1969 Australian Drivers' Championship Explained

The 1969 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title for drivers of cars conforming to Australian National Formula or Australian Formula 2 regulations.[1] The championship was contested over a six race series[2] with the winner awarded the 1969 CAMS Gold Star.[1] It was the thirteenth Australian Drivers' Championship to be awarded by CAMS.[3]

Kevin Bartlett won his second Australian Drivers' Championship driving the Mildren Mono which was powered by an Alfa Romeo V8 engine in the early races and by a Waggott TC4V inline 4 for the last three races. Bartlett won three of the six races to finish 16 points ahead of Leo Geoghegan (Lotus 39 Repco). Bartlett's Alec Mildren Racing team mate Max Stewart finished third in the points standings, driving the Mildren Waggott built by Rennmax Engineering.

In addition to Bartlett's three wins, single race victories were taken by Jack Brabham (Repco Brabham BT31), John Harvey (Repco Brabham BT23E) and Garrie Cooper (Elfin 600C Repco).

Race schedule

The championship was contested over a six race series.[2]

RaceRace nameCircuitStateDateWinning driverWinning car
1[4] , Racing Car News, April 1969, pages 42 & 43 Symmons PlainsTasmania3 MarchKevin BartlettMildren Mono Alfa Romeo[5]
2[6] Bathurst 100Mount Panorama, BathurstNew South Wales7 AprilJack BrabhamRepco Brabham BT31[7]
3[8] Victoria TrophySandown ParkVictoria21 SeptemberJohn HarveyRepco Brabham BT23E
4[9]  MallalaSouth Australia13 OctoberGarrie CooperElfin 600C Repco[10]
5[11] , Racing Car News, December 1969, pages 58 & 59Surfers Paradise TrophySurfers ParadiseQueensland26 OctoberKevin BartlettMildren Mono Waggott[12]
6[13] Sam Hordern Memorial Trophy[14] Warwick FarmNew South Wales7 DecemberKevin BartlettMildren Mono Waggott[15]

Points system

Championship points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the first six placegetters in each race.[1] Each driver could only the points earned in his or her best five race results.[1] Only holders of a current and valid General Competition License issued by CAMS were eligible.[1]

Championship results

PositionDriverCarEntrantSym.Bat.San.Mal.Sur.War.Total
1Kevin BartlettMildren Mono Alfa Romeo & Mildren Mono WaggottAlec Mildren Racing9-639936
2Leo GeogheganLotus 39 RepcoGeoghegan Racing Division6-164320
3Max StewartMildren WaggottAlec Mildren Racing---46616
4John HarveyRepco Brabham BT23EBob Jane Racing Team-69---15
=Neil AllenMcLaren M4A Ford Cosworth FVANE Allen Competition4-4-3415
6Garrie CooperElfin 600B Ford & Elfin 600C RepcoElfin Sports Cars--39--12
7Jack BrabhamRepco Brabham BT31Jack Brabham-9----9
8Henk WoeldersElfin 600B FordBill Patterson Motors242---8
9Glyn ScottBowin P3 Ford Cosworth FVAGlyn Scott Motors3---2-5
10Alton BoddenburgLotus 32 FordAlton Boddenburg-3----3
11Jack BonoBrabham BT2 FordGraham Collier---2--2
=Malcolm BaileyElfin Catalina PeugeotMalcolm Bailey-2----2
=Ken GoodwinRennmax BN3 FordPeter Clark Surfboards-----22
14Alan WatsonDelta FordAlan Watson-1----1
=John AmptElfin Mono MK 2D FordJohn Ampt---1--1
=Ian FergusonBowin P3a FordIan Ferguson----1-1
=Ivan TigheElfin 600B FordIvan Tighe-----11

Championship name

The 1969 championship has been referred to under various names including Australian Championship for Drivers,[1] Australian Gold Star Championship,[16] Gold Star Championship,[17] Gold Star Series[11] and Australian Drivers' Championship.[18] The latter is used by CAMS in its historical records of the championship.[19]

Notes and References

  1. Conditions for Australian Titles, 1969 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 77 to 78
  2. Looking back at another Gold Star year, Australian Motor Racing Annual 1970, pages 6 to 10 & 82
  3. Past Title Winners, Australian Drivers' Championship, 1980 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 56
  4. Steven Chopping, Bartlett notches nine
  5. http://www.oldracingcars.com/results/result.php?RaceID=A69A Australian Gold Star Race - Symmons Plains, 3 Mar 1969, www.oldracingcars.com
  6. Peter Wherrett, Bleak Bathurst, Racing Car News, May 1969, pages 28 & 29
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20121003061107/http://members.optusnet.com.au/dandsshaw/images/results/races69.htm 1969 ADC race results, members.optusnet.com.au/dandsshaw via web.archive.org
  8. Adrian Ryan, Gold Star round to Harvey, Racing Car News, October 1969, pages 52 & 53
  9. John Brownsea, Cooper cleans up Mallala, Racing Car News, December 1969, pages 42 & 43
  10. http://www.oldracingcars.com/results/result.php?RaceID=A69D Australian Gold Star Race - Mallala, 13 Oct 1969, www.oldracingcars.com
  11. Des White, Bartlett's crown again
  12. http://www.oldracingcars.com/results/result.php?RaceID=A69E Australian Gold Star Race - Surfers Paradise, 26 Oct 1969, www.oldracingcars.com
  13. Peter Wherrett, Mildren day at Warwick Farm, Racing Car News, January 1970, pages 46 & 47
  14. David McKay, ho hum hordern, Modern Motor, February 1970, pages 93 to 95
  15. http://www.oldracingcars.com/results/result.php?RaceID=A69F, Australian Gold Star Race - Warwick Farm, 7 Dec 1969, www.oldracingcars.com
  16. Program, Mallala Motor Races, 13 October 1969, front cover
  17. Barry Catford, Review:The 1969 Gold Star, Racing Car News, May 1989, pages 88 to 91
  18. Racing Car News Guide to the Gold Star, Page ii, Supplement to Racing Car News, August 1972
  19. https://web.archive.org/web/20130514051758/http://camsmanual.com.au/pdf/01_about/AC06_Titles_Gold_Star_2013-1.pdf Australian Drivers' Championship - CAMS Gold Star, camsmanual.com.au via web.archive.org