1978 Australian Touring Car Championship

1978 Australian Touring Car Championship
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The 1978 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Group C Touring Cars.[1] The title, which was the 19th Australian Touring Car Championship,[2] was won for the second time by Peter Brock.[3]

For the second time in the history of the championship, the point score regulation which specified that not all results counted had an effect on the championship outcome. Bob Morris finishing the series on 53 points, two less than championship winner Peter Brock, after Morris lost the two points awarded for his fifth placing at Amaroo Park.[4] Third in the championship was the consistent Rod Stevens driving his Under 3.0 litre Ford Escort RS2000. Stevens benefited from the point system that favoured the small class cars by giving bonus points for class placings.

In his first ATCC since 1973, five time series champion Ian Geoghegan won his ninth and last ever ATCC race when he drove his Bob Jane owned Holden Torana to a surprise win in Round 4 at Sandown. In what would be his last ATCC season, Geoghegan finished 13th in the championship.

Calendar

Peter Brock won the championship driving a Holden LX Torana A9X for the Marlboro Holden Dealer Team

The championship was contested over an eight round series.[3]

Rd.[3] Circuit [3] City / State Date [3] Format [3] Round winner [3] Car [5] Entrant
1 Symmons Plains Launceston, Tasmania 5 March One race Peter Brock Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [6]
2 Oran Park Sydney, New South Wales 26 March One race Peter Brock Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [6]
3 Amaroo Park Sydney, New South Wales 9 April One race Allan Grice Holden LX Torana A9X Craven Mild Racing [6]
4 Sandown Melbourne, Victoria 16 April One race Ian Geoghegan Holden LX Torana A9X Bob Jane T-Marts [3]
5 Wanneroo Park Perth, Western Australia 7 May Two heats Peter Brock Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [6]
6 Calder Melbourne, Victoria 28 May One race Bob Morris Holden LX Torana A9X Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing Team [6]
7 Lakeside Brisbane, Queensland 25 June One race Allan Moffat Ford XC Falcon Moffat Ford Dealers [6]
8 Adelaide International Raceway Adelaide, South Australia 8 August One race Colin Bond Ford XC Falcon Moffat Ford Dealers [6]

Classes

Car competed in two engine displacement classes:[1]

Points system

Championship points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the first six placegetters in each of the two classes.[1] Bonus points were awarded on a 4-3-2-1 basis to the first four placegetters irrespective of class.[1] Only the best six scores counted towards the championship totals.[1]

Where a round was contested in two parts, points were allocated on a 20-16-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis to the first 14 place-getters in each part and then aggregated.[1] If more than one driver attained the same total, the superior round placing was awarded to the driver who was higher placed in the last part.[1] Championship points were then awarded for the round.[1]

Championship results

Pos.[5] Driver [5] Car [5] Entrant Sym Ora Ama San Wan Cal Lak Ade Total [5]
1 Peter Brock Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [6] 13 13 6 DSQ 13 4 6 55
2 Bob Morris Holden LX Torana A9X Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing Team [6] 9 9 (2) 9 4 13 9 Ret 53 (55)
3 Rod Stevens Ford Escort RS2000 * Brian Wood Ford [6] 4 3 Ret 9 Ret 9 9 34
4 Allan Moffat Ford XC Falcon Moffat Ford Dealers [6] Ret Ret 9 DSQ 13 9 31
5 Colin Bond Ford XC Falcon Moffat Ford Dealers [6] 4 4 4 DSQ Ret 13 25
Sue Ransom Ford Capri V6 * ABE Copiers Pty Ltd [6] 6 4 4 6 4 1 25
7 Allan Grice Holden LX Torana A9X Craven Mild Racing [6] 2 0 13 6 Ret Ret 1 22
8 John Harvey Holden LX Torana A9X 6 0 DNS 4 9 Ret 19
9 Barry Seton Ford Capri V6 * 9 9 18
10 Dick Johnson Ford XC Falcon Bryan Byrt Ford 6 Ret 9 DSQ 15
Ray Cutchie Ford Capri V6 * 6 9 15
Ray Farrar Ford Capri V6 * 9 3 3 Ret 15
13 Ian Geoghegan Holden LX Torana A9X Bob Jane T-Marts [3] Ret 13 1 14
14 Colin Campbell Ford Capri V6 * Ranger Truck Rentals Pty Ltd [6] 6 6 12
15 Lawrie Nelson Ford Capri V6 * Laurie Nelson [6] 9 9
Peter Hopwood Ford Capri IIS * 3 6 9
17 Garry Rogers Holden LX Torana A9X 1 1 6 8
18 Brian Potts Mazda RX-3 * 1 6 7
19 Wayne Negus Holden LX Torana A9X 6 6
Charlie O'Brien Holden LX Torana A9X Bob Forbes Motorsport 0 Ret 6 6
21 Murray Carter Ford XC Falcon Brian Wood Ford [6] Ret 0 4 4
Warren Cullen Holden LX Torana A9X Pioneer Electronics [6] Ret 0 4 4
Jack Brabham Holden LX Torana A9X 2 2 4
Graham Mein Ford Escort RS2000 * 4 4
Vic Wilson Ford Capri V6 * Vic Wilson [6] 4 4
26 Ross Burbidge Mazda RX-3 * 3 3
David Cannon Ford Escort RS2000 * Wavell Dawson Car Sales [6] 3 3
Ian Lees Ford Capri V6 * 1 2 3
Noel Edwards Mazda RX-3 * Noel Edwards [6] 1 2 3
30 Colin Hall Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 2 2
Peter Janson Holden LX Torana A9X 2 2
Graham Ryan Holden LX Torana A9X 2 2
Jim Richards Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [6] 2 2
John Goss Ford XC Falcon John Goss Pty Ltd [6] 1 1 2
John Faulkner Ford Capri V6 * 2 2
Terry Shiel Mazda RX-3 * 2 2
Evan Thomas Mazda RX-3 * 2 2
38 Barry Kallawk Holden LX Torana A9X 0 1 1
Peter Kuebler Alfa Romeo * Safcol-Snappy Tom [6] 1 1
Pos. Driver Car Entrant Sym Ora Ama San Wan Cal Lak Ade Total
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)

Note: Cars marked with an asterisk competed in the “Up to and including 3000 cc” class.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Conditions for Australian Titles, 1978 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 84 to 87
  2. ↑ Records, Titles and Awards, 2002 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 14-7
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Australian Touring Car Championship, Australian Competition Yearbook Number 8 (1979), pages 40 to 61
  4. ↑ Howard, Graham; Wilson, Stewart (1986). "1978: The pendulum swings". Australian Touring Car Championship 25 fabulous years. R&T Publishing. pp. 194–195. ISBN 0-9590378-2-9.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 The official history of Australian Touring Car Championship – 50 years, page 180 to 188
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 6.20 6.21 6.22 6.23 Official Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, Final Round, Touring Cars, 1978, pages 40 & 41