# 1959 Australian Drivers' Championship

The 1959 Australian Drivers Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Formula Libre cars. The championship winner was awarded the 1959 CAMS Gold Star.
The series was won by Victorian racer Len Lukey driving his Cooper T45 Climax and in the opening round of the series his own much modified Cooper T23 which was known as the Lukey-Bristol. Lukey was one of only a few drivers who attempted to complete the gruelling twelve race schedule, the longest in ADC history. Lukey finished just two points ahead of his season long rival, Alec Mildren from the ACT (Cooper-Climax). Stan Jones was third in the championship, using four different cars over the course of the series. Race victories were shared around with Mildren taking three wins. Lukey, Jones and Bill Patterson each took two wins, with single victories going to Jack Brabham, Bib Stillwell and New Zealand Maserati 250F racer Ross Jensen.

## Calendar

The title, which was the third Australian Drivers' Championship, was contested over a twelve race series.
| Race | Date | Race | Circuit | Location | Winner |
| 1 | 26 January | South Pacific Championship | Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit | Orange, New South Wales | Jack Brabham* |
| 2 | 22 February | Victorian Trophy | Fisherman's Bend | Melbourne, Victoria | Alec Mildren |
| 3 | 2 March | Australian Grand Prix | Longford Circuit | Longford, Tasmania | Stan Jones |
| 4 | 28 March | South Australian Trophy | Port Wakefield Circuit | Port Wakefield, South Australia | Stan Jones |
| 5 | 30 March | Bathurst 100 | Mount Panorama Circuit | Bathurst, New South Wales | Ross Jensen* |
| 6 | 14 June | Lowood Trophy | Lowood Airfield Circuit | Lowood, Queensland | Alec Mildren |
| 7 | 30 August | Queensland Centenary Road Race Championship | Lowood Airfield Circuit | Lowood, Queensland | Alec Mildren |
| 8 | 4 October | New South Wales Road Race Championship | Mount Panorama Circuit | Bathurst, New South Wales | Bib Stillwell |
| 9 | 12 October | The Advertiser Trophy | Port Wakefield Circuit | Port Wakefield, South Australia | Bill Patterson |
| 10 | 24 October | Western Australian Road Race Championship | Caversham | Caversham, Western Australia | Len Lukey |
| 11 | 22 November | Western Port Cup | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit | Phillip Island, Victoria | Bill Patterson |
| 12 | 13 December | Phillip Island Trophy | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit | Phillip Island, Victoria | Len Lukey |
* Winning driver not awarded points for races 1 and 5

## Points

Championship points were awarded on a 12-7-5-3-2-1 basis to the first six Australian drivers at each race, irrespective of actual race placings gained. Only the best nine race results could be retained by each driver.
As only Australian resident drivers were eligible, South Pacific Championship winner Jack Brabham and Bathurst 100 winner Ross Jensen were not awarded points towards the championship.

## Results

| Position | Driver | Car | Entrant | GB | FB | Lon | PW | MP | Low | Low | MP | PW | Cav | PI | PI | Total |
| 1 | Len Lukey | Lukey Bristol & Cooper T45 Coventry Climax | Lukey Mufflers Pty Ltd | 5 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 12 | - | 7 | 3 | - | 12 | (3) | 12 | 68 |
| 2 | Alec Mildren | Cooper T43 Coventry Climax & Cooper T45 Coventry Climax | A.G. Mildren Pty Ltd | 3 | 12 | 3 | - | - | 12 | 12 | 5 | (3) | 5 | 7 | 7 | 66 |
| 3 | Stan Jones | Maybach Mk.IV Corvette Maserati 250F Cooper T51 Coventry Climax Sabakat Coventry Climax | Stan Jones Motors Pty. Ltd. | - | 7 | 12 | 12 | - | 5 | - | - | - | 7 | 1 | - | 44 |
| 4 | Bill Patterson | Cooper T43 Coventry Climax | Bill Patterson Motors P/L | - | - | - | - | - | 7 | 2 | - | 12 | - | 12 | - | 33 |
| 5 | Arnold Glass | Ferrari 555 Super Squalo Maserati 250F | A.J. Glass | 7 | - | 5 | - | 7 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 22 |
| 6 | Doug Whiteford | Maserati 300S | D. Whiteford | 12 | 5 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 18 |
| 7 | Bib Stillwell | Cooper T51 Coventry Climax | B.S. Stillwell | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5 | 12 | - | - | - | - | 17 |
| 8 | Keith Rilstone | Zephyr Special | K. Rilstone | - | - | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | 7 | - | 2 | - | 14 |
| 9 | Ted Grey | Tornado Mk.II Corvette | L. Abrahams | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7 | - | - | - | - | 7 |
| 10 | Austin Miller | Cooper T51 Coventry Climax | Superior Cars | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 5 | 6 |
| 11 | Jack Myers | WM Special | J. Myers | - | - | - | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5 |
| = | David McKay | Cooper T51 Coventry Climax | Victa Pty Ltd | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5 | - | - | - | 5 |
| = | Noel Hall | Cooper T51 Coventry Climax | O. Hall | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5 | - | 5 |
| = | Murray Trenberth | Alta F2 Holden | M. Trenberth | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 5 |
| 15 | Ray Wamsley | Alfa Romeo Tipo B Chevrolet Corvette | R. Wamsley | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| = | Frank Matich | Jaguar D-Type | Leaton Motors | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| = | Syd Negus | Cooper T20 Holden | Syd Negus | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | 3 |
| = | Murray Carter | Corvette Special | Murray Carter Motors | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 3 |
| 19 | Alwyn Rose | Dal Ro Special | A.J. Rose | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| = | John Lanyon | MG TC Special | J. Lanyon | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| = | Alan Jack | Cooper T39 Coventry Climax | A. Jack | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| = | Jim Goldfinch | Austin-Healey 100S | J. Goldfinch | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| = | Werner Greve | HWM Jaguar | W. Greve | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| = | Arthur Griffiths | Ferrari 555 Super Squalo | A. Griffith | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| = | David Finch | Jaguar D-Type | D. Finch | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| = | Peter Bond | Bondley Special | P. Bond | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 2 |
| = | John Roxburgh | Cooper T41 Coventry Climax | Kingbridge Service | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 2 |
| = | Glyn Scott | Cooper T43 Coventry Climax | Glyn Scott Motors | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| 29 | Barry Collerson | Talbot-Lago T26C | B. Collerson | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| = | Ron Phillips | Cooper T38 Jaguar | R. Phillips | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| = | Tom Stevens | MG TA Special | T. Stevens | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| = | Syd Taylor | TS Special | S Taylor | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 |