1970 Tasman Series
Encyclopedia
The 1970 Tasman Series
was the seventh in the series, beginning on 3 January and ending on 22 February after seven races. The series was won by Graeme Lawrence
of New Zealand
, driving the Ferrari
246T that fellow New Zealander Chris Amon
raced to win the 1969 series.
It was a transitional year, the first year not involving the European Formula One teams which had given the Tasman Series its distinctive style. It was also the first year that stock production engines of up to five litres cubic capacity were allowed, in short, Formula 5000
. Entries arrived from both Europe and the United States, although not of the same quality of the earlier Tasman Formula era. Traditional 2.5 litre Tasman cars, like Lawrence's Ferrari, continued to race along with the 1.6 litre cars that filled much of the lower end of the grids during the Tasman era.
Tasman Series
The Tasman Series was a motor racing series held from 1964 to 1975, in Australia and New Zealand, and named after the Tasman Sea between the two countries...
was the seventh in the series, beginning on 3 January and ending on 22 February after seven races. The series was won by Graeme Lawrence
Graeme Lawrence
Graeme Lawrence is a former race car driver from New Zealand.Lawrence was the first New Zealander to win a race in the Tasman Series, in 1970. Although he won only the one race that year, he was Tasman Series champion, driving Chris Amon's old Ferrari 246T....
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, driving the Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
246T that fellow New Zealander Chris Amon
Chris Amon
Christopher Arthur Amon MBE is a former motor racing driver. He was active in Formula One - racing in the 1960s and 1970s - and is widely regarded to be one of the best F1 drivers never to win a championship Grand Prix...
raced to win the 1969 series.
It was a transitional year, the first year not involving the European Formula One teams which had given the Tasman Series its distinctive style. It was also the first year that stock production engines of up to five litres cubic capacity were allowed, in short, Formula 5000
Formula 5000
Formula 5000 was an open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel racing cars that no longer fit into any particular formula...
. Entries arrived from both Europe and the United States, although not of the same quality of the earlier Tasman Formula era. Traditional 2.5 litre Tasman cars, like Lawrence's Ferrari, continued to race along with the 1.6 litre cars that filled much of the lower end of the grids during the Tasman era.
Races
Additional information sourced from:| Round | Name | Circuit | Date | Winning driver | Winning car | Winning team | Report | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
1 |  Levin International |
Levin Levin, New Zealand Levin is a town in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand, and is the largest town in the Horowhenua district. It is 90 kilometres north of Wellington, 50 kilometres south of Palmerston North, and two kilometres to the east of Lake Horowhenua.... |
3 January | Graeme Lawrence Graeme Lawrence Graeme Lawrence is a former race car driver from New Zealand.Lawrence was the first New Zealander to win a race in the Tasman Series, in 1970. Although he won only the one race that year, he was Tasman Series champion, driving Chris Amon's old Ferrari 246T.... |
Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing.... 246T |
Report | |
| 2 | New Zealand Grand Prix New Zealand Grand Prix The New Zealand Grand Prix, sometimes known as the New Zealand International Grand Prix, is an annual motor racing event held in New Zealand first run in 1950. Currently it is the signature race of the Toyota Racing Series. It is one of only two current national Grand Prix events that are not part... |
Pukekohe Pukekohe Park Raceway Although Pukekohe Park Raceway is better known internationally as a motor racing circuit, it is primarily a horse racing circuit in New Zealand. It is located south of Auckland City in the North Island. The track is now owned by Pukekohe Park Limited... |
10 January |  Frank MatichFrank Matich Frank Matich, born 1935, was an Australian racing car driver. A highly successful motor racing competitor in the 1960s and 70s, Matich built his own range of Matich sports cars and open wheel cars, mainly to support his own career, but some cars found success with other drivers... |
McLaren McLaren McLaren Racing Limited, trading as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, is a British Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed and won in the Indianapolis 500 and Canadian-American Challenge Cup... M10A Chevrolet Chevrolet Small-Block engine The Chevrolet small-block engine is a series of automobile V8 engines built by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors using the same basic small engine block... |
Rothmans Team Matich | Report 1970 New Zealand Grand Prix The 1970 New Zealand Grand Prix was a race held at the Pukekohe Park Raceway on 10 January 1970. The race had 20 starters.It was the 16th New Zealand Grand Prix, and doubled as the second round of the 1970 Tasman Series. Frank Matich won his first NZGP in his McLaren Formula 5000 ahead of British... |
|
| 3 | Lady Wigram Trophy |
Wigram Wigram Airfield Circuit Wigram Airfield Circuit was a temporary motor racing circuit at Wigram Aerodrome, Christchurch, New Zealand. The airfield is a former base of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. It is named after Sir Henry Wigram. The temporary circuit was 3 km with a 1.3 km main straight... |
17 January | Frank Matich |
McLaren M10A Chevrolet | Rothmans Team Matich | Report | |
| 4 | Teretonga International |
Teretonga Teretonga Park Teretonga is a motor racing circuit situated south-west of Invercargill, New Zealand. It is home of the Southland Sports Car Club. The circuit was established in 1957 and said to be the southern most race track in the world... |
24 January | Graham McRae Graham McRae Graham McRae is a former racing driver from New Zealand.McRae's single outing in the Formula One World Championship was at the 1973 British Grand Prix on 14 July 1973, where he retired in the first lap... |
McLaren M10A Chevrolet | Report | ||
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
5 | Surfers Paradise 100 |
Surfers Paradise Surfers Paradise International Raceway Surfers Paradise International Raceway was a motor racing complex at Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The circuit was designed and built by Keith Williams, a motor racing enthusiast. It was located opposite the Surfers Paradise Ski Gardens at Carrara... |
8 February | Graham McRae |
McLaren M10A Chevrolet | Report | |
| 6 | Warwick Farm 100 |
Warwick Farm Warwick Farm Raceway Warwick Farm Raceway was a motor racing facility which was in operation from 1960 to 1973. Warwick Farm Raceway hosted numerous major events during its life such as the Australian Grand Prix and rounds of both the Australian Touring Car Championship and the Tasman Series.-History:Warwick Farm... |
15 February | Kevin Bartlett Kevin Bartlett (race driver) Kevin Bartlett , often known by his nickname "KB", is an Australian former open wheel and touring car racing driver who won the CAMS Gold Star in 1968 and 1969, as well as the prestigious Bathurst 1000. Bartlett was named in Wheels magazine's annual yearbook in 2004 as one of Australia's 50... |
Mildren Mono Waggott Waggott Engineering Waggott Engineering was an Australian automotive engineering company which gained fame for the engines which it produced for motor sport applications from the 1950s through to the 1970s.... |
Alec Mildren Racing | Report | |
| 7 | Sandown Park Cup |
Sandown Sandown Raceway Sandown International Raceway is a motor racing circuit in Melbourne, Victoria, approximately south east of the city centre. It is considered a power circuit with its front straight being 899m long and back straight 910m long.-History:... |
22 February | Neil Allen |
McLaren M10B Chevrolet | Report | ||
Standings
All scores from points-scoring races were counted| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
EWLINE
|
Key
| Abbreviation | Circuit |
|---|---|
| LEV | Levin |
| PUK | Pukekohe |
| SAN | Sandown |
| SUR | Surfers Paradise |
| TER | Teretonga |
| WAR | Warwick Farm |
| WIG | Wigram |