The 1965 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian national motor racing title open to racing cars complying with the Australian National Formula or the Australian 1½ Litre Formula.[1] The title was contested over a six race series with the winner awarded the 1965 CAMS Gold Star.[1] It was the ninth Australian Drivers' Championship.[2]
The championship was won by Victorian racer Bib Stillwell driving a Repco Brabham[3] BT11A-Coventry Climax.[4] Stillwell won by 19 points from Jack Brabham (Repco Brabham BT11A-Coventry Climax). Three drivers shared third place, Spencer Martin (Repco Brabham BT11A-Coventry Climax), Leo Geoghegan (Lotus 32-Ford) and John McDonald (Cooper T53-Coventry Climax and Cooper T70-Coventry Climax).
Stillwell won three of the six races with the remaining race wins attained by Jim Clark (Lotus 32B-Coventry Climax), Bruce McLaren (Cooper T79-Coventry Climax) and Martin.
Calendar
The championship was contested over a six race series.[5]
| Race | Circuit | Date | Race winner[6] | Car[6] |
| International 100[5] | Warwick Farm[5] | 14 February[5] | Jim Clark | Lotus 32B Coventry Climax |
| Australian Grand Prix[5] | Longford[5] | 1 March[5] | Bruce McLaren | Cooper T79 Coventry Climax |
| Victorian Road Racing Championship[7] | Sandown Park[7] | 11 April[7] | Bib Stillwell | Repco Brabham[7] BT11A Coventry Climax |
| Governor's Trophy[5] | Lakeside[5] | 25 July[5] | Spencer Martin | Repco Brabham[8] BT11A Coventry Climax |
| Country Club Gold Star Championship Race[3] | Mallala[3] | 11 October[3] | Bib Stillwell | Repco Brabham[9] BT11A Coventry Climax |
| Hordern Trophy[10] | Warwick Farm[10] | 5 December[10] | Bib Stillwell | Repco Brabham[10] BT11A Coventry Climax |
The International 100 and the Australian Grand Prix were also rounds of the 1965 Tasman Series.
Points system
Championship points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the first six placegetters, however only holders of a current and valid full General Competition Licence issued by CAMS were eligible.[1] The title was awarded to the driver gaining the highest points total in the Australian Grand Prix and any four of the other races.[1]
Results
| Position | Driver[6] | Car[6] | Entrant[6] | War.[6] | Lon.[6] | San.[6] | Lak.[6] | Mal.[6] | War.[6] | Total[6] |
| 1 | Bib Stillwell | Repco Brabham[3] BT11A Coventry Climax | BS Stillwell | 4 | 6 | 9 | - | 9 | 9 | 37 |
| 2 | Jack Brabham | Repco Brabham[11] BT11A Coventry Climax | Ecurie Vitesse | 9 | 9 | - | - | - | - | 18 |
| 3 | Spencer Martin | Repco Brabham[3] BT11A Coventry Climax | Scuderia Veloce | - | - | - | 9 | 6 | - | 15 |
| = | Leo Geoghegan | Lotus 32 Ford | Total Team | 3 | - | - | 6 | - | 6 | 15 |
| = | John McDonald | Cooper T70 Coventry Climax | Bill Patterson Motors | - | 3 | 4 | 4 | - | 4 | 15 |
| 6 | Frank Matich | Repco Brabham[11] BT7A Coventry Climax | Total Team | 6 | - | 6 | - | - | - | 12 |
| 7 | John Ampt | Alexis Mk6 Ford | John Ampt | - | - | 3 | 3 | - | - | 6 |
| 8 | Glyn Scott | Lotus 27 Ford | Glyn Scott Motors | - | 4 | - | - | - | 1 | 5 |
| 9 | Garrie Cooper | Elfin Mono Mk1 Ford | Elfin Sports Cars | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | 4 |
| 10 | John Walker | Elfin Catalina Ford | Gilbert Motor Bodies | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | 3 |
| = | John Harvey | Repco Brabham[10] BT14 Ford | RC Phillips | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 3 |
| = | Mel McEwin | Elfin Mono[12] Ford | Mel McEwin | - | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | 3 |
| 13 | Rocky Tresise | Cooper T62 Coventry Climax | Ecurie Australie | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| = | Jack Hobden | Cooper T51 Coventry Climax | Lewis Hobden Pty Ltd[13] | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| = | Barry Collerson | Repco Brabham[8] BT2 Ford | Hunter & Delbridge | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 2 |
| = | Noel Potts | Elfin Catalina Ford | Noel Potts | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | 2 |
| 17 | Bob Jane | Elfin Mono Mk1 Ford | Bob Jane Autoland | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 2 |
| = | Greg Cusack | Repco Brabham[11] BT10 Ford | Greg Cusack | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| 19 | Don Fraser | Cooper T53 BRM | Don Fraser | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
| = | Jimmy Orr | Austin Special[3] | Jimmy Orr | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
- Jim Clark won the International 100 at Warwick Farm but Jack Brabham was awarded maximum points as the highest placed CAMS license holder.
- Bruce McLaren won the Australian Grand Prix at Longford but Jack Brabham was awarded maximum points as the highest placed CAMS license holder.
References
- ^ a b c d Conditions for Australian Titles, 1965 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 66-68
- ^ Past Title Winners, 1980 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 56
- ^ a b c d e f g Country Club Gold Star Championship Race (Entry List), Official Souvenir Programme, Mallala Motor Races, Labor Day Holiday, Monday 11 October 1965, page 22
- ^ "Gold Star Winners – 1957 – 2009". formula3.com.au. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Guide to the Gold Star, Racing Car News, August 1972
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 1965 Gold Star As archived at web.archive.org on 9 June 2011
- ^ a b c d Victorian Road Racing Championship, Australian Motor Manual, June 1965, page 52
- ^ a b Des White, That Lakeside Lark, Racing Car News, September 1965, page 22
- ^ Stillwell takes Mallala title, The Advertiser, Tuesday, 12 Oct 1965, page 31
- ^ a b c d e Stillwell's Swansong, Racing Car News, January 1966, page 24
- ^ a b c Hugh Griffiths, Enter Jim Clark, The Fabulous Farm, 1979
- ^ The story of Elfin Mono 6446 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 3 June 2012
- ^ Programme, 30th Australian Grand Prix Meeting 1965, Longford
