Brabham |
28 |
1:03'25.6 FL:2'13.3 |
|
2.
Clark |
28 |
1:04'20.4 |
|
3.
Irwin |
28 |
1:05'03.4 |
|
4.
Gardner |
28 |
1:05'32.7 |
|
Stewart |
27 |
Crown Wheel & Pinion |
|
5.
Bartlett |
27 |
. |
|
6.
Harvey |
26 |
. |
|
Hulme |
06 |
DNF:Electrics |
|
Martin |
00 |
DNF:Sealing Rings |
|
Geoghegan |
00 |
DNS:Engine |
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Written
by Neville Fisher 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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