1973 Australian Drivers' Championship

Motor racing competition June 2020 October 2011 1973 Australian Drivers' Championship 1972 1974 The 1973 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title open to drivers of Australian Formula 1 and Australian Formula 2 cars.Conditions for Australian Titles, 1973 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 92 to 93 It was the seventeenth Australian Drivers' ChampionshipRecords, Titles and Awards : Australian Drivers' Championship – CAMS Gold Star, 2006 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 14-4 and the championship winner was awarded the 1973 CAMS "Gold Star". The championship was won by John McCormack driving an Elfin MR5 Repco Holden. Schedule thumb|John McCormack won the championship driving an Elfin MR5 (pictured in 1972) The championship was contested over a five-round series with one race per round.Australian Formula One Championship, Australian Competition Yearbook, 1974 Edition, pages 60 to 77 There was to be a round at Symmons Plains on 23 September in an event shared with the 1973 Australian Formula 2 Championship. However, as just four Formula 5000 cars were entered, organisers decided to run the event only for Formula Two cars.Australian Competition Yearbook 1974 Edition 1974 92 There was also originally to be an event at Warwick Farm before that facility closed suddenly earlier in 1973.Australian Competition Yearbook 1974 Edition 1974 60 As a result of these cancellations, a second event was added at Phillip Island in late November. Round Name Circuit Date Winner Car Report 1 Glyn Scott Memorial TrophyGlyn Scott Memorial Trophy, Surfers Paradise, 2 Sep 1973, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved 10 May 2021 Surfers Paradise 2 September John McCormackElfin MR5 Repco Holden 2 Channel 7 TrophyOfficial Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, 7 October 1973 Adelaide International Raceway 7 October John McCormack Elfin MR5 Repco Holden 3 Victorian Road Racing ChampionshipOfficial Souvenir Programme, Victorian Road Racing Championship, Phillip Island Auto Racing Club, October 15th (1973) Phillip Island 14 October Johnnie Walker Lola T330 Repco Holden 4 Australian Grand Prix Sandown 4 November Graham McRae McRae GM2 Chevrolet Report 5 Phillip Island 25 November Johnnie Walker Lola T330 Repco Holden Points system Championship points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis for the top six places in each round with all rounds counting towards each driver's points total. Only drivers holding a CAMS General Competition License were eligible to score points. Results Position Driver No. Car Entrant Sur Ade Phi San Phi Total 1 John McCormack 3 Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden Ansett Team Elfin 9 9 – 9 6 33 2 Johnnie Walker 25 Lola T330 Repco-Holden John Walker Motor Racing – 6 9 6 9 30 3 Garrie Cooper 2 Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden Ansett Team Elfin 6 1 6 3 4 20 4 Leo Geoghegan 9 Birrana 273 Ford Grace Bros – 5AD City State Racing Team 4 2 – – – 6 Bruce Allison 62 Bowin P6 Ford Hobby and Toyland Racing 3 – 3 – – 6 Enno Busselmann 18 Birrana 273 Ford Bob and Marj Brown 2 3 – 1 – 6 7 Max Stewart 6 Lola T330 Chevrolet Seiko Service Centre – 4 – – – 4 Kevin Bartlett 5 Lola T330 Chevrolet Chesterfield Filter RacingOfficial Programme, 38th Australian Grand Prix, Sandown, November 4, 1973 – – 4 – – 4 Howie Sangster 14 McLaren M18/M22 Chevrolet Australian Grand Prix, Sandown Park, 4 Nov 1973, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved 10 May 2021 Don O'Sullivan Racing Pty. Ltd. – – – 4 – 4 Chas Talbot Elfin 600E Ford C. TalbotOfficial Souvenir Programme, Meeting of Champions, Phillip Island, November 25th (1973) – – 2 – 2 4 11 Paul Feltham Birrana 273 Ford Feltham Team Racing – – – – 3 3 12 John Leffler 34 Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden Seiko Service Centre – – – 2 – 2 Chris Farrell 36 Dolphin 732 Ford Chris Farrell 1 – 1 – – 2 14 Bob Minogue Elfin 600B FordAustralian Gold Star Race, Phillip Island, 25 Nov 1973, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved 10 May 2021 R. A. Minogue – – – – 1 1 Note: The Australian Grand Prix was won by New Zealander Graham McRae. However, as the Australian Drivers' Championship was open only to holders of a CAMS General Competition License, 9 points were awarded to the highest placed eligible driver, John McCormack, 6 points to the second highest placed eligible driver etc. Championship name Conditions for the championship were promulgated by CAMS under the name "Australian Formula 1 Championship – Gold Star Award", with mention of the requirement for the phrase "Australian Champion Driver" to be reserved exclusively for the winner of the CAMS Gold Star. Historic records published by CAMS use the term Australian Drivers' Championship and that title has been used here. References Category:Australian Drivers' Championship Drivers' Championship Category:Formula 5000