AHC Save the Tasman Series.

How could the Tasman Series be saved?

Would bumping the capacity limit up to 3 litres in line with F1 in 1967 keep the internationals coming after 1969?

Would Repco getting their shit together and Jack Brabham winning the 1968 world title help?

What about US competition? By 1966 the cars racing at Indy were mid engine, could we align our series with them and have Americans come to Australia to race?
 
The problem the Tasman Series is always gonna face is costs versus interest. Formula 5000 rules were brought in in an attempt to contain this, but short of very large prize pots to get the F1 teams of the era to come down under I don't know how you can keep it going as a big-time series.

If you can't keep the big F1 teams, it might work to invite the American Indycar guys instead. By the mid-1970s, Indycars regularly ran big races on road courses. I would say that by the early 1980s, the idea of running a eight races in eight weeks series as the Tasman was with F1 cars would be impossible and you'd have to find a replacement - and 1980s Indycars, complete with a sizeable local contingent, would probably work as a replacements for the F1 racers.
 
I think in 64-6 it was easier for teams to put bigger engines in their cars rahter than smaller. I know BRM bored out their 1.5l V8 to 1.9l for Tasman racers and then used this engine in the 1966 F1 season in lieu of a 3 litre engine. The Lotus used the seemingly obsolete 2.5 litre Climax FPF.

But once F1 teams got their 3 litre engines and chassis sorted it was a hassle to go backward from 3 to 2.5 litres, discouraging F1 teams from bothering. I think that if F1 cars could be used without change some would continue to come to the series.
 
I think in 64-6 it was easier for teams to put bigger engines in their cars rahter than smaller. I know BRM bored out their 1.5l V8 to 1.9l for Tasman racers and then used this engine in the 1966 F1 season in lieu of a 3 litre engine. The Lotus used the seemingly obsolete 2.5 litre Climax FPF.

But once F1 teams got their 3 litre engines and chassis sorted it was a hassle to go backward from 3 to 2.5 litres, discouraging F1 teams from bothering. I think that if F1 cars could be used without change some would continue to come to the series.

I agree to a large extent, but that's gonna be a stopgap measure at best that keeps participation for another 2-3 years, but beyond that the spiraling costs will still doom the series. That part is critical to get right by 1973 at the latest, before the energy crisis drives any more nails home.
 
Open wheel racing in Australia might only have 2 or 3 years left in it before touring cars totally takes over. Also I think thats about the competitive life of the Repco engine international competition anyway. I'd like to see some more of our cars and drivers have a shot internationally and think that the Tasman is a good springboard for that to happen.
 
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