1969 Australian Touring Car Championship

1969 Australian Touring Car Championship
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The 1969 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Group C Improved Production Touring Cars and to Group E Series Production Touring Cars.[1] The championship, which began on 23 March at Calder and ended on 16 November at Symmons Plains, was contested over a five heat series. It was the 10th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the first to be contested over a series of heats rather than as a single race.

The 1969 title marked Ian Geoghegan's fifth and final Australian Touring Car Championship victory, creating a record that would not be equalled for twenty years. It was also his fourth consecutive title. Although, setting a precedence that would frustrate Mark Skaife 22 years later, the possibility that a driver could score the most points over the season, yet lose the title, occurred first time as Alan Hamilton consistent season saw him score more points than Geoghegan, but once Hamilton had his worst result, a third place at the opening round at Calder removed, Geoghegan won the title by a single point.

Drivers

The following drivers competed in the 1969 Australian Touring Car Championship.

Car No Driver
Ford Mustang 1 Australia Ian Geoghegan
Morris Cooper S 1310 2 Australia Peter Manton
Ford Cortina Lotus Mk.II 3 Australia Jim McKeown
Holden HK Monaro GTS327 4 Australia Norm Beechey
Chevrolet Camaro 5 Australia Terry Allan
Ford Mustang 6 Australia John Harvey
Ford Mustang 7 Australia Bob Jane
Morris Cooper S 1310 8 Australia Brian Foley
Porsche 911 9 Australia Alan Hamilton
Ford Boss 302 Mustang 9 Canada Allan Moffat
Toyota Corolla 10 Australia Bob Morris
Morris Cooper S 1310 11 Australia Phil Barnes
Chevrolet Chevy II Nova 15 Australia John Kay
Chevrolet Camaro 17 Australia Bryan Thompson
Ford Cortina Lotus 29 Australia Bob Inglis
Morris Cooper S 1310 30 Australia Cyril Nancarrow
Ford Cortina Lotus [2] 33 Australia Malcolm Nancarrow
Holdn HK Monaro GTS327 44 Australia Nick Petrilli
Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV 49 Australia John French
Morris Cooper S 1310 57 Australia Graeme Bishop
Ford Escort Twin Cam Mk.I 58 Australia Allan Whiteley
Morris Cooper S 1098 59 Australia Ron Gillard
Morris Cooper S 1310 90 Australia Robin Bessant
Morris Cooper S 1310 Australia Ross Ambrose
Morris Cooper S 1310 Australia Roger Brownrigg
Ford Cortina Lotus Australia Tony Calvert

Race calendar

The 1969 Australian Touring Car Championship was contested over five heats held in five different states.

Heat Race Title Circuit Location / State Date Winner Car Team
1 Calder Melbourne, Victoria 23 March Bob Jane Ford Mustang Bob Jane Racing Team
2 Mount Panorama Circuit Bathurst, New South Wales 7 April Ian Geoghegan Ford Mustang Mustang Team
3 South Australian Touring Car Championship [2] Mallala Race Circuit Mallala, South Australia 16 June Ian Geoghegan Ford Mustang Mustang Team [2]
4 Surfers Paradise Surfers Paradise, Queensland 31 August Norm Beechey Holden HK Monaro GTS 327 Norm Beechey
5 Symmons Plains Launceston, Tasmania 16 November Norm Beechey Holden HK Monaro GTS 327 Norm Beechey

Points system

Championship points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis for the first six places in each heat. Each driver could count his or her best four heat results.

Championship results

Pos.[3] Driver [3] Car Entrant [2] Cal Bat Mal Sur Sym Pts [3]
1 Ian Geoghegan Ford Mustang Mustang Team 2nd 1st 1st 6th DSQ 25
2 Alan Hamilton Porsche 911 Porsche Distributors Racing (3rd) 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd 24 (28)
3 Norm Beechey Holden HK Monaro GTS 327 Norm Beechey Ret DNS DNS 1st 1st 18
4 Jim McKeown Ford Cortina Lotus Mk.II Jim McKeown Motors 4th 3rd 3rd 11
5 Peter Manton Morris Cooper S Peter Manton Racing 4th 3rd 4th 10
6 Bob Jane Ford Mustang Bob Jane Racing Team 1st Ret Ret 9
7 Phil Barnes Morris Cooper S Phil Barnes Motor Service 5th 3rd 6
8 Bob Inglis Ford Cortina Lotus R Inglis [4] 4th 3 [5]
8 Robin Bessant Morris Cooper S 4th 3
10 Ron Gillard Morris Cooper S Malcolm Motors [4] 5th 2
Graeme Bishop Morris Cooper S G Bishop 5th 2
John French Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV Alec Mildren Racing [4] 5th 2
Ross Ambrose Morris Cooper S 5th 2
14 Roger Brownrigg Morris Cooper S 6th 1
Nick Petrilli Holden HK Monaro GTS 327 MTR Services [4] 6th 1
Malcolm Nancarrow Ford Cortina Lotus [2] ME Nancarrow 6th 1
Tony Calvert Ford Cortina Lotus 6th 1
Pos Driver Car Entrant Cal Bat Mal Sur Sym Pts
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Did not finish (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not participate
Excluded (EX)

Only one driver, Alan Hamilton, finished all five heats in a point scoring position and he scored more championship points than any other driver. However, the "best four results" rule resulted in Hamilton losing the title to Ian Geoghegan.

References

  1. ↑ Conditions for Australian Titles, 1969 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, Page 77
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Mallala Races, official programme, 16 June 1969, page 24
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Graham Howard , Stewart Wilson, David Greenhalgh, 1969 ATCC points table, The official history - Australian Touring Car Championship - 50 Years, 2011, page 88
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 John Medley, Bathurst, Cradle of Australian Motor Racing, 1997, pages 399 & 400
  5. ↑ The 1969 ATCC points table on page 88 of "The official history - Australian Touring Car Championship - 50 Years" incorrectly lists Inglis as scoring 3 points at both Bathurst and Symmons Plains