The 1976 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Sandown International Motor Racing Circuit[1] in Victoria, Australia on 12 September 1976. It was open to racing cars complying with either Australian Formula 1 or Australian Formula 2.[2]
| 1976 Australian Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 of the 1976 Australian Drivers' Championship | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | 12 September 1976 | ||
| Official name | XLI Australian Grand Prix | ||
| Location | Sandown International Motor Racing Circuit, Melbourne, Victoria | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 3.100 km (1.926 miles) | ||
| Distance | 47 laps, 145.70 km (90.522 miles) | ||
| Weather | Sunny | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Lola-Chevrolet | ||
| Time | 1'01.5 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 John Goss Vern Schuppan |
Matich-Repco Holden Elfin-Chevrolet | |
| Time | 1'01.1 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Matich-Repco Holden | ||
| Second | Elfin-Chevrolet | ||
| Third | Lola-Chevrolet | ||
The race was the forty first Australian Grand Prix and doubled as Round 1 of the 1976 Australian Drivers' Championship. John Goss won the race driving a Matich A53 Repco-Holden, and in doing so became the only driver to win both of Australia's highest profile motor races, the Australian Grand Prix and the Bathurst 1000. Goss won the 47 lap race by just half a second from Australian international Vern Schuppan who was driving an Elfin MR8 Chevrolet entered by Ansett Team Elfin. Finishing third, over a lap behind, was John Leffler driving a Lola T400 Chevrolet.
Qualifying results
edit| Pos.[3] | No.[4] | Driver[3] | Car[3] | Entrant[4] | Time[3] | Gap[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Max Stewart | Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | M Stewart | 1:01.5 | — |
| 2 | 12 | Vern Schuppan | Elfin MR8 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | Ansett Team Elfin | 1:02.5 | +1.0 |
| 3 | 2 | John Goss | Matich A53 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 | John Goss Racing Pty Ltd | 1:04.1 | +2.6 |
| 4 | 4 | Jon Davison | Matich A51 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 | Jon Davison Southern Comfort Racing | 1:06.1 | +4.6 |
| 5 | 10 | Chris Milton | McLaren M22 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | John Martin's / Shell Sport | 1:06.5 | +5.0 |
| 6 | 62 | Bruce Allison | Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | B Allison | 1:07.1 | +5.6 |
| 7 | 15 | Terry Hook | Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | Terry Hook Racing | 1:08.1 | +6.6 |
| 8 | 68 | John Edmonds | Elfin MR5B / Repco Holden 5.0L V8[5] | J Edmonds | 1:08.5 | +7.0 |
| 9 | 6 | Ken Shirvington | Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | K Shirvington | 1:09.1 | +7.6 |
| 10 | 23 | Steven Fraser | Cicada / Ford 5.0L V8 | SH & DG Fraser | 1:12.9 | +11.4 |
| 11 | 39 | Gil Cameron | McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | VYI's Sunglasses | 1:13.3 | +11.8 |
| 12 | 5 | Kevin Bartlett | Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | Shellsport K Bartlett | 1:16.7 | +15.2 |
| 13 | 7 | John Leffler | Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | Grace Bros Racing | 1:34.9 | +33.4 |
| 14 | 20 | Andrew Miedecke | Brabham BT36 / Ford 1.6L I4 | Grace Bros Racing | 1:08.5 | +7.0 |
| 15 | 83 | Peter Larner | Elfin 700 / England 1.6L I4 | P Larner | 1:08.6 | +7.1 |
| 16 | 33 | Mike Stack | Cheetah Mk6 / Ford 1.6L I4 | M Stack | 1:11.4 | +9.9 |
| 17 | 17 | John Millard | Brabham BT36 / Ford 1.6L I4 | Chrystal Millard | DNP |
Race results
edit
| Pos.[3] | No.[4] | Driver[3] | Car[3] | Entrant[4] | Laps[3] | Time[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | John Goss | Matich A53 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 | John Goss Racing Pty Ltd | 47 | 48m 41.4s |
| 2 | 12 | Vern Schuppan | Elfin MR8 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | Ansett Team Elfin | 47 | 48m 41.9s |
| 3 | 7 | John Leffler | Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | Grace Bros Racing | 46 | |
| 4 | 10 | Chris Milton | McLaren M22 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | John Martin's / Shell Sport | 39 | |
| 5 | 20 | Andrew Miedecke | Brabham BT36 / Ford 1.6L 4cyl | Grace Bros Racing | 37 | |
| Ret | 5 | Kevin Bartlett | Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | Shellsport K Bartlett | 33 | engine |
| Ret | 23 | Steven Fraser | Cicada / Ford 5.0L V8 | SH & DG Fraser | 27 | |
| Ret | 16 | Max Stewart | Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | M Stewart | 26 | engine |
| Ret | 4 | Jon Davison | Matich A51 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 | Jon Davison Southern Comfort Racing | 19 | engine |
| Ret | 83 | Peter Larner | Elfin 700 / England 1.6L 4cyl | P Larner | 17 | crash |
| Ret | 15 | Terry Hook | Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | Terry Hook Racing | 12 | engine |
| Ret | 39 | Gil Cameron | McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | VYI's Fashion Sunglasses | 8 | engine |
| Ret | 6 | Ken Shirvington | Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | K Shirvington | 1 | crash |
| Ret | 62 | Bruce Allison | Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | B Allison | 1 | stuck throttle / crash |
| Ret | 68 | John Edmonds | Elfin MR5B / Repco Holden 5.0L V8[5] | J Edmonds | 0 | clutch |
| DNS | 33 | Mike Stack | Cheetah Mk6 / Ford 1.6L 4cyl | M Stack | ||
| DNS | 17 | John Millard | Brabham BT36 / Ford 1.6L 4cyl | Chrystal Millard |
References
edit- ^ Official programme, Hang Ten 400 plus Marlboro presents the 41st Australian Grand Prix, 12 September (1976), page 22
- ^ Conditions for Australian Titles, 1976 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 80–81
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wilson, Stewart (1986). "1976". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 398–406. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
- ^ a b c d Official programme, Hang Ten 400 plus Marlboro presents the 41st Australian Grand Prix, 12 September (1976), page 39
- ^ a b Australian National Formula One Review, Australian Competition Yearbook, 1977 Edition, pages 84 to 93