1997 Australian Touring Car season

Last updated

1997 Australian Touring Car season
Previous: 1996 Next: 1998

The 1997 Australian Touring Car season was the 38th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.

Contents

Two major touring car categories raced in Australia during 1997, V8 Supercar and Super Touring. Between them there were 26 touring car race meetings held during 1997; a ten-round series for V8 Supercars, the 1997 Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC); an eight-round series for Super Touring, the 1997 Australian Super Touring Championship (ASTC); an unofficial four round series for V8 Supercars, the 1997 ARDC AMSCAR series (the final edition of AMSCAR); support programme events at the 1997 Australian Grand Prix and 1997 Sunbelt IndyCarnival and three stand alone long distance races, nicknamed 'enduros'.

Results and standings

Race calendar

The Ford EL Falcon in which Glenn Seton won the 1997 Australian Touring Car Championship Glenn Seton 1997 EL Falcon Muscle Car Masters 2011.JPG
The Ford EL Falcon in which Glenn Seton won the 1997 Australian Touring Car Championship

The 1997 Australian touring car season consisted of 26 events.

DateSeriesCircuitCity / stateWinnerTeamCarReport
7–9 Mar Super Touring GT-P Race Albert Park Melbourne, Victoria Jim Richards Volvo Cars Australia Volvo 850
TAC V8 Supercar Showdown Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore
15 MarATCC Round 1 Calder Park Raceway Melbourne, Victoria Wayne Gardner Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VS Commodore
5–6 Apr Hog's Breath Cafe V8 Supercar Challenge Surfers Paradise street circuit Surfers Paradise, Queensland Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore
13 AprATCC Round 2 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Phillip Island, Victoria Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore
27 AprATCC Round 3 Sandown International Raceway Melbourne, Victoria Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing Ford EL Falcon
4 MayATCC Round 4 Symmons Plains Raceway Launceston, Tasmania Greg Murphy Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore
4 MayASTC Round 1 Lakeside International Raceway Brisbane, Queensland Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport BMW 320i
18 MayATCC Round 5 Winton Motor Raceway Benalla, Victoria Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore
25 MayATCC Round 6 Eastern Creek Raceway Sydney, New South Wales Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing Ford EL Falcon
1 JunASTC Round 2 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Phillip Island, Victoria Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport BMW 320i
15 JunATCC Round 7 Lakeside International Raceway Brisbane, Queensland John Bowe Dick Johnson Racing Ford EL Falcon
22 JunASTC Round 3 Calder Park Raceway Melbourne, Victoria Geoff Brabham Paul Morris Motorsport BMW 320i
22 JunAMSCAR Round 1 Eastern Creek Raceway Sydney, New South Wales Allan McCarthy West Coast Racing Ford EL Falcon
6 JulATCC Round 8 Barbagallo Raceway Perth, Western Australia Peter Brock Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore
13 JulATCC Round 9 Mallala Motor Sport Park Adelaide, South Australia Greg Murphy Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore
20 JulASTC Round 4 Amaroo Park Sydney, New South Wales Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Audi A4 Quattro
AMSCAR Round 2 Mal Rose Mal Rose Racing Holden VS Commodore
3 AugATCC Round 10 Oran Park Raceway Sydney, New South Wales Greg Murphy Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore
10 AugASTC Round 5 Winton Motor Raceway Benalla, Victoria Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport BMW 320i
24 AugASTC Round 6 Mallala Motor Sport Park Adelaide, South Australia Cameron McConville Brad Jones Racing Audi A4 Quattro
31 AugAMSCAR Round 3 Eastern Creek Raceway Sydney, New South Wales Mal Rose Mal Rose Racing Holden VS Commodore
14 Sep Tickford Sandown 500 Sandown International Raceway Melbourne, Victoria Greg Murphy
Craig Lowndes
Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore report
5 Oct AMP Bathurst 1000 Mount Panorama Circuit Bathurst, New South Wales Geoff Brabham
David Brabham
Paul Morris Motorsport BMW 320i report
19 Oct Primus 1000 Classic Mount Panorama Circuit Bathurst, New South Wales Russell Ingall
Larry Perkins
Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore report
26 OctASTC Round 7 Lakeside International Raceway Brisbane, Queensland Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport BMW 320i
9 NovASTC Round 8 Amaroo Park Sydney, New South Wales Geoff Brabham Paul Morris Motorsport BMW 320i
7 DecAMSCAR Round 4 Eastern Creek Raceway Sydney, New South Wales Michael Donaher Clive Wiseman Racing Holden VS Commodore

Super Touring GT-P Race

This meeting was a support event of the 1997 Australian Grand Prix. The thin Super Touring field was bolstered by cars from the Australian GT-Production Car Championship (indicated in italics).

DriverNo.TeamCarRace 1Race 2
Flag of New Zealand.svg Jim Richards 6 Volvo Cars Australia Volvo 850 11
Flag of New Zealand.svg Steven Richards 34 Garry Rogers Motorsport Honda Accord 22
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Brabham 83 BMW Motorsport Australia BMW 320i DSQ3
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Paul Morris 2 BMW Motorsport Australia BMW 320i DSQ4
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brad Jones 1 Brad Jones Racing Audi A4 Quattro DNF5
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Jones 3 Brad Jones Racing Audi A4 Quattro 36
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Tweedie 79IBC Motorsport Vauxhall Cavalier 47
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Cameron McConville 22Warwick Fabrics Porsche 993 RSCS 58
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Bowe 10Ross Palmer Motorsport Ferrari F355 Challenge 79
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Justin Mathews 16Bob Holden Motors BMW 318i 610
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rusty French 28 Porsche 993 RSCS 811
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Max Dunn46 Porsche 993 RSCS 1012
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ross Palmer 72Ross Palmer Motorsport Ferrari F355 Challenge DNF13
Flag of New Zealand.svg Tony Newman 37 TC Motorsport Peugeot 405 Mi16 914
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Guy Gibbons 33 Subaru Impreza WRX 1115
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian McAllister 66 Volvo 850 T5-R 1316
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Eric Houghton 4Zega Automotive Group Mitsubishi Lancer RS-E Evo IV DNF17
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Murray Carter 18 Nissan 200SX Turbo 1418
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Colin Osborne 21Osborne Motorsport Toyota MR2 Bathurst 1219
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Andrej Pavicevic 31 Subaru Impreza WRX DNFDNS
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Hills 88Knight Racing Ford Mondeo DNSDNS

TAC V8 Supercar Showdown

This meeting was a support event of the 1997 Australian Grand Prix.

DriverNo.TeamCarRace 1Race 2Race 3
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Russell Ingall 8 Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore 111
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Larry Perkins 11 Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore 222
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Brock 05 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 633
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Bowe 18 Dick Johnson Racing Ford EL Falcon DNS54
Flag of New Zealand.svg Greg Murphy 15 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 385
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wayne Gardner 7 Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VS Commodore DNS76
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick Johnson 17 Dick Johnson Racing Ford EL Falcon 747
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Jones 9 Alan Jones Racing Ford EL Falcon 568
Flag of New Zealand.svg John Faulkner 46 John Faulkner Racing Holden VS Commodore 22119
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Longhurst 25 Longhurst Racing Ford EL Falcon 14910
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Noske 97 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 91011
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steve Ellery 52 Longhurst Racing Ford EL Falcon 241212
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Glenn Seton 30 Glenn Seton Racing Ford EL Falcon 4DNS13
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Trevor Ashby 3 Lansvale Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 111514
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Skaife 2 Gibson Motorsport Holden VS Commodore DNF1315
Flag of the United States.svg Kevin Schwantz 75John Sidney Racing Ford EF Falcon 261816
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tomas Mezera 47 Daily Planet Racing Holden VS Commodore DNF1717
Flag of New Zealand.svg Steven Richards 34 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VS Commodore 121418
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Terry Finnigan 27 Holden VS Commodore 15DNF19
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kevin Heffernan 74PACE Racing Holden VS Commodore 252120
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Larkham 10 Larkham Motor Sport Ford EL Falcon 102021
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Anthony Tratt 42 Holden VP Commodore 171622
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Chris Smerdon 39Challenge Motorsport Holden VS Commodore 161923
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Malcolm Stenniken 14 Holden VR Commodore 182824
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian Palmer 20Palmer Promotions Holden VS Commodore 192525
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wayne Russell 62 Holden VP Commodore 202426
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Shaun Walker 99 Holden VS Commodore 232727
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mike Conway 79Cadillac Productions Holden VP Commodore 21DNF28
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Cotter 26 M3 Motorsport Holden VP Commodore DNF2629
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Neil Crompton 4 Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VS Commodore 823DNF
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Poole 38 James Rosenberg Racing Holden VS Commodore 1322DNS
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rob Middleton 66Clive Wiseman Racing Holden VP Commodore DNFDNSDNS

Australian Touring Car Championship

Hog's Breath V8 Supercar Challenge

This meeting was a support event of the 1997 Sunbelt IndyCarnival. [1]

DriverNo.TeamCarRace 1Race 2
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Russell Ingall 8 Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore 21
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Larry Perkins 11 Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore 52
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wayne Gardner 7 Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VS Commodore 73
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Neil Crompton 4 Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VS Commodore 64
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Longhurst 25 Longhurst Racing Ford EL Falcon 85
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Jones 9 Alan Jones Racing Ford EL Falcon 36
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Larkham 10 Larkham Motor Sport Ford EL Falcon 107
Flag of New Zealand.svg John Faulkner 46 John Faulkner Racing Holden VS Commodore 98
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Brock 05 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 49
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steve Ellery 52 Longhurst Racing Ford EL Falcon 1310
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steven Johnson 49Alcair Racing Holden VS Commodore DNF11
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tomas Mezera 47 Daily Planet Racing Holden VS Commodore DNF12
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Bowe 18 Dick Johnson Racing Ford EL Falcon DNF13
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steve Reed 3 Lansvale Racing Team Holden VS Commodore DNF14
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kevin Heffernan 74PACE Racing Holden VS Commodore DNF15
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Garry Willmington 41Garry Willmington Performance Ford EB Falcon 1616
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wayne Russell 62 Holden VP Commodore 1417
Flag of New Zealand.svg Greg Murphy 15 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 1DNF
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Poole 38 James Rosenberg Racing Holden VS Commodore 12DNF
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Danny Osborne 22Colourscan Motorsport Ford EF Falcon 15DNF
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Paul Romano 24 Romano Racing Holden VS Commodore 11DNF
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Glenn Seton 30 Glenn Seton Racing Ford EL Falcon DNFDNS
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick Johnson 17 Dick Johnson Racing Ford EL Falcon DNFDNS
Flag of New Zealand.svg Steven Richards 34 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VS Commodore DNFDNS
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Terry Finnigan 27 Holden VS Commodore DNFDNS

Australian Super Touring Championship

ARDC AMSCAR series

Tickford 500

AMP Bathurst 1000

Primus 1000 Classic

Related Research Articles

Gold Coast Indy 300

The Gold Coast Indy 300 was an annual open-wheel motor race event that took place at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia from 1991 to 2008. The challenging 4.47-kilometre (2.78 mi) track, alongside a strip of beaches, had several fast sections and four chicanes. The event had various names during its history for sponsorship reasons; in its final year, it was known as the Nikon Indy 300.

Russell Ingall Australian racing driver

Russell Ingall is a former full-time Australian V8 Supercar driver. He won his V8 Supercars title in 2005, and finished second in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2004. Ingall has also won the Bathurst 1000, in 1995 and 1997. His particular driving style earned him the nickname "Enforcer".

Amaroo Park Former motor racing circuit in Annangrove, New South Wales, Australia

Amaroo Park Raceway was a 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) motor racing circuit located in Annangrove, New South Wales, in the present-day western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Opened in 1967, the road circuit served as a venue for a variety of competitions including the Castrol 6 Hour motorcycle race, rounds of the Australian Touring Car Championship, Australian Drivers' Championship, Australian Formula Ford Championship, Australian Sports Sedan Championship, the AMSCAR Series for touring cars, historic racing and others. The last Australian Touring Car Championship round to take place at the circuit was in 1994.

Oran Park Raceway

Oran Park Raceway was a motor racing circuit at Narellan south west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia which was operational from February 1962 until its closure in January 2010. The track was designed and started by George Murray and Jack Allen. Since its closure in 2010 it has been developed into housing.

The 2004 V8 Supercar season was the 45th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.

Motorsport in Australia

Motorsport is a popular spectator sport in Australia, although there are relatively few competitors compared to other sports due to the high costs of competing. The oldest motorsport competition in Australia is the Alpine Rally which was first staged in 1921 followed by the Australian Grand Prix, first staged in 1928. The most widely watched motorsport category is Supercars, especially at the Bathurst 1000. Other classes in Australia include Australian GT, Formula 3 and Formula Ford, Superbikes, as well as various forms of speedway racing.

The 2005 V8 Supercar season was the 46th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.

The 1998 Australian Touring Car season was the 39th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.

The 1999 Australian Touring Car season was the 40th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.

The 1995 Australian Touring Car season was the 36th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.

The 1993 Australian Touring Car season was the 34th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.

Surfers Paradise Street Circuit Motorsport track in Australia

The Surfers Paradise Street Circuit is a temporary street circuit on the Surfers Paradise, in Queensland, Australia. The 2.98-kilometre (1.85 mi) beach-side track has several fast sections and two chicanes, having been shortened from an original 4.47-kilometre (2.78 mi) length in 2010. It is the third of three motor racing circuits that have existed in the Gold Coast region, after the Southport Street Circuit (1954) and Surfers Paradise International Raceway (1966–1987).

The 2000 Australian Touring Car season was the 41st year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.

The 2001 V8 Supercar season was the 42nd year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.

The 2002 V8 Supercar season was the 43rd year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.

The 1988 Australian Touring Car season was the 29th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.

The 1985 Australian Touring Car season was the 26th season of touring car racing in Australia commencing from 1960 when the first Australian Touring Car Championship and the first Armstrong 500 were contested. It was the first season in which Australian Touring Car regulations were based on those for the FIA Group A Touring Car category.

V8 Supercar Challenge

The V8 Supercar Challenge was an annual V8 Supercars event held each October at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia. First run in 1994, the sprint event was a support race to the Gold Coast Indy 300 and from 2010 was superseded by an endurance format known as the Gold Coast 600.

The 1984 Australian Touring Car season was the 25th season of touring car racing in Australia commencing from 1960 when the first Australian Touring Car Championship and the first Armstrong 500 were contested. It was the last season in for the locally developed Group C category before the move to the FIA's Group A rules from 1985.

The 1983 Australian Touring Car season was the 24th season of touring car racing in Australia commencing from 1960 when the first Australian Touring Car Championship and the first Armstrong 500 were contested.

References

  1. "Gold Coast 22 March 1997 1997 Sunbelt Indy Carnival Support Races". National Software. 22 March 1997. Retrieved 25 April 2008.