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I SURFERS PARADISE '100'
Location -
Surfers
Paradise
Aust
Laps -
50
Distance -
160.93 km
Date -
11/02/68
Weather -
Fine |
|
ENTRY LIST |
|
No. |
DRIVER |
ENTRANT |
MAKE |
ENGINE |
|
1 |
Denny Hulme |
Racing Team S.A. |
Brabham BT23 |
Cosworth FVA |
|
2 |
Jack
Brabham |
Ecurie Vitesse |
Brabham BT23E |
Repco V8 2.5 |
|
7 |
Greg
Cusack |
Scuderia Veloce |
Brabham BT23A |
Repco V8 2.5 |
|
8 |
Frank Gardner |
Alec
Mildren Racing |
Brabham BT23D |
Alfa
Romeo V8 2.5 |
|
9 |
Kevin Bartlett |
Alec
Mildren Racing |
Brabham BT11A |
Climax FPF |
|
17 |
Fred
Gibson |
N.E.
Allen |
Brabham BT16 |
Climax FPF |
|
22 |
Brian Page |
Brian Page |
Brabham BT2 |
Ford
1.5 |
|
11 |
Pedro Rodriguez |
Owen
Racing Org. |
BRM
P126 |
BRM
V12 2.5 |
|
12 |
Richard Attwood |
Owen
Racing Org. |
BRM
P126 |
BRM
V12 2.5 |
|
4 |
Chris Amon |
C.
Amon |
Ferrari 246T |
Ferrari V6 2.4 |
|
5 |
Graham Hill |
Gold
Leaf Team Lotus |
Lotus 49T |
Cosworth DFV 2.5 |
|
6 |
Jim
Clark |
Gold
Leaf Team Lotus |
Lotus 49T |
Cosworth DFV 2.5 |
|
10 |
Leo
Geoghegan |
Geoghegan Racing Div. |
Lotus 39 |
Repco V8 2.5 |
|
20 |
Glyn
Scott |
Glyn
Scott Motors |
Lotus 27 |
Ford
1.5 |
|
18 |
Piers Courage |
Piers Courage |
McLaren M4A |
Cosworth FVA |
|
39 |
Max
Aldred |
Motor Racing Comp. |
MRC
Lotus 22 |
Ford
1.5 |
|
 The
first race in the Australian section of the Tasman
Series nearly started without the Lotus and BRM
teams due to a row which blew up at scrutineering
over the advertising which the Lotus team cars were
carrying and the way the BRM name was printed on the
bodywork. Both teams refused to change anything and
they did not start in the preliminary race, but the
big crowd at the Surfers Paradise circuit near
Brisbane QLD would obviously not stand for both
teams being out of the race and the organisers
relented and allowed them to race.
Tasman fortunes turned topsy-turvy at Surfers
Paradise on February 11. Jim Clark lost his role of
pace setter to Chris Amon, but took over Amon's race
winning habit to win in fine style and make a
nine-point hole in Amon's Championship lead. The
Ferrari driver also lost his recent reliability,
retiring shortly before half distance with
overheating. Graham Hill drove a very steady race to
finish second, giving the controversial Gold Leaf
Team Lotus a perfect debut in Australia. Hill's
powerful 2.5-litre Lotus-Ford was hounded throughout
the race by Piers Courage's indecently fast
1.6-litre McLaren-FVA. Courage drove brilliantly
into third place, overtaking half the field on two
occasions after losing ground due to engine trouble.
The Ferrari team's confidence was sky high upon
their arrival in Queensland. Amon led the Tasman
Championship by 12 points from Clark and Courage,
and was hopeful that his newly arrived 4-valve motor
would make him even more competitive on this power
circuit. The 4-valve Dino motor makes the little
Ferrari look even neater. The intake/exhaust layout
is "conventional," the intake ports being in the vee,
while the exhaust system comes out low on either
side. The car looked right, light and fast, and
proved to be just that in the practice sessions.
The Lotus-Ford 49Ts came to Surfers as favourites.
Both cars were in Gold Leaf trim of red and white,
and wearing a full complement of advertising decals.
The four races in New Zealand had shown no chronic
faults in Clark's car, so it was unchanged. The
Lotus mechanics therefore were able to present
Graham Hill with an almost race-ready car.
Bruce McLaren's good fortune at Invercargill lifted
the spirits of the BRM equipe enormously. They
started the Australian half of the series convinced
that their cars were basically right and the V12
engines had the potential to develop as much power
as the opposition.
Alec Mildren had Kevin Bartlett to back up Frank
Gardner for the Australian races. Gardner's BT23
Brabham had its now familiar V8 Alfa Romeo motor
while Bartlett's Brabham used the even more familiar
Climax FPF.
Completing the heavy machinery were the two
evergreen Australians, Greg Cusack and Leo
Geoghegan. Both had new Repco power, and were most
hopeful of splitting the internationals.
Intent on splitting and possibly leading the big
boys were the two Tasman privateers, World Champion
Denny Hulme and Piers Courage. Their Brabham and
McLaren, respectively, were powered by Keith
Duckworth's incredible 1600cc FVA Ford motor.
The surprises in practice were supplied by Amon and
Courage. Although Amon's 4-valve V6 engine was less,
powerful than the V8 Fords, it gave the light
Ferrari similar straight line performance to the
Lotus'.
 Amon very quickly got inside Cusack's Tasman record
of 1m 12.8s. and was soon down to Matich's outright
record of 1m 12.3s. Courage refused to believe that
Surfers Paradise is a power circuit, and hurried the
tiny maroon McLaren round in a best of 1m 11.7s,
much to the dismay of all the 2.5-litre drivers.
Clark took a while to settle down, mixing fast laps
with slow, but towards the end of the session, the
Clark-Lotus combination once again asserted itself.
Jim's second last lap was 1m 11.1s and his last was
the fastest of the session at 1m 10.8s, 101.69 mph.
Cusack was impressive, following Courage with 1m
13.1s. equal with Pedro Rodriguez in the V12 BRM.
Following were Hill, 1m 13.2s.; Gardner, 1m 13.3s.;
Bartlett, 1m 13.4s.; Geoghegan, 1m. 13.7s and
Attwood (BRM V12) with 1m 14.1s. Denny Hulme did
only two laps, the better being 1m 16.6s.
Amon showed the full potential of the 4-valve
Ferrari by breaking 103 mph during the second
session. His best was 1m 09.7s. Clark was unable to
better this, but he improved to 1m 09.9s.
Graham Hill joined Amon and Clark on the front row
with a best of 1m 10.3s. Courage hurried even more
getting down to 1m 11.4s, but Frank Gardner sneaked
in front of him with 1m 11. 1s. Leo Geoghegan was
the fastest Australian resident, and was quickest
than both the BRM's and Hulme. He completed the
second row with 1m 11.6s. Following Geoghegan the
order was Hulme, 1m 12.0s.; Rodriguez, 1m 12.0s.;
Cusack, 1m 12.2s.; Attwood, 1m 12.3s.; and Bartlett,
1m 13.4s.
Throughout practice a dispute was brewing between
the scrutineers and the Lotus and BRM teams. The
cars still carried many advertising decals which
were acceptable in New Zealand, but which were
illegal in Australia. The scrutineers demanded the
removal of all such decals, and also the names of
the entrants on the BRMs and Lotus's. The
scrutineers pointed out that the Confederation of
Australian Motor Sports handbook rules stated the
entrants name had to be in black lettering on white
background. The words "Owen Racing Organisation,"
which were identical to those worn by the BRMs. on
their two previous visits to Australia, were white
on black. The words "Gold Leaf Team Lotus" were
similarly unacceptable to the scrutineers and the
stewards.
The Lotus's and BRMs were presented for the 10-lap
heat on Sunday morning with their decals removed,
but the style of their entrants names unchanged.
They were refused admission to the track.
This left only Gardner, the resident Australians,
and the 1600s of Hulme and Courage to chase Amon.
This they did, but Chris ran out an easy winner from
Leo Geoghegan, Frank Gardner and Piers Courage.
Amon's fastest lap was 1m 11.6s. Denny Hulme, who
had been having handling troubles throughout
practice, slid off the road on the fourth lap,
damaging his rear suspension and a rear wheel. While
Hulme's mechanics were repairing the damage, the
executive of the C.A.M.S. were invoking their
constitution to allow them to abolish their
regulations regarding the colour and background of
the entrants name. This was done, allowing a full
field to take the grid for the delayed start of the
Rothman's 100, the fifth round of the 1968 Tasman
Championship.
Clark out started Amon, but it was Piers Courage who
made the best start. He leapt past Amon and squeezed
Hill out on to the verge as he drew level with
Clark. Clark and Amon managed to accelerate past
Courage and lead him into Dunlop, but Graham Hill
had to be content to follow.
 As Clark led Amon out of Lukey corner, Courage's
motor died, and he was passed by Hill, Gardner,
Geoghegan and Rodriguez. Denny Hulme was further
back behind Attwood and Bartlett. At the end of lap
two Greg Cusack made a quick stop at his pit.
By the start of lap four, Clark and Amon were 2.8
seconds in front of Hill and Courage had begun to
catch Rodriguez. The Lotus-Ford and the Ferrari
seemed almost equal in all respects. Amon would
follow Clark closely all round the circuit and then
tuck into his slipstream as they rounded Castrol on
to the main straight. Many times Amon pulled out of
the slipstream to pass Clark. On several occasions
he pushed his nose in front, but Jim kept his foot
hard down and forced Chris to drop back as they
approached the curve under Dunlop Bridge.
After five laps Bartlett took eighth from Attwood
and a lap later Geoghegan slipped by Gardner to take
fourth behind Hill. This move gave Courage a clear
view of Gardner's yellow Brabham-Alfa and he made a
series of attempts to pass, finally being successful
on lap 10.
Amon followed Clark closely across the line after 10
laps, being six seconds ahead of Hill. As Clark
rounded Firestone bend for the 11th time, he ran
wide, putting two wheels off the bitumen. Amon
seized his opportunity and slipped by. Amon led on,
to the straight for the 11th time, but Clark was in
his slipstream. Jim kept the Lotus squarely behind
the Ferrari until they were just short of the
braking area and at the last moment he swung out,
around Amon and grabbed the lead back going into
Dunlop.
During the few seconds that Amon held the lead,
Courage slipped by Geoghegan and set out after Hill.
The little McLaren-Ford FVA seemed only slightly
slower down the straights and marginally faster into
and through the corners.
Clark was unable to open any lead on Amon, but the
Ferrari was beginning to blow out a little steam.
The high speed slipstreaming was depriving the
Ferrari of much needed cooling air and the Dino
engine was beginning to show its first real trouble
of the series.
On lap 19 Graham Hill became another victim of the
charging Courage, when Piers slipped by as they
accelerated out of Firestone.
After 22 laps Clark led Amon by a mere 0.2sec. with
10 seconds to Courage and a further four to Hill and
Geoghegan. Denny Hulme and Kevin Bartlett were
continuing their private scrap, while Rodriguez took
the BRM to the pits to have the fuel pump kicked to
clear a sticking valve.
 Amon started to drop back from Clark and on lap 24
headed for his pit with serious overheating
troubles. After a quick inspection, the Ferrari
mechanics wheeled the little red car away. Almost
concurrently with Amon's retirement, Courage passed
the pits with the motor spluttering. Just as people
thought he was going to lose his newly acquired
second place, the motor cleared, and he was away.
Clark was then 10 seconds in front of Courage, who
was two seconds clear of Hill. On lap 28 Courage's
motor fluffed as he came out of Lukey, and the
McLaren spun. Piers let the car go 360 degrees and
then caught it. He was soon under way, losing only
seven seconds, which however, was enough to allow
both Hill and Geoghegan to go by.
Geoghegan then set his eyes on second place and
closed in on Hill. He stuck the Lotus 39 inside the
Lotus 49 as they approached Lucas corner and forced
Graham to give him the line. Leo led into the
straight, but Graham showed the latest Repco engine
is no match for the Ford by steaming by effortlessly
at top speed. As Hill approached Lucas he was
waiting for Leo to try again, and the local found
the door shut.
Ever conscious of his family slogan, Courage was
attempting yet another comeback. He chased Geoghegan
and caught and passed him on lap 39. Leo felt his
motor going off song and resigned himself to being
beaten by a 1.6-litre car. Courage was still not
satisfied and he resumed his attack on Hill.
Clark was in complete control and he eased up as the
end drew near. He lapped World Champion Denny Hulme
on lap 46, and completed the 50 laps, 100 miles, in
60 minutes and 22 seconds, finishing 6.4 seconds
ahead of team-mate Hill.
The remarkable Piers Courage was only 1.5 seconds
behind Hill as they crossed the line. Leo Geoghegan
was comfortably the first Australian home after yet
another magnificent performance in distinguished
company. Bartlett had the honour of leading Denny
Hulme across the line, both being a lap behind the
winner.
Clark's win gave him nine Tasman points to take him
to 24, three behind Amon's 27. Courage is third with
19. |
|
RACE RESULTS |
|
POSITION |
LAPS |
TIME |
|
1.
Clark |
50 |
1:00'22.0 |
|
2.
Hill |
50 |
1:00'28.4 |
|
3.
Courage |
50 |
1:00'29.9 |
|
4.
Geoghegan |
50 |
1:00'42.7 |
|
5.
Bartlett |
49 |
. |
|
6.
Hulme |
49 |
. |
|
7.
Scott |
45 |
. |
|
8.
Aldred |
43 |
. |
|
9.
Gardner |
42 |
. |
|
10.
Rodriguez |
38 |
. |
|
Amon |
24 |
DNF:Overheating FL:1'11.1 |
|
Cusack |
12 |
DNF:Spin |
|
Attwood |
? |
DNF:Fuel Starvation |
|
Page |
? |
DNF:? |
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Written
by M.G.P.A for Motoring News. 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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