1974 Tasman Series Explained

The 1974 Tasman Series (formally the Tasman Championship for Drivers[1]) was an international motor racing competition which commenced on 5 January and ended on 23 February 1974 after eight races. The championship, which was the eleventh Tasman Championship,[2] was open to Racing cars complying with the Tasman Formula.[3] The winner was awarded the Tasman Cup.[1]

The championship was won by Peter Gethin of the United Kingdom, driving a Chevron B24 Chevrolet.[4]

Schedule

The championship was contested over eight rounds with each round comprising a single race.[5]

RoundNameCircuit[6] DateWinning driverWinning carWinning entrant Report
New
Zealand
1Peter Stuyvesant International Motor Race[7] Levin5 January Johnnie WalkerLola T330 Repco HoldenJohnnie WalkerReport
2Air New Zealand International Race[8] Pukekohe12 January Peter GethinChevron B24 ChevroletChevron Racing Team VDSReport
3Peter Stuyvesant New Zealand Grand Prix
for the Lady Wigram Memorial Trophy[9]
Wigram19 January John McCormackElfin MR5 Repco HoldenAnsett Team ElfinReport
4Teretonga InternationalTeretonga26 January Max StewartLola T330 ChevroletMax Stewart MotorsReport
Australia5Peter Stuyvesant $100,000[10] Oran Park3 February Max StewartLola T330 ChevroletMax Stewart MotorsReport
6Peter Stuyvesant $100,000 Surfers Paradise10 February Teddy PiletteChevron B24 ChevroletChevron Racing Team VDSReport
7Peter Stuyvesant $100,000Sandown17 February Peter GethinChevron B24 ChevroletChevron Racing Team VDSReport
8Peter Stuyvesant $100,000Adelaide23 February Warwick BrownLola T332 ChevroletPat Burke RacingReport

Points system

Championship points were awarded for race positions at each race on the following basis:

Points from all races were counted[1] towards each driver's championship total.

Championship standings

Pos Driver[11] CarEntrantLevPukWigTerOraSurSanAdePts
1 Peter GethinChevron B24 ChevroletChevron Racing Team VDS4135521241
2 Max StewartLola T330 ChevroletMax Stewart Motors35Ret11Ret5Ret26
3 Teddy PiletteChevron B24 ChevroletChevron Racing Team VDSRet42Ret614Ret22
4 Johnnie WalkerLola T330 Repco HoldenJ. Walker17RetRet253Ret21
= John McCormackElfin MR5 Repco HoldenAnsett Team ElfinRet21Ret4410Ret21
6 Warwick BrownLola T332 ChevroletPat Burke Racing66Ret4376119
7 Graham McRaeMcRae GM2 ChevroletCrown LynnRetRetRet2DSQ62713
8 David OxtonBegg FM5 ChevroletDavid Oxton Motor Racing[12] 73410Ret9859
= Graeme LawrenceLola T332 ChevroletSingapore Airlines – WIX11Ret63711Ret39
10 Allan McCullyBegg FM5 ChevroletA. McCully2Ret767
= Frank MatichMatich A53 Repco HoldenFrank Matich Racing3Ret47
12 Ken SmithMarch 732 FordAir New Zealand581082
= Garry PedersenMcLaren M18 ChevroletHi-Fi Radio Racing TeamDNS1257RetDSQRetRet2
14 Garrie CooperElfin MR5 Repco HoldenAnsett Team Elfin98761
PosDriverCarEntrantLevPukWigTerOraSurSanAdePts

Notes and References

  1. Tasman Championship for Drivers, CAMS Manual of Motor Sport with National Competition Rules 1974, pages 80 to 83
  2. Tony Loxley, Tasman Cup 1964 1975, pages 472 to 475
  3. Official Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, February 24th 1974
  4. Web site: sergent.com.au – Contains Tasman Series information . https://web.archive.org/web/20091007232849/http://www.sergent.com.au/tasman1974.html . 7 October 2009 . dead . 27 August 2009 .
  5. Tasman Series, Australian Competition Yearbook – 1975 Edition, pages 46 to 67
  6. Web site: Tasman Cup (F5000) races « Formula 5000 « OldRacingCars.com . Allen Brown . https://web.archive.org/web/20090924032308/http://www.oldracingcars.com/results/racelist.php?CategoryID=T5 . 24 September 2009 . live . 27 August 2009 .
  7. Official Programme, Levin Motor Raceways, 5th-6th Jan. 1974
  8. Official Programme, Pukekohe, 11th-12th Jan. 1974
  9. Official Programme, Wigram, 20th Jan. 1974
  10. Official Programme, Oran Park Raceway, 3rd February 1974
  11. 1974 Tasman Championship – Final Points Score, Australian Competition Yearbook – 1975 Edition, page 46
  12. Official Programme, Sandown, February 17th 1974