John McCormack (racing driver)

‎John McCormack is a former Australian racing driver. Originally from Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

 McCormack became one of the leading 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...

 racers in Australia during the 1970s.

McCormack won the Australian Drivers' Championship

Australian Drivers' Championship

The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...

 three times, driving an Elfin MR5

Elfin MR5

The Elfin MR5 is an Australian Formula 5000 racing car produced from 1971-1972 by Elfin Sports Cars. John McCormack drove an MR5 to victory in the 1973 Australian Drivers' Championship, the 1973 New Zealand Grand Prix, the 1974 New Zealand Grand Prix and the 1974 Lady Wigram Trophy....

 Repco

Repco

Repco is an Australian automotive engineering company. Its name is an abbreviation of Replacement Parts Company and it is best known for spare parts and motor accessories....

 Holden

Holden

GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...

 in 1973, an Elfin MR6 Repco Holden in 1975 and a McLaren M23

McLaren M23

The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson Engines...

-Leyland

Rover V8 engine

The Rover V8 engine is a compact V8 internal combustion engine with aluminium cylinder heads and cylinder block, originally designed by General Motors and later re-designed and produced by Rover in the United Kingdom...

 in 1977. He also won consecutive New Zealand Grands 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...

 in 1973 and 1974. McCormack was competitive in the Tasman Series

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...

 and Australian Grand Prix

Australian Grand Prix

The Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has...

 his best results being second in both events. Most of McCormack's major wins were under the banner of the Ansett Team Elfin.

As well as open-wheelers McCormack drove sports sedan

Sports sedan

A sports sedan or a sports saloon is a descriptive term applied to a sedan automobile that is designed to look and feel "sporty", offering the motorist more connection with the driving experience, while providing the comfort and amenities expected of a luxury sedan. A wider definition that includes...

s, winning the 1974 Toby Lee Sports Sedan Series

Toby Lee Series

The Toby Lee Series was an Australian motor racing series run at Oran Park Raceway in Sydney, between 1970 and 1975.In 1970 Oran Park, with backing from sponsors Toby Lee and department store Grace Brothers, launched a new series of races for Group E Series Production sedans...

 driving his highly modified Charger

Valiant Charger

The Chrysler Valiant Charger is a muscle car introduced by Chrysler Australia in 1971. It was a short wheelbase two door coupe based on the concurrent Australian Chrysler Valiant sedan...

-Repco V8 which underneath the Charger shell had specifications virtually identical to those of his Formula 5000 car.

In 1979 McCormack was one of the first drivers to race a Chevrolet Camaro

Chevrolet Camaro

The Chevrolet Camaro is an automobile manufactured by General Motors under the Chevrolet brand, classified as a pony car and some versions also as a muscle car. It went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed as a competing model to the Ford Mustang...

 (filling in for an injured 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...

) at the Bathurst 1000

Bathurst 1000

The Bathurst 1000 is a touring car race held annually at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia...

 although unsuccessfully.

Career results

Season	Series	Position	Car	Team
1966 1966 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1966 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of racing cars complying with either the Australian National Formula or the Australian 1½ Litre Formula...	Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...	10th	Brabham BT4 Climax Coventry Climax Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H...
1967 1967 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1967 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars conforming to Australian National Formula or Australian 1½ Litre Formula regulations. The winner of the championship was awarded the 1967 CAMS Gold Star...	Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...	9th	Brabham BT4 Climax Coventry Climax Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H...
1970 1970 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1970 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Australian Formula 1 and Australian Formula 2 racing cars...	Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...	7th	Elfin 600C Climax Coventry Climax Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H...
1971 1971 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1971 Australian Drivers’ Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title open to Australian Formula 1 and Australian Formula 2 racing cars...	Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...	4th	Elfin MR5 Elfin MR5 The Elfin MR5 is an Australian Formula 5000 racing car produced from 1971-1972 by Elfin Sports Cars. John McCormack drove an MR5 to victory in the 1973 Australian Drivers' Championship, the 1973 New Zealand Grand Prix, the 1974 New Zealand Grand Prix and the 1974 Lady Wigram Trophy....  Repco-Holden Holden V8 engine The Holden V8 is an overhead valve V8 engine which was produced by the Australian General Motors subsidiary Holden between 1969 and 2000. The engine was used initially in the Kingswood and Monaro model ranges; it was later utilised in the Torana and Commodore ranges...	Ansett Team Elfin
1972 1972 Tasman Series The 1972 Tasman Series was the ninth in the series, beginning on 8 January and ending on 27 February after eight races. The series was won by Graham McRae of New Zealand, driving a Leda GM1 Chevrolet.-Races:Additional information sourced from:...	Tasman Series 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...	11th	Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden Holden V8 engine The Holden V8 is an overhead valve V8 engine which was produced by the Australian General Motors subsidiary Holden between 1969 and 2000. The engine was used initially in the Kingswood and Monaro model ranges; it was later utilised in the Torana and Commodore ranges...	Ansett Team Elfin
1973 1973 Tasman Series The 1973 Tasman Series was the tenth in the series, beginning on 6 January and ending on 25 February after eight races. The series was won by Graham McRae of New Zealand, driving a McRae GM1 Chevrolet.-Races:Additional information sourced from:...	Tasman Series 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...	2nd	Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden Holden V8 engine The Holden V8 is an overhead valve V8 engine which was produced by the Australian General Motors subsidiary Holden between 1969 and 2000. The engine was used initially in the Kingswood and Monaro model ranges; it was later utilised in the Torana and Commodore ranges...	Ansett Team Elfin
1973 1973 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1973 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title open to drivers of Australian Formula 1 and Australian Formula 2 cars...	Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...	1st	Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden Holden V8 engine The Holden V8 is an overhead valve V8 engine which was produced by the Australian General Motors subsidiary Holden between 1969 and 2000. The engine was used initially in the Kingswood and Monaro model ranges; it was later utilised in the Torana and Commodore ranges...	Ansett Team Elfin
1974 1974 Tasman Series The 1974 Tasman Series was the eleventh in the series, beginning on 5 January and ending on 23 February after eight races. It was won by Peter Gethin of the United Kingdom, driving a Chevron B24 Chevrolet.-Races:Additional information sourced from:...	Tasman Series 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...	4th	Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden Holden V8 engine The Holden V8 is an overhead valve V8 engine which was produced by the Australian General Motors subsidiary Holden between 1969 and 2000. The engine was used initially in the Kingswood and Monaro model ranges; it was later utilised in the Torana and Commodore ranges... Elfin ML6 Leyland	Ansett Team Elfin
1974 1974 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1974 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Australian Formula 1 and Australian Formula 2 racing cars with the championship winner awarded the 1974 CAMS "Gold Star".-Calendar:...	Australian Drivers' Championship	5th	Elfin ML6 Leyland Rover V8 engine The Rover V8 engine is a compact V8 internal combustion engine with aluminium cylinder heads and cylinder block, originally designed by General Motors and later re-designed and produced by Rover in the United Kingdom... Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden Holden V8 engine The Holden V8 is an overhead valve V8 engine which was produced by the Australian General Motors subsidiary Holden between 1969 and 2000. The engine was used initially in the Kingswood and Monaro model ranges; it was later utilised in the Torana and Commodore ranges...	Ansett Team Elfin
1974	Toby Lee Sports Sedan Series Toby Lee Series The Toby Lee Series was an Australian motor racing series run at Oran Park Raceway in Sydney, between 1970 and 1975.In 1970 Oran Park, with backing from sponsors Toby Lee and department store Grace Brothers, launched a new series of races for Group E Series Production sedans...	1st	Valiant Charger Valiant Charger The Chrysler Valiant Charger is a muscle car introduced by Chrysler Australia in 1971. It was a short wheelbase two door coupe based on the concurrent Australian Chrysler Valiant sedan... -Repco Repco Repco is an Australian automotive engineering company. Its name is an abbreviation of Replacement Parts Company and it is best known for spare parts and motor accessories....  V8	Ansett Team
1975 1975 Tasman Series The 1975 Tasman Series was the twelfth and final in the series, beginning on 5 January and ending on 23 February after eight races.The series was won by Australian driver Warwick Brown in his fifth year of Formula 5000 racing with the Pat Burke Racing team, driving a Lola T332 Chevrolet...	Tasman Series 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...	4th	Elfin MR6 Repco-Holden Holden V8 engine The Holden V8 is an overhead valve V8 engine which was produced by the Australian General Motors subsidiary Holden between 1969 and 2000. The engine was used initially in the Kingswood and Monaro model ranges; it was later utilised in the Torana and Commodore ranges...	Ansett Team Elfin
1975 1975 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1975 Australian Drivers' Championship was the nineteenth Australian Drivers' Championship. It was contested by drivers of Australian Formula 1 and Australian Formula 2 Racing cars over a five round series with points awarded on a 9, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1 basis to the top six placegetters in each...	Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...	1st	Elfin MR6 Repco-Holden Holden V8 engine The Holden V8 is an overhead valve V8 engine which was produced by the Australian General Motors subsidiary Holden between 1969 and 2000. The engine was used initially in the Kingswood and Monaro model ranges; it was later utilised in the Torana and Commodore ranges...	Ansett Team Elfin
1976	Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...	3rd	McLaren M23 McLaren M23 The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson Engines... -Leyland	Budget
1977	Rothmans International Series Rothmans International Series The Rothmans International Series was an Australian Formula 5000 motor racing series which ran from 1976 to 1979.-History:When the joint Australian-New Zealand open-wheeler series, the Tasman Series was discontinued after the 1975 series, the four Australian former Tasman races became the Rothmans...	9th	McLaren M23 McLaren M23 The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson Engines... -Leyland	Budget
1977	Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...	1st	McLaren M23 McLaren M23 The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson Engines... -Leyland	Budget
1980 1980 Australian Sports Sedan Championship The 1980 Australian Sports Sedan Championship was open to drivers of Sports Sedans complying with CAMS Group B regulations. The title was contested over an eleven round series*Round 1, Oran Park Raceway, New South Wales, 23 March...	Australian Sports Sedan Championship Australian Sports Sedan Championship The Australian Sports Sedan Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars complying with Australian Sports Sedan regulations...	4th	Jaguar XJS Jaguar XJS The Jaguar XJ-S is a luxury grand tourer produced by the British manufacturer Jaguar from 1975 to 1996. The XJ-S replaced the E-Type in September 1975, and was based on the XJ saloon. It had been developed as the XK-F, though it was very different in character from its predecessor...	McCormack - Unipart Racing