1995 Australian Touring Car Championship

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The 1995 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title for 5.0 Litre Touring Cars [1] complying with Group 3A regulations. [2] The championship, which was the 36th Australian Touring Car Championship, [3] was contested over a ten rounds between February and August 1995. [4] The series was won by John Bowe driving a Dick Johnson Racing Ford EF Falcon.

Television coverage

Channel 7's 1995 coverage was led by Mike Raymond for the final time before his retirement from full-time broadcasting and he was once again joined by Allan Moffat and Mark Oastler in the broadcast booth with Andy Raymond in pit-lane.

The broadcast was again on same-day delay due to the network's coverage of the AFL across the nation.

Pre-season

The Ford EF Falcon and Holden VR Commodore were both homologated for competition. The changes were largely cosmetic, allowing teams to reskin their existing EB Falcons and VP Commodores. With no material gain in performance expected, many of the privateer teams elected to retain their cars in EB and VP trim.

In January 1995 Dunlop, who supplied tyres to Dick Johnson Racing, Perkins Engineering and Wayne Gardner Racing as well as all of the privateer teams, had their factory in Kobe destroyed in the Great Hanshin earthquake. While production was shifted to England, teams had to ration their tyre stocks. To help the situation, Bridgestone later relaxed its policy of only supplying contracted teams, providing tyres to James Rosenberg Racing and Romano Racing at the final round.

Defending champion Mark Skaife missed the opening round of the championship after sustaining injuries in a testing accident ahead of the Winfield Triple Challenge at Eastern Creek that destroyed a Gibson Motorsport VR Commodore.

Teams and drivers

Movements
Arrivals / returnees
Departures

The following drivers and teams competed in the 1995 Australian Touring Car Championship:

TeamVehicle/sNoDriver
Gibson Motorsport Holden VR Commodore 1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Skaife
2 Flag of New Zealand.svg Jim Richards
Lansvale Racing Team Holden VP Commodore 3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Trevor Ashby
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steve Reed
Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VR Commodore 4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wayne Gardner
7 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Neil Crompton
Holden Racing Team Holden VR Commodore 05 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Brock
015 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tomas Mezera
Pinnacle Motorsport Holden VP Commodore
Holden VR Commodore
6 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Grice
21 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Scott
Glenn Seton Racing Ford EF Falcon 6 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Grice
30 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Glenn Seton
Ford EB Falcon
Ford EF Falcon
35 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Jones
Larkham Motor Sport Ford EF Falcon 10 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Larkham
Perkins Engineering Holden VR Commodore 11 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Larry Perkins
Holden VP Commodore 12 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Greg Crick
Phil Ward Racing Holden VP Commodore
Holden VR Commodore
13 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Phil Ward
Dick Johnson Racing Ford EF Falcon 17 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick Johnson
18 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Bowe
19 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steven Johnson
Palmer Promotions Holden VR Commodore 20 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian Palmer
Romano Racing Holden VP Commodore 24 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Paul Romano
Longhurst Racing Ford EF Falcon 25 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Longhurst
Terry Finnigan Holden VP Commodore 27 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Terry Finnigan
Playscape Racing Ford EB Falcon 28 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kevin Waldock
Ian Love Holden VR Commodore 31 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian Love
Pro-Duct Racing Holden VP Commodore 33 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Pearson
Claude Gorgi Ford EB Falcon 34 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Claude Giorgi
Schembri Motorsport Holden VP Commodore 36 Flag of New Zealand.svg Neil Schembri
46 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Greg Young
Scotty Taylor Racing Holden VP Commodore 37 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Attard
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Taylor
James Rosenberg Racing Holden VP Commodore 38 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Poole
Challenge Motorsport Holden VP Commodore
Holden VR Commodore
39 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Chris Smerdon
Group Motorsport Holden VP Commodore 40 Flag of Australia (converted).svg George Ayoub
Garry Willmington Performance Ford EB Falcon 41 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Garry Willmington
Daily Planet Racing Ford EB Falcon 47 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Trimbole
Alcair Racing Holden VR Commodore 49 Flag of Australia (converted).svg David Attard
Parsons Transport Holden VR Commodore 55 Flag of Australia (converted).svg David "Truckie" Parsons
Novocastrian Motorsport Holden VP Commodore 62 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wayne Russell
Pace Racing Holden VP Commodore 74 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kevin Heffernan
Barbagallo Motorsport Holden VR Commodore 77 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alf Barbagallo
Bill O'Brien Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV 88 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill O'Brien
Allan McCarthy Holden VR Commodore 96 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan McCarthy

Race calendar

The championship was contested over a ten-round series. Each round featured a "Peter Jackson Dash", a short sprint race which was restricted to the top ten cars from qualifying, and two main races which were open to all competitors. Unlike previous seasons, the dash did not set the grid order for the main races. The Amaroo Park round was replaced by a round at Mount Panorama which held an ATCC round for the first time since 1972.

Rd.CircuitLocation / stateDateRound winnerCarTeamReport
1 Sandown International Raceway Melbourne, Victoria 3 - 5 Feb Larry Perkins Holden VR Commodore Perkins Engineering Report
2 Symmons Plains Raceway Launceston, Tasmania 24 - 26 Feb John Bowe Ford EF Falcon Dick Johnson Racing Report
3 Mount Panorama Circuit Bathurst, New South Wales 10 - 12 MarJohn BoweFord EF FalconDick Johnson Racing Report
4 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Phillip Island, Victoria 7 - 9 Apr Glenn Seton Ford EF Falcon Glenn Seton Racing
5 Lakeside International Raceway Brisbane, Queensland 21 - 23 AprGlenn SetonFord EF FalconGlenn Seton Racing
6 Winton Motor Raceway Benalla, Victoria 19–21 MayJohn BoweFord EF FalconDick Johnson Racing
7 Eastern Creek Raceway Sydney, New South Wales 26–28 May Mark Skaife Holden VR Commodore Gibson Motorsport
8 Mallala Motor Sport Park Mallala, South Australia 7 - 9 JulGlenn SetonFord EF FalconGlenn Seton Racing
9 Barbagallo Raceway Perth, Western Australia 14 - 16 JulGlenn SetonFord EF FalconGlenn Seton Racing
10 Oran Park Raceway Sydney, New South Wales 4 - 6 AugJohn BoweFord EF FalconDick Johnson Racing

Points system

Results

Rounds were won by John Bowe (4), Glenn Seton (4), Larry Perkins (1) and Mark Skaife (1). Going into the final round Bowe, Seton and Peter Brock were in contention with Bowe prevailing.

Championship standings

Pos [6] Driver [6] Car [4] SanSymMouPhiLakWinEasMalBarOraPts [6]
1 John Bowe Ford EF Falcon 30393520384022321642314
2 Glenn Seton Ford EF Falcon 4142431403220434633287
3 Peter Brock Holden VR Commodore 20321328323136323427285
4 Larry Perkins Holden VR Commodore 371428132481003014178
5 Tomas Mezera Holden VR Commodore 103020322217182012163
6 Mark Skaife Holden VR Commodore 232815639131816149
7 Dick Johnson Ford EF Falcon 18427101382261018136
8 Alan Jones Ford EB Falcon
Ford EF Falcon
0101224Ret203315712133
9 Wayne Gardner Holden VR Commodore 3014Ret4.5571604383.5
10 Neil Crompton Holden VR Commodore 1020Ret31141807276
11 Tony Longhurst Ford EF Falcon 88691032211665
12 Jim Richards Holden VR Commodore 176DNS02481012Ret59
13 Allan Grice Holden VP Commodore
Holden VR Commodore
Ford EF Falcon
12DNS1417
14Trevor Ashby Holden VP Commodore 16108
15Mark Poole Holden VP Commodore 40Ret37
16Greg Crick Holden VP Commodore 606
=Paul Romano Holden VP Commodore 0002Ret0Ret40Ret6
=David Attard Holden VP Commodore 040000RetRet116
19Chris Smerdon Holden VP Commodore
Holden VR Commodore
2Ret13
20Tony Scott Holden VP Commodore 202
21John Trimbole Ford EB Falcon 01RetRet0Ret00DNS1
= Phil Ward Holden VP Commodore 1Ret01
PosDriverCarSanSymMouPhiLakWinEasMalBarOraPts
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: Race 1 at the Phillip Island round was stopped before full race distance due to multiple accidents brought about by heavy rain, and only half points were awarded. [7]

Privateers Cup

The Motorsport News / Dunlop Privateers Cup was won by David Attard. [8]

See also

1995 Australian Touring Car season

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References

  1. Conditions for Australian Racing Titles, 1995 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 7-9 to 7-11
  2. Specifications of Cars, Group 3A – 5.0 Litre Touring Cars, 1995 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 7-76 to 7-83
  3. Records, Titles and Awards, 2006 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 14-7
  4. 1 2 1995 Championship Results, Australian Motor Racing Year 1995, pages 278 to 281
  5. 1 2 3 What's the point, Official Programme, Mallala, 9 July 1995, page 73
  6. 1 2 3 Graham Howard, Stewart Wilson, David Greenhaigh, Thanks Dick, The official history - Australian Touring Car Championship - 50 Years, pages 342 to 350
  7. Chasing the Tasmanian tiger, Official Programme, Tooheys 1000, Mount Panorama, Bathurst, 1 October 1995, pages 26 to 32
  8. Champion effort, Australian Motor Racing Year 1995, pages 146 to 149