The 1968 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at Sandown Park in Victoria, Australia on 25 February 1968. The race was open to Racing Cars complying with the Australian National Formula or the Australian 1½ Litre Formula.[2] It was the thirty third Australian Grand Prix and was also round seven of the 1968 Tasman Series. The race was staged by the Light Car Club of Australia[3] and was sponsored by the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria.[1]
| 1968 Australian Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 7 of 8 in 1968 Tasman Series | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | 25 February[1] 1968 | ||
| Location | Sandown Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 3.1 km (1.92 miles) | ||
| Distance | 55 laps, 170.5 km (105.6 miles) | ||
| Weather | Sunny | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Repco Brabham | ||
| Time | 1'06.7 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Chris Amon | Ferrari | |
| Time | 1'07.0 (166.7 km/h, 103.6 mph) | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Lotus-Ford Cosworth | ||
| Second | Ferrari | ||
| Third | Lotus-Ford Cosworth | ||
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Jim Clark, driving a Lotus 49T, won by 0.1 seconds from Chris Amon (Dino 246), with whom he battled for the lead throughout the race. Clark's victory was rewarded with the Lex Davison Trophy and the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria Trophy.[1] It proved to be the last major victory for the Scotsman. Twice winner of the World Championship of Drivers, three-time Tasman Series champion and the winner of the 1965 Indianapolis 500, Clark was killed in a Formula 2 crash at the Hockenheim circuit in West Germany six weeks after the race.
In his last drive in an Australian Grand Prix, Jack Brabham started the race from pole position but retired with engine failure. Chris Amon set the fastest race lap.
Leo Geoghegan (Lotus 39 Repco V8) was the first Australian resident driver to finish,[4] an achievement which was rewarded with the Langridge Cup.[1]
Classification
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Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e Official Programme, 33rd Australian Grand Prix, Sandown, 25 February (1968)
- ^ Conditions for Australian Titles, 1968 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, p. 70
- ^ a b c White, Des (1986). "1968". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 328–335. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
- ^ Tasman Cliff-Hanger!, Sports Car World, April 1968, pages 20 & 21
- ^ XXXIII Australian Grand Prix, www.tasman-series.com, as archived at web.archive.org
- ^ a b Australian Grand Prix, Sandown Park, 25 Feb 1968, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved 19 November 2017
- ^ The Sports Car World race report lists the Courage car as a McLaren Ford.
- ^ The car of Hulme was entered in the Official Programme as a "Repco Brabham Ford".
- ^ a b c The cars of Brabham, Cusack & Harvey were in each case entered in the Official Programme as a "Repco Brabham".
- ^ The official history of the Australian Grand Prix – 80 Races, p. 245