1991 Tooheys 1000

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Layout of the Mount Panorama Circuit Mount Panorama street racing circuit in Australia.svg
Layout of the Mount Panorama Circuit
The race-winning Nissan Skyline GT-R of Jim Richards and Mark Skaife, pictured in 2015. Richards Skaife 1991 Bathurst Skyline GTR.jpg
The race-winning Nissan Skyline GT-R of Jim Richards and Mark Skaife, pictured in 2015.
The second-placed Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV of Win Percy and Allan Grice, pictured at the 1991 race. Holden Commodore VN Group A Percy & Grice (16146633337).jpg
The second-placed Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV of Win Percy and Allan Grice, pictured at the 1991 race.
The third-placed Nissan Skyline GT-R of Mark Gibbs and Rohan Onslow, pictured in 2015. Gibbs Onslow 1991 Bathurst Skyline GTR.JPG
The third-placed Nissan Skyline GT-R of Mark Gibbs and Rohan Onslow, pictured in 2015.
The 18th-placed Toyota Supra of John Smith and Geoff Morgan, pictured at the 1991 race. Toyota Supra Smith & Morgan (16332526755).jpg
The 18th-placed Toyota Supra of John Smith and Geoff Morgan, pictured at the 1991 race.

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 [1] 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. [2]

Nissan driver Mark Skaife became the first driver since Peter Brock in 1983 to claim provisional pole position, pole position after the Top 10 runoff (with a then fastest touring car lap time of 2:12.63), the race win, and the fastest race lap. His lap record in the race was set in the teams #2 GT-R and not the #1 he drove to victory with Jim Richards. (Brock's race record lap of 1983 was also set in the team's second, #25 car, but that was the car he drove to victory with John Harvey and Larry Perkins).

The Richards / Skaife Nissan GT-R recorded a one lap victory from the Holden Racing Team entered Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV of 1990 race winners Win Percy and Allan Grice with the GIO Racing Nissan GT-R of Mark Gibbs and dual Australian Drivers' Champion Rohan Onslow a further lap behind in third place. After having won the Sandown 500 in the lead up to Bathurst, third place was enough to see Gibbs and Onslow win the Australian Endurance Championship and help win Nissan their fourth Australian Manufacturers' Championship.

With the overall race time of 6h 19m 14.80s breaking the 1984 record of 6h 23m 13.06s. The 1991 time remained as the race record for the 1000 km event [3] until it was broken at the 2010 event with a 6h 12m 51.4153s race time. As of 2023, the 1991 edition is still one of the fastest races in the history of this event, being the ninth fastest.

The 1991 Tooheys 1000 was also the first Great Race since 1985, to be won by a car manufacturer other than Ford or Holden.

Divisional structure

Division 1

For Group 3A cars of 3001cc and Over engine capacity, it featured the turbocharged Nissan Skylines, Ford Sierras, Toyota Supras and a Mitsubishi Starion, the V8 Holden Commodores and a BMW 635 CSi.

Division 2

For Group 3A cars of 1601-3000cc engine capacity, it was composed exclusively of BMW M3s, both the 2.5 L "Evo" version and the original 2.3 L car.

Division 3

For Group 3A cars of Up to 1600cc engine capacity, it was composed exclusively of various models of Toyota Corolla.

Tooheys Top 10

PosNoTeamDriverCarTT10Qual
Pole1 Nissan Motorsport Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Skaife Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R 2:12.6302:12.84
24 GIO Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Gibbs Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R 2:13.8762:15.08
330 Peter Jackson Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Glenn Seton Ford Sierra RS500 2:14.8922:15.26
418 Shell Ultra Hi Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Bowe Ford Sierra RS500 2:15.6792:16.06
517 Shell Ultra Hi Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick Johnson Ford Sierra RS500 2:16.0332:16.56
605 Mobil 1 Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Brock Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV 2:16.0712:16.44
72 Nissan Motorsport Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Drew Price Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R 2:16.2962:15.62
811 Mobil 1 Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Larry Perkins Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV 2:17.0182:16.20
935 Peter Jackson Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg David Parsons Ford Sierra RS500 2:17.5812:17.54
1016 Holden Racing Team Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Win Percy Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV 2:17.7322:16.96

* After breaking Tony Longhurst's 1990 qualifying record of 2:13.84 by a full second, Mark Skaife lowered the mark again with a 2:12.630 in the Top 10. Skaife's Nissan GT-R also recorded a Group A fastest ever 293 km/h (182 mph) on Conrod Straight during the runoff.
* 1991 was the first ever all-Nissan front row at Bathurst. It was also Nissan's third Bathurst pole position after George Fury claimed pole in 1984 in the Bluebird turbo, and Gary Scott had done so in 1986 in the Skyline DR30 RS turbo. With three GT-R's, Nissan also had its best ever representation in the runoff, breaking the record of two set in 1982 and 1986.
* 1991 was the only time between 1988 and 1992 that a Ford Sierra RS500 did not qualify on the pole. Glenn Seton in the fastest Sierra was over 2 seconds slower than Skaife and one second slower than the GT-R of second placed Mark Gibbs. His time was also 0.952 slower than Klaus Niedzwiedz's 1990 pole time in a Sierra.
* Peter Brock made his first appearance driving a Holden in the runoff since the first Group A race in 1985. Brock qualified his Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV in 6th place. Compared to Skaife's speed on Conrod Straight in the twin-turbo GT-R, Brock's naturally aspirated V8 Commodore recorded 278 km/h (173 mph), though this was a substantial improvement as the older model Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV usually topped out at around 270 km/h (168 mph) unless aided by a tow from another car. Despite this the VN Commodores were in fact almost 1.5 seconds slower than the VL model had been in 1990.
* 1991 was the only time between his pole positions in 1988 and 1992 that Dick Johnson did not qualify his #17 Sierra on the front row.
* Drew Price (Nissan), Larry Perkins (Commodore), David Parsons (Sierra), and Win Percy (Commodore) were the only drivers not to improve on their qualifying time.
* HRT team manager and defending race winner Win Percy, who was competing in his 6th Bathurst 1000, made his first appearance in the Top 10 runoff. In four of his previous five races his cars had in fact competed in the runoff but it was his co-drivers - Tom Walkinshaw in 1985 and Allan Grice in 1987, 1988 and 1990, who did the driving on those occasions (Percy did not drive in 1986 and only qualified 18th in 1989).
[4]

Official results

PosDivision [5] NoTeamDriversCarLapsQual
Pos
Shootout
Pos
111 Nissan Motorsport Australia Flag of New Zealand.svg Jim Richards
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Skaife
Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R 16111
2116 Holden Racing Team Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Win Percy
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Grice
Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV 160910
314 GIO Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Gibbs
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rohan Onslow
Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R15922
4220 Benson & Hedges Racing Flag of New Zealand.svg Denny Hulme
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Fitzgerald
BMW M3 Evolution 15719
5128 Playscape Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kevin Waldock
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brett Peters
Ford Sierra RS500 15518
616Alf Grant Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alf Grant
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tim Grant
Nissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R 14827
7105 Mobil 1 Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Brock
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Andrew Miedecke
Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV14776
8127 Terry Finnigan Flag of Australia (converted).svg Terry Finnigan
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Leeds
Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV14624
9130 Peter Jackson Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Glenn Seton
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Gregg Hansford
Ford Sierra RS50014633
10150Bryan Sala Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bryan Sala
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Graham Lusty
Ford Sierra RS50014035
11114Warren Jonsson Flag of Australia (converted).svg Warren Jonsson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Graham Jonsson
Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV 14028
12378 Speedtech Motorsport Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Full
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Paul Morris
Toyota Sprinter 14039
1313 Lansvale Smash Repairs Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steve Reed
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Trevor Ashby
Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV13716
14126Daryl Hendrick Flag of Australia (converted).svg Daryl Hendrick
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Chris Lambden
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John White
Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV13736
15122 Perkins Engineering
Formula 1 Investments
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Graham Moore
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Michel Delcourt
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter McKay
Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV13621
16134Ray Gulson Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ray Gulson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Graham Gulson
BMW 635 CSi 13434
17371 Toyota Team Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ron Searle
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Don Griffiths
Toyota Corolla FX-GT 13342
18115Toyota Team Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Smith
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Morgan
Toyota Supra Turbo-A 13117
19375 Bob Holden Motors Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ted Dunford
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brad Wright
Toyota Corolla12646
20373Bob Holden Motors Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Holden
Flag of Finland.svg Rauno Aaltonen
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dennis Rogers
Toyota Corolla12447
21112Ray Lintott Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ray Lintott
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Scott
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John English
Ford Sierra RS50012220
DSQ110Allan Moffat Enterprises Flag of Italy.svg Gianfranco Brancatelli
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Charlie O'Brien
Ford Sierra RS50015812
DNF118 Shell Ultra Hi Racing Flag of New Zealand.svg Paul Radisich
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Terry Shiel
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Bowe
Ford Sierra RS50015254
DNF18 Caltex CXT Racing Team Flag of Australia (converted).svg Colin Bond
Flag of New Zealand.svg Graeme Crosby
Ford Sierra RS50015214
DNF121 Ampol Max 3 Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Jones
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mike Imrie
Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV13933
DNF225Benson & Hedges Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Longhurst
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Jones
BMW M3 Evolution13811
DNF12Nissan Motorsport Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Drew Price
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Garry Waldon
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Skaife
Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R13547
DNF252 M3 Motorsport Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Doulman
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Cotter
BMW M3 13332
DNF19 Allan Moffat Enterprises Flag of Australia (converted).svg Gary Brabham
Flag of New Zealand.svg Steve Millen
Ford Sierra RS50012815
DNF117Shell Ultra Hi Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick Johnson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Bowe
Ford Sierra RS50012385
DNF124Hersonne Engineering Flag of Australia (converted).svg Laurie Donaher
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mick Donaher
Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV12338
NC139Everlast Battery Service Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill O'Brien
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brian Callaghan
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brian Callaghan Jr
Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV11626
DNF143Brian Bolwell Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brian Bolwell
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Arthur Abrahams
Ford Sierra RS50011322
DNF17Holden Racing Team Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brad Jones
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Neil Crompton
Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV10013
DNF377Bob Holden Motors Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Forshaw
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Richard Vorst
Toyota Corolla9648
DNF144Brian Bolwell Racing Flag of New Zealand.svg Glenn McIntyre
Flag of New Zealand.svg Dave Barrow
Ford Sierra RS5009331
DNF119Shell Ultra Hi Racing Flag of New Zealand.svg Kayne Scott
Flag of New Zealand.svg Gregg Taylor
Ford Sierra RS5009025
DNF374Peter Verheyen Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Verheyen
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Vernon
Toyota Sprinter 8644
DNF370Toyota Team Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Neal Bates
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rick Bates
Toyota Corolla FX-GT7641
DNF111Mobil 1 Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Larry Perkins
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tomas Mezera
Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV6568
DNF135Peter Jackson Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg David Parsons
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wayne Park
Ford Sierra RS50060109
DNF141 Garry Willmington Performance Flag of Australia (converted).svg Garry Willmington
Flag of Egypt.svg Reda Awadullah
Toyota Supra Turbo 5630
DNF113Peter Janson Flag of New Zealand.svg Peter Janson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Gazzard
Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV5328
DNF133 Pro-Duct Motorsport Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Pearson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bruce Stewart
Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV4823
DNF254Kiwi Motorsport Flag of New Zealand.svg Keith Sharp
Flag of New Zealand.svg Ian Spurle
Flag of Tanzania.svg Edgar Salwegter
BMW M33440
DNF372David Sala Flag of Australia (converted).svg David Sala
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brad Stratton
Toyota Corolla2843
DNS132Pro-Duct Motorsport Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Tindal
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Darren Stewart
Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV37
DNS376Bob Holden Motors Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mike Conway
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Calvin Gardiner
Toyota Corolla45
DNQ136Ron Masing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ron Masing
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Greville Arnel
Mitsubishi Starion Turbo 49
DNP379Malcolm Rea Flag of Australia (converted).svg Malcolm Rea
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brian Selby
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Garry Jones
Toyota Sprinter

Statistics

See also

1991 Australian Touring Car season

References

  1. CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1991, page 170
  2. Australian Motor Racing Year, 1991/92, pages 238–239
    • Greenhalgh, David; Thomas B. Floyd; Bill Tuckey (2000). Australia's Greatest Motor Race 1960–1999. Chevron Publishing Group. p. 479. ISBN   1-875221-12-3.
  3. 1991 Bathurst 1000 - Top 10 Shootout
  4. Toohey 1000 Official 1991 Programme, Entry List, page 61