1979 Australian Touring Car Championship

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 Symmons Plains Launceston, Tasmania 4 March John Harvey Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team
2 Calder Calder Park Raceway Melbourne, Victoria 18 March Peter Brock Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team
3 Oran Park Oran Park Sydney, New South Wales 25 March Bob Morris Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing
4 Sandown Sandown Park Melbourne, Victoria 7 April Bob Morris Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing
5 Wanneroo Wanneroo Park Perth, Western Australia 6 May Peter Brock Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team
6 Surfers Paradise Surfers Paradise Surfers Paradise, Queensland 20 May Peter Brock Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team
7 Lakeside 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
  • Round 3 of the championship at Oran Park featured two separate races, the first for Under 3 litre cars and the second for Over 3 litre cars.[6]

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 4 Australia Wayne Negus
05 Australia Peter Brock
76 Australia John Harvey
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
Cadbury-Schweppes 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 66 Australia Rod Stevens
Ford Escort RS2000 69 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
Colin Hall Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 21 Australia Colin Hall
Tim Slako Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 22 Australia Tim Slako
Warren Cullen Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 23 Warren Cullen
Alan Browne Holden LX Torana SL/R 5000 A9X 24 Australia Alan Browne
Allan Moffat Racing Ford XC Falcon Cobra[10] 25 Canada Allan Moffat
Marshall Brewer Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 27 Australia Marshall Brewer
Ron Wanless Ford XC Falcon Cobra[11] 27 Australia Ron Wanless
Ray Allford Ford XC Falcon Cobra 28 Ray Allford
Rod Donovan Ford XC Falcon 28 Rod Donovan
Garry Willmington Ford XC Falcon 29 Australia Garry Willmington
Bill O'Brien Ford XC Falcon 30 Australia Bill O'Brien
Greater Pacific Finance Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 33 Australia Garry Rogers
Bill Evans Ford Escort 36 Australia Bill Evans
Scotty Taylor Holden Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 37 Alan Taylor
Greg Smelt Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 38 Greg Smelt
Terry Shiel Mazda RX-3 39 Australia Terry Shiel
Ross Burbidge Mazda RX-3 40 Australia Ross Burbidge
Larry Kogge Mazda RX-3 41 Larry Kogge
Geoff Leeds Ford Capri V6 43 Australia Geoff Leeds
Alan Bryant Mazda RX-3 45 Alan Bryant
Ray Farrar Ford Capri V6 46 Ray Farrar
Barry Jones Mazda RX-3 47 Australia Barry Jones
K.Kemp Mazda RX-3 48 K.Kemp
Capri Components Ford Capri Mk I[12] 50 Australia Lawrie Nelson
Terry Daly Ford Capri V6 51 Terry Daly
Masterton Homes Ford Capri V6 52 Australia Steve Masterton
Ray Cutchie Ford Capri Mk I[13] 53 Australia Ray Cutchie
Roger Cartwright Ford Escort RS2000 Mk 1[13] 54 Australia Roger Cartwright
Craig Volkers Ford Capri V6 55 Australia Craig Volkers
Martin Power Triumph Dolomite Sprint 56 Australia Martin Power
David Cannon Ford Escort RS2000 58 Australia David Cannon
T.Homeyer Ford Capri V6 59 T.Homeyer
Peter Kuebler Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV 62 Australia Peter Kuebler
Ian Chilman Mazda RX-3 62 Australia Ian Chilman
Ray Gulson Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV 64 Australia Ray Gulson
Graeme Hooley Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 71 Graeme Hooley
John Gates Mazda RX-3 72 John Gates
Brian Hall Toyota Celica 74 Australia Brian Hall
David Bail Ford Escort RS2000 75 Australia David Bail
Peter Williamson P/L Toyota Celica 77 Australia Peter Williamson
John Faulkner Ford Capri V6 79 John Faulkner
Ric Rossiter Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 87 Ric Rossiter
Ray Kaleda Holden LX Torana SS 5000 A9X 97 Ray Kaleda
Bob Shepherd Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 99 Bob Shepherd

Classes

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

  • Up to and including 3000 cc[1]
  • 3001 to 6000 cc[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 placegetters irrespective 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
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)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)
  • Drivers marked with a * competed in the under 3000 cc class.

References
  1. Conditions for Australian Titles, 1979 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pp. 96–97.
  2. Australian Touring Car Championship, Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, pp. 68–87.
  3. Records, Titles & Awards, 2002 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pp. 14-17.
  4. 2005 V8 Supercars TV Guide, p. 73.
  5. The Breville Trophy, Official Souvenir Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, 29 July 1979, pp. 44–45.
  6. Graham Howard, Stewart Wilson, David Greenhalgh, Privateer pips them, The official history – Australian Touring Car Championship – 50 Years, pp. 190–199.
  7. Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, p. 74.
  8. Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, p. 81.
  9. Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, p. 80.
  10. Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, p. 68.
  11. Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, p. 83.
  12. Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, p. 75.
  13. Australian Motor Racing Yearbook 1979/80, p. 85.
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