1977 Australian Drivers' Championship

The 1977 Australian Drivers' Championship was an Australian motor racing competition for racing cars complying with Australian Formula 1 or with Australian Formula 2.[1] It was the 21st Australian Drivers' Championship to be awarded by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport.[2]

The championship winner, John McCormack, was awarded the 1977 CAMS Gold Star.[3]

Calendar
John McCormack won the championship driving a McLaren M23, similar to the example pictured above, but fitted with a Leyland engine rather than a Ford Cosworth DFV.

The championship was contested over a four-round series.[3]

Round[3] Name Circuit[3] Date[3] Format[3] Round winner[3] Car[3]
1 Glyn Scott Memorial Trophy[4] Surfers Paradise 28 August One race John McCormack McLaren M23 Leyland
2 Rothmans 10,000[5] Sandown Park 11 September One race Alfredo Costanzo Lola T332 Chevrolet
3 Calder 16 October Two heats Jon Davison Lola T332 Chevrolet
4 Phillip Island 13 November One race John Leffler Lola T400 Chevrolet

Points system

Championship points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the first six place-getters[1] at each round.

Where a round was contested over two heats, points were allocated on a 20-16-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis to the first 14 place-getters in each heat.[1] The six drivers attaining the highest aggregate from both heats were then awarded the championship points for that round.[1] Where more than one driver attained the same total, the relevant placing was awarded to the driver who was higher placed in the last heat.[1]

Championship standings
Position Driver[3] No.[3] Car[3] Entrant[4] Sur.[3] San.[3] Cal.[3] Phi.[3] Total[3]
1 John McCormack 77 McLaren M23 Leyland Budget F1 Team 9 - 6 4 19
2 John Leffler 1 Lola T400 Chevrolet Grace Bros. Racing 4 3 - 9 16
3 Alan Hamilton 9 Lola T430 Chevrolet Alan Hamilton - 6 3 6 15
4 Alfredo Costanzo 84 Lola T332 Chevrolet Auto Sprint Motors - 9 4 - 13
5 Jon Davison 4 Lola T332 Chevrolet Jon Davison - - 9 - 9
6 Kevin Bartlett 5 Lola T400 Chevrolet Kevin Bartlett 3 4 - 1 8
7 Garrie Cooper 12 Elfin MR8 Chevrolet Ansett Team Elfin 6 - - - 6
= Peter Edwards 11[5] Lola T332 Chevrolet P.J. Edwards[5] - 2 1 3 6
9 Terry Hook 15 Lola T332 Chevrolet Terry Hook 2 - 2 - 4
10 Chas Talbot 17[4] & 20[5] Begg FM5 Chevrolet Chas Talbot 1 1 - - 2
= Graeme Smith[6] Birrana 274 - - - 2[6] 2[7]

Championship name

Sources vary as to the actual name of the championship.

  • The 1977 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport refers to the Australian Formula 1 Championship - Gold Star Award, stating that "The phrase "Australian Champion Driver" shall be reserved exclusively for the winner of the CAMS Gold Star".[1]
  • Australian Competition Yearbook, 1978 Edition uses the term Australian Drivers' Championship.[3]
  • Historical records published by CAMS use the term Australian Drivers' Championship.[8][2]

References
  1. Conditions for Australian Titles, 1977 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 86 to 88
  2. Records, Titles and Awards, 2006 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 14-4
  3. Australian National Formula One Review, Australian Competition Yearbook, 1978 Edition, pages 111 to 119
  4. Souvenir Programme, The Glyn Scott Memorial Trophy, Surfers Paradise International Raceway, Sunday, August 28, 1977
  5. Official Programme, Sandown, Sept 11, (1977)
  6. Australian Competition Yearbook lists Graeme Smith as the fifth placed driver at the Phillip Island round put does not include an entry for this placing in its Australian Drivers' Championship points table
  7. Final Pointscore, Australian Drivers Championship, Racing Car News presents Masters of Motorsports '77, page 47
  8. Past Title Winners, 1980 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 56
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