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Marlboro Cup

Warwick Farm Grand Prix Circuit, New South Wales, Australia

Date: 9/7/1972
Track length: 3.621 m
Attendance:
Entries accepted:
Starters:
Finishers:

Pole position: Moffat in 1.36,4
Fastest lap: Jane in 1.37,2

Distance: 23 laps
Average speed: 132,13 kmh
Weather:
Ruleset:
Car info:  

 

If the Moffat/Jane clash at AIR was hot, it was even hotter at Warwick Farm. Moffat won the race after his car had touched the leading car of Bob Jane and the Camaro had spun off the circuit, but that wasn't the end of the story. Jane protested that Moffat's action had been deliberate. The protest was dismissed. Jane appealed, and weeks later there was a CAMS tribunal for which Jane had prepared much more thoroughly than Moffat. Whether the decision was right or wrong, or whether Moffat had lost purely because he was unable to properly state his case is not for us to say. The fact is, Moffat was disqualified and Jane was the winner of the race. It was the second year in succession that Moffat had been disqualified from a championship round that he had won —on both occasions losing a valuable nine points that would have given him that Australian Championship that he wants so badly.

Moffat had been the early leader in the 23 lap Warwick Farm race, leading for six laps before Jane dived underneath the Mustang as they braked for Paddock Bend. Moffat kept the pressure on and decided to retake the lead on lap 11. He tried first at Creek Corner with an outside pass, chased the Camaro hard all the way through the Esses, that tried again at The Causeway. Moffat was trying to get inside Jane as the leader swung wide to line up for the exit of The Causeway. As Jane headed back towards the apex of the corner, Moffat's right front 'guard clipped the left rear 'guard of Jane's car, and Jane spun off onto the grass. He made a quick recovery and was just eight seconds back from the new leader, but there was little he could do. The spin had flat spotted his rear tyres and the resultant vibration and bad handling caused him to settle for a safe second rather than lose even that in a new effort to retake the lead. Malcolm Ramsay scored another reliable and well driven third place, with fourth going to the forcefully driven and well prepared improved Torana XU-1 of Queenslander Dick Johnson seen in one of his rare excursions outside of his home state. The ever-present Escort of Mike Stillwell was fifth and, you guessed it, first in his class, while the series production Torana XU-1 of Don Holland was sixth. 'Pete' Geoghegan continued his streak of misfortune when, after setting third fastest time in practice, he over-revved and bent a valve. The mechanics repaired it overnight, getting to the circuit just before the race, only to find an oil leak on the warm-up lap from a hastily fitted rocker cover gasket and being unable to replace it before the race started. Stillwell still led the Points race with 54 to 53 for Jane and 52 for Moffat, but Stillwell still had to drop one of his lots of nine points before the final tally, and Moffat dropped to 43 after his disqualification, so Jane was the real series leader, and now the man to beat.


Overall result
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine
Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)
Engine
Type
Group Distance,
time
Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out,
remarks
DSQ   9 Allan Moffat Racing
Ford Mustang Boss
Allan Moffat, CDN
  V8 Over 2000 cc 23 laps, 37.48,5 1 1.36,4 1.37,4 Disq: dangerous driving
1 1 76 Bob Jane Racing
Chevrolet Camaro Z28
Bob Jane, AUS
4956 V8 Over 2000 cc   2 1.38,2 1.37,2 Spin
2 2   5AD City State Racing Team
Holden HQ Kingswood
Malcolm Ramsay, AUS
5736 V8 Over 2000 cc   3 1.42,7 1.42,1  
3 3    
Holden Torana LJ GTR XU1
Dick Johnson, AUS
3330 L6 Over 2000 cc   4 1.43,9 1.43,6  
4 1   BS Stilwell Ford
Ford Escort TC
Mike Stillwell, AUS
1558 L4 Under 2000 cc   5 1.44,0 1.43,8  
5 4   Max Wright Motors Pty Ltd.
Holden Torana LJ GTR XU1
Don Holland, AUS
3330 L6 Over 2000 cc/E   8 1.46,9 1.46,2  
6 5   Holden Dealer Team
Holden Torana LJ GTR XU1
Colin Bond, AUS
3330 L6 Over 2000 cc   7 1.46,6 1.46,1  
7 2   Dr. Allan Hogan
Ford Escort TC
Bob Holden, AUS
1558 L4 Under 2000 cc   6 1.45,3 1.45,8  
8 6    
Chrysler VH Valiant Charger R/T E49
Graham Ryan, AUS
4342 L6 Over 2000 cc   9 1.48,2 1.47,6  
9 7    
Holden Torana LJ GTR XU1
Bruce Stewart, AUS
3330 L6 Over 2000 cc   10 1.49,1 1.48,6  
10 3   Motor Improvements
Ford Capri 1600
Norm Watts, AUS
1599 L4 Under 2000 cc   12 1.51,8 1.48,9  
11 8    
Holden EH S4 Special Sedan
Herb Taylor, AUS
2933 L6 Over 2000 cc   13 1.56,2 1.52,9  
DNF     Alfa Romeo Australia
Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV
Peter Brown, AUS
1962 L4 Under 2000 cc 8 11      
DNS     Geoghegan's Sporty Cars
Ford XY Falcon GTHO Phase III
Ian "Pete" Geoghegan, AUS
5763 V8 Over 2000 cc/E   3   no time Oil leak after bent valve in practice