primotipo…

Frank Gardner’s Alec Mildren Racing Brabham BT23D Alfa Romeo 2.5 V8 passes the disinterested family of a flaggie – I’m thinking – during the February 1968 Warwick Farm 100 Tasman Cup round…

There is a lot to be said for being an all British Motor Corporation family, I learned to drive in Mumbo’s Morris 1100 and have always had a soft spot for the Land Crab! (Austin 1800). I’m sure the kids are busy with their Social Studies homework.

We’ve done this meeting to death before, the shot above shows Gardner in front of Jack Brabham’s BT23E Repco, Denny Hulme’s Brabham BT23A Ford FVA and AN Other.

The race was won by Jim Clark from Graham Hill in the other works-Lotus 49 Ford DFW, then Piers Courage, McLaren M4A Ford FVA. The gaggle above, early in the race, shows Clark, Hill, Chris Amon, Ferrari 246T, Courage, largely obscured, then a gap to Gardner and Brabham.

See here for more on this race: https://primotipo.com/2015/04/14/warwick-farm-100-tasman-series-1968/

Here is a clearer shot of FG and the BT23D at Warwick Farm. It was a unique one-off BT23 variant ordered from Ron Tauranac by Sydney racer/Alfa dealer/team owner Alec Mildren to carry 2.5-litre variants of the engines fitted Alfa Romeo’s contemporary Tipo 33 V8 sports-racer.

I’m cheating though, this shot was taken on the car’s successful race debut in the Hordern Trophy, the final ’67 Gold Star round that December. See here for more on this car: https://primotipo.com/2021/07/06/mellow-yellow/

Credits…

Bob Donaldson-State Library of New South Wales, oldracephotos.com/Dick Simpson

Finito…