1977 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1977 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing championship open to Group C Touring Cars. It was the 18th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. The championship began at Symmons Plains Raceway on 7 March and ended at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on 20 November after eleven rounds.[1] 1977 was the second and final time that the series incorporated the longer distance races which made up the Australian Championship of Makes. These races included the Sandown 400 and the Phillip Island 500K, although notably not the Bathurst 1000.[2]
| 1977 Australian Touring Car Championship | |||
| Previous: | 1976 | Next: | 1978 |
Reigning champion Allan Moffat (Ford Falcon) dominated the 1977 season. In addition to his victory in the non-championship Hardie-Ferodo 1000 at Bathurst, Moffat won his third Australian Touring Car Championship, leading home new Moffat Ford Dealers teammate Colin Bond for a series 1-2 result. Moffat won the first five rounds of the championship, won a total of seven out of the eleven rounds and won the title by 32 points. Bond recorded a win at Adelaide International Raceway but was put under pressure near the end of the season from Peter Brock after consecutive wins by the Holden Torana driver at Lakeside International Raceway and Sandown Raceway in the Hang Ten 400. In the end Bond finished nine points clear of Brock. The only other round win was claimed by Allan Grice (Holden Torana) at the final round at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
In previous years the class pointscore system saw a consistent performer threaten the top of the points table. In 1977 though the best performer from the smaller cars was Ford Capri racer Lawrie Nelson who finished fourth in the points, 19 behind Brock. Holden Torana racer Bob Morris took points away from the small car class drivers by racing his Triumph Dolomite early in the series, as well as racing Lakis Manticas' Ford Capri on occasion, effectively spoiling the chances of other drivers in the under three-litre class.
Drivers
Drivers that competed in the 1977 Australian Touring Car Championship included the following:
| Sponsor | No | Car | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moffat Ford Dealers | 1 | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Allan Moffat |
| Moffat Ford Dealers | 1 | Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop | Allan Moffat |
| Moffat Ford Dealers | 2 | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Colin Bond |
| Moffat Ford Dealers | 2 | Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop | Colin Bond |
| Marlboro Holden Dealer Team | 3 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | John Harvey |
| Bob Jane T-Marts | 3 | Holden LX Torana A9X SS Hatchback | Bob Jane |
| Gown-Hindhaugh | 4 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Bruce Hindhaugh |
| Bill Patterson | 05 | Holden LX Torana A9X SS Hatchback | Peter Brock |
| Craven Mild | 6 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Allan Grice |
| Craven Mild | 6 | Holden LX Torana A9X SS Hatchback | Allan Grice |
| Channel 7 | 7 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Bob Morris |
| Channel 7 | 7 | Holden LX Torana A9X SLR5000 | Bob Morris |
| Marlboro Holden Dealer Team | 8 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Charlie O'Brien |
| Marlboro Holden Dealer Team | 8 | Holden LX Torana A9X SLR5000 | Wayne Negus |
| Peter Janson | 9 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Larry Perkins |
| Mercury Outboards | 9 | Holden LX Torana A9X SS Hatchback | Charlie O'Brien |
| Sidchrome/Melford | 10 | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Jim Richards |
| Bob Forbes | 11 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Bob Forbes |
| Pioneer Electronics | 12 | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Ron Dickson |
| Marlboro Holden Dealer Team | 14 | Holden LX Torana A9X SS Hatchback | John Harvey |
| Kevin Bartlett | 14 | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Kevin Bartlett |
| Ipec | 15 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Peter Janson |
| Bryan Byrt Ford | 17 | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Dick Johnson |
| Brian Wood Ford | 18 | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Murray Carter |
| Phillip Industries | 19 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Ian Diffen |
| Gown-Hindhaugh | 20 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Garth Wigston |
| Gown-Hindhaugh | 20 | Holden LX Torana A9X SLR5000 | Garth Walden |
| Maurice Andrews | 21 | Holden Torana | Maurice Andrews |
| Citizen Quartz | 21 | Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop | John Goss |
| Pioneer Electronics | 22 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Warren Cullen |
| John Goss | 22 | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | John Goss |
| Pioneer Electronics | 22 | Holden LX Torana A9X SS Hatchback | Warren Cullen |
| Pioneer Electronics | 23 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Warren Cullen |
| Rusty French | 23 | Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop | Rusty French |
| Bill Patterson | 24 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Basil Van Rooyen |
| Bill Patterson | 25 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Peter Brock |
| Bill Patterson | 25 | Holden LX Torana A9X SS Hatchback | Peter Brock |
| Bill Patterson | 26 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Phil Brock |
| Craven Mild | 26 | Holden LX Torana A9X SS Hatchback | Allan Grice |
| Kevin Kennedy | 27 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Kevin Kennedy |
| HM Headers | 28 | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Jim Keogh |
| Rod Donovan | 28 | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Rod Donovan |
| Phillip Arnull | 29 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Phillip Arnull |
| Graham Ryan | 29 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Graham Ryan |
| Garry Willmington | 30 | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Garry Willmington |
| Lawrie Nelson | 32 | Ford Capri V6 | Lawrie Nelson |
| Lynn Brown | 32 | Mazda RX-3 | Lynn Brown |
| Russell Skaife | 34 | Ford Capri V6 | Russell Skaife |
| Tim Slako | 34 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Tim Slako |
| Barry Seton | 35 | Ford Capri V6 | Barry Seton |
| Arthur Hardwick | 36 | Mazda RX-3 | Arthur Hardwick |
| Lakis Manticas | 37 | Ford Capri V6 | Lakis Manticas |
| Alan Taylor | 37 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Alan Taylor |
| Phil McDonnell | 38 | BMW 3.0Si | Phil McDonnell |
| David Seldon | 38 | Triumph Dolomite Sprint | David Seldon |
| Allan Bryant | 38 | Mazda RX-3 | Allan Bryant |
| ATP Australia | 40 | Ford Capri V6 | Alan Cant |
| Geoff Leeds | 41 | Mazda RX-3 | Geoff Leeds |
| Brian Sampson | 43 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Brian Sampson |
| Rogar Automotive | 43 | Mazda RX-3 | Nick Louis |
| Kim Harley | 44 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Kim Harley |
| Ben Penhall | 44 | Mazda RX-3 | Ben Penhall |
| Paul Gulson | 44 | Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV | Paul Gulson |
| John Stoopman | 44 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | John Stoopman |
| TB Penhall | 45 | Mazda RX-3 | Ben Penhall |
| Barry Lawrence | 45 | Triumph Dolomite Sprint | Barry Lawrence |
| Brian Wood Ford | 46 | Ford Capri V6 | Ray Farrar |
| Ross Burbidge | 46 | Mazda RX-3 | Ross Burbidge |
| Graham Parsons | 47 | Holden Torana | Graham Parsons |
| Graeme Wilson | 47 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Graeme Wilson |
| Terry Shiel | 48 | Mazda RX-3 | Terry Shiel |
| Ian Messner | 49 | Ford Escort | Ian Messner |
| Brian Wood Ford | 49 | Ford Escort MkII RS2000 | Lyndon Arnel |
| Brian Potts | 50 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Brian Potts |
| Brian Potts | 50 | Mazda RX-3 | Brian Potts |
| Jim Hunter | 51 | Mazda RX-3 | Jim Hunter |
| Warren Torr | 51 | Mazda RX-3 | John Duggan |
| Vic Wilson | 52 | Ford Capri V6 | Vic Wilson |
| Ian Messner | 52 | Ford Escort MkI RS2000 | Ian Messner |
| Lennox Motors | 53 | Volkswagen Golf GTI | Chris Heyer |
| Allan Gough | 53 | Holden Gemini | Allan Gough |
| Mike Minear | 54 | Holden Gemini | Mike Minear |
| Roger Stanley | 55 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Roger Stanley |
| Peter Stoopman | 55 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Peter Stoopman |
| Gordon Rich | 57 | Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV | Gordon Rich |
| Ron Gillard | 57 | Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV | Ron Gillard |
| Ray Cutchie | 58 | Ford Escort MkI RS2000 | Ray Cutchie |
| David Cannon | 58 | Ford Escort MkI RS2000 | David Cannon |
| Douglas Hi-Fi | 59 | Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTAm | Frank Porter |
| Ray Gulson | 61 | Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV | Ray Gulson |
| Geoff Wade | 61 | Triumph Dolomite Sprint | Geoff Wade |
| Gil Gordon Alfa Geelong | 62 | Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT | Warwick Henderson |
| Wayne Mitchell | 63 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Wayne Mitchell |
| Alfa Romeo Club | 63 | Alfa Romeo GT1300 Junior | Robin Dudfield |
| Peter Kuebler | 63 | Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV | Peter Kuebler |
| Martin Power | 64 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Martin Power |
| Ian Chilman | 64 | Honda Civic | Ian Chilman |
| Jim Liang-Peach | 65 | Triumph Dolomite Sprint | Jim Liang-Peach |
| David Clement | 66 | Mazda RX-3 | David Clement |
| John White | 66 | Ford Escort MkI RS2000 | John White |
| Ross Bond | 66 | Holden Torana | Ross Bond |
| Peter Granger | 67 | BMW 2002 | Peter Granger |
| Brian Wood Ford | 69 | Ford Capri V6 | Rod Stevens |
| Ralph Radburn | 69 | Triumph Dolomite Sprint | Ralph Radburn |
| Ferris Car Radios | 70 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Barry Allen |
| Peter Williamson Toyota | 70 | Toyota Celica | Peter Williamson |
| Alan Welling | 71 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Alan Welling |
| Brian Wood Ford | 71 | Ford Escort MkI RS2000 | Rod Stevens |
| Alf Grant | 71 | Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV | Alf Grant |
| Roger Stanley | 72 | Holden Torana | Roger Stanley |
| Neville Bridges | 73 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Neville Bridges |
| Bernie Stack | 74 | Volkswagen Passat 1300 | Bernie Stack |
| Stephen Land | 74 | Datsun 1200 | Stephen Land |
| Hair Affair | 75 | Morris Clubman GT | Jim Stewart |
| Ray Molloy | 76 | Morris Clubman GT | Ray Molloy |
| Ron Hodgson | 77 | Triumph Dolomite Sprint | Bob Morris |
| Bob Morris | 77 | Ford Capri V6 | Bob Morris |
| Barry Sheales Holden | 77 | Holden Gemini | Allan Gough |
| Geoff Newton | 78 | Ford Capri V6 | Geoff Newton |
| Hugh Donaldson | 78 | Fiat 124 | Hugh Donaldson |
| Darryl Wilcox | 79 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Darryl Wilcox |
| Ian Wells | 79 | Ford Escort MkI RS2000 | Ian Wells |
| Wynn's Friction Proofing | 79 | Ford Capri V6 | John Faulkner |
| John Millyard | 80 | Ford Capri V6 | John Millyard |
| Ian Lees | 80 | Ford Capri V6 | Ian Lees |
| Graeme Blanchard Holden | 81 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Graeme Blanchard |
| Tony Niovanni | 82 | Holden Gemini | Tony Niovanni |
| Graeme Wilson | 84 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Graeme Wilson |
| Graeme Wilson | 84 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | Graeme Wilson |
| Stuart Saker | 85 | Ford Escort | Stuart Saker |
| Pat Hogan | 86 | Ford Escort MkI RS2000 | Pat Hogan |
| Graham Mein | 87 | Ford Escort MkI RS2000 | Graham Mein |
| David Seldon | 88 | Triumph Dolomite Sprint | David Seldon |
| Bob Holden/Shell Sport | 88 | Ford Escort RS2000 | Greg Toepfer |
| Kerry Cox | 89 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Kerry Cox |
| Peter Lander | 89 | Morris Clubman GT | Peter Lander |
| Wayne Sweetland | 90 | Holden Torana | Wayne Sweetland |
| Graham Harrison | 91 | Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV | Graham Harrison |
| Ken Harrison | 91 | Ford Escort | Ken Harrison |
| Gary Whittaker | 92 | Toyota Corolla | Gary Whittaker |
| Robyn Hamilton | 93 | Holden Gemini | Robyn Hamilton |
| Gary Leggatt | 94 | Fiat 128 Berlinetta | Gary Leggatt |
| Deane Hill | 95 | Holden Gemini | Deane Hill |
| Ray Kaleda | 97 | Holden Torana | Ray Kaleda |
| Greville Arnel | 97 | Ford Escort | Greville Arnel |
| Martin Power | 97 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Martin Power |
| David Langman | 98 | Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 | David Langman |
| Graeme Adams | 99 | Ford Capri V6 | Graeme Adams |
| Louis Stoopman Jr | 99 | BMW 2002tii | Louis Stoopman Jr |
| Russell Worthington | 100 | Mazda RX-3 | Russell Worthington |
| Jeff Ogg | 101 | Mazda RX-3 | Jeff Ogg |
| Geoff Moran | 102 | Ford Capri V6 | Geoff Moran |
| Eric Olsen | 103 | Mazda RX-3 | Eric Olsen |
| Barry Jones | 108 | Mazda RX-3 | Barry Jones |
| Mollison Motors | 109 | Honda Civic | Matthew Phillip |
| Max Patterson | 111 | Honda Civic | Max Patterson |
| John Nelson | 114 | Datsun 1600 | John Nelson |
| Annette Williams | 118 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Annette Williams |
Three litre class competitors
Calendar
The 1977 Australian Touring Car Championship was contested over eleven rounds.[1]
| Rd.[1] | Race / Circuit [1] | City / State | Date [1] | Format | Winner [1] | Car | Team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Symmons Plains Symmons Plains Raceway |
Launceston Tasmania |
7 March | Two heats | Allan Moffat | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Moffat Ford Dealers | |
| 2 | Calder Calder Park Raceway |
Melbourne Victoria |
20 March | One race | Allan Moffat | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Moffat Ford Dealers | |
| 3 | Oran Park Oran Park Raceway |
Sydney New South Wales |
27 March | One race | Allan Moffat | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Moffat Ford Dealers | |
| 4 | Amaroo Park Amaroo Park |
Sydney New South Wales |
10 April | One race | Allan Moffat | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Moffat Ford Dealers | |
| 5 | Sandown Sandown International Raceway |
Melbourne Victoria |
17 April | One race | Allan Moffat | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Moffat Ford Dealers | [3] |
| 6 | Silver Jubilee Trophy[4] Adelaide International Raceway |
Adelaide South Australia |
5 June | One race | Colin Bond | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Moffat Ford Dealers | |
| 7 | The Governor's Trophy[4] Lakeside International Raceway |
Brisbane Queensland |
26 June | One race | Peter Brock | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Bill Patterson Racing | |
| 8 | Hang Ten 400 Sandown International Raceway |
Melbourne Victoria |
11 September | 1 x 500 km race | Peter Brock | Holden LX Torana SS A9X | Bill Patterson Racing | report |
| 9 | Rothmans 250[5] Adelaide International Raceway |
Adelaide South Australia |
23 October | 1 x 250 km race | Allan Moffat | Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop | Moffat Ford Dealers | |
| 10 | Rothmans 300[6] Surfers Paradise International Raceway |
Surfers Paradise Queensland |
6 November | 1 x 300 km race | Allan Moffat | Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop | Moffat Ford Dealers | |
| 11 | Ready Plan Insurance Phillip Island 500K Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit |
Phillip Island Victoria |
28 November | 1 x 500 km race | Allan Grice | Holden LX Torana SS A9X | Craven Mild Racing | report |
Classes
For points-scoring purposes, cars competing in the Australian Touring Car Championship were classified into one of two classes defined by engine capacity.[7]
Points system
Australian Touring Car Championship points were awarded to drivers as follows:
| Pos | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Rounds Outright [7] |
4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Rounds 1-7 each class [7] |
9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Round 8-11 each class [7] |
12 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Only the best six scores from the first seven rounds and the best two scores from the last four rounds counted towards the championship totals.[7]
Points were awarded only where a car completed 75% of race distance and was running at the completion of the final lap.
Results
Results of the 1977 Australian Touring Car Championship were as follows:
|
|
Three litre class competitors
Note: South African driver Basil van Rooyen placed fourth at Round 8 (the Hang Ten 400 at Sandown) but was not eligible to score points.[8]
Australian Championship of Makes
The 1977 Australian Championship of Makes was awarded on the results of the final four rounds of the 1977 Australian Touring Car Championship.[7] It was the seventh circuit racing championship for manufacturers to be awarded by CAMS and the second to carry the Australian Championship of Makes name.
Classes
For pointscoring purposes, cars competed in four classes defined by engine capacity [7]
Points
Points were awarded for the six best placed cars in class in each of the four rounds on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis with only the highest scoring car of each make attracting points.[7]
Results
| Position | Make [9] | Points [9] |
| 1 | Ford | 87 |
| 2 | Alfa Romeo | 37 |
| 3 | Honda | 30 |
| 4 | Holden | 28 |
| 5 | Mazda | 12 |
| = | Datsun | 12 |
| = | Leyland | 12 |
| 8 | Fiat | 10 |
| 9 | Toyota | 3 |
| 10 | Volkswagen | 2 |
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References
- Australian Competition Yearbook, 1978 edition
- Howard, Graham; Wilson, Stewart (1986). "1977: Falcons' clean-sweep". Australian Touring Car Championship 25 fabulous years. R&T Publishing. pp. 178–186. ISBN 0-9590378-2-9.
- 1977 ATCC Rd.5 - Sandown
- "1977 ATCC". The Programme Covers Project. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- Jennings, Bob (24 October 1977). "Moffat leads Falcons home". The Advertiser.
- Touring Title to Moffat, The Courier Mail, Monday, 7 November 1977, page 19
- Conditions for Australian Titles, 1977 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 86-91
- Howard, Graham; Wilson, Stewart; Geenhaigh, David (2011). The official history - Australian Touring Car Championship - 50 Years. p. 178.
- "Championship of Makes" Final Pointscore, Racing Car News, January 1978, page 29
External links
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