1981 Australian Touring Car Championship

The 1981 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Group C Touring Cars.[1] The championship, which was the 22nd running of the Australian Touring Car Championship,[2] began at Symmons Plains Raceway and ended at Lakeside International Raceway after 8 rounds.[3]

Dick Johnson, using the Ford XD Falcon built with the money he received after TV viewers had pledged AUD$72,000 following his crash with 'The Rock' at Bathurst the previous year (Ford Australia boss of the day Edsel Ford II had personally matched the amount dollar for dollar), won his first ATCC ahead of defending champion Peter Brock in his Holden Dealer Team Commodore. Johnson and Brock were the only drivers to win during the championship which came down to the final round on Dick's home track at Lakeside. Johnson won the race from Brock, the two battling all the way to the Chequered flag in what many believe to be one of the best ATCC races in history. Johnson later praised Brock, claiming that he had every opportunity to punt him off the road at Lakeside, while Brock also praised Johnson who held his nerve and won a clean race.

Classes

Cars competed in two engine displacement classes:

  • Up to and including 3000cc
  • 3001–6000cc[1]

Points system

Championship points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the first six placegetters in each class at each round. Bonus points were awarded on a 4-3-2-1 basis to the top four placegetters irrespective of class at each round.[1] Only the best seven round results could be retained by each driver.[4]

Round positions at rounds which were run in two parts were determined by allocating points on a 20-16-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis to the first fourteen placegetters in each part. These points were then aggregated to determine the results for that round.[5] However a different method of determining round positions was used for Round 6 at Adelaide International Raceway where points were allocated on a 20-16-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis to the first fourteen placegetters in each class in each part.[6]

Entrants and drivers
Dick Johnson won the championship driving a Ford XD Falcon.
Colin Bond placed third driving a Ford Capri Mk II. The car is pictured in 2005.
Kevin Bartlett placed 11th driving a Chevrolet Camaro. The car is pictured in 1997
Bob Muir placed 20th driving a Ford XD Falcon. The car is pictured in 2009.

The following entrants and drivers competed in the 1981 Australian Touring Car Championship.

Entrant Car No Driver
Citizen Watches [7] Holden VB Commodore 2 Gary Cooke
Cadbury-Schweppes Holden VC Commodore 3 Peter Janson
Re-Car Racing Holden VC Commodore 3 Alan Browne
Re-Car Racing Holden VC Commodore 4 Alan Browne
Toms Tyres Holden VC Commodore 4 Wayne Negus
Marlboro Holden Dealer Team Holden VC Commodore 05 Peter Brock
Rusty French Ford XD Falcon 6 Rusty French
Bob Morris Ford XD Falcon 7 Bob Morris
Launceston Hotel Holden VC Commodore 7 Larry Perkins
Garry Willmington Ford XD Falcon 8 Garry Willmington
Nine Network Racing Team Chevrolet Camaro Z28 9 Kevin Bartlett
Roadways Racing Holden VC Commodore 10 Steve Harrington
Allan Grice Racing Pty. Ltd.[8] BMW 635CSi 11 Allan Grice
Warren Cullen Holden VC Commodore 12 Warren Cullen
John English Ford XD Falcon 14 John English
Neil Cunningham Holden VB Commodore 16 Neil Cunningham
Tru-Blu Steel Tubing Ford XD Falcon 17 Dick Johnson
Murray Carter Ford XD Falcon 18 Murray Carter
Phil Lyon Holden VB Commodore 23 Phil Lyon
Army Reserve Racing Team Ford XD Falcon 24 Bob Muir
Ray Allford Ford XD Falcon 26 Ray Allford
Capri Components Ford Capri Mk III 29 Lawrie Nelson
Peter McLeod Mazda RX-7 30 Peter McLeod
Masterton Homes Ford Capri Mk II 31 Colin Bond
Masterton Homes Ford Capri Mk II 32 Steve Masterton
John Smith Ford XD Falcon 33 John Smith
Northside Mazda [9] Mazda RX-7 34 Terry Shiel
Phil Alexander Mazda RX-3 35 Phil Alexander
Mulgrave Mazda [8]
Belgrave Mazda [10]		 Mazda RX-3 41 Frank Porter
Michael O'Hehir Mazda RX-3 42 Michael O'Hehir
J. Beninca [11]
Beninca Motors [8]		 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV 46 Joe Beninca
L. & J.F. Parshen [12] Mazda RX-3 46 Ross Burbidge
Brian Callaghan Ford XD Falcon 47 Brian Callaghan
Evan Thomas Mazda RX-3 48 Evan Thomas
Chickadee Chicken Toyota Celica 53 Graeme Bailey
Craig Bradtke Mitsubishi Lancer 57 Craig Bradtke
Country Dealer Team [11] Isuzu Gemini 60 Jim Faneco
Garry Everitt Mazda RX-3 61 Garry Everitt
Alexandra Surplice Toyota Corolla Levin 62 Alexandra Surplice
Hooley Auto Electrics [13] Holden VC Commodore 71 Graeme Hooley
Guy Chenery Ford Escort 75 Guy Chenery
Toyota Dealer Team Toyota Celica 77 Peter Williamson
Gary Whittaker Holden LX Torana SLR 5000 A9X 78 Gary Whittaker
Phil Walton Toyota Celica 79 Phil Walton
Bill O'Brien Ford XD Falcon 80 Bill O'Brien
John Bristow Toyota Celica 81 John Bristow
G.K. Engineering [8] Ford Escort RS2000 95 Darryl Gretgrix [8]

Results and standings

Race calendar

The 1981 Australian Touring Car Championship was contested over an eight-round series with Rounds 1, 3, 5, 7 & 8 being single race rounds and Rounds 2, 4 & 6 being two race rounds.[3]

Rd. Race title Circuit City / state Date Winner Team Report
1 Symmons Plains Symmons Plains Raceway Launceston, Tasmania 1 Mar Dick Johnson Palmer Tube Mills
2 Yella Terra Trophy[11] Calder Park Raceway Melbourne, Victoria 15 Mar Peter Brock Marlboro Holden Dealer Team
3 Marlboro Cup[14] Oran Park Raceway Sydney, New South Wales 22 Mar Dick Johnson Palmer Tube Mills
4 Bill Patterson Trophy Race[8] Sandown Raceway Melbourne, Victoria 12 Apr Dick Johnson Palmer Tube Mills
5 Saab-Scania Trophy[14] Wanneroo Park Perth, Western Australia 26 Apr Peter Brock Marlboro Holden Dealer Team
6 Adelaide Adelaide International Raceway Adelaide, South Australia 3 May Peter Brock Marlboro Holden Dealer Team
7 Surfers Paradise Surfers Paradise Raceway Surfers Paradise, Queensland 17 May Dick Johnson Palmer Tube Mills
8 Lakeside Lakeside International Raceway Brisbane, Queensland 21 Jun Dick Johnson Palmer Tube Mills

Championship standings

Colin Bond, driving an under 3 litre Ford Capri took seven class wins in the first seven rounds, but did not race at the final round as he was unlikely to improve his nett score. With Dick Johnson and Peter Brock only twice failing to take the top two positions (Johnson was third at Calder, and Brock did not finish at Sandown), they were classified ahead of Bond due to the bonus points they each received for their outright placings.

Pos[15] Driver Car Sym Cal Ora San Wan Ade Sur Lak Pts
1 Dick Johnson Ford XD Falcon 13 (6) 13 13 9 9 13 13 83
2 Peter Brock Holden VC Commodore 9 13 9 Ret 13 13 9 9 75
3 Colin Bond Ford Capri Mk II 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 63
4 Steve Masterton Ford Capri Mk II 6 6 6 6 3 6 33
5 Murray Carter Ford XD Falcon 6 9 1 6 2 1 25
6 Peter Janson Holden VC Commodore 4 2 2 6 4 6 24
7 Alan Browne Holden VC Commodore 4 4 4 4 4 20
8 Peter Williamson Toyota Celica 4 6 4 4 18
9 Graeme Bailey Toyota Celica 4 2 9 15
10 Steve Harrington Holden VC Commodore 2 1 2 2 6 13
11 Kevin Bartlett Chevrolet Camaro Z28 6 6 12
12 Allan Grice BMW 635CSi 9 9
12 Frank Porter Mazda RX-3 3 6 9
14 Lawrie Nelson Ford Capri Mk III 4 3 7
15 Ross Burbidge Mazda RX-3 6 6
15 Evan Thomas Mazda RX-3 2 4 6
17 Peter McLeod Mazda RX-7 4 1 5
18 Gary Cooke Holden VC Commodore 4 4
18 Terry Shiel Mazda RX-7 4 4
20 Michael O'Hehir Mazda RX-3 3 3
20 Graham Mein Ford Escort RS2000 3 3
20 Bob Muir Ford XD Falcon 1 2 3
23 Joe Beninca Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV 2 2
23 Alexandra Surplice Toyota Corolla 2 2
23 Neil Cunningham Holden VC Commodore 2 2
26 Jim Faneco Isuzu Gemini 1 1
26 Graeme Hooley Holden VC Commodore 1 1
26 Larry Perkins Holden VC Commodore 1 1
26 Greg Symes Triumph Dolomite Sprint 1 1
26 Gary Whittaker Holden LX Torana SLR 5000 A9X 1 1
Pos Driver Car Sym Cal Ora San Wan Ade Sur Lak Pts
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)

Note: Points which could not be retained under the "best seven rounds" rule are shown in the above table within brackets.

References
  1. CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1981, Conditions for Australian Titles, page 94
  2. CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1982, page 53
  3. Australian Motor Racing Year, 1981/82, Australian Touring Car Championship, pages 112-129
  4. CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1981, Conditions for Australian Titles, pages 92
  5. CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1981, Conditions for Australian titles, pages 91-92
  6. Ford, the Australian racing history, page 353
  7. 1981 Championship Review, Racing Car News, January 1982, pages 34 to 35
  8. Official Programme, Sandown, 12 April 1981
  9. Des White, Falcon fires a record Surfers crowd, Racing Car News, June 1981, pages 6 & 7
  10. Program, Adelaide International Raceway, May 3rd 1981
  11. Program, Calder Raceway, March 18, 1981
  12. Australian Touring Car Championship - Final Round, Racing Car News, July 1981, page 23
  13. Robert Janney, Brock wins race, Carter - the crowd, Racing Car News, June 1981, pages 26 & 27
  14. "1981 ATCC". The Programme Covers Project. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  15. Graham Howard & Stewart Wilson, 1981 - Ford's new folk-hero, The Australian Touring Car Championship, 30 Fabulous Years, 1989, page 230
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