1981 Australian Touring Car Championship

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The 1981 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Group C Touring Cars. [1] The championship, which was the 22nd running of the Australian Touring Car Championship, [2] began at Symmons Plains Raceway and ended at Lakeside International Raceway after 8 rounds. [3]

Dick Johnson, using the Ford XD Falcon built with the money he received after TV viewers had pledged AUD$72,000 following his crash with 'The Rock' at Bathurst the previous year (Ford Australia boss of the day Edsel Ford II had personally matched the amount dollar for dollar), won his first ATCC ahead of defending champion Peter Brock in his Holden Dealer Team Commodore. Johnson and Brock were the only drivers to win during the championship which came down to the final round on Dick's home track at Lakeside. Johnson won the race from Brock, the two battling all the way to the Chequered flag in what many believe to be one of the best ATCC races in history. Johnson later praised Brock, claiming that he had every opportunity to punt him off the road at Lakeside, while Brock also praised Johnson who held his nerve and won a clean race.

Classes

Cars competed in two engine displacement classes:

Points system

Championship points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the first six placegetters in each class at each round. Bonus points were awarded on a 4-3-2-1 basis to the top four placegetters irrespective of class at each round. [1] Only the best seven round results could be retained by each driver. [4]

Round positions at rounds which were run in two parts were determined by allocating points on a 20-16-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis to the first fourteen placegetters in each part. These points were then aggregated to determine the results for that round. [5] However a different method of determining round positions was used for Round 6 at Adelaide International Raceway where points were allocated on a 20-16-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis to the first fourteen placegetters in each class in each part. [6]

Entrants and drivers

Dick Johnson won the championship driving a Ford XD Falcon. Johnson-xd81.jpg
Dick Johnson won the championship driving a Ford XD Falcon.
Colin Bond placed third driving a Ford Capri Mk II. The car is pictured in 2005. Ford Capri at Queensland Raceway.jpg
Colin Bond placed third driving a Ford Capri Mk II. The car is pictured in 2005.
Kevin Bartlett placed 11th driving a Chevrolet Camaro. The car is pictured in 1997 Bartlett-camaro.jpg
Kevin Bartlett placed 11th driving a Chevrolet Camaro. The car is pictured in 1997
Bob Muir placed 20th driving a Ford XD Falcon. The car is pictured in 2009. Falconmuir.jpg
Bob Muir placed 20th driving a Ford XD Falcon. The car is pictured in 2009.

The following entrants and drivers competed in the 1981 Australian Touring Car Championship.

EntrantCarNoDriver
Citizen Watches [7] Holden VB Commodore 2Gary Cooke
Cadbury-Schweppes Holden VC Commodore 3 Peter Janson
Re-Car Racing Holden VC Commodore 3Alan Browne
Re-Car Racing Holden VC Commodore 4Alan Browne
Toms Tyres Holden VC Commodore 4Wayne Negus
Marlboro Holden Dealer Team Holden VC Commodore 05 Peter Brock
Rusty French Ford XD Falcon 6Rusty French
Bob Morris Ford XD Falcon 7 Bob Morris
Launceston Hotel Holden VC Commodore 7 Larry Perkins
Garry Willmington Ford XD Falcon 8Garry Willmington
Nine Network Racing Team Chevrolet Camaro Z28 9 Kevin Bartlett
Roadways Racing Holden VC Commodore 10Steve Harrington
Allan Grice Racing Pty. Ltd. [8] BMW 635CSi 11 Allan Grice
Warren Cullen Holden VC Commodore 12Warren Cullen
John English Ford XD Falcon 14John English
Neil Cunningham Holden VB Commodore 16Neil Cunningham
Tru-Blu Steel Tubing Ford XD Falcon 17 Dick Johnson
Murray Carter Ford XD Falcon 18 Murray Carter
Phil Lyon Holden VB Commodore 23Phil Lyon
Army Reserve Racing Team Ford XD Falcon 24Bob Muir
Ray Allford Ford XD Falcon 26Ray Allford
Capri Components Ford Capri Mk III 29Lawrie Nelson
Peter McLeod Mazda RX-7 30 Peter McLeod
Masterton Homes Ford Capri Mk II 31 Colin Bond
Masterton Homes Ford Capri Mk II 32Steve Masterton
John Smith Ford XD Falcon 33John Smith
Northside Mazda [9] Mazda RX-7 34Terry Shiel
Phil Alexander Mazda RX-3 35Phil Alexander
Mulgrave Mazda [8]
Belgrave Mazda [10]
Mazda RX-3 41Frank Porter
Michael O'Hehir Mazda RX-3 42Michael O'Hehir
J. Beninca [11]
Beninca Motors [8]
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV 46Joe Beninca
L. & J.F. Parshen [12] Mazda RX-3 46Ross Burbidge
Brian Callaghan Ford XD Falcon 47Brian Callaghan
Evan Thomas Mazda RX-3 48Evan Thomas
Chickadee Chicken Toyota Celica 53 Graeme Bailey
Craig Bradtke Mitsubishi Lancer 57Craig Bradtke
Country Dealer Team [11] Isuzu Gemini 60Jim Faneco
Garry Everitt Mazda RX-3 61Garry Everitt
Alexandra Surplice Toyota Corolla Levin 62Alexandra Surplice
Hooley Auto Electrics [13] Holden VC Commodore 71Graeme Hooley
Guy Chenery Ford Escort 75Guy Chenery
Toyota Dealer Team Toyota Celica 77Peter Williamson
Gary Whittaker Holden LX Torana SLR 5000 A9X 78Gary Whittaker
Phil Walton Toyota Celica 79Phil Walton
Bill O'Brien Ford XD Falcon 80Bill O'Brien
John Bristow Toyota Celica 81John Bristow
G.K. Engineering [8] Ford Escort RS2000 95Darryl Gretgrix [8]

Results and standings

Race calendar

The 1981 Australian Touring Car Championship was contested over an eight-round series with Rounds 1, 3, 5, 7 & 8 being single race rounds and Rounds 2, 4 & 6 being two race rounds. [3]

Rd.Race titleCircuitCity / stateDateWinnerTeamReport
1 Symmons Plains Symmons Plains Raceway Launceston, Tasmania 1 Mar Dick Johnson Palmer Tube Mills
2 Yella Terra Trophy [11] Calder Park Raceway Melbourne, Victoria 15 Mar Peter Brock Marlboro Holden Dealer Team
3 Marlboro Cup [14] Oran Park Raceway Sydney, New South Wales 22 MarDick JohnsonPalmer Tube Mills
4 Bill Patterson Trophy Race [8] Sandown Raceway Melbourne, Victoria12 AprDick JohnsonPalmer Tube Mills
5 Saab-Scania Trophy [14] Wanneroo Park Perth, Western Australia 26 AprPeter BrockMarlboro Holden Dealer Team
6 Adelaide Adelaide International Raceway Adelaide, South Australia 3 MayPeter BrockMarlboro Holden Dealer Team
7 Surfers Paradise Surfers Paradise Raceway Surfers Paradise, Queensland 17 MayDick JohnsonPalmer Tube Mills
8 Lakeside Lakeside International Raceway Brisbane, Queensland21 JunDick JohnsonPalmer Tube Mills

Championship standings

Colin Bond, driving an under 3 litre Ford Capri took seven class wins in the first seven rounds, but did not race at the final round as he was unlikely to improve his nett score. With Dick Johnson and Peter Brock only twice failing to take the top two positions (Johnson was third at Calder, and Brock did not finish at Sandown), they were classified ahead of Bond due to the bonus points they each received for their outright placings.

Pos [15] DriverCarSymCalOraSanWanAdeSurLakPts
1 Dick Johnson Ford XD Falcon 13(6)131399131383
2 Peter Brock Holden VC Commodore 9139Ret13139975
3 Colin Bond Ford Capri Mk II 999999963
4Steve Masterton Ford Capri Mk II 66663633
5 Murray Carter Ford XD Falcon 69162125
6 Peter Janson Holden VC Commodore 42264624
7Alan Browne Holden VC Commodore 4444420
8Peter Williamson Toyota Celica 464418
9 Graeme Bailey Toyota Celica 42915
10Steve Harrington Holden VC Commodore 2122613
11 Kevin Bartlett Chevrolet Camaro Z28 6612
12 Allan Grice BMW 635CSi 99
12Frank Porter Mazda RX-3 369
14Lawrie Nelson Ford Capri Mk III 437
15Ross Burbidge Mazda RX-3 66
15Evan Thomas Mazda RX-3 246
17 Peter McLeod Mazda RX-7 415
18Gary Cooke Holden VC Commodore 44
18Terry Shiel Mazda RX-7 44
20Michael O'Hehir Mazda RX-3 33
20Graham Mein Ford Escort RS2000 33
20Bob Muir Ford XD Falcon 123
23Joe Beninca Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV 22
23Alexandra Surplice Toyota Corolla 22
23Neil Cunningham Holden VC Commodore 22
26Jim Faneco Isuzu Gemini 11
26Graeme Hooley Holden VC Commodore 11
26 Larry Perkins Holden VC Commodore 11
26Greg Symes Triumph Dolomite Sprint 11
26Gary Whittaker Holden LX Torana SLR 5000 A9X 11
PosDriverCarSymCalOraSanWanAdeSurLakPts
ColourResult
GoldWinner
SilverSecond place
BronzeThird 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: Points which could not be retained under the "best seven rounds" rule are shown in the above table within brackets.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1981, Conditions for Australian Titles, page 94
  2. CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1982, page 53
  3. 1 2 Australian Motor Racing Year, 1981/82, Australian Touring Car Championship, pages 112-129
  4. CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1981, Conditions for Australian Titles, pages 92
  5. CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1981, Conditions for Australian titles, pages 91-92
  6. Ford, the Australian racing history, page 353
  7. 1981 Championship Review, Racing Car News, January 1982, pages 34 to 35
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Official Programme, Sandown, 12 April 1981
  9. Des White, Falcon fires a record Surfers crowd, Racing Car News, June 1981, pages 6 & 7
  10. Program, Adelaide International Raceway, May 3rd 1981
  11. 1 2 3 Program, Calder Raceway, March 18, 1981
  12. Australian Touring Car Championship - Final Round, Racing Car News, July 1981, page 23
  13. Robert Janney, Brock wins race, Carter - the crowd, Racing Car News, June 1981, pages 26 & 27
  14. 1 2 "1981 ATCC". The Programme Covers Project. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  15. Graham Howard & Stewart Wilson, 1981 - Ford's new folk-hero, The Australian Touring Car Championship, 30 Fabulous Years, 1989, page 230