Frank Gardner (racing driver)

For other people of the same name, see Frank Gardner.

Frank Gardner

Born	1 October 1930(1930-10-01)
Died	29 August 2009(2009-08-29) (aged 78)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Australian
Active years	1964 - 1965, 1968
Teams	Brabham, BRM
Races	9 (8 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First race	1964 British Grand Prix
Last race	1968 Italian Grand Prix

Frank Gardner OAM (1 October 1930 - 29 August 2009) was a racing driver from Australia. He was best known as a Touring car racing and Sports car racing driver. He also participated in nine World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 11 July 1964. He scored no championship points. Gardner also participated in numerous non-Championship Formula One races, including a third placing at the 1965 Mediterranean Grand Prix, fourth in the 1965 Race of Champions and third in the 1971 International Gold Cup.

In 1966 Gardner finished second in the 1000 km Spa round of the World Sportscar Championship. In 1967 he also finished second in the European Formula Two Championship and second in the British Autocar Formula 2 Championship. In 1970 he was third in the British Formula 5000 Championship and in 1971 was Champion.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s Gardner had podium finishes in the Australian Grand Prix - second in 1966 and 1972 and a third in 1967. He finished third in the 1967 and 1972 Tasman Series. He won the British Touring Car Championship title on three occasions in 1967 (Ford Falcon Sprint), 1968 (Ford Escort) and 1973 (Chevrolet Camaro), and was runner-up in the BTCC in 1970. In 1975 he finished second at Bathurst in the Hardie-Ferodo 1000.

Gardner at 1969 1000km Nürburgring with Porsche 917

After returning to Australia in the mid-1970s Gardner won the 1977 Australian Sports Sedan Championship driving a highly modified Chevrolet Corvair. That championship victory led into a team management role when he retired from full-time driving. After running the Allan Grice Touring Car and Sports Sedan team in the late 70s, it rolled into a factory touring car preparation for BMW in the Australian Touring Car Championship, a team he would run from the programs toe in the water inception with a BMW 318i turbo Sports Sedan in 1980 all the way until 1987 when Gardner's operation was unceremoniously replaced by Peter Brock's former Holden Dealer Team operation, although that relationship broke down after a single season. During that time his team won the 1985 and 1987 Australian Touring Car Championships with Jim Richards. Shifting to a privateer Ford Sierra team Tony Longhurst and Tomas Mezera won the 1988 Bathurst 1000. When BMW returned to the Australian championship in 1991 it was with Gardner's team. The factory BMW team continued with Gardner, switching to (Supertouring cars in 1994) at the helm until 1998, winning the 1994 (with Longhurst), 1995 and 1997 (with Paul Morris) Super Touring titles.

When the race team was shifted in 1998 Gardner became involved in driver training. Before taking up motor racing he had been a boxer and surf lifesaver.

In 1980, Gardner published a book titled Drive to Survive. It is still in print 25 years later.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	WDC	Pts.
1964	John Willment Automobiles	Brabham BT10	Ford L4	MON	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR Ret	GER	AUT	ITA	USA	MEX			NC	0
1965	John Willment Automobiles	Brabham BT11	BRM V8	RSA 12	MON Ret	BEL Ret	FRA	GBR 8	NED 11	GER Ret	ITA Ret	USA	MEX			NC	0
1968	Bernard White Racing	BRM P261	BRM V12	RSA	ESP	MON	BEL	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA DNQ	CAN	USA	MEX	NC	0

Career results

A summary of some of Gardner's motor racing achievements:

Season	Series	Position	Car	Team
1957	Australian Drivers' Championship	15th	Jaguar C-Type
1964	Tasman Series	11th	Brabham BT6 Ford
1965	Tasman Series	4th	Brabham BT11A Climax FPF
1966	Tasman Series	5th	Brabham BT11A Climax FPF
1967	Tasman Series	2nd	Brabham BT16 Climax FPF
1967	European Formula Two Championship	2nd	Brabham BT23	Brabham
1967	British Touring Car Championship	1st	Ford Falcon Sprint	Alan Mann Racing
1968	Tasman Series	4th	Brabham BT23D Alfa Romeo
1968	British Touring Car Championship	1st	Ford Escort Mk.I Twin Cam	Alan Mann Racing
1969	Tasman Series	5th	Mildren Mono Alfa Romeo
1971	Tasman Series	4th	Lola T192 Chevrolet
1971	British Formula 5000 Championship	1st	Lola T192 Chevrolet Lola T300 Chevrolet
1972	Tasman Series	3rd	Lola T300 Chevrolet
1973	British Touring Car Championship	1st	Chevrolet Camaro	SCA European Road Services
1976	Australian Touring Car Championship	24th	Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34	Craven Mild Racing
1976	Australian Sports Sedan Championship	2nd	Chevrolet Corvair	John Player Racing
1977	Australian Sports Sedan Championship	1st	Chevrolet Corvair	John Player Racing

Sporting positions
Preceded by John Fitzpatrick	British Touring Car Champion 1967-1968	Succeeded by Alec Poole
Preceded by Peter Gethin	British Formula 5000 Champion 1971	Succeeded by Gijs van Lennep
Preceded by Niel Allen	Winner of the New Zealand Grand Prix 1972	Succeeded by John McCormack
Preceded by Bill McGovern	British Touring Car Champion 1973	Succeeded by Bernard Unett