Australian National Formula
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The Australian National Formula was an open-wheeler racing car category introduced by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport in 1964. In the years leading up to this, major Australian events such as the Australian Grand Prix and rounds of the Australian Drivers’ Championship had been run as Formula Libre races.
The Australian National Formula specified that cars be single seat, open-wheeler racing cars fitted with engines no larger than 2.5 litres in capacity. This encouraged the use of engines such as the Coventry Climax FPF unit which had been prominent in the 2.5 litre FIA Formula One category prior to the downsizing of that formula for 1961. The Australian National Formula was replaced in 1971 by Australian Formula 1, a two part formula catering for racing cars fitted with 5.0 litre production based pushrod V8 engines (internationally known as Formula 5000 cars) and those fitted with less restricted racing engines of up to 2.0 litre capacity
The Australian Drivers Championship (for the CAMS Gold Star award) was open to drivers of Australian National Formula cars throughout the life of the formula, i.e. from 1964 to 1970. The Australian Grand Prix was also contested by Australian National Formula cars during those years, with Formula 5000 cars also admitted for the final year.
The 2.5 Litre Tasman Formula, a joint Australian / New Zealand category created for the new Tasman Cup series in 1964 was essentially the same as the Australian National Formula. Formula 5000 cars were included in the Tasman Formula for the first time in 1970, running alongside the 2.5 litre cars that year and in 1971. From 1972 the Tasman Formula was aligned to the new Australian Formula 1.
[edit] References
- CAMS Manuals of Motor Sport, 1964 through 1984
- www.camsmanual.com.au
