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1973 Australian Drivers' Championship

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The 1973 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title open to drivers of Australian Formula 1 and Australian Formula 2 cars.[1] It was the seventeenth Australian Drivers' Championship[2] and the championship winner was awarded the 1973 CAMS "Gold Star".[1]

The championship was won by John McCormack driving an Elfin MR5 Repco Holden.

Schedule

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John McCormack won the championship driving an Elfin MR5 (pictured in 1972)

The championship was contested over a five-round series with one race per round.[3] There was to be a round at Symmons Plains on 23 September in an event shared with the 1973 Australian Formula 2 Championship. However, as just four Formula 5000 cars were entered, organisers decided to run the event only for Formula Two cars.[4] There was also originally to be an event at Warwick Farm before that facility closed suddenly earlier in 1973.[5] As a result of these cancellations, a second event was added at Phillip Island in late November.

Round[3] Name Circuit[3] Date[3] Winner[3] Car[3] Report
1 Glyn Scott Memorial Trophy[6] Surfers Paradise 2 September John McCormack Elfin MR5 Repco Holden
2 Channel 7 Trophy[7] Adelaide International Raceway 7 October John McCormack Elfin MR5 Repco Holden
3 Victorian Road Racing Championship[8] Phillip Island 14 October Johnnie Walker Lola T330 Repco Holden
4 Australian Grand Prix[3] Sandown 4 November Graham McRae McRae GM2 Chevrolet Report
5 Phillip Island 25 November Johnnie Walker Lola T330 Repco Holden

Points system

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Championship points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis for the top six places in each round[3] with all rounds counting towards each driver's points total.[1] Only drivers holding a CAMS General Competition License were eligible to score points.[1]

Results

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Position[3] Driver[3] No. Car[3] Entrant[7] Sur[3] Ade[3] Phi[3] San[3] Phi[3] Total[3]
1 John McCormack 3 Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden Ansett Team Elfin 9 9 9 6 33
2 Johnnie Walker 25 Lola T330 Repco-Holden John Walker Motor Racing 6 9 6 9 30
3 Garrie Cooper 2 Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden Ansett Team Elfin 6 1 6 3 4 20
4 Leo Geoghegan 9 Birrana 273 Ford Grace Bros – 5AD City State Racing Team 4 2 6
Bruce Allison 62 Bowin P6 Ford Hobby and Toyland Racing 3 3 6
Enno Busselmann 18 Birrana 273 Ford Bob and Marj Brown 2 3 1 6
7 Max Stewart 6 Lola T330 Chevrolet Seiko Service Centre 4 4
Kevin Bartlett 5 Lola T330 Chevrolet Chesterfield Filter Racing[9] 4 4
Howie Sangster 14 McLaren M18/M22 Chevrolet [10] Don O'Sullivan Racing Pty. Ltd.[9] 4 4
Chas Talbot Elfin 600E Ford C. Talbot[11] 2 2 4
11 Paul Feltham Birrana 273 Ford Feltham Team Racing[11] 3 3
12 John Leffler 34 Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden Seiko Service Centre[11] 2 2
Chris Farrell 36 Dolphin 732 Ford Chris Farrell 1 1 2
14 Bob Minogue Elfin 600B Ford[12] R. A. Minogue[11] 1 1

Note: The Australian Grand Prix was won by New Zealander Graham McRae.[3] However, as the Australian Drivers' Championship was open only to holders of a CAMS General Competition License,[1] 9 points were awarded to the highest placed eligible driver, John McCormack, 6 points to the second highest placed eligible driver etc.[3]

Championship name

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Conditions for the championship were promulgated by CAMS under the name "Australian Formula 1 Championship – Gold Star Award",[1] with mention of the requirement for the phrase "Australian Champion Driver" to be reserved exclusively for the winner of the CAMS Gold Star.[1] Historic records published by CAMS use the term Australian Drivers' Championship[2] and that title has been used here.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Conditions for Australian Titles, 1973 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 92 to 93
  2. ^ a b Records, Titles and Awards : Australian Drivers' Championship – CAMS Gold Star, 2006 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 14-4
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Australian Formula One Championship, Australian Competition Yearbook, 1974 Edition, pages 60 to 77
  4. ^ Australian Competition Yearbook 1974 Edition. 1974. p. 92.
  5. ^ Australian Competition Yearbook 1974 Edition. 1974. p. 60.
  6. ^ Glyn Scott Memorial Trophy, Surfers Paradise, 2 Sep 1973, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved 10 May 2021
  7. ^ a b Official Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, 7 October 1973
  8. ^ Official Souvenir Programme, Victorian Road Racing Championship, Phillip Island Auto Racing Club, October 15th (1973)
  9. ^ a b Official Programme, 38th Australian Grand Prix, Sandown, November 4, 1973
  10. ^ Australian Grand Prix, Sandown Park, 4 Nov 1973, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved 10 May 2021
  11. ^ a b c d Official Souvenir Programme, Meeting of Champions, Phillip Island, November 25th (1973)
  12. ^ Australian Gold Star Race, Phillip Island, 25 Nov 1973, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved 10 May 2021