1996 Australian Drivers' Championship

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The 1996 Australian Drivers' Championship was an Australian motor racing competition for racing cars complying with CAMS Formula Holden regulations. [1] The championship winner was awarded the 1996 CAMS Gold Star as the Australian Drivers' Champion. [1] It was the 40th running of the Australian Drivers' Championship and the eighth to feature the Formula Holden category. The championship began on 8 March 1996 at the Albert Park Street Circuit and ended on 2 June at Mallala Motor Sport Park after eight races held over four rounds.

Paul Stokell won his third Australian Drivers' Championship in a season dominated by him and his Birrana Racing teammate Jason Bright. The two dark blue Reynard 91Ds won every race of the season except one. Bright's early season unreliability became the difference between the two at season's end. The only race they did not claim was race two at the 1996 Australian Grand Prix meeting which saw Europe-bound Mark Webber in a guest drive in the Graham Watson owned Reynard, take the win when both Stokell and Bright retired. Darren Edwards was consistently best of the rest of the field, claiming four top three finishes over the season. Stephen Cramp took three second places at the start of the season but faded, dropping to fifth position in the championship behind Adam Kaplan.

Teams and drivers

The following drivers competed in the 1996 Australian Drivers' Championship.

DriverNoCarEntrant [2] [3]
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Paul Stokell 1 Reynard 91D Holden Birrana Racing
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Galloway 2 Reynard 91D Holden Allan Galloway
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Fickling 3 Reynard 90D Holden Graham Watson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steven Johnson 3 Reynard 90D Holden Graham Watson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Graham Watson 3 Reynard 90D Holden Graham Watson
Flag of New Zealand.svg Bryan Hartley 4 Dome F102 Holden Bryan Hartley
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Stan Keen 5 Shrike NB89H Holden Stan Keen
Flag of New Zealand.svg Graham Sims 6 Reynard 90D Holden Graham Sims
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Adam Kaplan 7 Reynard 91D Holden Adam Kaplan
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dean Irwin 8 Ralt RT21 Holden Dean Irwin
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jason Bright 9 Reynard 91D Holden Birrana Racing
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Darren Edwards 10 Reynard 90D Holden Clem Smith
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg James Taylor 11 Reynard 91D Holden Ken Smith
Flag of New Zealand.svg Ken Smith 11 Reynard 92D Holden Ken Smith
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Chas Talbot 14 March 87B Holden Chas Talbot
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roger Seward 16 Ralt RT23 Holden Roger Seward
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Arthur Abrahams 19 Reynard 92D Holden Arthur Abrahams
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Stephen Cramp 21 Ralt RT23 Holden Stephen Cramp
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Minogue 29 Reynard 92D Holden RA Minogue
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Webber 30 Reynard 91D Holden Graham Watson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Owen Osborne 34SPA 002 Holden Owen Osborne
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Sam Astuti 47 Reynard 92D Holden SH Racing
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kevin Weeks 70 Reynard 91D Holden Kevin Weeks
Flag of New Zealand.svg Maurice O'Reilly 71 Reynard 91D Holden Kevin Weeks
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Chris Hocking 74 Reynard 91D Holden GL Knight & Assoc
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brian Sampson 78 Cheetah Mk. 9 Holden Brian Sampson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Chas Jacobsen 87 Reynard 92D Holden Chas Jacobsen
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Darren Pate 99 Reynard 90D Holden Auz Racing Team Pty Ltd

Race calendar

The 1996 Australian Drivers' Championship was contested over eight races at four rounds held in two states. [4]

Rd/Race.CircuitLocation / stateDateWinner
R1/1 Albert Park Circuit Melbourne, Victoria 8 March Paul Stokell
R1/29 March Mark Webber
R2/1 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Phillip Island, Victoria 14 April Paul Stokell
R2/2 Paul Stokell
R3/1 Calder Park Raceway Melbourne, Victoria 28 April Jason Bright
R3/2 Jason Bright
R4/1 Mallala Motor Sport Park Mallala, South Australia 2 June Paul Stokell
R4/2 Jason Bright

Results

Points were awarded 20–15–12–10–8–6–4–3–2–1 based on the top ten race positions in each race. [1] Only half points were awarded for Race 1 of Round 2 at Phillip Island. [4]

Pos.Driver [5] Rd1/1Rd2/2Rd2/1Rd2/2Rd3/1Rd3/2Rd4/1Rd4/2Pts [5]
1 Paul Stokell 1stRet1st1st2nd3rd1stRet97
2 Jason Bright RetRetRet2nd1st1st2nd1st90
3 Darren Edwards 3rd4th6th3rd4th2nd3rd6th80
4 Adam Kaplan 4th3rd5th6th5thRet5th3rd60
5 Stephen Cramp 2nd2nd2nd11th8th7thRet4th54.5
6 Arthur Abrahams DNS5thRet5th6th6th6th5th42 [6]
7 Kevin Weeks 5thDNS4th7th7th5thRetDNS29
8 Darren Pate 4th2nd25
Sam Astuti 7th10th3rd4th25
10 Mark Webber Ret1st20
11 Ken Smith 3rd4th16
12 Bryan Hartley 8th7thDNS8th11th8th13
13 James Taylor 6th6th12
14 Bob Minogue 7th8thDNSRetDNSRet7thDNS11
15 Chas Jacobsen Ret8th9th9th14th9th9
16 Stan Keen Ret9th9th7th8
17 Chris Hocking 9thRet10th10th8thRet6
18 Dean Irwin 8th9thRet11th3.5
19 Alan Galloway 9thDNSRetDNS2
Maurice O'Reilly 10th10th2
21 Owen Osborne 10thDNS10thDNS1.5
22 Roger Seward 15th10th1
PosDriverRd1/1Rd2/2Rd2/1Rd2/2Rd3/1Rd3/2Rd4/1Rd4/2Pts
ColourResult
GoldWinner
SilverSecond place
BronzeThird place
GreenPoints classification
BlueNon-points classification
Non-classified finish (NC)
PurpleRetired, not classified (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)

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 3 1996 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 7-10
  2. Official Programme, Transurban Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne, 7 to 10 March 1996, page 106
  3. Event 15, Official Programme, Mallala, 2 June 1996
  4. 1 2 Five Way Fight, Official Programme, Mallala, 2 June 1996
  5. 1 2 1996 Championship Results, Motor Racing Australia No 25, Jan/Feb 1997, page 84
  6. Motor Racing Australia No 25, Jan/Feb 1997, page 84 incorrectly shows 39 points for Abrahams