STORY OF THE DAY: Amon wins his home Grand Prix at Pukekohe

Chris Amon won the 1968 New Zealand Grand Prix at Pukekohe in the number 4 Dino 246 Tasman. The event formed part of the Tasman Series and was not a Formula One World Championship race. His victory before a home crowd made him the third New Zealand driver to win the country’s principal international single-seater event.

Amon prevailed against a strong field of visiting and local competitors during the southern summer championship. The Tasman Series attracted leading European teams because it took place during Formula One’s off-season, yet its compact schedule and demanding circuits presented a distinct challenge. Success at Pukekohe gave Amon an important early result in Ferrari’s 1968 campaign.

The Dino 246 Tasman was developed specifically for the 2.5-litre Tasman Formula. It used a V6 engine derived from Ferrari’s Dino family and installed in a light single-seater chassis related to the marque’s Formula Two design. The combination was more compact than Ferrari’s contemporary three-litre Formula One car and well matched to the varied Australasian circuits.

Chris Amon was a New Zealander whose natural speed earned him a works Ferrari Formula One seat from 1967. He had already shared victory for Ford at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans and became a central figure in Ferrari’s single-seater and sports-car programmes. Winning his home Grand Prix gave tangible reward to a driver whose international career was too often compromised by mechanical misfortune.