1976 Rover 500K

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The 1976 Rover 500K was an endurance race for Group C Touring Cars. The race was held at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Victoria, Australia on 28 November 1976 over 106 laps, totalling 501.4 kilometres. The Rover 500K was Round 4 of the 1976 Australian Championship of Makes and Round 11 of the 1976 Australian Touring Car Championship. It was the sixth "Phillip Island 500K" race to be held.

Contents

The race was notable for being Colin Bond's last drive for the Holden Dealer Team after more than seven years in their lineup. Bond won the race from Charlie O'Brien, the driver who would replace him in 1977. In a generally poorly attended entry the pair finished four laps ahead of Peter Janson, providing a clean sweep of the podium positions for Holden Torana drivers.

Class structure

Cars competed in four classes, defined by the engine capacity. [1]

Results

Results were as follows:

Position [1] [2] DriversNo.CarEntrantLaps
1 Colin Bond 1 Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Marlboro Holden Dealer Team 106
2 Charlie O'Brien 8 Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Tweed Motors106
3 Peter Janson 20 Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Captain Peter Janson102
4Garth Wigston Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Roadways Racing102
5 Allan Grice 25 Mazda RX-3 Craven Mild Racing101
6Lou Stoopman
Martin Power
Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 95
7John Pollard Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 95
8David Langman
Bernie McClure
Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 95
9Frank Porter60 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT Clemens Motors94
10Bob Nissen Ford Capri V6 93
11Geoff Newton Ford Capri V6 93
12Chris Heyer Volkswagen Golf 92
13Roger Bonhomme Honda Civic 92
14Ray Farrar
John Millard
Ford Escort GT 1300 89
15Tony Niovanni Holden Gemini SL 87
16Max McGinley65 Honda Civic RS 86
17Bronwyn Taylor
Frank Brewster
Honda Civic 82
18Kel Gough
Alan Gough
Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 78
19Geoff Wade Ford Escort 1300 MkII 75
20Granton Harrison
Warwick Henderson
Alfa Romeo GTV 67
Class A : Up to 1,300 cc
1Roger Bonhomme Honda Civic 92
2Ray Farrar
John Millard
Ford Escort GT 89
3Max McGinley Honda Civic 86
4Bronwyn Taylor
Frank Brewster
Honda Civic 82
5Geoff Wade Ford Escort 1300 75
Class B : 1,301 to 2,000 cc
1Frank Porter Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT Clemens Motors94
2Chris Heyer Volkswagen Golf 92
3Tony Niovanni Holden Gemini SL [2] 87
4Graham Harrison
Warwick Henderson
Alfa Romeo GTV 67
Class C : 2,001 to 3,000 cc
1 Allan Grice Mazda RX-3 Craven Mild Racing101
2Bob Nissen Ford Capri V6 93
3Geoff Newton Ford Capri V6 93
Class D : Over 3,000 cc
1 Colin Bond 1 Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Marlboro Holden Dealer Team 106
2 Charlie O'Brien 8 Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Tweed Motors106
3Peter Janson Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Peter Janson102
4Garth Wigston Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Roadways Racing102
5Lou Stoopman
Martin Power
Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 95
6John Pollard Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 95
7David Langman
Bernie McClure
Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 95
Retirements
DNFBill Evans Datsun 1200
DNFJim Murcott Ford Escort RS2000 "MkI" [2]
DNF Peter Brock 5 Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Team Brock
DNFTerry Wade Triumph Dolomite Sprint
DNF John Harvey 2 Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Marlboro-Holden Dealer Team
DNF Murray Carter Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop Brian Wood Ford
DNFJim Stewart Morris Mini Clubman GT
DNFJim Keogh Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop
DNFGeoff Moran Ford Capri V6
DNF Bob Morris Triumph Dolomite Sprint Ron Hodgson Motors
DNFLawrie Nelson Ford Capri V6 Capri Components
DNFWayne Mitchell Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34
DNFJames Laing-Peach Triumph Dolomite Sprint

Note: The event was contested by a 43 car field. [3]

References

  1. 1 2 Australian Competition Yearbook, 1977 Edition, pages 70-73
  2. 1 2 3 Rover 500K, Bond – Bloody But UnBowed, Australian Auto Action, 9 December 1976, pages 12–13
  3. Chris de Fraga, Crash fails to stop Bond, The Melbourne Age, Monday, 29 November 1976, page 23