1979 Australian Grand Prix

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1979 Australian Grand Prix
Round 1 of 3 of the 1979 Australian Drivers' Championship
Barbagallo Raceway AKA Wanneroo Park (Australia) track map.svg
Race details
Date 11 March 1979
Official name XLIV Australian Grand Prix
Location Wanneroo Raceway, Wanneroo, Western Australia
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 2.411 km (1.498 mi)
Distance 63 laps, 151.893 km (93.374 mi)
Weather Sunny
Pole position
Driver
Lola-Chevrolet
Time 0'52.11
Fastest lap
Driver Australia
Australia Johnnie Walker		 Lola-Chevrolet
Lola-Chevrolet
Time 0'54.92
Podium
First
Lola-Chevrolet
Second
Elfin-Chevrolet
Third
  • Australia
Lola-Chevrolet

The 1979 Australian Grand Prix was an open-wheel racing car race held at Wanneroo Raceway[1] north of Perth in Western Australia, Australia on 11 March 1979.

The race, which was the first round of the 1979 Australian Drivers' Championship,[2] was open to racing cars complying with Australian Formula 1[3] (incorporating Formula 5000 and Formula Pacific). It was recognised by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport as the 44th Australian Grand Prix[4] and was the only Australian Grand Prix to be held at Wanneroo Raceway.

Classification[]

Results as follows:[5][6]

Qualifying[]

John Walker won the race driving a Lola T332, similar to that pictured above
Pos No Driver Car Entrant Qual Gap
1 84 Australia Alfredo Costanzo Lola T430 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Alfredo Costanzo 0:52.11 —
2 12 Australia Larry Perkins Elfin MR8 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Ansett Team Elfin 0:52.77 +0.66
3 25 Australia John Walker Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 John Walker 0:53.00 +0.89
4 15 Australia Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Terry Hook 0:53.20 +1.09
5 24 Australia Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Ranger Truck Rentals 0:54.20 +2.09
6 76 Australia Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 John Wright 0:54.27 +2.16
7 7 Australia John McCormack McLaren M23 / Leyland 5.0L V8 John McCormack 0:54.67 +2.56
8 11 Australia John Bowe Elfin MR8 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Ansett Team Elfin 0:55.30 +3.19
9 10 Australia Lola T332 / Chevrolet V8 Rob Butcher 0:55.85 +3.74
10 71 Australia Ralt RT1 / Ford 1.6L I4 John Smith 0:56.59 +4.48
11 38 Australia Chevron B37 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Ivan Tighe 0:57.11 +5.00
12 30 Australia Chevron B39 / Ford 1.6L I4 Paul England Racing 0:57.30 +5.19
13 19 Australia Gardos GL1 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Barry Singleton 0:58.20 +6.09
14 8 Australia Elfin 622 / Ford 1.6L I4 Rod Housego 1:00.70 +8.59
15 16 Australia Birrana 273 / Ford 1.6L I4 Bob Creasy 1:01.00 +8.89
16 40 Australia Elfin 622 / Ford 1.6L I4 Geoff Nicol 1:01.89 +9.78
17 3 Australia Minos / Ford 1.6L I4 Bill Downey 1:03.35 +11.24
18 17 Australia El Toro / Alfa Romeo 1.6L I4 Bob Kingsbury 1:05.45 +13.34

Race[]

Pos No[1] Driver Car Entrant[1] Laps Time
1 25 Australia John Walker Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 John Walker 63 59m 09.72s
2 11[2] Australia John Bowe Elfin MR8 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Ansett Team Elfin[5] 63 59m 22.13s
3 10 Australia Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Rob Butcher 61
4 71 Australia Ralt RT1 / Ford 1.6L I4 John Smith 61
5 15 Australia Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Terry Hook 59
6 19 Australia Gardos GL1 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Barry Singleton 59
7 38 Australia Chevron B37 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Ivan Tighe 49
8 40 Australia Elfin 622 / Ford 1.6L I4 Geoff Nicol 45
Ret 76 Australia Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 John Wright 62 Engine
Ret 17 Australia El Toro / Alfa Romeo 1.6L I4 Bob Kingsbury 39 Battery
Ret 7 Australia John McCormack McLaren M23 / Leyland 5.0L V8 John McCormack 36 Gearbox
Ret 8 Australia Elfin 622 / Ford 1.6L I4 Rod Housego 33 Exhaust
Ret 3 Australia Minos[7] / Ford 1.6L I4 Bill Downey 30 Transmission
Ret 24 Australia Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Ranger Truck Rentals 20 Fuel Pump
Ret 30 Australia Chevron B39 / Ford 1.6L I4 Paul England Racing 8 Brakes / Suspension
Ret 12[5] Australia Larry Perkins Elfin MR8 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Ansett Team Elfin[5] 0 Accident
Ret 84 Australia Alfredo Costanzo Lola T430 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Alfredo Costanzo 0 Accident
DNS 16 Australia Birrana 273 / Ford 1.6L I4 Bob Creasy 0 Gearbox

Notes[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Souvenir Programme, Australian Grand Prix, Wanneroo Raceway, Sunday, March 11th, 1979
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Australian Drivers Championship - Wanneroo, Australian Motor Racing Yearbook, 1979/80, pages 92–93
  3. ^ Conditions for Australian Titles, CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1979, page 95
  4. ^ Australian Grand Prix Winners, CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1980, page 55
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Wilson, Stewart (1986). "1979". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 426–434. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
  6. ^ Walker, Terry. "Western Australian Motor Race Results 1979" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  7. ^ Downey was entered to drive a Birrana 273 but actually raced a Minos, as per The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix, page 429

External links[]

Preceded by
1978 Australian Grand Prix 		Australian Grand Prix
1979 		Succeeded by
1980 Australian Grand Prix
Retrieved from ""