1979 Australian Grand Prix

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

1979 Australian Grand Prix
Round 1 of 3 of the 1979 Australian Drivers' Championship
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 miles)
Distance 63 laps, 151.893 km (93.374 miles)
Weather Sunny
Pole position
Driver
Lola-Chevrolet
Time 0'52.11
Fastest lap
Driver Australia John Wright
Australia Johnnie Walker		 Lola-Chevrolet
Lola-Chevrolet
Time 0'54.92
Podium
First
Lola-Chevrolet
Second
Elfin-Chevrolet
Third
  • Australia Rob Butcher
 Lola-Chevrolet

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
PosNoDriverCarEntrantQualGap
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 Terry Hook Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Terry Hook 0:53.20 +1.09
5 24 Australia Jon Davison Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Ranger Truck Rentals 0:54.20 +2.09
6 76 Australia John Wright 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 Rob Butcher Lola T332 / Chevrolet V8 Rob Butcher 0:55.85 +3.74
10 71 Australia John Smith Ralt RT1 / Ford 1.6L I4 John Smith 0:56.59 +4.48
11 38 Australia Ivan Tighe Chevron B37 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Ivan Tighe 0:57.11 +5.00
12 30 Australia Peter Larner Chevron B39 / Ford 1.6L I4 Paul England Racing 0:57.30 +5.19
13 19 Australia Barry Singleton Gardos GL1 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Barry Singleton 0:58.20 +6.09
14 8 Australia Rod Housego Elfin 622 / Ford 1.6L I4 Rod Housego 1:00.70 +8.59
15 16 Australia Bob Creasy Birrana 273 / Ford 1.6L I4 Bob Creasy 1:01.00 +8.89
16 40 Australia Geoff Nicol Elfin 622 / Ford 1.6L I4 Geoff Nicol 1:01.89 +9.78
17 3 Australia Bill Downey Minos / Ford 1.6L I4 Bill Downey 1:03.35 +11.24
18 17 Australia Bob Kingsbury El Toro / Alfa Romeo 1.6L I4 Bob Kingsbury 1:05.45 +13.34

Race
PosNo[1]DriverCarEntrant[1]LapsTime
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 Rob Butcher Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Rob Butcher 61
4 71 Australia John Smith Ralt RT1 / Ford 1.6L I4 John Smith 61
5 15 Australia Terry Hook Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Terry Hook 59
6 19 Australia Barry Singleton Gardos GL1 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Barry Singleton 59
7 38 Australia Ivan Tighe Chevron B37 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Ivan Tighe 49
8 40 Australia Geoff Nicol Elfin 622 / Ford 1.6L I4 Geoff Nicol 45
Ret 76 Australia John Wright Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 John Wright 62 Engine
Ret 17 Australia Bob Kingsbury 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 Rod Housego Elfin 622 / Ford 1.6L I4 Rod Housego 33 Exhaust
Ret 3 Australia Bill Downey Minos[7] / Ford 1.6L I4 Bill Downey 30 Transmission
Ret 24 Australia Jon Davison Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Ranger Truck Rentals 20 Fuel Pump
Ret 30 Australia Peter Larner 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 Bob Creasy Birrana 273 / Ford 1.6L I4 Bob Creasy 0 Gearbox

Notes

References
  1. Souvenir Programme, Australian Grand Prix, Wanneroo Raceway, Sunday, March 11th, 1979
  2. 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. 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
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