1978 Australian Touring Car Championship

The 1978 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Group C Touring Cars.[1] The title, which was the 19th Australian Touring Car Championship,[2] was won by Peter Brock.[3] It was his second Australian Touring Car Championship victory.

1978 Australian Touring Car Championship
Previous: 1977 Next: 1979

For the second time in the history of the championship, the point score regulation which specified that not all results counted had an effect on the championship outcome. Bob Morris finishing the series on 53 points, two less than championship winner Peter Brock, after Morris lost the two points awarded for his fifth placing at Amaroo Park.[4] However, the regulation did not actually change the championship winner as Brock would otherwise have won the title due to the tiebreaker rule with three round wins to one for Morris.[5] Third in the championship was the consistent Rod Stevens driving his Under 3.0 litre Ford Escort RS2000. Stevens benefited from the point system that favoured the small class cars by giving bonus points for class placings.

In his first ATCC since 1973, five time series champion Ian Geoghegan won his ninth and last ever ATCC race when he drove his Bob Jane owned Holden Torana to a surprise win in Round 4 at Sandown. In what would be his last ATCC season, Geoghegan finished 13th in the championship.

Calendar
Peter Brock won the championship driving a Holden LX Torana A9X for the Marlboro Holden Dealer Team

The championship was contested over an eight round series.[3]

Rd.[3] Race/Circuit [3] Location / State Date [3] Format [3] Round winner [3] Car [6] Entrant
1 Symmons Plains
Symmons Plains		 Launceston, Tasmania 5 March One race Peter Brock Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [7]
2 Oran Park
Oran Park		 Sydney, New South Wales 26 March One race Peter Brock Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [7]
3 Amaroo Park
Amaroo Park		 Sydney, New South Wales 9 April One race Allan Grice Holden LX Torana A9X Craven Mild Racing [7]
4 Sandown
Sandown		 Melbourne, Victoria 16 April One race Ian Geoghegan Holden LX Torana A9X Bob Jane T-Marts [3]
5 Wanneroo
Wanneroo Park		 Perth, Western Australia 7 May Two heats Peter Brock Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [7]
6 Calder
Calder Park Raceway		 Melbourne, Victoria 28 May One race Bob Morris Holden LX Torana A9X Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing Team [7]
7 Round 7 Presented by Rothmans[8]
Lakeside		 Brisbane, Queensland 25 June One race Allan Moffat Ford XC Falcon Moffat Ford Dealers [7]
8 Adelaide International Raceway
Adelaide International Raceway		 Virginia, South Australia 8 August One race Colin Bond Ford XC Falcon Moffat Ford Dealers [7]

Classes

Car competed in two engine 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 of the two classes.[1] Bonus points were awarded on a 4–3–2–1 basis to the first four placegetters irrespective of class.[1] Only the best six scores counted towards the championship totals.[1]

Where a round was contested in two parts, points were allocated on a 20–16–13–11–10–9–8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis to the first 14 place-getters in each part and then aggregated.[1] If more than one driver attained the same total, the superior round placing was awarded to the driver who was higher placed in the last part.[1] Championship points were then awarded for the round.[1]

Championship standings
Pos. Driver No. Car Entrant Sym Ora Ama San Wan Cal Lak Ade Total [6]
1 Peter Brock 05 Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [7] 13 13 6 DSQ 13 4 6 55
2 Bob Morris 7 Holden LX Torana A9X Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing Team [7] 9 9 (2) 9 4 13 9 Ret 53 (55)
3 Rod Stevens 69 Ford Escort RS2000 * Brian Wood Ford [7] 4 3 Ret 9 Ret 9 9 34
4 Allan Moffat 1 Ford XC Falcon Moffat Ford Dealers [7] Ret Ret 9 DSQ 13 9 31
5 Colin Bond 2 Ford XC Falcon Moffat Ford Dealers [7] 4 4 4 DSQ Ret 13 25
Sue Ransom 101 Ford Capri V6 * ABE Copiers Pty Ltd [7] 6 4 4 6 4 1 25
7 Allan Grice 26 Holden LX Torana A9X Craven Mild Racing [7] 2 0 13 6 Ret Ret 1 22
8 John Harvey 76 Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [9] 6 0 DNS 4 9 Ret 19
9 Barry Seton 33 Ford Capri V6 * Amco [9] 9 9 18
10 Dick Johnson 17 Ford XC Falcon Bryan Byrt Ford [9] 6 Ret 9 DSQ 15
Ray Cutchie 53 Ford Capri V6 * Ray Cutchie [9] 6 9 15
Ray Farrar 46 Ford Capri V6 * R. Farrar [10] / Brain Wood Ford [9] 9 3 3 Ret 15
13 Ian Geoghegan 3 Holden LX Torana A9X Bob Jane Racing [10]
Bob Jane T-Marts [3]		 Ret 13 1 14
14 Colin Campbell 50 Ford Capri V6 * Ranger Truck Rentals Pty Ltd [7] 6 6 12
15 Lawrie Nelson 38 Ford Capri V6 * Lawrie Nelson [9] 9 9
Peter Hopwood 37 Ford Capri IIS * 3 6 9
17 Garry Rogers 34 Holden LX Torana A9X Greater Pacific Finance [10] 1 1 6 8
18 Brian Potts 48 Mazda RX-3 * 1 6 7
19 Wayne Negus 4 Holden LX Torana A9X 6 6
Charlie O'Brien 15 Holden LX Torana A9X O'Brien's Transport [9] 0 Ret 6 6
21 Murray Carter 18 Ford XC Falcon Brian Wood Ford [7] Ret 0 4 4
Warren Cullen 23 Holden LX Torana A9X Pioneer Electronics [7] Ret 0 4 4
Jack Brabham 8 Holden LX Torana A9X 2 2 4
Graham Mein 102 Ford Escort RS2000 * 4 4
Vic Wilson 91 Ford Capri V6 * Vic Wilson [7] 4 4
26 Ross Burbidge 72 Mazda RX-3 * 3 3
David Cannon 77 Ford Escort RS2000 * Wavell Dawson Car Sales [7] 3 3
Ian Lees 42 Ford Capri V6 * Ian Lees [9] 1 2 3
Noel Edwards 44 Mazda RX-3 * Noel Edwards [7] 1 2 3
30 Colin Hall 21 Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 2 2
Peter Janson 9 Holden LX Torana A9X Re-Car [9] 2 2
Graham Ryan 19 Holden LX Torana A9X 2 2
Jim Richards 27 Holden LX Torana A9X Marlboro Holden Dealer Team [7] 2 2
John Goss 31 Ford XC Falcon John Goss Pty Ltd [7] 1 1 2
John Faulkner 49 Ford Capri V6 * Wynn's Friction Proofing [9] 2 2
Terry Shiel 41 Mazda RX-3 * 2 2
Evan Thomas 93 Mazda RX-3 * 2 2
38 Barry Kallawk 86 Holden LX Torana A9X 0 1 1
Peter Kuebler 64 Alfa Romeo * Safcol-Snappy Tom [7] 1 1
Pos. Driver No. Car Entrant Sym Ora Ama San Wan Cal Lak Ade Total
ColourResult
GoldWinner
Silver2nd place
Bronze3rd 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 participate (DNP)
Excluded (EX)

Note: Cars marked with an asterisk competed in the "Up to and including 3000 cc" class.

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References
  1. Conditions for Australian Titles, 1978 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 84 to 87
  2. Records, Titles and Awards, 2002 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 14-7
  3. Australian Touring Car Championship, Australian Competition Yearbook Number 8 (1979), pages 40 to 61
  4. Howard, Graham; Wilson, Stewart (1986). "1978: The pendulum swings". Australian Touring Car Championship 25 fabulous years. R&T Publishing. pp. 194–195. ISBN 0-9590378-2-9.
  5. Official Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, Final Round, Touring Cars, 1978, page 11
  6. The official history of Australian Touring Car Championship – 50 years, page 180 to 188
  7. Official Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, Final Round, Touring Cars, 1978, pages 40 & 41
  8. "1978 Australian Touring Car Championship Programmes". The Programme Covers Project. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  9. Official Programme, Calder, Australian Touring Car Championship, Round 6
  10. Program, Symmons Plains, 5 March 1978
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