1976 Australian Tourist Trophy
The 1976 Australian Tourist Trophy was a motor race staged at the Phillip Island circuit in Victoria, Australia on 21 November 1976.[1] It was open to Group A Sports Cars[2] and was recognized by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport as an Australian national title.[2] The race, which was the fourteenth Australian Tourist Trophy,[3] was won by Stuart Kostera of Western Australia,[4] driving an Elfin MS7.[1]
Results[edit]
| Position[5][6] | Driver[5][7] | No.[7] | Car[5][7] | Entrant[5][7] | Laps[5] |
| 1 | Stuart Kostera | 13 | Elfin MS7 Repco Holden[8] | Kostera Racing | 30 |
| 2 | Barry Singleton | 6 | McLaren M8 Chevrolet[9] | Barry Singleton Motors | 30 |
| 3 | Alan Hamilton | 9 | Porsche 934 | Jag Porsche Team | 30 |
| 4 | Rusty French | 6 | de Tomaso Pantera | Holley Performance | 29 |
| 5 | Geoff Walker | 70 | GP Datsun | Geoff Walker | 27 |
| 6 | Tony Rees | 78 | Farrell Clubman[10] | AG Rees | 26 |
| 7 | Dale Kendall | 56 | WDC1 | Dale Kendall | 24 |
| NC | Jim Phillips | 3 | Rennmax Repco[11] | Shell Sport | |
| NC | Eric Boord | 19 | Boral Ford[11] | Shell Sport | |
| DNF | Dennis Hogan | 37 | Triton Mk2 | Dennis Hogan | |
| DNF | Max Scorer | 7 | Scorer Sprite | Max Scorer | |
| DNF | Murray Wilson | 35 | Clubman | M Wilson | |
| DNF | Tom Crozier | 58 | Farrell | T Crozier | |
| DNF | David Phillips | 15 | Lotus 23 | David K Phillips | |
| DNF | Warwick De Rose | 21 | Pegasus | Warwick De Rose | |
| DNF | G Stoll | 38 | Gordon | G Stoll | |
| DNF | Chris Hocking | 74 | Gordon C2 | Motorfast Datsun | |
| DNF | John White | 18 | Bolwell | John White | |
| DNF | Greg Doidge | 31 | Elfin 360 Repco[11] | GSD Sheetmetal | 18[11] |
| DNF | Paul Gibson | 11 | Rennmax | Shell Sport | |
| DNF | Ken Walters | 49 | Gissing Holden[12] | Ken Walters | |
| DNF | Ross Wemyss | 4 | Farrell | Ross Wemyss | |
| DNF | Peter Jones | 68 | Cheetah | Motor Improvements Team Toyota | |
| DNF | Andrew Newton | 59 | Hossack 3 | Paul Newton | |
| DNF | Geoff Watson | 21 | Watson Corolla | Geoff Watson | |
| DNF | Kevin Norden | 12 | Elfin | Kevin Norden | 1 |
| DNF | Vic Butler | 34 | Lotus 23B | VA Butler | 1 |
| DNF | Ian Burrell | 17 | Rennmax Oldsmobile | Keith Beard | 1 |
| DNS | John Allison | 71 | Allison | ||
| DNS | Bernard Bignell | 8 | Lotus 23B | Bernard Bignell | |
| DNS | Graham Docker | 36 | Bolwell | Graham Docker | |
| DNS | Col Trengrove | 46 | ASP 340D | Trengrove Racing Cars | |
| DNS | Paul Trevethan | 20 | MGB GT V8 | Broadwalk Racing Cars | |
| DNS | Leigh Gribble | 82 | Grimas | Leigh Gribble | |
| DNS | Alan Newton | 54 | R&T Chevrolet | Alan Newton |
Key:
- NC = Not classified
- DNF = Did not finish
- DNS = Did not start
Race statistics[edit]
- Race distance: 30 laps, 88.2 miles, 141.9 km[5]
- Pole position: Jim Phillips, 1:48.6[5]
- Number of starters: 28[13]
- Number of classified finishers: 7[11]
- Race time of winning car: 57:37.9[5]
- Fastest lap: Jim Phillips, 1:48.8[5]
References and notes[edit]
- ^ a b Sports Cars, Evan Green, Evan Green’s World of Motor Sport, 1977, page 28
- ^ a b Australian Title Conditions, 1976 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 84
- ^ Australian Titles, 2002 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 14-5
- ^ Series to Crawford, The Age, Monday, 22 November 1976, page 26
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Kostera buys the favourite, Racing Car News, January 1977, pages 30 to 33
- ^ Australian Auto Action, Thursday, 25 November 1976, page 10, shows "....nine cars being counted as finishers, two of these completing too few laps to be classified"
- ^ a b c d Official Souvenir Programme, Phillip Island Auto Racing Club Limited, Sunday 21 November (&) Sunday 28 November 1976
- ^ Titles Decided, Australian Auto Action, Thursday, 25 November 1976, page 1, lists Kostera's car as an Elfin MS7 Repco. Graham Howard in his article "Elfins: the beautiful cars that keep winning" in Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1982/83 pages 46 to 58, states that the one-off Elfin MS7 was powered by a Repco Holden engine
- ^ Titles Decided, Australian Auto Action, Thursday, 25 November 1976, page 1
- ^ Jim Shepherd, A History of Australian Motor Sport, 1980, page 183
- ^ a b c d e 1976 Australian Tourist Trophy - W.A. Victory!, Australian Auto Action, Thursday, 25 November 1976, page 10
- ^ A Win to the West, Chequered Flag, January 1977, page 42
- ^ The Grid Line-up, as published in Racing Car News, January 1977, page 33, shows 35 cars including seven which are listed as DNS (Did Not Start).