The 1975 Tasman Series, (officially the Tasman Championship for DriversTasman Championship for Drivers, CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1975, pages 80 to 83), was a motor racing competition open to Racing Cars complying with the Tasman Formula.Official Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, February 16th 1975 Contested over eight rounds in New Zealand and Australia beginning on 5 January and ending on 23 February,Tasman Series, Australian Competition Yearbook, 1976 Edition, pages 64 to 81 it was the twelfth and final Tasman Series. The series was organised jointly by the Motorsport Association of New Zealand and the Confederation of Australian Motorsport and was promoted as the Peter Stuyvesant International Series for the 1975 Tasman Championship.

The series was won by Australian driver Warwick Brown in his fourth year of Formula 5000 racing with the Pat Burke Racing team, driving a Lola T332 Chevrolet. The series was resolved in a dramatic final race inwhat turned out to be the final Tasman Series race of all, at Sandown Raceway. Brown, fellow Australian Johnnie Walker and New Zealander Graeme Lawrence all sat on 30 points prior to the last race. All three struck trouble but with a sixth position Brown claimed the final point in Tasman Series history, breaking the deadlock to win the crown by one point. Race wins had been shared around with Brown and Lawrence each winning twice, with single victories going to Walker, Chris Amon who finished fifth in the points behind the winless but consistent John McCormack, and to Graham McRae and John Goss who each completed partial series runs focussed on their home country events.

In the aftermath of this series, the two legs of the Tasman Series broke apart. The New Zealand half became the Peter Stuyvesant Series and converted to Formula Atlantic in 1977. The Australian half became the Rothmans International Series.

Races

Additional information sourced from:

Round Name Circuit Date Winning driver Winning car Winning entrant Report NewZealand 1 Levin International Levin 5 January Graeme Lawrence Lola T332 Chevrolet Marlboro /Singapore Airlines / Wix FiltersTasman Rd. 1, Racing Car News, February 1975, page 28 Report 2 New Zealand Grand Prix Pukekohe 12 January Warwick Brown Lola T332 Chevrolet Pat Burke Racing Report 3 Lady Wigram Trophy Wigram 19 January Graham McRae McRae GM2 Chevrolet Commercial Bank of AustraliaTasman Rd. 3, Racing Car News, February 1975, page 6 Report 4 Teretonga International Teretonga 26 January Chris Amon Talon MR-1 Chevrolet MacCormack Racing Report Australia 5 Oran Park 100 Oran Park 2 February Warwick Brown Lola T332 Chevrolet Pat Burke Racing Report 6 Surfers Paradise 100 Surfers Paradise 9 February Johnnie Walker Lola T332 Repco-Holden Walker Racing Report 7 Adelaide 100 Adelaide 16 February Graeme Lawrence Lola T332 Chevrolet Singapore Airlines Report 8 Sandown Park Cup Sandown 23 February John Goss Matich A53 Repco-Holden John Goss Racing Report

Points system Championship points were awarded at each round on the following basis: PositionTasman Series 1975, www.sergent.com.au Retrieved 23 November 2015123456 Points 9 6 4 3 2 1

Championship Standings Pos Driver Car Entrant LEV PUK WIG TER ORA SUR ADE SAN Pts 1 Warwick BrownLola T332 ChevroletPart Burke Racing 2 1 Ret Ret 1 8 2 6 31 2 Graeme LawrenceLola T332 ChevroletSingapore Airlines 1 3 5 9 2 9 1 Ret 30 = Johnnie WalkerLola T332 Repco HoldenWalker Racing 4 4 3 4 3 1 3 Ret 30 4 John McCormackElfin MR6 Repco HoldenAnsett Team Elfin 8 6 2 2 5 5 DNS 2 23 5 Chris AmonTalon MR1 ChevroletMcCormack Racing Ret 7 Ret 1 4 Ret 4 5 17 6 John GossMatich A53 Repco HoldenJohn Goss Racing Ret 3 Ret 1 13 7 Graham McRaeMcRae GM2 Chevrolet Matich A51 Repco HoldenCommercial Bank of Australia Ampol (Australia) Ret Ret 1 DNS 8 4 12 = Kevin BartlettLola T400 ChevroletChesterfield Filter Racing 3 Ret Ret 3 10 6 Ret 4 12 9 Ken SmithLola T332 Chevroletla Vilase Travel AgentsOfficial Programme, Sandown, February 23rd 1975 5 5 9 8 6 2 Ret 7 11 = Max StewartLola T400 ChevroletMax Stewart Motors Ret 8 4 5 7 Ret 5 3 11 11 Jim MurdochBegg 018 ChevroletBegg & Allen Ltd 6 2 7 Ret DNS 7 Ret 7 12 David OxtonLola T330 ChevroletCoca-Cola Bottlers (N.Z.) Ltd 6 Ret 1 = Baron RobertsonElfin MR5 Repco Holden Robertson RacingTasman Rd. 4, Racing Car News, March 1975, page 30 9 11 DNS 6 1 = Garrie CooperElfin MR5 Repco HoldenAnsett Team Elfin Ret 7 6 8 1 Pos Driver Car Entrant LEV PUK WIG TER ORA SUR SAN ADE Pts

Key

AbbreviationCircuit ADE Adelaide LEV Levin ORA Oran Park PUK Pukekohe SAN Sandown SUR Surfers Paradise TER Teretonga WIG Wigram

References