1970 Australian Grand Prix

The 1970 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at Warwick Farm Raceway in New South Wales, Australia on 22 November 1970. The race, which was the thirty fifth Australian Grand Prix,[1] was open to Formula 5000 cars, 2.5-litre Australian Formula 1 cars and Australian Formula 2 cars.[2] For the first time since 1956, the race was not a round of either the Australian Drivers' Championship or the Tasman Series.

1970 Australian Grand Prix
Formula 5000, Australian Formula 1 and Australian Formula 2 race
Race details
Date	22 November 1970
Official name	XXXV Australian Grand Prix
Location	Warwick Farm Raceway, Sydney, New South Wales
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	3.621 km (2.25 mi)
Distance	45 laps, 162.945 km (101.25 mi)
Weather	Sunny
Pole position
Driver	Frank Matich	McLaren-Repco-Holden
Time	1'23.9
Fastest lap
Driver	Frank Matich	McLaren-Repco-Holden
Time	1'24.8
Podium
First	Frank Matich	McLaren-Repco-Holden
Second	Niel Allen	McLaren-Chevrolet
Third	Graeme Lawrence	Ferrari

Frank Matich started from pole position, won the race, his first Australian Grand Prix victory, and set the fastest race lap.

Classification

Frank Matich won the race driving a McLaren M10B, similar to the car pictured above

Results as follows:[1]

Qualifying

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Qual	Gap
1	10	Frank Matich	McLaren M10B / Repco-Holden 5.0L V8	1:23.9	—
2	4	Graeme Lawrence	Ferrari 246T / Ferrari 2.4L V6	1:24.4	+0.5
3	1	Leo Geoghegan	Lotus 59 / Waggott 2.0L I4	1:25.2	+1.3
4	2	Niel Allen	McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	1:25.5	+1.6
5	5	Kevin Bartlett	Mildren / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	1:25.7	+1.8
6	6	Max Stewart	Mildren / Waggott 2.0L I4	1:25.9	+2.0
7	3	David Walker	Lotus 70 / Ford 5.0L V8	1:26.5	+2.6
8	8	Keith Holland	McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	1:27.1	+3.2
9	14	John McCormack	Elfin 600C [3] / Repco 2.5L V8	1:27.9	+4.0
10	12	Garrie Cooper	Elfin 600D [3] / Repco 2.5L V8	1:28.4	+4.5
11	22	Len Goodwin	McLaren M4A / Cosworth FVA 1.6L I4	1:29.0	+5.1
12	9	Bob Muir	Mildren Mono / Waggott 2.0L I4	1:29.0	+5.1
13	7	Col Green	Repco Brabham BT16 / Climax FPF 2.5L I4	1:30.7	+6.8
14	20	Johnnie Walker	Elfin 600B / Ford 1.6L I4	1:31.0	+7.1
15	23	Ken Goodwin	Rennmax BN3 [3] Ford 1.6L I4	1:31.2	+7.3
16	15	Frank Radisich	McLaren M10A / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	1:31.2	+7.3
17	18	Clive Mills	Elfin 600B [3] / Ford 1.6L I4	1:31.4	+7.5
18	24	Jack Bono	Brabham BT6 / Ford 1.6L I4	1:32.4	+8.5
19	17	Tony Stewart	Elfin 600B / Ford 1.6L I4	1:34.1	+10.2
20	25	Ian Fergusson	Bowin P3A / Ford 1.6L I4	1:34.1	+10.2

Race

Pos	No.	Driver	Car	Entrant [4]	Laps	Time	Grid
1	10	Frank Matich	McLaren M10B / Repco-Holden 5.0L V8	Rothmans Team Matich	45	1h 04m 37.6s	1
2	2	Niel Allen	McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	N.E. Allen Auto Ind.	45	1h 04m 44.7s	4
3	4	Graeme Lawrence	Ferrari 246T / Ferrari 2.4L V6	Air New Zealand	45	1h 04m 45.2s	2
4	1	Leo Geoghegan	Lotus 59 / Waggott 2.0L I4	Geoghegan's Sporty Cars	45	1h 04m 46.4s	3
5	3	David Walker	Lotus 70 / Ford 5.0L V8	Team Lotus	43		7
6	22	Len Goodwin	McLaren M4A / Cosworth FVA 1.6L I4	Pat Burke Racing	43		11
7	20	Johnnie Walker	Elfin 600B / Ford 1.6L I4		42		14
8	17	Tony Stewart	Elfin 600B / Ford 1.6L I4		42		19
9	24	Jack Bono	Brabham BT6 / Ford 1.6L I4		42		18
10	6	Max Stewart	Mildren / Waggott 2.0L I4		42		6
11	25	Ian Fergusson	Bowin P3A / Ford 1.6L I4		41		20
12	15	Frank Radisich	McLaren M10A / Chevrolet 5.0L V8		38		16
13	7	Col Green	Repco Brabham BT16 / Climax FPF 2.5L I4		32		13
Ret	23	Ken Goodwin	Rennmax BN3 / Ford 1.6L I4		39	fuel regulator	15
Ret	18	Clive Mills	Elfin 600B [3] / Ford 1.6L I4		35	out of fuel	17
Ret	12	Garrie Cooper	Elfin 600D [3] / Repco 2.5L V8		21	fuel pump	10
Ret	5	Kevin Bartlett	Mildren / Chevrolet 5.0L V8		21	electrics	5
Ret	9	Bob Muir	Mildren Mono / Waggott 2.0L I4		14	accident	12
Ret	8	Keith Holland	McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8		9	oil pump	8
DNS	14	John McCormack	Elfin 600C [3] / Repco 2.5L V8		-	Engine (withdrawn)	9

Notes

• Pole position: Frank Matich - 1'23.9
• Fastest lap: Frank Matich - 1'24.8

References

1. Wilson, Stewart (1986). "1970". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 346–352. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
2. Wilson indicates that, in addition to six Formula 5000 cars, there were "seven 2.5-litre Formula cars and seven Formula 2 cars". The Manual of Motor Sport published by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport for 1970 includes in its listing of Australian Formulae, entries for "Australian Formula 1 (AF1) (Capacity : Up to and including 2,500 c.c.)" and "Australian Formula 2 (AF2) (Capacity : Up to and including 1,600 c.c.)"
3. Australian Grand Prix, Warwick Farm, 22 Nov 1970, www.oldracingcars.com Retrieved 10 March 2018
4. Peter Wherrett, Matich - The Master!, Racing Car News, January 1971, pages 30 to 31