Kevin Bartlett (racing driver)
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Kevin Bartlett | |
---|---|
Australian 1½ Litre Championship | |
Championship titles | |
1968 1969 1969 1974 | Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship Macau Grand Prix Bathurst 1000 |
Kevin Reginald Bartlett (born 25 May 1940 in
Racing career
Bartlett first arrived on the Australian racing scene in 1958 when he competed in the Touring Car Scratch Race at Bathurst, driving a 950cc Morris Minor.
Over the next few years, Bartlett progressed through the levels of Australian motorsport before his big break came when he was hired to drive for 1960
Bartlett got his first works drive via motoring journalist and part time rally driver Evan Green at Bathurst driving a Morris Mini de Luxe for the BMC team in the 1965 Armstrong 500.[1]
At the 1967 Bathurst Easter meeting, Bartlett became the first driver to ever lap the 6.172 km mountain circuit at an average speed of over 100 mph driving a 1964 Repco Brabham BT11A Climax.[2]
In 1969 Kevin Bartlett took his Mildren-Alfa Romeo to the win at the Macau Grand Prix for Formula Libre cars. Bartlett considers the win as one of the highlights of his motor racing career. He returned to the event in 2019 for the 50th anniversary of his win.[3]
In 1970, Bartlett traveled to the United States to compete in the USAC Championship (aka Indy Car) series,[4] attempting and failing to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.[5] Bartlett competed in three other Indy Car races, but failed to finish.
Bartlett was signed on to co-drive with
Bartlett was a fixture of
KB was back in 1980 and was the only driver to seriously challenge the
Bartlett only contested two rounds of the
The Camaro was coming towards the end of its development in 1982. He finished equal third on points with
Kevin Bartlett's final race in the Camaro came in the Oran Park round of the 1983 ATCC, though by this time he was not competitive and he only recorded a 9th-place finish. He then went on to be Dick Johnson's co-driver in the 1983 James Hardie 1000, though the race weekend was a disaster for the team after Johnson's Hardie's Heroes crash at Forrest's Elbow destroyed the Greens-Tuf Falcon. A car swapping deal was then done and the team had another Falcon ready to run for the race, but the hastily built Ford was well off the pace and was eventually retired on lap 61.
Bartlett's autobiography entitled "Big Rev Kev" was published in 1983.
In 1984, Bartlett headed Mitsubishi's first factory backed attack on the Bathurst 1000 with the Mitsubishi Starion turbo running in the new Group A class that would become uniform in 1985. Unfortunately Bathurst would prove problematic for the team with the cars being forced to run components that weren't compatible with the engine's electronics and the car was uncompetitive. Bartlett then led Mitsubishi's first assault on the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1985, finishing in a fine 3rd place in the opening round at Winton, but ultimately dropping to 9th in the series as the established teams got their Group A cars up to speed. He and motoring journalist Peter McKay then went on to finish 9th outright and second in class in the 1985 James Hardie 1000 at Bathurst.
During 1985, Bartlett also drove a
In 1987, Bartlett drove a Maserati Biturbo for World Touring Car Championship team Pro Team Italia on their visit to Australia and New Zealand. While the Maserati was, on paper, a strong contender, in reality the car was under developed and well off the pace and although driving with 1985 Bathurst winner Armin Hahne and ex-Formula One driver Bruno Giacomelli (who failed to qualify at Bathurst), the car only lasted 29 laps of the race.
1988 saw Bartlett team with longtime rival John Harvey in a Bob Forbes owned
After another start in a privately entered Mitsubishi Starion turbo in the 1989 Tooheys 1000, Bartlett's final drive in racing was the 1990 Tooheys 1000, sharing a Holden Commodore with Russell Ingall and open wheel star Rohan Onslow, again in a car owned by the man he beat to win the 1974 Bathurst 1000, Bob Forbes.
According to Bartlett, the 1990 Tooheys 1000 nearly killed him. The night before the race the team had bled the car's water system and unfortunately left the heater tap on which was not discovered until after the race. The result was that both Bartlett and Ingall suffered from dehydration with Bartlett collapsing in the pits and being placed on a drip after his driving stint (making matters worse was during his stint Bartlett knocked his water bottle over and had nothing to drink). Onslow, who was cross entered in the car and was the co-driver of the team's lead Commodore with Mark Gibbs, was forced to finish the race in the #13 car as neither Bartlett nor Ingall could do so. A couple of months after the race, Bartlett suffered a heart attack which required a quadruple bypass, effectively ending his 32-year racing career. His specialists put his heart attack down to the trauma he suffered during the race.[9]
Retirement
In his retirement Bartlett works part-time to maintain the famous Bowden collection of historic racing cars, which includes Bartlett's Chevrolet Camaro.
On 24 October 2000, Bartlett was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his motor racing achievements.[10]
Career results
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Bartlett-T300-Graham-Rucker.jpg/220px-Bartlett-T300-Graham-Rucker.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Bartlett-camaro.jpg/220px-Bartlett-camaro.jpg)
Season | Series | Position | Car | Team / Entrant |
---|---|---|---|---|
1960 | Australian Touring Car Championship (Under 1000cc) | 2nd | Morris Minor 1000
|
K Bartlett |
1965 | Australian Formula 2 Championship | 3rd | Elfin Imp | Jim McGuire |
Australian 1½ Litre Championship
|
8th | Elfin Imp | Jim McGuire | |
1966 | Tasman Series | 11th | Repco Brabham BT2 Ford
|
Alec Mildren Racing
|
Australian Drivers' Championship | 3rd | Brabham BT11A Climax | ||
Australian Touring Car Championship | 3rd | Alfa Romeo GTA | ||
1967 | Tasman Series | 6th | Brabham BT11A Climax FPF | Alec Mildren Racing
|
Australian Drivers' Championship | 3rd | Brabham BT11A Climax | ||
Australian Touring Car Championship | 4th | Alfa Romeo GTA | ||
1968 | Tasman Series | 13th | Brabham BT11A Climax | Alec Mildren Racing
|
Australian Drivers' Championship | 1st | Brabham BT23D Alfa Romeo | ||
1969 | Tasman Series | 13th | Brabham BT23D Alfa Romeo | Alec Mildren Racing
|
Australian Drivers' Championship | 1st | Mildren Mono Waggott TC4V
| ||
1970 | Tasman Series | 3rd | Mildren Mono Waggott TC4V
|
Alec Mildren Racing
|
Australian Drivers' Championship | 9th | |||
1971 | Tasman Series | 5th | Chevrolet
|
Alec Mildren Racing
|
Australian Drivers' Championship | 2nd | Chevrolet
|
Kevin Bartlett Shell Racing | |
1972 | Tasman Series | 5th | Chevrolet
|
Kevin Bartlett Shell Racing |
Australian Drivers' Championship | 2nd | Chevrolet
|
Shell / Chesterfield Racing | |
L&M Continental 5000 Championship
|
18th[11] | Chevrolet
|
Eisert Jones Racing Kevin Bartlett | |
1973 | Tasman Series | 11th | Chevrolet
|
Chesterfield Filter Racing |
Australian Drivers' Championship | 7th | |||
1974 | Australian Drivers' Championship | 2nd | Chevrolet
|
Chesterfield Filter Racing |
1975 | Tasman Series | 8th | Chevrolet
|
Chesterfield Filter Racing[12] |
Australian Drivers' Championship | 4th | Shell Racing K Bartlett | ||
1976 | Peter Stuyvesant International Series | 7th | Chevrolet
|
K Bartlett Shell Sport |
Rothmans International Series | 4th | |||
1976 | Australian Drivers' Championship | 8th | Chevrolet
|
Shellsport |
1977 | Australian Drivers' Championship | 6th | Chevrolet
|
K Bartlett |
Australian Sports Sedan Championship | 7th | Holden LX Torana | ShellSport | |
1978 | Australian Drivers' Championship | 3rd | Chevrolet
|
Thomson Motor Auctions |
1979 | Rothmans International Series | 15th | Chevrolet
|
Thomson Motor Auctions |
1980 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 2nd | Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | Nine Network Race Team |
1981 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 11th | Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | Nine Network Race Team |
1982 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 3rd | Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | Nine Network Race Team |
1983 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 37th | Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | Idaps People |
Better Brakes AMSCAR Series
|
23rd | |||
1984 | Australian Super Series | 6th | Mitsubishi Starion | Kevin Bartlett |
1985 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 9th | Mitsubishi Starion | Ralliart Australia
|
Australian GT Championship
|
4th | De Tomaso Pantera | Paul Halstead/Toy Shop |
Complete Tasman Series results
Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Rank | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1966 | Alec Mildren Racing Pty Ltd
|
Repco Brabham BT2 Ford
|
PUK | LEV | WIG | TER | WAR Ret |
LAK 5 |
SAN 8 |
LON | 11th | 2 |
1967 | Alec Mildren Racing Pty Ltd
|
Repco Brabham BT11A Coventry Climax
|
PUK Ret |
LEV | WIG 5 |
TER | LAK 5 |
WAR 6 |
SAN 5 |
LON 5 |
6th | 9 |
1968 | Alec Mildren Racing
|
Brabham BT11A Climax FPF
|
PUK | LEV | WIG | TER | SUR 5 |
WAR Ret |
SAN 8 |
LON 5 |
13th | 2 |
1969 | Alec Mildren Racing
|
Brabham BT23E Alfa Romeo
|
PUK | LEV | WIG | TER | LAK Ret |
WAR 4 |
SAN Ret |
9th | 3 | |
1970 | Alec Mildren Pty. Ltd.
|
Mildren Mono Waggott TC4V
|
LEV Ret |
PUK 5 |
WIG Ret |
TER 5 |
SUR 2 |
WAR 1 |
SAN Ret |
3rd | 19 | |
1971 | Alec Mildren Racing Pty Ltd
|
Mildren Chevrolet | LEV Ret |
PUK Ret |
WIG Ret |
TER 4 |
WAR 3 |
SAN Ret |
SUR DNS |
8th | 7 | |
1972 | Kevin Bartlett Shell Racing | McLaren M10B Chevrolet
|
PUK 4 |
LEV Ret |
WIG 3 |
TER 1 |
SUR Ret |
WAR 3 |
SAN Ret |
AIR Ret |
5th | 20 |
1973 | Chesterfield Filter Racing | Lola T300 Chevrolet | PUK Ret |
LEV 4 |
WIG 7 |
TER 8 |
SUR 10 |
WAR 8 |
SAN Ret |
AIR 9 |
11th | 3 |
1975 | Chesterfield Filter Racing | Lola T400 Chevrolet | LEV 3 |
PUK Ret |
WIG Ret |
TER 3 |
ORA 10 |
SUR 6 |
AIR Ret |
SAN 4 |
7th | 12 |
American Open-Wheel
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
USAC Indycars
Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Rank | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | Webster Racing | PHX
|
SON 12 |
TTN | IND DNQ |
MIL | LAN | CDR 16 |
MIS | IRP
|
ISF | MIL | ONT Ret |
DQF | ISF | MSF | TTN | CSF | PHX
|
NC | 0 |
Indianapolis 500
Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish | Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | Eisert | Ford | DNQ | Webster Racing |
Complete Australian Touring Car Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | DC | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1960 | K Bartlett | Morris Minor 1000
|
GNO 2* |
2nd (class) | - | |||||||||
1966 | Alec Mildren Racing
|
Alfa Romeo GTA | BAT 3 |
3rd | - | |||||||||
1967 | Alec Mildren Racing
|
Alfa Romeo GTA | LAK 4 |
4th | ||||||||||
1980 | Nine Network Racing Team | Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | SYM 2 |
CAL 2 |
LAK 4 |
SAN 1 |
WAN 4 |
SUR Ret |
AIR 1 |
ORA DSQ |
2nd | 52 | ||
1981 | Nine Network Racing Team | Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | SYM | CAL | ORA 3 |
SAN | WAN
|
AIR 3 |
SUR Ret |
LAK | 11th | 12 | ||
1982 | Nine Network Racing Team | Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | SAN 4 |
CAL Ret |
SYM 3 |
ORA 1 |
LAK Ret |
WAN
|
AIR 3 |
SUR | 3rd | 31 | ||
1983 | Kevin Bartlett | Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | CAL | SAN | SYM | WAN
|
AIR | SUR | ORA 9 |
LAK | 37th | 9 | ||
1985 | Ralliart Australia
|
Mitsubishi Starion Turbo | WIN 3 |
SAN 8 |
SYM DNS |
WAN 7 |
AIR 8 |
CAL 9 |
SUR DNS |
LAK DNS |
AMA | ORA | 9th | 75 |
1986 | Kevin Bartlett | Mitsubishi Starion Turbo | AMA NC |
SYM | SAN | AIR | WAN
|
SUR | CAL | LAK | WIN | ORA | NC | 0 |
* 2nd in class in 1960. Outright result not known.
Complete World Touring Car Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | DC | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1987
|
![]() |
Maserati Biturbo | MNZ | JAR | DIJ | NUR | SPA | BNO | SIL
|
BAT Ret |
CLD Ret |
WEL | FJI | NC | 0 |
Complete Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | DC | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1988 | ![]() |
Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV
|
BAT 14 |
WEL | PUK | FJI | NC | 0 |
Complete Bathurst 500/1000 results
Year | Car# | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1963 | 16 | ![]() |
Holden EH 179
|
C | 115 | NA | 7th | |
1965 | 55 | ![]() |
![]() |
Morris Mini de Luxe | A | 111 | 28th | 6th |
1966 | 8 | ![]() |
Volvo 122S | D | 119 | 15th | 4th | |
1967 | 61 | Alec Mildren Alfa Romeo
|
![]() |
Alfa Romeo 1600 GTV
|
E | 130 | 4th | 2nd |
1968 | 1 | Alec Mildren Racing Pty Ltd
|
![]() |
Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV
|
E | 129 | 4th | 1st |
1969 | 71 | Alec Mildren Alfa Romeo
|
![]() |
Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV
|
E | 126 | 8th | 1st |
1971 | 55 | ![]() |
drove solo | Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III
|
E | 126 | 14th | 7th |
1973 | 5 | ![]() |
![]() |
Ford XA Falcon GT Hardtop
|
D | 110 | DNF | DNF |
1974 | 5 | ![]() |
![]() |
Ford XA Falcon GT Hardtop
|
3001–6000cc | 163 | 1st | 1st |
1975
|
1 | ![]() |
![]() |
Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop
|
D | 10 | DNF | DNF |
1976 | 15 | ![]() |
![]() |
Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | 3001cc – 6000cc | 158 | 5th | 5th |
1977 | 11 | ![]() |
![]() |
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback | 3001cc – 6000cc | 147 | DNF | DNF |
1978 | 10 | ![]() |
![]() |
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback | A | 136 | 22nd | 10th |
1980 | 9 | ![]() |
![]() |
Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | 3001–6000cc | 152 | 11th | 10th |
1981 | 9 | ![]() |
![]() |
Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 111 | 13th | 8th |
1982 | 9 | ![]() |
![]() |
Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | A | 27 | DNF | DNF |
1983 | 17 | ![]() |
![]() |
Ford XE Falcon
|
A | 61 | DNF | DNF |
1984 | 66 | Equipe Sixty Six (Hong Kong)
|
![]() |
Mitsubishi Starion Turbo
|
Group A | 27 | DNF | DNF |
1985 | 42 | Mitsubishi Ralliart
|
![]() |
Mitsubishi Starion Turbo
|
B | 157 | 9th | 2nd |
1986 | 9 | ![]() |
![]() |
BMW 635 CSi
|
C | 109 | DNF | DNF |
1987 | 1 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Maserati Biturbo | 1 | 29 | DNF | DNF |
1988 | 12 | ![]() |
![]() |
Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV
|
A | 140 | 14th | 10th |
1989 | 44 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Mitsubishi Starion Turbo
|
A | 141 | 18th | 16th |
1990 | 13 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV
|
1 | 146 | 17th | 15th |
Complete 24 Hours of Daytona results
Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
Mazda RX-7 | GTO | 482 | 24th | 7th |
References
- ^ 1990 "Privateers the Underdogs of Motor Racing" – Bartlett Forbes
- ^ "1964 BT11A Repco Brabham Climax". Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
- ^ Renato Marques (6 November 2019). "ON THE ROAD TO GP – KEVIN BARTLETT RECALLS 1969'S WIN ON GOLDEN JUBILEE ANNIVERSARY". Macau Daily Times.
- ^ "Bartlett Needs Spot To Avoid Long Trip". The Free Lance–Star. Associated Press. 22 May 1970. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
- ^ "McElreath Joins Indianapolis 500 Lineup". The Palm Beach Post. Associated Press. 25 May 1970. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
- ^ de Fraga, Chris (8 October 1974). "Bartlett and Goss—out of the pack". The Age. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
- ^ Kevin Bartlett talks about his Channel Nine Chevrolet Camaro
- ^ Bathurst 1980 – Kevin Bartlett Chevrolet Camaro Interview
- ^ Kevin Bartlett talks his 1974 Bathurst win and more
- ^ "Kevin Bartlett". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
- ^ Wolfgang Klopfer, Formula A and Formula 5000 in America: Race by Race, page 60
- ^ Official Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, 16 February 1975, page 47
External links
- Kevin Bartlett, MyF5000.com
- Kevin Bartlett career summary at DriverDB.com
- Kevin Bartlett driver statistics at Racing-Reference