1979 Australian Touring Car Championship

1979 Australian Touring Car Championship
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The 1979 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Group C Touring Cars.[1] It began at Symmons Plains and ended at Adelaide International Raceway after eight rounds.[2] The title, which was the 20th Australian Touring Car Championship,[3] was won by Bob Morris driving a Holden Torana.[2]

1979 was the first time since the ATCC went to a championship series in 1969 rather than the single race it had been previously that a single make and model car had won all rounds of the championship with all 8 rounds being won by the Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback. Including the current season (2016), such a single car domination has only happened once since in the series, that being when the Ford Sierra RS500 won all rounds of the 1988 championship.

Calendar

The Holden Torana of 1979 Australian Touring Car Champion Bob Morris

The 1979 Australian Touring Car Championship was contested over an eight round series.[4]

Rd.[2] Race Title Circuit [2] City / State Date [2] Winning driver [2] Car Team
1 Symmons Plains Launceston, Tasmania 4 March John Harvey Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team
2 Calder Raceway Melbourne, Victoria 18 March Peter Brock Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team
3 Oran Park Sydney, New South Wales 25 March Bob Morris Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing
4 Sandown Park Melbourne, Victoria 7 April Bob Morris Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing
5 Wanneroo Park Perth, Western Australia 6 May Peter Brock Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team
6 Surfers Paradise Surfers Paradise, Queensland 20 May Peter Brock Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team
7 Lakeside Brisbane, Queensland 22 June Bob Morris Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing
8 The Breville Trophy [5] Adelaide International Raceway Adelaide, South Australia 28 July Bob Morris Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing

Teams and drivers

The following teams and drivers competed in the 1979 Australian Touring Car Championship.

Team Car No Driver
King George Tavern Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 2 Australia Fred Gibson
Marlboro Holden Dealer Team Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 05 Australia Peter Brock
76 Australia John Harvey
Australia Wayne Negus
Craven Mild Racing Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 6 Australia Allan Grice
Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 7 Australia Bob Morris
Citizen Watches Holden LX Torana SL/R 5000 A9X [7] 11 Australia Gary Cooke
Pioneer Car Stereo Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop 12 Australia Ron Dickson
Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 [6] 13 Australia Colin Hall
Peter Janson Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 15 New Zealand Peter Janson
Bryan Byrt Ford Ford XC Falcon Cobra [8] 17 Australia Dick Johnson
Brian Wood Ford Pty Ltd Ford XC Falcon 18 Australia Murray Carter
Ford XC Falcon
Ford Escort RS2000
66 Australia Rod Stevens
Gown-Hindaugh
Roadways Racing
Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 20 Australia Garth Wigston
Holden LX Torana SL/R 5000 A9X [9] 21 Australia Charlie O'Brien
Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 22 Australia Tim Slako
Holden LX Torana SL/R 5000 A9X 24 Australia Allan Browne
Allan Moffat Racing Ford XC Falcon Cobra [10] 25 Canada Allan Moffat
Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 27 Australia Marshall Brewer
Ford XC Falcon Cobra [11] 27 Australia Ron Wanless
Ford XC Falcon 29 Australia Garry Willmington
Ford XC Falcon 30 Australia Bill O'Brien
Greater Pacific Finance Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 33 Australia Garry Rogers
Ford Escort 36 Australia Bill Evans
Mazda RX-3 39 Australia Terry Shiel
Mazda RX-3 40 Australia Ross Burbidge
Ford Capri V6 43 Australia Geoff Leeds
Mazda RX-3 47 Australia Barry Jones
Ford Capri Mk I [12] 50 Australia Lawrie Nelson
Ford Capri V6 52 Australia Steve Masterton
Ford Capri Mk I [13] 53 Australia Ray Cutchie
Ford Escort RS2000 Mk 1 [13] 54 Australia Roger Cartwright
Triumph Dolomite Sprint 56 Australia Martin Power
Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV 62 Australia Peter Kuebler
Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV 64 Australia Ray Gulson
Peter Williamson P/L Toyota Celica 66 Australia Peter Williamson
Ford Escort RS2000 Australia David Bail
Ford Escort RS2000 Australia David Cannon
Mazda RX-3 Australia Ian Chilman
Ford Capri Mk I [14] Australia Ray Farrar
Toyota Celica Australia Brian Hall
Mazda RX-3 Australia Larry Kogge
Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X Australia Allan Taylor
Ford Capri V6 Australia Craig Volkers

Classes

For championship points allocation purposes, cars competed in two displacement classes:[1]

Points system

Championship points were awarded on a 9,6,4,3,2,1 basis to the first six placegetters in each class and on a 4,3,2,1 basis to the first four placegtters irrespetive of class [1] (at each round). Only the best seven results counted towards the total [6] (for each driver).

Championship results

Pos.[6] Driver [6] Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 4 Rd 5 Rd 6 Rd 7 Rd 8 Pts.[6]
1 Bob Morris 4th(4) 2nd(9) 1st(13) 1st(13) 4th(4) 4th((4)) 1st(13) 1st(13) 69 (73)
2 Peter Brock 5th(2) 1st(13) 3rd(6) 3rd(6) 1st(13) 1st(13) 5th((2)) 2nd(9) 62 (64)
3 John Harvey 1st{13) 3rd(6) 4th(4) 6th((1)) 2nd(9) 3rd(6) 2nd(9) 3rd(6) 53 (54)
4 Peter Williamson* 8th(6) DNS (9) 6th(9) 8th(9) 33
5 Charlie O'Brien 5th(2) 2nd(9) 2nd(9) 3rd(6) 26
5 Roger Cartwright* 9th(4) (1) 5th(2) (4) (6) (9) 26
7 Allan Grice 3rd(6) Ret 2nd(9) Ret 3rd(6) DNS 21
8 Garth Wigston 2nd(9) 6th(1) 4th(4) 4th(4) 18
8 Lawrie Nelson* 7th(9) Ret 1st{9) DSQ 18
10 Brian Hall* (9) (3) 12
10 Steve Masterton* (6) 2nd(6) DNS DSQ 12
12 John Faulkner* (4) (6) 10
12 Craig Volkers* (6) (4) 10
14 Bill Evans* (9) 9
15 Ray Cutchie* (6) 6
16 Peter Janson 4th(4) 6th(1) 5
17 Bill O'Brien 4th(4) 4
17 Geoff Leeds 3rd(4) 4
17 David Bail 4 4
17 Ross Burbidge* 4th(3) 6th(1) 1
21 Gary Cooke 6th(1) (2) 3
21 Ray Gulson* 10th(3) 3
21 Barry Jones* 4th(3) 3
21 Larry Kogge* (3) 3
21 Peter Kuebler* (3) 3
21 Martin Power* (2) (1) 3
27 Garry Rogers 5th(2) 2
27 Allan Moffat Ret Ret 5th(2) 2
27 Tim Slako 5th(2) 2
27 Dick Johnson 5th(2) 7th 2
27 Ray Farrar* (2) 2
27 Ian Chilman* (2) 2
33 Rod Stevens (1) Ret 1
33 Colin Hall (1) 1
33 Garry Willmington 6th(1) 1
33 Murray Carter 6th(1) 1
33 David Cannon* (1) 1
Pos Driver Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 4 Rd 5 Rd 6 Rd 7 Rd 8 Total
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not participate (DNP)
Excluded (EX)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Conditions for Australian Titles, 1979 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 96 to 97
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Australian Touring Car Championship, Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, pages 68 to 87
  3. Records, Titles & Awards, 2002 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 14-7
  4. 2005 V8 Supercars TV Guide, page 73
  5. The Breville Trophy, Official Souvenir Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, 29 July 1979 , pages 44 to 45
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Graham Howard, Stewart Wilson, David Greenhalgh, Privateer pips them, The official history - Australian Touring Car Championship - 50 Years, pages 190 to 199
  7. Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, page 74
  8. Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, page 81
  9. Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, page 80
  10. Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, page 68
  11. Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, page 83
  12. Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, page 75
  13. 1 2 Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, page 85
  14. Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, page 73
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