The 1970 Tasman Series (officially the Tasman Championship for Drivers The Tasman Championship for Drivers - Season 1970, CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1970, Pages 74 to 77) was a motor racing competition staged in New Zealand and Australia for cars complying with the Tasman Formula. It was jointly organised by the Motorsport Association New Zealand Inc. (MANZ) and the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS). It was the seventh Tasman Series, beginning on 3 January and ending on 22 February after seven races. The series was won by Graeme Lawrence of New Zealand, driving the Ferrari Dino 246T/69 that fellow New Zealander Chris Amon raced to win the 1969 Tasman Series.
1970 was a transitional year for the series, being the first year not involving the European Formula One teams which had given the Tasman Series its distinctive style. It was also the first year in which stock production engines of up to five litres cubic capacity were allowed, in short, Formula 5000. Entries arrived from both Europe and the United States, although not of the same quality of the earlier Tasman Formula era. Traditional 2.5 litre Tasman cars, like Lawrence's Ferrari, continued to race along with the 1.6 litre cars that filled much of the lower end of the grids during the Tasman era.
Schedule
Source:
Round Name Circuit Date Winning driver Winning car Winning team Report NewZealand Bay Park International Baypark 28 December Ron Grable McLaren M10A Chevrolet Report 1 Levin International Levin 3 January Graeme Lawrence Ferrari Dino 246T/69. Report 2 New Zealand Grand Prix Pukekohe 10 January Frank Matich McLaren M10A Chevrolet Rothmans Team Matich Report 3 Lady Wigram Trophy Wigram 17 January Frank Matich McLaren M10A Chevrolet Rothmans Team Matich Report 4 Teretonga International Teretonga 24 January Graham McRae McLaren M10A Chevrolet Report Australia 5 Rothmans 100Official Programme, Surfers Paradise International Motor Circuit, Sunday 8th Feb. 1970 Surfers Paradise 8 February Graham McRae McLaren M10A Chevrolet Report 6 International 100 Official Programme, Warwick Farm, Tasman Championship International Meeting, 15 February 1970 Warwick Farm 15 February Kevin Bartlett Mildren Mono Waggott Alec Mildren Racing Report 7 Golden 100 Official Programme, Sandown, 22 February 1970 Sandown 22 February Neil Allen McLaren M10B Chevrolet Report
Note: The Bay Park International, held on 28 December 1969, one week before the first round, was a non-championship event.
Points system All scores from points-scoring races were counted
Position123456 Points 9 6 4 3 2 1
Championship standings Pos Driver Car Lev. Puk. Wig. Ter. Sur. War. San. Pts 1 Graeme LawrenceFerrari Dino 246T/69. 1 3 Ret 4 3 3 2 30 2 Frank MatichMcLaren M10A Chevrolet 3 1 1 4 Ret Ret 25 3 Kevin BartlettMildren Waggott Ret 5 Ret 5 2 1 Ret 19 = Max StewartMildren Waggott 2 9 3 Ret 9 2 4 19 5 Graham McRaeMcLaren M10A Chevrolet DNS Ret Ret 1 1 Ret Ret 18 6 Ron GrableMcLaren M10A Chevrolet DNS 4 2 2 5 Ret Ret 17 7 Neil AllenMcLaren M10B Chevrolet ?? 8 Ret 4 1 12 8 Mike GothSurtees TS5 Chevrolet 4 7 5 3 8 6 Ret 10 9 Ulf NorinderLola T190 Chevrolet 6 6 Ret Ret 6 8 3 7 10 Derek BellBrabham BT26 FordDonn Anderson, Matich Wins N.Z. GP, Racing Car News, February 1970, pages 60 & 61 9 2 Ret DNS 6 11 Bill SimpsonEagle Chevrolet Ret Ret 4 Ret Ret Ret 3 12 Dennis MarwoodEisert ChevroletDonn Anderson, Tasman Opener to Kiwi, Racing Car News, February 1970, pages 58 & 59 5 Ret Ret Ret 2 = John HarveyRepco Brabham BT23 5 Ret 2 = Alfredo CostanzoMcLaren M4A Cosworth Ret 5 2 15 Derrick WilliamsLola T142 Chevrolet 10 10 9 6 10 ?? Ret 1 = Mike CampbellForsgrini Mk 14 Ford Ret Ret 6 DNS Ret 10 Ret 1 = Tony StewartElfin 600B Ford 6 1 Pos Driver Car Lev. Puk. Wig. Ter. Sur. War. San. Pts
Keys
AbbreviationCircuit Lev. Levin Puk. Pukekohe San. Sandown Sur. Surfers Paradise Ter. Teretonga War. Warwick Farm Wig. Wigram
References