1977 Australian Grand Prix Explained

Type:CUST
Description:Round 1 of the 1977 Rothmans International Series
Grand Prix:Australian
Country:Australia
Official Name:XLII Australian Grand Prix
Location:Oran Park Raceway, Sydney
Date:6 February
Year:1977
Course:Permanent racing facility
Course Mi:1.628
Course Km:2.620
Distance Laps:58
Distance Mi:94.424
Distance Km:151.96
Weather:Sunny
Pole Driver:Warwick Brown
Pole Country:AUS
Pole Team:Lola-Chevrolet
Pole Time:1'05.7
Fast Driver:Alan Jones
Fast Team:Lola-Chevrolet
Fast Time:1'06.4
Fast Country:AUS
First Driver:Warwick Brown
First Country:AUS
First Team:Lola-Chevrolet
Second Driver:Peter Gethin
Second Country:GBR
Second Team:Chevron-Chevrolet
Third Driver:John Goss
Third Country:AUS
Third Team:Matich-Repco Holden

The 1977 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at Oran Park International Raceway[1] in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 6 February 1977. It was the forty second Australian Grand Prix and also the first round of the 1977 Rothmans International Series. The race was open to Australian Formula 1 cars and Australian Formula 2 cars.[2]

The race was won by Warwick Brown (Lola T430), his first and only Australian Grand Prix victory. Alan Jones (Lola T332) actually finished his 58th and final lap 40 seconds ahead of Brown, however officials penalised Jones 60 seconds for jumping the start and he was officially classified in 4th place.

Classification

Results as follows:[3]

Qualifying

Pos No Driver Car / engine Qual Gap
13 Warwick BrownLola T430 / Chevrolet 5.0L V81:05.7
26 Alan JonesLola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V81:06.0+0.3
34 Peter GethinChevron B24 / Chevrolet 5.0L V81:06.1+0.4
42 John GossMatich A53 / Repco Holden 5.0L V81:06.1+0.4
516 Max StewartLola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V81:06.9+1.2
65 Kevin BartlettLola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V81:07.3+1.6
71 Vern SchuppanElfin MR8 / Chevrolet 5.0L V81:07.3+1.6
884 Alfredo CostanzoLola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V81:07.7+2.0
912 Garrie CooperElfin MR8 / Chevrolet 5.0L V81:08.0+2.3
1015 Terry HookLola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V81:09.8+4.1
1117 Ken ShirvingtonLola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V81:10.4+4.7
1210 Chris MiltonGardos OR2 / Chevrolet 5.0L V81:10.9+5.2
1314 Jon DavisonMatich A51 / Repco Holden 5.0L V81:11.1+5.4
1462 Dave PowellMatich A51 / Repco Holden 5.0L V81:11.3+5.6
1519 John EdmondsElfin MR5B / Repco Holden 5.0L V81:11.7+6.0
168 Graeme LawrenceLola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8DNP
1777 John McCormackMcLaren M23 / Leyland 5.0L V8DNP
7 John LefflerLola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8DNP engine[4]

Race

Pos No. Driver Car / engine Entrant Laps Time
13 Warwick BrownLola T430 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8Racing Team VDS581h 05m 31.9s
24 Peter GethinChevron B24 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8Racing Team VDS581h 05m 46.7s
32 John GossMatich A53 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8John Goss Racing581h 05m 49.2s
46 Alan JonesLola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8Theodore Racing (Hong Kong) / Bill Patterson Motors581h 05m 51.9s
51 Vern SchuppanElfin MR8 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8Ansett Team Elfin57
612 Garrie CooperElfin MR8 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8Ansett Team Elfin56
715 Terry HookLola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8Terry Hook Racing54
810 Chris MiltonGardos OR2 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8C & C Racing52
914 Jon DavisonMatich A51 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8J. Davison52
1019 John EdmondsElfin MR5B / Repco Holden 5.0L V8J. Edmonds48
115 Kevin BartlettLola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8Magnum Wheels45
Ret77 John McCormackMcLaren M23 / Leyland 5.0L V8Budget Motor Racing Team42blown engine
Ret8 Graeme LawrenceLola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V818broken engine pushrod
Ret62 Dave PowellMatich A51 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8D. Powell17overheating
Ret84 Alfredo CostanzoLola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8Stock 848broken drive shaft
DNS16 Max StewartLola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8M. Stewartdropped valve
DNS17 Ken ShirvingtonLola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8K. Shirvingtondropped valve[5]
DNS 7 John LefflerLola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8Grace Bros. Racing Teamengine

Notes

Notes and References

  1. Official Programme, 42nd Australian Grand Prix, Oran Park International Raceway
  2. 1977 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, Conditions for Australian Titles, page 87
  3. Book: Wilson . Stewart . Graham . Howard . The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix . 1986 . R & T Publishing . Gordon, NSW . 0-9588464-0-5 . 408–415 . 1977.
  4. According to The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix, Leffler was unable to contest the timed qualifying sessions due to an engine failure, suffered another engine failure during an later untimed session and did not start the race.
  5. Ray Bell, Beer Baron's Brown Bomber!, Racing Car News, February 1977, pages 62 to 65
  6. Australian Competition Yearbook, 1978 Edition, 42nd Australian Grand Prix. pages 86 to 89