Continuing its policy of honouring the heritage of the Australian Drivers’ Championship, Australian Racing Group has confirmed that drivers in the opening round of the 2021 VHT S5000 Australian Drivers Championship, at Symmons Plains on January 24-26, will be competing for the John McCormack Cup.

The Tasmanian legend, a three-time Gold Star Championship winner during the Formula 5000 era, will be on hand at the inaugural Race Tasmania event in Launceston to present the cup to the winner.

CLICK HERE for Race Tasmania ticketing details.

The award follows on from the Alan Jones Cup that was to be presented to the winner of the Australian Grand Prix event this year, only for the racing to be cancelled due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

McCormack was a star of the early 1970s Formula 5000 era and is specifically remembered for his close alliance with Elfin race car manufacturer Garrie Cooper and the famous championship-winning Repco-powered Ansett Elfins.

His third and final Gold Star success came in 1977 aboard a Leyland V8-powered McLaren M23. The Leyland relationship ultimately brought sponsorship from Leyland’s parent company, Unipart. ARG recently celebrated this car with a modern-day graphic interpretation of just how McCormack’s Unipart livery would appear on a S5000 car. CLICK HERE for more on McCormack’s racing history.

Following his open-wheeler career, McCormack created a Sports Sedan Chrysler Valiant – containing mostly F5000 engine and running gear! – and subbed for an injured Kevin Bartlett at Bathurst in the Channel 9 Camaro.

McCormack, who these days lives in Tasmania’s Binalong Bay, is an occasional historic car race attendee and is looking forward to attending his first S5000 race.

The Symmons Plains Raceway event will be the opening round of the S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship, supported by TCR Australia, Touring Car Masters, Trans Am, plus a host of local support classes including Improved Production, Hyundai Excels and HQ Holdens.