By 1971 Giacomo Agostini was the undisputed king of grand prix racing, claiming six consecutive world 500cc championships and four 350 crowns to edge Mike Hailwood’s record nine world titles. Ago dominated eight of the 10 500cc grands prix he contested in ’71, including a five-minute win in the Isle of Man Senior TT. At Hockenheim he lapped the field twice. His narrowest winning margin was 28 seconds. But at the 1.9km Oran Park in the weeks before Christmas, Agostini was stunned by industrial chemist turned racer Bryan Hindle.
Hailwood never made the trip Down Under in his pomp pre-1969. Kel Carruthers, the ’69 250cc World Champion, never competed in Australia after leaving in 1966. The Tasman Series run in Australia and New Zealand attracted Formula 1’s top drivers Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and Jochen
