20th February 1966: The Tasman Summer That Crowned Stewart

On 20 February 1966, the Tasman Series reached Queensland for the Australian Grand Prix at Lakeside — Round 6 of an eight-race summer that had already delivered drama across New Zealand and Australia.In this episode of Chequered Past, we trace the full arc of the 1966 Tasman campaign. From Graham Hill’s commanding opening win at Pukekohe, through Jackie Stewart’s back-to-back New Zealand victories, Jim Clark’s resurgence at Warwick Farm, and the tightening championship fight that followed.At Lakeside, Hill delivered a composed and decisive performance in the BRM P261 to secure the Australian Grand Prix — but the title battle was far from settled. Stewart sealed the Tasman crown at Sandown before finishing the season in style at Longford, completing a campaign built not on spectacle, but on consistency and control.We also mark the birthday of Roger Penske, born on this day in 1937 — a driver turned team owner whose disciplined, system-driven approach would help redefine what professionalism in motorsport looked like.From revived 2.5-litre Grand Prix engines to the emergence of a new championship force, this is the story of a Tasman summer that changed hands — and showed how racing could be mastered through process as well as pace.Send us Fan MailMusic by #Mubert Music Rendering