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.Conditions for Australian Titles, 1968 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, p. 70 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 and was sponsored by the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria.
Jim Clark, driving a Lotus 49T, won by 0.1 seconds from Chris Amon (Ferrari Dino 246T/68), 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. 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) was the first Australian resident driver to finish,Tasman Cliff-Hanger!, Sports Car World, April 1968, pages 20 & 21 an achievement which was rewarded with the Langridge Cup.
Classification Results as follows:XXXIII Australian Grand Prix, www.tasman-series.com, as archived at web.archive.org Pos No. Driver Entrant Car Laps Time / Comment 1 6 Jim Clark Gold Leaf Team Lotus with Ford Australia Lotus 49T / Cosworth DFW 2.5L V8Australian Grand Prix, Sandown Park, 25 Feb 1968, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved 19 November 2017 55 1h 02m 40.3s 2 4 Chris Amon Chris Amon Ferrari Dino 246T/68Amon's car was entered in the Official Programme as a Ferrari V6. / Ferrari 2.4L V6 55 1h 02m 40.4s 3 5 Graham Hill Gold Leaf Team Lotus with Ford Australia Lotus 49T / Cosworth DFW 2.5L V8 55 1h 03m 39.6s 4 8 Frank Gardner Alec Mildren Racing Pty. Ltd. Brabham BT23D / Alfa Romeo 2.5L V8 55 1h 03m 39.8s 5 18 Piers Courage P. Courage McLaren M4A / Cosworth FVA 1.6L I4The Sports Car World race report lists the Courage car as a McLaren Ford. 54 6 12 Richard Attwood Owen Racing Organisation BRM P126 / BRM 2.5L V12 53 7 10 Leo Geoghegan Geoghegan Racing Division Lotus 39 / Repco 2.5L V8 53 8 9 Kevin Bartlett Alec Mildren Racing Pty. Ltd. Brabham BT11A / Coventry Climax FPF 2.5L I4 53 9 1 Denny Hulme Racing Team S.A. Repco Brabham BT23A / Cosworth FVAThe car of Hulme was entered in the Official Programme as a "Repco Brabham Ford". 50 Ret 2 Jack Brabham Ecurie Vitesse S.A. Repco Brabham BT23E / Repco 2.5L V8The cars of Brabham, Cusack & Harvey were in each case entered in the Official Programme as a "Repco Brabham". 21 Engine Ret 7 Greg Cusack Scuderia Veloce Repco Brabham BT23A / Repco 2.5L V8 21 ?? Ret 3 John Harvey Bob Jane Racing Team Repco Brabham BT11A / Repco 2.5L V8 16 Gearbox Ret 11 Pedro Rodriguez Owen Racing Organisation BRM P126 / BRM 2.5L V12 10 Engine DNS Adrian Ryan, Mighty Clark / Amon G.P. Duel, Racing Car News, April 1968, pages 36-39 11 Geoff Vercoe D. G. Fraser Cicada BRM - Practice accident
Notes Attendance: 12,000 Winner's average speed: 101.5 mph (163.3 km/h)The official history of the Australian Grand Prix – 80 Races, p. 245
References
External links Australian Grand Prix, Sandown Park, 25 Feb 1968, www.oldracingcars.com