The 1964 Tasman Series was an international motor racing series contested in New Zealand and Australia over eight races beginning on 4 January and ending on 2 March. It was the first Tasman Series. The series, which was officially known as the Tasman Championship for Drivers, was organised jointly by the Association of New Zealand Car Clubs Inc. and the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport with the winning driver awarded the Tasman Cup.Tasman Championship for Drivers, Racing Car News, September 1963, page 25 The championship was open to racing cars using unsupercharged engines of up to 2,500 c.c. capacity.Agreement and articles, The Tasman Championship for Drivers – Season 1964, Manual of Motor Sport, Confederation of Australian Motor Sport, 1964 ed., pages 40 to 46

The inaugural series was a battle of the British-based expatriates with a two-car team led by Australian Jack Brabham and a two-car team of Coopers from Bruce McLaren Motor Racing, led by the New Zealander Bruce McLaren. Although Denny Hulme won the opening round of the series, McLaren took a trifecta of wins in New Zealand setting up the title win. When the teams moved to Australia, Brabham won the first three races, ensuring a thrilling finish, however Brabham was unable to better his score and therefore McLaren emerged as champion. The last round of the series at Longford was won by the Englishman, Graham Hill, securing sixth place in the final standings as a result. Brabham led the final race until the last laps before his car suffered a transmission failure.

The most successful of the local-based drivers was John Youl. Although the Cooper T55 he was driving was three-years old, he took the aging car to six top five finishes. Australian Bib Stillwell only completed in three races, twice beating Youl, including a second place in the Australian Grand Prix. Another competitive local was Frank Matich in his Repco Brabham BT7A, taking pole at Warwick Farm. Whilst leading, his suspension broke and he was forced to retire. With a further four retirements, Matich only finished one race, gaining a third place at Longford.

Results and standings

Races

Round Name Circuit Date Winning driver Winning car Winning team Report NewZealand 1 Vic Hudson Memorial RaceOfficial Programme, Vic. Hudson Memorial Meeting, Levin, Saturday, January 4th, 1964 Levin 4 January Denny Hulme Repco Brabham BT4 Coventry Climax Motor Racing Developments Report 2 Eleventh New Zealand International Grand PrixProgramme, Eleventh New Zealand International Grand Prix, Pukekohe, Jan 11, '64 Pukekohe 11 January Bruce McLaren Cooper T70 Coventry Climax Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Report 3 10th International Lady Wigram Trophy RaceProgramme, 10th International Lady Wigram Trophy Race, Saturday, Jan. 18 1964 Wigram 18 January Bruce McLaren Cooper T70 Coventry Climax Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Report 4 Teretonga International Teretonga 25 January Bruce McLaren Cooper T70 Coventry Climax Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Report Australia 5 29th Australian Grand PrixOfficial Programme, 29th Australian Grand Prix, Sandown, Sun., 9 Feb Sandown 9 February Jack Brabham Repco Brabham BT7A Coventry Climax Ecurie Vitesse Report 6 International 100 RaceOfficial Programme, International 100 Meeting, Tasman Championship, Warwick Farm, Sunday, February 16, 1964 Warwick Farm 16 February Jack Brabham Repco Brabham BT7A Coventry Climax Ecurie Vitesse Report 7 Lakeside International 99Official Programme, Lakeside International 99, Lakeside, Feb 22–23, 1964 Lakeside 23 February Jack Brabham Repco Brabham BT7A Coventry Climax Ecurie Vitesse Report 8 South Pacific Trophy Longford 2 March Graham Hill Repco Brabham BT4 Coventry Climax Scuderia Veloce Report Source:

Points system Championship points were awarded at each race on the following basis: Position1st2nd3rd4th5th6th Points 9 6 4 3 2 1

Championship placings were determined by points won by drivers in the New Zealand Grand Prix and any two of the other three races held in New Zealand, plus the Australian Grand Prix and any two of the other three races held in Australia.

Standings PosTasman Series 1964, sergent.com.au Retrieved 31 March 2016Tasman Cup 1964, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved 31 March 2016 Driver CarProgramme, South Pacific Championships, Longford, 1964 Entrant Lev Puk Wig Ter San War Lak Lon Pts 1 Bruce McLarenCooper T70 Coventry ClimaxBruce McLaren Motor Racing (3) 1 1 1 Ret 2 (3) 2 39 (47) 2 Jack BrabhamRepco Brabham BT7A Coventry ClimaxMotor Racing Developments Ecurie Vitesse Ret 2 1 1 1 Ret 33 3 Denny HulmeRepco Brabham BT4 Coventry ClimaxMotor Racing Developments Ecurie Vitesse 1 2 3 Ret 5 5 9 23 4 Timmy MayerCooper T70 Coventry ClimaxBruce McLaren Motor Racing 2 3 8 2 4 3 Ret DNS 23 5 John YoulCooper T55 Coventry ClimaxJohn Youl 4 4 4 DNS 3 Ret 2 5 21 6 Graham HillRepco Brabham BT4 Coventry ClimaxScuderia Veloce 4 1 12 7 Bib StillwellRepco Brabham BT4 Coventry ClimaxBS Stillwell 2 6 4 10 8 Jim PalmerCooper T53 Coventry ClimaxJim Palmer (6) 5 5 3 6 10 8 9 (10) 9 Tony ShellyLotus 18/21 Coventry Climax Lola Mk4A Coventry ClimaxShelley Motors Ltd AL Shelley 5 6 (6) 4 8 7 5 7 8 (9) 10 Frank MatichRepco Brabham BT7A Coventry ClimaxTotal Team Ret Ret Ret Ret 3 4 11 Frank GardnerRepco Brabham BT6 FordAlec Mildren Racing Pty Ltd 10 13 4 9 3 12 Bill ThomasenCooper T53 Coventry ClimaxCorsair Racing Team Ret DNS 5 2 13 Roly LevisLotus 22 FordRA Levis 7 9 10 6 1 Lex DavisonCooper T62 Coventry ClimaxEcurie Australie Ret 8 6 1 Glynn ScottLotus 27 FordGlyn Scott Motors Ret Ret 6 1 — Rex FlowersLotus 20B FordFlowers Transport 8 12 7 Ret 12 8 0 — Andy BuchananBrabham BT6 FordWilson Motors Ltd 10 7 9 0 — Greg CusackRepco Brabham BT6 FordScuderia Veloce 11 7 10 0 — Arnold GlassLotus 27 FordCapitol Motors 7 Ret Ret Ret 0 — Jim BoydValour FordJA Malcolm Ret 7 0 — Ken SagerLotus 20 FordJH Sager 11 11 8 0 — David YoungCooper T59 FordDavid Young 8 Ret 0 — Neil WhittakerCooper T43 Coventry Climax 9 0 — David WalkerRepco Brabham BT2 FordDavid Walker 9 Ret Ret Ret 0 — Leo GeogheganLotus 27 FordTotal Team Ret 9 0 — Dene HollierCooper T52 FordDene Hollyer Limited 10 0 — Peter SlocombeLotus 18 Ford 11 0 — Jack HobdenCooper T51 Coventry ClimaxLouis Hobden 11 0 — Mel McEwinElfin FordMel McEwin Ret 12 0 — Chris AmonLola Mk4A Coventry ClimaxReg Parnell Racing Ret Ret Ret Ret 0 — Charlie SmithElfin FordCG Smith Ret Ret 0 — Jack HunnamElfin Mono FordJack Hunnan Motors Ret Ret 0 — Bill PattersonCooper T53 Coventry ClimaxBill Patterson Motors Ret Ret 0 — Tony OsborneCooper T53 Coventry ClimaxAJR Osborne Ret Ret 0 — Bruce AbernethyCooper T41 Coventry Climax Ret 0 — Doug WhitefordCooper T53 Coventry ClimaxBill Patterson Motors Ret 0 — Keith RilstoneElfin FordKN Rilstone Ret 0 — David FletcherLola Mk5 FordDK Fletcher Ret 0 — Wally MitchellMRD Brabham FordEast Burwood Motors Ret 0 — Lionel AyersLotus 20 Ford Ret 0 — Barry PorterLotus 15 Coventry Climax DNS 0 — Ken SmithLola Mk2 FordM Smith DNQ 0 Pos Driver Car Entrant Lev Puk Wig Ter San War Lak Lon Pts

References