Australian races

display_0957d51541

Warwick Farm (February 14th.)

Races used to be Cooper benefits, but they now look like becoming Brahham benefits, and the Warwick Farm race would have been but for that well-known Scot and his well-known Cheshunt car, though Graham Hill in the Scuderia Veloce car was all set to win when steering trouble dropped him back.

45 Laps-164 Kilometres

1st : J. Clark (Lotus 32B-Climax 2½-litre) … 1 hr. 11 min. 06.8 sec. – 140.012 k.p.h.

2nd: J. Brabham (Brabham-Climax 2½-litre) … 1 hr. 12 min. 08.1 sec.

3rd: F. Matich (Brabham-Climax 2½-litre) … 1 hr. 12 min. 13.5 sec.

4th: B. Stilwell (Brabham-Climax 2½-litre) … 1 hr. 12 min. 44.1 sec.

5th: G. Hill (Brabham-Climax 2½-litre) … 1 hr. 12 min. 55.6 sec.

6th: J. Palmer (Brabham-Climax 2½-litre) … 1 lap behind

Fastest lap : J. Clark (Lotus), 1 min. 33.7 sec. – 141.503 k.p.h.

Australian grand prix (March 1st)

After many misfortunes in the Tasman series, Bruce McLaren at last scored a win, with his team-mate Phil Hill backing him up. For once Clark was not in the picture. The first three cars were all on American tyres – Ho, hum!

Longford, Tasmania-26 Laps-188 Kilometres

1st: B. McLaren (Cooper-Climax 2½-litre) … 61 min. 10.9 sec. – 184.620 k.p.h.

2nd: J. Brabham (Brabham-Climax 2½-litre) … 61 min. 14.1 sec.

3rd: P. Hill (Cooper-Climax 2½-litre) … 61 min. 15.8 sec.

4th: G. Hill (Brabham-Climax 2½-litre) … 61 min. 18.8 sec.

5th: J. Clark (Lotus-Climax 2½-litre) … 61 min. 19.3 sec.

6th: B. Stilwell (Brabham-Climax 2½-litre) … 62 min. 25.1 sec.

Fastest lap : J. Brabham (Brabham-Climax), 188.363 k.p.h.

Sandown Park (February 21st)

Nor did Clark and his Tasman Lotus receive a set-back in the Sandown Park race, when Brabham beat him, but for a change Dunlop tyres did not support the winning car. Brabham was using Goodyear tyres, while Phil Hill in third place was on Firestones, making the British tyres the meat in an American rubber-sandwich. This could be a sign of things to come in Grand Prix racing.

54 Laps – 170 Kilometres

1st: J. Brabham (Brabham-Climax 2½-litre) … 1 hr. 02 min. 57.7 sec. – 165.806 k.p.h.

2nd: J. Clark (Lotus 32B-Climax 2½-litre) … 1 hr. 03 min. 02.3 sec.

3rd: P. Hill (Cooper-Climax 2½-litre) … 1 lap behind

4th: B. McLaren (Cooper-Climax 2½-litre) … 2 laps behind 5th:

J. Palmer (Brabham-Climax 2½-litre) … 3 laps behind

6th: B. Stilwell (Brabham-Climax 2½-litre) … 3 laps behind

Fastest lap : J. Brabham (Brabham-Climax), 1 min. 08.6 sec. – 162.829 k.p.h.

Lakeside races (March 7th)

Brabham and McLaren were missing from this race, as Clark had already clinched the Tasman Championship, so the Lotus driver was unchallenged.

Australia-160 Kilometres

1st : J. Clark (Lotus-Climax 2½-litre) … 63 min. 13.3 sec. – 153.532 k.p.h.

2nd: F. Gardner (Brabham-Climax 2½-litre) … 2 laps behind

3rd: S. Martin (Brabham-Climax 2½-litre) … 3 laps behind

4th: K. Grants (Brabham-Climax 2½-litre) … 4 laps behind

5th: G. Cusack (Brabham-Climax 2½-litre) … 4 laps behind

6th: I. Geoghean (Lotus 32) … 6 laps behind

Fastest lap : J. Clark (Lotus-Climax 2½-litre), 54.9 sec. – 158.295 k.p.h.