1969 Australian Drivers' Championship

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

Max Stewart placed third in the championship driving the Mildren Waggott (pictured above in 1971)

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

Race Race name Circuit State Date Winning driver Winning car
1[4]   Symmons Plains[4] Tasmania 3 March[4] Kevin Bartlett[4] Mildren Mono Alfa Romeo[5]
2[6] Bathurst 100[6] Mount Panorama, Bathurst[6] New South Wales 7 April[6] Jack Brabham[6] Repco Brabham[6] BT31[7]
3[8] Victoria Trophy[8] Sandown Park[8] Victoria 21 September[8] John Harvey[8] Repco Brabham[8] BT23E[7]
4[9]   Mallala[9] South Australia 13 October[9] Garrie Cooper[9] Elfin 600C Repco[10]
5[11] Surfers Paradise Trophy[11] Surfers Paradise[11] Queensland 26 October[11] Kevin Bartlett[11] Mildren Mono Waggott[12]
6[13] Sam Hordern Memorial Trophy[14] Warwick Farm[13] New South Wales 7 December[13] Kevin Bartlett[13] Mildren 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

Glyn Scott placed ninth driving a Bowin P3 Ford Cosworth FVA
Position Driver[2] Car[7] Entrant[7] Sym.[2] Bat.[2] San.[2] Mal.[2] Sur.[2] War.[2] Total[2]
1 Kevin Bartlett Mildren Mono Alfa Romeo[5] & Mildren Mono Waggott[12] Alec Mildren Racing 9 - 6 3 9 9 36
2 Leo Geoghegan Lotus 39 Repco Geoghegan Racing Division 6 - 1 6 4 3 20
3 Max Stewart Mildren Waggott Alec Mildren Racing - - - 4 6 6 16
4 John Harvey Repco Brabham[8] BT23E[7] Bob Jane Racing Team - 6 9 - - - 15
= Neil Allen McLaren M4A Ford Cosworth FVA NE Allen Competition 4 - 4 - 3 4 15
6 Garrie Cooper Elfin 600B Ford & Elfin 600C Repco Elfin Sports Cars - - 3 9 - - 12
7 Jack Brabham Repco Brabham[6] BT31[7] Jack Brabham - 9 - - - - 9
8 Henk Woelders Elfin 600B Ford Bill Patterson Motors 2 4 2 - - - 8
9 Glyn Scott Bowin P3 Ford Cosworth FVA Glyn Scott Motors 3 - - - 2 - 5
10 Alton Boddenburg Lotus 32 Ford Alton Boddenburg - 3 - - - - 3
11 Jack Bono Brabham BT2 Ford Graham Collier[9] - - - 2 - - 2
= Malcolm Bailey Elfin Catalina Peugeot Malcolm Bailey - 2 - - - - 2
= Ken Goodwin Rennmax BN3 Ford Peter Clark Surfboards - - - - - 2 2
14 Alan Watson Delta Ford Alan Watson - 1 - - - - 1
= John Ampt Elfin Mono MK 2D Ford John Ampt - - - 1 - - 1
= Ian Ferguson Bowin P3a Ford Ian Ferguson - - - - 1 - 1
= Ivan Tighe Elfin 600B Ford Ivan Tighe - - - - - 1 1

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. ^ a b c d e f Conditions for Australian Titles, 1969 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 77 to 78
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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. ^ a b c d Steven Chopping, Bartlett notches nine!, Racing Car News, April 1969, pages 42 & 43
  5. ^ a b Australian Gold Star Race - Symmons Plains, 3 Mar 1969, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved on 17 February 2013
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Peter Wherrett, Bleak Bathurst, Racing Car News, May 1969, pages 28 & 29
  7. ^ a b c d e f 1969 ADC race results, members.optusnet.com.au/dandsshaw via web.archive.org Retrieved on 27 July 2013
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Adrian Ryan, Gold Star round to Harvey, Racing Car News, October 1969, pages 52 & 53
  9. ^ a b c d e John Brownsea, Cooper cleans up Mallala, Racing Car News, December 1969, pages 42 & 43
  10. ^ Australian Gold Star Race - Mallala, 13 Oct 1969, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved on 17 February 2013
  11. ^ a b c d e f Des White, Bartlett's crown again!, Racing Car News, December 1969, pages 58 & 59
  12. ^ a b Australian Gold Star Race - Surfers Paradise, 26 Oct 1969, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved on 17 February 2013
  13. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Australian Gold Star Race - Warwick Farm, 7 Dec 1969, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved on 17 February 2013
  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. ^ Australian Drivers' Championship - CAMS Gold Star, camsmanual.com.au via web.archive.org Retrieved on 27 July 2013