Alfredo Costanzo
| Alfredo Costanzo | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Born |
3 January 1943 Calabria, Italy |
| Retired | 1998 |
| Australian GT Production Car Championship | |
| Years active | 1997–98 |
| Teams | House of Maserati |
| Best finish | 8th in 1998 Australian GT Production Car Championship |
| Previous series | |
| 1967–68 1968–84 1968–71 1975 1977–79 |
Australian 1½ Litre Champ. Australian Drivers' Champ. Tasman Series Australian Formula 2 Champ. Rothmans Int. Series |
| Championship titles | |
|
1980 1981 1982 1983 |
Australian Drivers' Champ. Australian Drivers' Champ. Australian Drivers' Champ. Australian Drivers' Champ. |
Alfredo Costanzo (born 3 January 1943, in Calabria, Italy) is a retired Italian born Australian racing driver. From 1980–1983 Costanzo won a record four Australian Drivers' Championship in a row, equalling the record set by Bib Stillwell from 1962–1965.
Born in Calabria, Italy, Costanzo was Australia's foremost domestic open wheeler driver in the late 70s and early 80s, proving equally adapt at winning races in the powerful Formula 5000 class as much as the nimble Formula Pacific cars that replaced them. Under the patronage of Porsche Cars Australia distributor Alan Hamilton, Costanzo won four Australian Drivers' Championships, the CAMS Gold Star. His titles straddling the transition from F5000 to Formula Atlantic based Pacific cars.
Costanzo commenced his Formula 5000 career racing a Lola T332 which he purchased in partnership with his brother in law and team mechanic, Marino Ciuffetelli. Marino was responsible for preparing Costanzo's race car and they shared three years competing in the Rothmans series from 1977 to 1979. They were able to secure sponsorhip from Stock 84 Brandy and competed in all of the scheduled races for the 1979/80 F5000 race series. In 1981 Costanzo made the switch to race under Alan Hamilton in the same Lola T430 as part of the Porsche Racing team.
The first of Costanzo's four Gold Stars was won utilising a conventional Lola T430, but the following 1981 title, the last Formula 5000 national level title ever held globally, utilised a McLaren M26, modified for the task by Tiga Race Cars. Costanzo won the 1982 and 1983 Australian Drivers' Championships driving a Tiga FA81 powered by a 1.6-litre, 4 cyl Ford BDA engine. Driving the FA81, Costanzo also finished second to longtime rival John Bowe in his similarly powered Ralt RT4/85 in the 1984 championship, before Alan Hamilton pulled out of open wheel racing following Costanzo's 4th place at the 1984 Australian Grand Prix leaving Costanzo without a drive and into semi-retirement.
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