1978 Australian Touring Car Championship

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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 by Peter Brock. [3] It was his second Australian Touring Car Championship victory.

Contents

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] However, the regulation did not actually change the championship winner as Brock would otherwise have won the title due to the tiebreaker rule with three round wins to one for Morris. [5] 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 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 Brock-a9x-79.jpg
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] Race / circuit [3] Location / stateDate [3] Format [3] Round winner [3] Car [6] Entrant
1 Symmons Plains
Symmons Plains
Launceston, Tasmania 5 MarchOne race Peter Brock Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [7]
2 Oran Park
Oran Park
Sydney, New South Wales 26 MarchOne race Peter Brock Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [7]
3 Amaroo Park
Amaroo Park
Sydney, New South Wales 9 AprilOne race Allan Grice Holden LX Torana A9X Craven Mild Racing [7]
4 Sandown
Sandown
Melbourne, Victoria 16 AprilOne race Ian Geoghegan Holden LX Torana A9X Bob Jane T-Marts [3]
5 Wanneroo
Wanneroo Park
Perth, Western Australia 7 MayTwo heats Peter Brock Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [7]
6 Calder
Calder Park Raceway
Melbourne, Victoria 28 MayOne race Bob Morris Holden LX Torana A9X Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing Team [7]
7 Round 7 Presented by Rothmans [8]
Lakeside
Brisbane, Queensland 25 JuneOne race Allan Moffat Ford XC Falcon Moffat Ford Dealers [7]
8 Adelaide International Raceway
Adelaide International Raceway
Virginia, South Australia 8 AugustOne race Colin Bond Ford XC Falcon Moffat Ford Dealers [7]

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 standings

Pos.DriverNo.CarEntrantSymOraAmaSanWanCalLakAdeTotal [6]
1 Peter Brock 05 Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [7] 13136DSQ134655
2 Bob Morris 7 Holden LX Torana A9X Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing Team [7] 99(2)94139Ret53 (55)
3Rod Stevens69 Ford Escort RS2000 *Brian Wood Ford [7] 43Ret9Ret9934
4 Allan Moffat 1 Ford XC Falcon Moffat Ford Dealers [7] RetRet9DSQ13931
5 Colin Bond 2 Ford XC Falcon Moffat Ford Dealers [7] 444DSQRet1325
Sue Ransom101 Ford Capri V6 *ABE Copiers Pty Ltd [7] 64464125
7 Allan Grice 26 Holden LX Torana A9X Craven Mild Racing [7] 20136RetRet122
8 John Harvey 76 Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [9] 60DNS49Ret19
9 Barry Seton 33 Ford Capri V6 *Amco [9] 9918
10 Dick Johnson 17 Ford XC Falcon Bryan Byrt Ford [9] 6Ret9DSQ15
Ray Cutchie53 Ford Capri V6 *Ray Cutchie [9] 6915
Ray Farrar46 Ford Capri V6 *R. Farrar [10] / Brain Wood Ford [9] 933Ret15
13 Ian Geoghegan 3 Holden LX Torana A9X Bob Jane Racing [10]
Bob Jane T-Marts [3]
Ret13114
14Colin Campbell50 Ford Capri V6 *Ranger Truck Rentals Pty Ltd [7] 6612
15Lawrie Nelson38 Ford Capri V6 *Lawrie Nelson [9] 99
Peter Hopwood37 Ford Capri IIS *369
17 Garry Rogers 34 Holden LX Torana A9X Greater Pacific Finance [10] 1168
18Brian Potts48 Mazda RX-3 *167
19Wayne Negus4 Holden LX Torana A9X 66
Charlie O'Brien 15 Holden LX Torana A9X O'Brien's Transport [9] 0Ret66
21 Murray Carter 18 Ford XC Falcon Brian Wood Ford [7] Ret044
Warren Cullen23 Holden LX Torana A9X Pioneer Electronics [7] Ret044
Jack Brabham 8 Holden LX Torana A9X 224
Graham Mein102 Ford Escort RS2000 *44
Vic Wilson91 Ford Capri V6 *Vic Wilson [7] 44
26Ross Burbidge72 Mazda RX-3 *33
David Cannon77 Ford Escort RS2000 *Wavell Dawson Car Sales [7] 33
Ian Lees42 Ford Capri V6 *Ian Lees [9] 123
Noel Edwards44 Mazda RX-3 *Noel Edwards [7] 123
30Colin Hall21 Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 22
Peter Janson 9 Holden LX Torana A9X Re-Car [9] 22
Graham Ryan 19 Holden LX Torana A9X 22
Jim Richards 27 Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [7] 22
John Goss 31 Ford XC Falcon John Goss Pty Ltd [7] 112
John Faulkner 49 Ford Capri V6 *Wynn's Friction Proofing [9] 22
Terry Shiel41 Mazda RX-3 *22
Evan Thomas93 Mazda RX-3 *22
38Barry Kallawk86 Holden LX Torana A9X 011
Peter Kuebler64 Alfa Romeo *Safcol-Snappy Tom [7] 11
Pos.DriverNo.CarEntrantSymOraAmaSanWanCalLakAdeTotal
ColourResult
GoldWinner
Silver2nd place
Bronze3rd place
GreenPoints finish
BlueNon-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
PurpleRetired (Ret)
RedDid not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
BlackDisqualified (DSQ)
WhiteDid not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
BlankDid not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

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

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 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. Official Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, Final Round, Touring Cars, 1978, page 11
  6. 1 2 The official history of Australian Touring Car Championship – 50 years, page 180 to 188
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Official Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, Final Round, Touring Cars, 1978, pages 40 & 41
  8. "1978 Australian Touring Car Championship Programmes". The Programme Covers Project. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Official Programme, Calder, Australian Touring Car Championship, Round 6
  10. 1 2 3 Program, Symmons Plains, 5 March 1978