1973 Phillip Island 500K

The 1973 Phillip Island 500K was an endurance race for Group C Touring Cars,[1] staged at the Phillip Island circuit in Victoria, Australia on 25 November 1973.[2] Race distance was 106 laps of the 4.73 km circuit, a total distance of 501.38 km.[2] The race, which was the fifth and final round of the 1973 Australian Manufacturers' Championship,[2] was the third Phillip Island 500.

The race was won by Peter Brock, driving a Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 for the Holden Dealer Team.

Classes

Cars competed in four engine capacity classes.[2]

  • Class A: Up to 1300cc[2]
  • Class B: 1301 – 2000cc[2]
  • Class C: 2001 – 3000cc[2]
  • Class D: Over 3000cc[2]

Results
Position[2] Drivers[2] No.[3] Car[2] [4] Entrant[3] Laps[2]
1[5] Peter Brock 1 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1[5] Holden Dealer Team 106
2 Colin Bond 24 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1[5] Holden Dealer Team 105
3 Barry Nixon-Smith 22 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Merrell Motors 99
4 Gil Davis 23 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 N. Edwards 98
5 John Stoopman 30 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 J. Stoopman 97
6 Ray Harrison 49 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV A.F. & M. Beninca 96
7 Cam Richardson 7 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Feltham Team Racing 94
8 Bill Evans 56 Datsun 1200 Coupe Datsun Racing Team 94
9 Roger Bonhomme 37 Holden LC Torana GTR[6] Mollison Motors P. L. 92
10 Kevin Kennedy[7] 29 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 K. H. Kennedy 92
Class A : Up to 1300cc
1 Bill Evans 56 Datsun 1200 Coupe Datsun Racing Team 94
2 Noel Riley[8] 63 Honda Civic Bennett Honda 91
3 John Lord 54 Morris Cooper S Lord Co. (Aust.) P. L. 89
4 John Bundy[9] 61 Morris Cooper S J. Bundy 82
 ? Lakis Manticas 55 Fiat 128 Coupe Formula 1 Europa Garage  ?
 ? Geoff Newton[10] 62 Morris Cooper S[3] G. Newton  ?
 ? Lynne De Luca,[11] Darrylyn Huitt[11] 59 Mazda 1300[11] G. R. Berry  ?
 ? Rod Murphy[12] 64 Honda Civic Honda Sales P. L.  ?
DNF James Laing-Peach 57 Datsun 1200 Coupe Datsun Racing Team  ?
Class B : 1301 – 2000cc
1 Ray Harrison 49 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV A.F. & M. Beninca 96
2 Mel Mollison 45 Mazda RX-3 Mazda Racing Team 92
3 Raymond Harrison 50 Mazda R100 Coupe R. Harrison 81
 ? Geoff Perry[10] 48 Mazda RX-3[3] Mazda Racing Team 92
 ? Geoff Wade[10] 38 Ford Escort Twin Cam[3] Peter Mac's Towing  ?
DNF Christine Cole, Sue Ransom 40 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV Chesterfield Filter Racing  ?
DNF Graham Ritter 44 Ford Escort Twin Cam Strapp Ford  ?
DNF Bob Holden 43 Ford Escort Twin Cam Brian Byrt Ford  ?
Class C : 2001 – 3000cc
1 Roger Bonhomme 37[6] Holden LC Torana GTR Mollison Motors P. L. 92
2 Gary Cooke[13] 35 Mazda RX-2 James Mason Motors 91
3 Tony Roberts 36 Datsun 240K Tony Roberts Auto Centre 90
Class D : Over 3000cc
1 Peter Brock 1 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1[5] Holden Dealer Team 106
2 Colin Bond 24 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1[14] Holden Dealer Team 105
3 Barry Nixon-Smith 22 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Merrell Motors 99
4 Gil Davis 23 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 N. Edwards 98
5 John Stoopman 30 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 J. Stoopman 97
6 Cam Richardson 7 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Feltham Team Racing 94
7 Kevin Kennedy 29 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 K. H. Kennedy 92
8 Murray Carter 15 Ford XA Falcon GT[15] Murray Carter / Shell Racing 91
9 Graeme Blanchard 16 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 G. Blanchard[16] 85
10 Brian Ovenden 31 Chrysler VH Valiant Charger B. Ovenden 78
 ? Robert Bride 10 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 ACI Fibreglass  ?
 ? Rod McRae 12 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1[17] Dustings of Burwood  ?
 ? Phillip Brock, Tom Naughton[18] 4 Chrysler VH Valiant Charger Motor Racing Ins. Service  ?
DNF Fred Gibson 6 Ford XA Falcon GT[15] Ford Australia 95[14]
DNF Allan Moffat 9 Ford XA Falcon GT[15] Ford Australia 89[14]
DNF John Harvey[19] Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Bob Jane Racing  ?
DNF Tony Niovanni 21 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Peter Robinson Motors  ?
DNF Stuart Saker 27 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1[20] S. Saker  ?
DNF John Goss 5 Ford XA Falcon GT[15] McLeod Ford / Shell Racing  ?
DNF Lawrie Nelson 8 Chrysler VH Valiant Charger L. Nelson 0[2]

Notes
  • Entries in Official Souvenir Programme: 47[3]
  • Entries on Starting Position Grid Sheet: 39[10]
  • Pole Position: Allan Moffat (Ford Falcon GT), 1m 59.8[10]

References
  1. Conditions for Australian Titles, 1973 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 95 – indicates that the 1973 Australian Manufacturers Championship was open to Group C Touring Cars
  2. Phillip Island 500k, Australian Competition Yearbook, 1974 Edition, pages 139 to 143
  3. Official Souvenir Programme, Meeting of Champions, Phillip Island, November 25th (1973)
  4. All Torana XU1s listed in these results are shown as 3310cc in the Official Souvenir Programme and are therefore assumed to be LJ series Holden Torana GTR XU-1s
  5. Phillip Island Double, Modern Motor, February 1974, page 98 to 101
  6. Image of No 37 Holden LC Torana GTR of Roger Bonhomme at Phillip Island on 25 November, www.autopics.com.au Retrieved on 12 November 2013
  7. Kennedy is not shown in the Starting Position Grid Sheet but is shown in the race results published in Australian Competition Yearbook
  8. Australian Competition Yearbook has N. Riley, Official Souvenir Programme has Noel Riley
  9. Australian Competition Yearbook has J. Bundy, Official Souvenir Programme has John Bundy
  10. Starting Position Grid Sheet
  11. Tom Naughton, Brock Does It For Holden, Racing Car News, January 1974, pages 29 to 31
  12. Racing Car News lists Murphy in a Honda Civic and he is shown on the Starting Position Grid Sheet as driving Honda Civic No. 64. The Official Souvenir Programme lists the No. 64 Honda Civic with Peter Janson as the driver.
  13. Australian Competition Yearbook has G. Cooke, Official Souvenir Programme has Gary Cooke
  14. General Firth’s Man.Champ.Coup, Australian Motor Manual, February 1974, pages 64 & 65
  15. Stewart Wilson & Max Stahl, The Australian Racing History of Ford, 1989, page 290
  16. Entrant in Official Souvenir Programme shown as Blancha
  17. Image of No 12 Holden LJ Torana of Rod McRae at Phillip Island on 25 November, www.autopics.com.au Retrieved on 12 November 2013
  18. Racing Car News has Phil Brock and Tom Naughton, Programme has Phillip Brock
  19. Official Souvenir Programme has Bob Jane as the driver of Bob Jane Racing Torana XU1 No. 2, Australian Competition Yearbook has John Harvey "in the Bob Torana XU-1"
  20. Image of No 27 Holden LJ Torana of Stuart Saker at Phillip Island on 25 November, www.autopics.com.au Retrieved on 12 November 2013

Further reading
  • Toranas fill first five places, The Age 26 November 1973, page 24
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