1976 Australian Grand Prix

The 1976 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Sandown International Motor Racing Circuit[1] in Victoria, Australia on 12 September 1976. It was open to racing cars complying with either Australian Formula 1 or Australian Formula 2.[2]

1976 Australian Grand Prix
Round 1 of the 1976 Australian Drivers' Championship
Race details
Date 12 September 1976
Official name XLI Australian Grand Prix
Location Sandown International Motor Racing Circuit, Melbourne, Victoria
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 3.100 km (1.926 miles)
Distance 47 laps, 145.70 km (90.522 miles)
Weather Sunny
Pole position
Driver Lola-Chevrolet
Time 1'01.5
Fastest lap
Driver Australia John Goss
Australia Vern Schuppan
Matich-Repco Holden
Elfin-Chevrolet
Time 1'01.1
Podium
First Matich-Repco Holden
Second Elfin-Chevrolet
Third Lola-Chevrolet

The race was the forty first Australian Grand Prix and doubled as Round 1 of the 1976 Australian Drivers' Championship. John Goss won the race driving a Matich A53 Repco-Holden, and in doing so became the only driver to win both of Australia's highest profile motor races, the Australian Grand Prix and the Bathurst 1000. Goss won the 47 lap race by just half a second from Australian international Vern Schuppan who was driving an Elfin MR8 Chevrolet entered by Ansett Team Elfin. Finishing third, over a lap behind, was John Leffler driving a Lola T400 Chevrolet.

Qualifying results

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Pos.[3] No.[4] Driver[3] Car[3] Entrant[4] Time[3] Gap[3]
1 16   Max Stewart Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 M Stewart 1:01.5
2 12   Vern Schuppan Elfin MR8 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Ansett Team Elfin 1:02.5 +1.0
3 2   John Goss Matich A53 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 John Goss Racing Pty Ltd 1:04.1 +2.6
4 4   Jon Davison Matich A51 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 Jon Davison Southern Comfort Racing 1:06.1 +4.6
5 10   Chris Milton McLaren M22 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 John Martin's / Shell Sport 1:06.5 +5.0
6 62   Bruce Allison Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 B Allison 1:07.1 +5.6
7 15   Terry Hook Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Terry Hook Racing 1:08.1 +6.6
8 68   John Edmonds Elfin MR5B / Repco Holden 5.0L V8[5] J Edmonds 1:08.5 +7.0
9 6   Ken Shirvington Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 K Shirvington 1:09.1 +7.6
10 23   Steven Fraser Cicada / Ford 5.0L V8 SH & DG Fraser 1:12.9 +11.4
11 39   Gil Cameron McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 VYI's Sunglasses 1:13.3 +11.8
12 5   Kevin Bartlett Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Shellsport K Bartlett 1:16.7 +15.2
13 7   John Leffler Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Grace Bros Racing 1:34.9 +33.4
14 20   Andrew Miedecke Brabham BT36 / Ford 1.6L I4 Grace Bros Racing 1:08.5 +7.0
15 83   Peter Larner Elfin 700 / England 1.6L I4 P Larner 1:08.6 +7.1
16 33   Mike Stack Cheetah Mk6 / Ford 1.6L I4 M Stack 1:11.4 +9.9
17 17   John Millard Brabham BT36 / Ford 1.6L I4 Chrystal Millard DNP

Race results

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Vern Schuppan placed second in the race driving an Elfin MR8, similar to that pictured above
Pos.[3] No.[4] Driver[3] Car[3] Entrant[4] Laps[3] Time[3]
1 2   John Goss Matich A53 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 John Goss Racing Pty Ltd 47 48m 41.4s
2 12   Vern Schuppan Elfin MR8 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Ansett Team Elfin 47 48m 41.9s
3 7   John Leffler Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Grace Bros Racing 46
4 10   Chris Milton McLaren M22 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 John Martin's / Shell Sport 39
5 20   Andrew Miedecke Brabham BT36 / Ford 1.6L 4cyl Grace Bros Racing 37
Ret 5   Kevin Bartlett Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Shellsport K Bartlett 33 engine
Ret 23   Steven Fraser Cicada / Ford 5.0L V8 SH & DG Fraser 27
Ret 16   Max Stewart Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 M Stewart 26 engine
Ret 4   Jon Davison Matich A51 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 Jon Davison Southern Comfort Racing 19 engine
Ret 83   Peter Larner Elfin 700 / England 1.6L 4cyl P Larner 17 crash
Ret 15   Terry Hook Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 Terry Hook Racing 12 engine
Ret 39   Gil Cameron McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 VYI's Fashion Sunglasses 8 engine
Ret 6   Ken Shirvington Lola T400 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 K Shirvington 1 crash
Ret 62   Bruce Allison Lola T332 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 B Allison 1 stuck throttle / crash
Ret 68   John Edmonds Elfin MR5B / Repco Holden 5.0L V8[5] J Edmonds 0 clutch
DNS 33   Mike Stack Cheetah Mk6 / Ford 1.6L 4cyl M Stack
DNS 17   John Millard Brabham BT36 / Ford 1.6L 4cyl Chrystal Millard

References

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  1. ^ Official programme, Hang Ten 400 plus Marlboro presents the 41st Australian Grand Prix, 12 September (1976), page 22
  2. ^ Conditions for Australian Titles, 1976 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 80–81
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wilson, Stewart (1986). "1976". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 398–406. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
  4. ^ a b c d Official programme, Hang Ten 400 plus Marlboro presents the 41st Australian Grand Prix, 12 September (1976), page 39
  5. ^ a b Australian National Formula One Review, Australian Competition Yearbook, 1977 Edition, pages 84 to 93
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Preceded by Australian Grand Prix
1976
Succeeded by