1988 Oran Park 250

Last updated
Layout of the Oran Park Raceway (1985-2010) Track map for Oran Park--Grand Prix circuit.svg
Layout of the Oran Park Raceway (1985–2010)

The 1988 Pepsi 250 was an endurance race for Group 3A Touring Cars. The event was held over 100 laps of the 2.620 km (1.628 mi) Oran Park Raceway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 28 August 1988. Total race distance was 262 km (163 mi).

Contents

The race was won by Peter Brock and Jim Richards driving their Mobil 1 Racing BMW M3. [1] Peter Jackson Nissan drivers George Fury and Mark Skaife finished 2nd in their pole sitting Nissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R, while finishing 3rd was the outdated Mitsubishi Starion turbo of former Nissan team drivers Gary Scott and Terry Shiel.

Scott, with a point to prove after being cut from both the Nissan and Brock teams in the previous two years (despite qualifying on pole at Bathurst for Nissan in 1986 and finishing third outright with Shiel), put the Starion on the front row of the grid only 0.25 behind the Skyline, with Jim Richards qualifying the BMW a years best third, though his time was 1.13 seconds slower than Fury's pole time of 1:13.29. Fury's pole time was 1.15 seconds slower than Dick Johnson's pole time in the Australian Touring Car Championship round at the circuit just over a month earlier showing not only the cars now in endurance spec, but that the Ford Sierra RS500 was still the car to beat.

Other than Colin Bond's Caltex CXT Racing Team, most of the top Ford Sierra teams, including the Australian Touring Car Championship winning Shell team, gave the race a miss (though the Shell team had the excuse that their car and team drivers Dick Johnson and John Bowe were at the time in England preparing for the RAC Tourist Trophy race at Silverstone as part of the European Touring Car Championship the following weekend). Bond, co-driving in the race with 1980 Formula One World Champion Alan Jones, encountered engine problems with his newly built Sierra and failed to record a time in qualifying. After starting 17th and last, more engine drama after the start (including an early pit stop) saw the car only last 15 laps ending any serious challenge to the leaders. After being the dominant car of the ATCC, the first Sierra to finish was the second Caltex team car (Bond's ATCC car) driven by veterans John Giddings and Bruce Stewart who finished 17 laps down in 10th place. The only other Sierra was that of veteran Murray Carter who had abandoned his old Nissan Skyline DR30 RS to return to Ford for the first time since 1983. Partnered with Sydney's Steve Masterton, Carter's under-prepared Sierra qualified 15th (over 11 seconds slower than Fury) and lasted 26 laps before retiring with engine problems.

The race saw the Australian debut of the TWR developed Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV in the hands of Sydney-based privateer Garry Willmington. The hurried effort by Willmington to get the car to the race showed with the former Jaguar driver qualifying 14th (11.42 seconds behind Fury), before being retired with terminal engine trouble after only 4 laps.

Results

Peter Brock and Jim Richards won the race driving a BMW M3. Image from 2016. BMW M3 of Peter Brock.jpg
Peter Brock and Jim Richards won the race driving a BMW M3. Image from 2016.

Results were as follows:

PosClassNo [2] Entrant [2] DriversCarLapsQual
Pos
Qual
Time
1B05 [3] Mobil 1 Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Brock
Flag of New Zealand.svg Jim Richards
BMW M3 10031:14.42
2A30 Peter Jackson Nissan Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg George Fury
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Skaife
Nissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R 10011:13.29
3A16 Ralliart Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Gary Scott
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Terry Shiel
Mitsubishi Starion turbo 9821:13.54
4B7Mobil 1 Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg David Parsons
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Neil Crompton
BMW M3 9741:14.89
5A8Wayne Park Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wayne Park
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Tindall
Holden VL Commodore SS Group A 9471:16.89
6A42Hella Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Matt Wacker
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Larry Kogge
Nissan Skyline DR30 RS 93101:19.27
7A21Craig Kinmonth Flag of Australia (converted).svg Craig Kinmonth
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alf Grant
Holden VK Commodore SS Group A 9291:18.67
8C51 Bob Holden Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dennis Rogers
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Garry Jones
Toyota Sprinter 89131:24.23
9C79Toddies Tyres Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bryan Selby
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mike Birks
Toyota Sprinter 87161:25.17
10A4 Caltex CXT Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Giddings
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bruce Stewart
Ford Sierra RS500 8361:16.46
11A6The Xerox Shop Flag of Australia (converted).svg Scotty Taylor
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kevin Kennedy
Mitsubishi Starion turbo 83121:22.98
12A87Sommariva Concrete Flag of Australia (converted).svg Joe Sommariva
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Warren McKellar
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Darrel Belsky [1]
BMW 635 CSi 59111:20.94
DNFA14Netcomm Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Murray Carter
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steve Masterton
Ford Sierra RS500 26151:24.92
DNFA47Brian Callaghan Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brian Callaghan
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Graham Moore
Holden VK Commodore SS Group A 2151:15.60
DNFB48John Sax Flag of New Zealand.svg John Sorrenson
Flag of New Zealand.svg Kayne Scott
BMW M3 1781:18.26
DNFA2Caltex CXT Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Colin Bond
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Jones
Ford Sierra RS500 1517DNP
DNFA40Garry Willmington Flag of Australia (converted).svg Garry Willmington
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Leeson
Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV 4141:24.71

Statistics

See also

1988 Australian Touring Car season

Related Research Articles

Robert James Frančević, is a retired racing driver who featured prominently in New Zealand and Australia during the 1970s and 1980s. His biggest wins were the inaugural Wellington 500 street race in Wellington, New Zealand in 1985 driving a Volvo 240T, and the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship, also in a 240T. Francevic's win in the 1986 ATCC was the first and only ATCC win by a non-Australian resident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holden Dealer Team</span>

The Holden Dealer Team (HDT) was Holden's semi-official racing team from 1969 until 1986, primarily contesting Australian Touring Car events but also rallying, rallycross and Sports Sedan races during the 1970s. From 1980 the Holden Dealer Team, by then under the ownership of Peter Brock, diversified into producing modified road-going Commodores and other Holden cars for selected dealers via HDT Special Vehicles.

Allan George MoffatOBE is a Canadian-Australian racing driver known for his four championships in the Australian Touring Car Championship, six wins in the Sandown 500 and his four wins in the Bathurst 500/1000. Moffat was inducted into the V8 Supercars Hall of Fame in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Bowe (racing driver)</span> Australian racing driver

John Bowe is an Australian racing driver, presently racing a Holden Torana in the Touring Car Masters series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allan Grice</span> Australian racing driver and politician

Allan Maxwell Grice, known to motor-racing fans as "Gricey", is an Australian former racing driver and politician, most famous for twice winning the prestigious Bathurst 1000, and as a privateer driver of a Holden in the Australian Touring Car Championship.

The 1990 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Group 3A Touring Cars. The championship, which was the 31st Australian Touring Car Championship, was promoted as the Shell Ultra Australian Touring Car Championship. It began on 25 February 1990 at Amaroo Park and ended on 15 July at Oran Park Raceway after eight rounds.

The 1987 Australian Touring Car Championship was a motor racing competition which was open to Touring Cars complying with regulations as defined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport and based on FIA Group A rules. The championship, which was the 28th Australian Touring Car Championship, began on 1 March 1987 at Calder Park Raceway and ended on 5 July at Oran Park Raceway after nine rounds. The Calder round saw the world debut of the racing versions of the BMW M3, the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth and the Alfa Romeo 75 Turbo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 James Hardie 1000</span>

The 1987 James Hardie 1000 was an endurance race for Group A Touring Cars, staged on 4 October 1987 at the Mount Panorama Circuit, near Bathurst, in New South Wales, Australia. The race was the eighth round of the inaugural World Touring Car Championship, and was the 28th in a sequence of Bathurst 1000 races, commencing with the 1960 Armstrong 500 held at Phillip Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1991 Tooheys 1000</span>

The 1991 Tooheys 1000 was a motor race which was staged at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia on 6 October 1991. It was the 32nd running of the Bathurst 1000. The 1000 km race was held for cars complying with the provisions of Australian Group 3A Touring Car regulations with the field divided into three engine capacity divisions. It was the Round 2 of both the 1991 Australian Endurance Championship and the 1991 Australian Manufacturers' Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990 Tooheys 1000</span>

The 1990 Tooheys 1000 was a motor race held on 30 September 1990 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. The event was open to cars eligible under CAMS Group 3A regulations, commonly known as Group A Touring Cars, with three engine capacity classes. It was the 31st running of the "Bathurst 1000".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1988 Tooheys 1000</span>

The 1988 Tooheys 1000 was a 1000 km endurance motor race for Group A Touring Cars. It was held on 2 October 1988 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia. The race was the opening round of the 1988 Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship and was the 29th running of the Bathurst 1000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1986 James Hardie 1000</span>

The 1986 James Hardie 1000 was an endurance motor race held on 5 October 1986 at the Mount Panorama Circuit, just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia. The race, which was the 27th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race, was the fourth round of both the 1986 Australian Endurance Championship and the 1986 Australian Manufacturers' Championship.

Gibson Motorsport was an Australian motor racing team that competed in the Australian Touring Car Championship from 1981 until 2003, though the team had its roots in Gibson's "Road & Track" team which ran a series of Ford Falcon GTHOs in Series Production during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The name of the team was also the name of Fred Gibson's automotive business in Sydney. As Gibson was also a driver for the Ford Works Team, his team was sometimes a pseudo-works team when the Ford factory did not enter.

The 1989 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Group 3A Touring Cars. The championship, which was the 30th Australian Touring Car Championship, began on 5 March at Amaroo Park and ended on 9 July at Oran Park Raceway after eight rounds. The 1989 Australian Manufacturers' Championship was contested over the same eight round series.

The 1988 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Group 3A Touring Cars. It was the 29th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. The championship began on 6 March at Calder Park Raceway and ended on 17 July at Oran Park Raceway after nine rounds.

George Fury is a retired Australian rally and racing car driver. For the majority of his career Fury was associated with Nissan, twice winning the Australian Rally Championship, and twice runner up in the Australian Touring Car Championship. Fury, a farmer living and working in the New South Wales country town of Talmalmo, was nicknamed "Farmer George" or "The Talmalmo Farmer".

The 1985 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Touring Cars. It was the 26th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the first to be contested using regulations based on the FIA's International Group A regulations after having been run under CAMS home grown Group C rules between 1973 and 1984. The championship began on 10 February 1985 at Winton Motor Raceway and ended on 14 July at Oran Park Raceway after ten rounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1983 Australian Touring Car Championship</span>

The 1983 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Group C Touring Cars. The title, which was the 24th Australian Touring Car Championship, was contested over a series which began on 6 February 1983 at Calder Park Raceway and ended on 19 June at Lakeside International Raceway after eight rounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 Castrol 500</span>

The 1987 Castrol 500 was a race for Touring Cars complying with Appendix C of the National Competition Rules of the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. The event was staged on 13 September 1987 over 129 laps of the 3.9 km Sandown circuit in Victoria, Australia, a total distance of 503 km.

JPS Team BMW is a former Australian motor racing team that ran from 1981–1987. The team's main focus was touring car racing but also ran in sports sedans and GT cars as well. The team, under the management of former British Touring Car Champion and Formula One racer Frank Gardner, was based in Sydney and completed almost all of their testing at the old Amaroo Park circuit with Gardner himself doing most of the test miles in the various BMW's the team raced.

References

  1. 1 2 Pepsi 250, touringcarracing.net, as archived at web.archive.org
  2. 1 2 Official Programme, Pepsi 250, Oran Park Motorsport, Saturday, August 27 - Sunday, August 28
  3. Steve Normoyle, Pepsi 250 - Oran Park - BMW's Trump Card, Racing Car News, October 1988, pages 22 to 24
  4. Pepsi 250 - Oran Park - Strange race that, Australian Auto Action, September 2, 1988, pages 8 to 11