1972 Tasman Series Programmes

[Steve Holmes]

Does anyone here have programmes from any of the 1972 Tasman Series events? In particular, I'm after the F5000 entries, as I'm trying to find what Graham McRae's car was referred to in these entries. This is the car sometimes called a Leda LT27, sometimes called a Leda GM1, and sometimes called a McRae GM1. Its chassis 001. McRae raced it in the 1972 Tasman Series, then in the US Formula A/5000 series.

Am also after 1972 SCCA Formula A programmes for the same reason.

Thanks in advance.

[khyndart in CA]

Steve,
This site by Bruce Sergent is always a good source.

http://www.sergent.com.au/motor/tas72p.html






Ken H

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Ken, much appreciated. Do you know if Bruce uses the original text from the programmes?

[Milan Fistonic]

Entry list from the 1972 NZIGP programme.

53686

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Milan, this is fantastic! Allen Brown refers to the first four cars as Leda's, although McRae called car 001 a GM1, due to his input into their design. Motorman reports from the time also called 001 a Leda GM1.

[Terry S]

Entry list from the 1972 NZIGP programme.

53686

Very intrigued to see Allan Moffat entered in this Grand Prix........

[Michael Clark]

I interviewed Allan Moffat a couple of times last year and asked him about the proposed Surtees TS11 with a Boss Ford that had been entered for the 1972 Tasman.

To my surprise he mentioned that not only had he never raced an open-wheeler, he's only done a few laps in a Formula Ford as part of a promotional thing - he said "I realised that I didn't have a windscreen and that after a couple of corners I came to a realisation - 'I really like windscreens'"

[Terry S]

I interviewed Allan Moffat a couple of times last year and asked him about the proposed Surtees TS11 with a Boss Ford that had been entered for the 1972 Tasman.

To my surprise he mentioned that not only had he never raced an open-wheeler, he's only done a few laps in a Formula Ford as part of a promotional thing - he said "I realised that I didn't have a windscreen and that after a couple of corners I came to a realisation - 'I really like windscreens'"

Michael, I think you have to understand that with Moffat in any interview or written article that fact and fiction get very mixed together and overlap. It is difficult to take things as gospel.

You note he said he had never raced an open car. May I note some facts:

In August 1971 he was in a 10 lap “celebrity” race at Calder for top Australian drivers in Formula Fords. He drove a Wren. Some photos:

http://autopics.com.au/71326-allan-moffat-in-david-greens-wren-formula-ford-calder-15th-august-1971-photographer-peter-dabbs/

http://autopics.com.au/71327-allan-moffat-in-david-greens-wren-formula-ford-calder-15th-august-1971-photographer-peter-dabbs/

In 1968 before his Trans Am Mustang arrived in 1969 he spent some time working for Bob Jane and driving some of his cars.
In mid 1968 at Warwick Farm he drove Bob’s Elfin 400 Repco V8 Sports Car and smashed it badly into a fence.
In September 1968 at the Sandown Gold Star meeting he drove Bob’s Brabham BT23A Repco V8 open wheeler and crashed it badly.

May I quote directly from his recent autobiography:

“The wheels fell off, literally, in a one-off appearance in the Lombard Trophy Race, a round of the CAMS Australian Gold Star Drivers Championship at Sandown when I was in the Jane Repco Brabham. Apart from another drive in the company’s locally made Elfin 400 sports car at Phillip Island, which I won, I was desk-bound and it was frustrating.

I was sitting at that desk in January 1969when Bob Jane himself walked into the office, threw $500 on the table and said “We haven’t been getting along very well”. And that was the end of my employment.”

One wonders if that last bit was true, and why wait until January.

He doesn’t mention crashing the Elfin at Warwick Farm

[Ray Bell]

We have a remarkably similar recollection of all of that, Terry...

I had this written but couldn't post it while you were posting:

A little sparing with the truth there...

"'A few laps as a promotional thing' was, in fact, a race. A kind of 'celebrity race' at Calder.

Held on August 15, 1971, there was a classy field. Jack Brabham, Frank Matich, Leo Geoghegan, Bob Jane, Bib Stillwell, Alan Hamilton and Kevin Bartlett. There were all, obviously in borrowed cars. Well, Brabham owned the one he drove and Stillwell the one he drove, taking over from their regular drivers for this race.

Leading initially was Jane, with Moffat trying hard for three laps before he slipped by, Brabham following him through. Then Brabham went to the lead and Moffat slipped back over the ensuing laps.

He had previously driven a couple of similarly open and very fast cars. In the wake of John Harvey's disastrous crash at Bathurst in 1968, Moffat was put into Bob Jane's Elfin 400 Repco V8 for the Warwick Farm meeting in September, seemingly as a warm-up before getting the drive of the Jane team's Gold Star racer, the Repco Brabham V8. At the Farm he put the car into the fence on the Causeway (this must have been in practice as it's not mentioned in the race report, nor is the car), and then at Sandown he practised in the Brabham.

He had gained fifth spot on the grid before he crashed at high speed on the back straight. It's said a tyre peeled off a rim.

So it was the usual kind of story from Moffat. One that didn't really line up with what happened on those days."

Which Phillip Island meeting was it, Terry? I find no mention. Oh, hang on, that's what Moffat wrote...

[Ray Bell]

And back to the name of McRae's mount for the '72 Tasman Cup...

Racing Car News consistently names it as a 'Leda GM1' or 'Leda GM1 Chevrolet' on grid listings and in results, except at Sandown where it's just 'Leda Chev'.

The AGP 50-race History book lists it as a 'Leda GM1' as well, and that's the race at Sandown. But it's unlikely that was taken from the programme for that event.

[Ray Bell]

And here's a good indication...

The Warwick Farm lap time card is clearly showing it as a 'Leda GM1'.

That would be from the entry form, I'd think.

[Milan Fistonic]

At Levin in 1972 McRae's car was entered as a STP Leda GM1

[Terry S]

And here's a good indication...

The Warwick Farm lap time card is clearly showing it as a 'Leda GM1'.

That would be from the entry form, I'd think.

Ray, as you say, based on the entry form, in the programme for the 1972 Warwick Farm Tasman race it is described as a Leda GM1.

Interesting that the car's entrant changed:

In NZ it was Crown Lyn

At WF it was Grid International (NZ) Ltd

[khyndart in CA]

January 1972
It looked like Andy Granatelli (Mr STP ) got his STP sponsorship onto Graham's car at an early stage and Crown Lynn Pottery sponsorship was just relegated to the air intake cover !
53819


This site always has interesting information.
http://www.oldracingcars.com/mcrae/gm1/

Road America Grand Prix
Road America, 16 Jul 1972
Aggregate Results
Points
Laps
Winnings
1st
Graham McRae
McRae GM1 [001] - Chevrolet Morand V8
#66 Crown Lynn
38 + 28 = 66 pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Riverside Grand Prix
Riverside, 24 Sep 1972
Aggregate Results
Points
Laps
Winnings
1
Brian Redman
Chevron B24 [24-72-01] - Chevrolet V8
#80 Bobcor Performance/Sid Taylor Racing
(see note 1)
38 + 34 = 72 pts
76
$17,800
2
Sam Posey
Surtees TS11 [04] - Chevrolet V8
#34 Champ Carr/Winston Delta Tires
33 + 29 = 62 pts
76
$10,150
3
Graham McRae
McRae GM1 [001] - Chevrolet Morand V8
#66 S.T.P. Corporation
30 + 22 = 52 pts
76
$5,900


Note in July it was a Crown Lynn car for Graham and by September it was a S.T. P. Corporation sponsored GM1 [001]. Andy must have given him a call !

No matter the sponsorship or what country it was in, this beautifully built and driven car was a winner !


Ken H

[Terry S]

Steve, these couple of programme listings may help.

February 6, 1972 Surfers Paradise Tasman Championship Rd 5
"22 Crown Lynn (Graham McRae) Leda GM1 5000 NZ"

February 13, 1972 Warwick Farm Tasman Championship Rd 6
"22 Grid International (NZ) Ltd (Graham McRae) (UK) Leda GM1-Chev V8 4998 Red"

Stephen

I don't recall seeing you at that WF meeting.......

[Ray Bell]

What about me? I was there...

The Crown Lynn sponsorship was a friendly deal for Graham. If he had other sponsors they had to get value for their money, but Crown Lynn came to the fore when there weren't others.

[Terry S]

What about me? I was there...

The Crown Lynn sponsorship was a friendly deal for Graham. If he had other sponsors they had to get value for their money, but Crown Lynn came to the fore when there weren't others.

Yes Ray, I see your name in the list of flag marshals.

Another thing I noticed in the programme was that in addition to the money the winner of the Tasman race received 100 bottles of champagne provided by Ron Hodgson.

This is a practice that has died out....

It must have lubricated the great parties that took place at Tasman time.

By the way Ray did you get to share any of the champagne won by your great mate Matich?

[Ray Bell]

I shared in the champagne won by McLaren at Longford (AGP, 1965) and Matich was there sharing as well... is that good enough?

And Graham Matich was also sharing it, I recall.

I shared also in the champagne won by Graham Hill at Lakeside (AGP 1966) when, in Mike Kable's company, we stumbled into Hill's post-race party at the Chermside Caravilla.

There was no doubt other champagne-sharing in which I was able to get a glass, but not from Matich that I recall.

I did have fish and chips with he and Joan one night at their home in Carlingford, that was Frank's shout and Bob and I drove down to get them in their Falcon wagon.

[Ray Bell]

I got a pretty good view of things that day, as I recall...

But not as good as I did in 1969.

[Terry S]

I got a pretty good view of things that day, as I recall...

But not as good as I did in 1969.

Ray I assume you got as drenched as I did at that 69 Tasman meeting. Probably the wettest meeting I ever went to.

[Ray Bell]

But it didn't matter...

Real racing!