South Pacific Touring Car Championship

Last updated
South Pacific Touring Car Championship
Category Touring car racing
Country Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand
Inaugural season1986
Folded 1986
Last Drivers' champion Allan Grice
Last Makes' champion BMW
Last Teams' championNA

The South Pacific Touring Car Championship was a motorsport championship staged in Australia and New Zealand for Group A touring cars between October and December in 1986. The championship was won by Australian driver Allan Grice.

Contents

Unfortunately, the series received little support from the top teams, especially the Australians other than for the first two rounds held in Australia, while all bar a couple of the New Zealand teams only contested NZ races. Once the series went to New Zealand, Grice and Charlie O'Brien were in fact the only Australian drivers to support the series while those such as Peter Jackson Nissan, JPS Team BMW and the Mobil Holden Dealer Team completely ignored the NZ races.

The series was reportedly set to continue in 1987, however after the first race in Adelaide, interest flagged as the Australian teams were not interested in going to New Zealand after a long season which included the 1987 World Touring Car Championship rounds at Bathurst, Calder and Wellington and the series was cancelled.

Champions

YearDriverTeamCar
1986 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Grice Roadways Racing
Team Nissan Racing NZ
Holden VK Commodore SS Group A
Nissan Skyline DR30 RS
1987Not Held

1986 race calendar

The 1986 South Pacific Touring Car Championship was contested over a five-round series with two races in Australia and three races in New Zealand.

Round 1 of the series also doubled as Round 5 of the 1986 Australian Endurance Championship, while Round 2 in Adelaide also doubled as the Group A support race at the 1986 Australian Formula One Grand Prix.

Rd.Race TitleCircuitCityDateWinnerCarTeamReport
1The Sun South Pacific 300 Calder Park Raceway Melbourne 19 October Flag of Australia (converted).svg George Fury
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Glenn Seton
Nissan Skyline DR30 RS Peter Jackson Nissan Racing [1]
2South Australia Cup Adelaide Street Circuit Adelaide 25 October Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Grice Holden VK Commodore SS Group A Roadways Racing [2]
3Manfeild SPTCC Manfeild Autocourse Palmerston North 30 November Flag of New Zealand.svg Graeme Crosby
Flag of New Zealand.svg Wayne Wilkinson
Holden VK Commodore SS Group A Bob Jane T-Marts [3]
4Baypark SPTCC Baypark Raceway Mount Maunganui 7 December Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Grice
Flag of New Zealand.svg Kent Baigent
Nissan Skyline DR30 RS Team Nissan Racing NZ [4]
5Pukekohe SPTCC Pukekohe Park Raceway Pukekohe 14 December Flag of Australia (converted).svg Charlie O'Brien
Flag of New Zealand.svg Glenn McIntyre
BMW 635 CSi State Coal BMW [5]

Championship results

PositionDriverTeamCarPoints
1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Grice Roadways Racing
Team Nissan Racing NZ
Holden VK Commodore SS Group A
Nissan Skyline DR30 RS
81
2 Flag of New Zealand.svg Trevor Crowe Archibalds BMW 635 CSi 73
3 Flag of New Zealand.svg Graeme Crosby Bob Jane T-Marts Holden VK Commodore SS Group A67
4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Charlie O'Brien Bob Jane T-Marts
State Coal BMW
BMW 635 CSi66
Flag of New Zealand.svg Glenn McIntyre State Coal BMWBMW 635 CSi66
6 Flag of Australia (converted).svg George Fury Peter Jackson Nissan Racing Nissan Skyline DR30 RS57
7 Flag of New Zealand.svg Ed Lamont Lamont Racing/Can-Am Construction BMW 325i 55
8 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Glenn Seton Peter Jackson Nissan RacingNissan Skyline DR30 RS47
9 Flag of New Zealand.svg Robbie Ker Ford Mustang GT 45
Flag of New Zealand.svg Wayne Huxford Ford Mustang GT45
11 Flag of New Zealand.svg Wayne Wilkinson Bob Jane T-MartsHolden VK Commodore SS Group A43
Flag of New Zealand.svg Graham Lorimer BMW 635 CSi43
Flag of New Zealand.svg Tony Lawrence BMW 635 CSi43
14 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Larry Perkins Enzed Team Perkins Holden VK Commodore SS Group A40
15 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Harvey Mobil Holden Dealer Team Holden VK Commodore SS Group A34
16 Flag of New Zealand.svg Denny Hulme Bob Jane T-Marts
Rocket Cargo/Bill Bryce
Mercedes-Benz 190E
BMW 325i
32
Flag of New Zealand.svg Dave Barrow Toyota Team New Zealand Toyota Corolla FX-GT AE82 32
18 Flag of New Zealand.svg Kent Baigent Team Nissan Racing NZNissan Skyline DR30 RS30

See also

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References