1997 Australian Touring Car season

The 1997 Australian Touring Car season was the 38th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.

1997 Australian Touring Car season
Previous: 1996 Next: 1998

Two major touring car categories raced in Australia during 1997, V8 Supercar and Super Touring. Between them there were 26 touring car race meetings held during 1997; a ten-round series for V8 Supercars, the 1997 Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC); an eight-round series for Super Touring, the 1997 Australian Super Touring Championship (ASTC); an unofficial four round series for V8 Supercars, the 1997 ARDC AMSCAR series; support programme events at the 1997 Australian Grand Prix and 1997 Sunbelt IndyCarnival and three stand alone long distance races, nicknamed 'enduros'.

Results and Standings

Race Calendar
The Ford EL Falcon in which Glenn Seton won the 1997 Australian Touring Car Championship

The 1997 Australian touring car season consisted of 26 events.

Date Series Circuit City / State Winner Team Car Report
7–9 Mar Super Touring GT-P Race Albert Park Melbourne, Victoria Jim Richards Volvo Cars Australia Volvo 850
TAC V8 Supercar Showdown Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore
15 Mar ATCC Round 1 Calder Park Raceway Melbourne, Victoria Wayne Gardner Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VS Commodore
5–6 Apr Hog's Breath Cafe V8 Supercar Challenge Surfers Paradise street circuit Surfers Paradise, Queensland Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore
13 Apr ATCC Round 2 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Phillip Island, Victoria Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore
27 Apr ATCC Round 3 Sandown International Raceway Melbourne, Victoria Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing Ford EL Falcon
4 May ATCC Round 4 Symmons Plains Raceway Launceston, Tasmania Greg Murphy Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore
4 May ASTC Round 1 Lakeside International Raceway Brisbane, Queensland Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport BMW 320i
18 May ATCC Round 5 Winton Motor Raceway Benalla, Victoria Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore
25 May ATCC Round 6 Eastern Creek Raceway Sydney, New South Wales Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing Ford EL Falcon
1 Jun ASTC Round 2 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Phillip Island, Victoria Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport BMW 320i
15 Jun ATCC Round 7 Lakeside International Raceway Brisbane, Queensland John Bowe Dick Johnson Racing Ford EL Falcon
22 Jun ASTC Round 3 Calder Park Raceway Melbourne, Victoria Geoff Brabham Paul Morris Motorsport BMW 320i
22 Jun AMSCAR Round 1 Eastern Creek Raceway Sydney, New South Wales Allan McCarthy West Coast Racing Ford EL Falcon
6 Jul ATCC Round 8 Barbagallo Raceway Perth, Western Australia Peter Brock Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore
13 Jul ATCC Round 9 Mallala Motor Sport Park Adelaide, South Australia Greg Murphy Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore
20 Jul ASTC Round 4 Amaroo Park Sydney, New South Wales Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Audi A4 Quattro
AMSCAR Round 2 Mal Rose Mal Rose Racing Holden VS Commodore
3 Aug ATCC Round 10 Oran Park Raceway Sydney, New South Wales Greg Murphy Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore
10 Aug ASTC Round 5 Winton Motor Raceway Benalla, Victoria Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport BMW 320i
24 Aug ASTC Round 6 Mallala Motor Sport Park Adelaide, South Australia Cameron McConville Brad Jones Racing Audi A4 Quattro
31 Aug AMSCAR Round 3 Eastern Creek Raceway Sydney, New South Wales Mal Rose Mal Rose Racing Holden VS Commodore
14 Sep Tickford Sandown 500 Sandown International Raceway Melbourne, Victoria Greg Murphy
Craig Lowndes		 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore report
5 Oct AMP Bathurst 1000 Mount Panorama Circuit Bathurst, New South Wales Geoff Brabham
David Brabham		 Paul Morris Motorsport BMW 320i report
19 Oct Primus 1000 Classic Mount Panorama Circuit Bathurst, New South Wales Russell Ingall
Larry Perkins		 Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore report
26 Oct ASTC Round 7 Lakeside International Raceway Brisbane, Queensland Paul Morris Paul Morris Motorsport BMW 320i
9 Nov ASTC Round 8 Amaroo Park Sydney, New South Wales Geoff Brabham Paul Morris Motorsport BMW 320i
7 Dec AMSCAR Round 4 Eastern Creek Raceway Sydney, New South Wales Michael Donaher Clive Wiseman Racing Holden VS Commodore

Super Touring GT-P Race

This meeting was a support event of the 1997 Australian Grand Prix. The thin Super Touring field was bolstered by cars from the Australian GT-Production Car Championship (indicated in italics).

Driver No. Team Car Race 1 Race 2
Jim Richards 6 Volvo Cars Australia Volvo 850 1 1
Steven Richards 34 Garry Rogers Motorsport Honda Accord 2 2
Geoff Brabham 83 BMW Motorsport Australia BMW 320i DSQ 3
Paul Morris 2 BMW Motorsport Australia BMW 320i DSQ 4
Brad Jones 1 Brad Jones Racing Audi A4 Quattro DNF 5
Alan Jones 3 Brad Jones Racing Audi A4 Quattro 3 6
Bob Tweedie 79 IBC Motorsport Vauxhall Cavalier 4 7
Cameron McConville 22 Warwick Fabrics Porsche 993 RSCS 5 8
John Bowe 10 Ross Palmer Motorsport Ferrari F355 Challenge 7 9
Justin Mathews 16 Bob Holden Motors BMW 318i 6 10
Rusty French 28 Porsche 993 RSCS 8 11
Max Dunn 46 Porsche 993 RSCS 10 12
Ross Palmer 72 Ross Palmer Motorsport Ferrari F355 Challenge DNF 13
Tony Newman 37 TC Motorsport Peugeot 405 Mi16 9 14
Guy Gibbons 33 Subaru Impreza WRX 11 15
Ian McAllister 66 Volvo 850 T5-R 13 16
Eric Houghton 4 Zega Automotive Group Mitsubishi Lancer RS-E Evo IV DNF 17
Murray Carter 18 Nissan 200SX Turbo 14 18
Colin Osborne 21 Osborne Motorsport Toyota MR2 Bathurst 12 19
Andrej Pavicevic 31 Subaru Impreza WRX DNF DNS
Peter Hills 88 Knight Racing Ford Mondeo DNS DNS

TAC V8 Supercar Showdown

This meeting was a support event of the 1997 Australian Grand Prix.

Driver No. Team Car Race 1 Race 2 Race 3
Russell Ingall 8 Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore 1 1 1
Larry Perkins 11 Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore 2 2 2
Peter Brock 05 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 6 3 3
John Bowe 18 Dick Johnson Racing Ford EL Falcon DNS 5 4
Greg Murphy 15 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 3 8 5
Wayne Gardner 7 Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VS Commodore DNS 7 6
Dick Johnson 17 Dick Johnson Racing Ford EL Falcon 7 4 7
Alan Jones 9 Alan Jones Racing Ford EL Falcon 5 6 8
John Faulkner 46 John Faulkner Racing Holden VS Commodore 22 11 9
Tony Longhurst 25 Longhurst Racing Ford EL Falcon 14 9 10
Mark Noske 97 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 9 10 11
Steve Ellery 52 Longhurst Racing Ford EL Falcon 24 12 12
Glenn Seton 30 Glenn Seton Racing Ford EL Falcon 4 DNS 13
Trevor Ashby 3 Lansvale Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 11 15 14
Mark Skaife 2 Gibson Motorsport Holden VS Commodore DNF 13 15
Kevin Schwantz 75 John Sidney Racing Ford EF Falcon 26 18 16
Tomas Mezera 47 Daily Planet Racing Holden VS Commodore DNF 17 17
Steven Richards 34 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VS Commodore 12 14 18
Terry Finnigan 27 Holden VS Commodore 15 DNF 19
Kevin Heffernan 74 PACE Racing Holden VS Commodore 25 21 20
Mark Larkham 10 Larkham Motor Sport Ford EL Falcon 10 20 21
Anthony Tratt 42 Holden VP Commodore 17 16 22
Chris Smerdon 39 Challenge Motorsport Holden VS Commodore 16 19 23
Malcolm Stenniken 14 Holden VR Commodore 18 28 24
Ian Palmer 20 Palmer Promotions Holden VS Commodore 19 25 25
Wayne Russell 62 Holden VP Commodore 20 24 26
Shaun Walker 99 Holden VS Commodore 23 27 27
Mike Conway 79 Cadillac Productions Holden VP Commodore 21 DNF 28
John Cotter 26 M3 Motorsport Holden VP Commodore DNF 26 29
Neil Crompton 4 Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VS Commodore 8 23 DNF
Mark Poole 38 James Rosenberg Racing Holden VS Commodore 13 22 DNS
Rob Middleton 66 Clive Wiseman Racing Holden VP Commodore DNF DNS DNS

Australian Touring Car Championship
Main article: 1997 Australian Touring Car Championship

Hog's Breath V8 Supercar Challenge

This meeting was a support event of the 1997 Sunbelt IndyCarnival.[1]

Driver No. Team Car Race 1 Race 2
Russell Ingall 8 Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore 2 1
Larry Perkins 11 Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore 5 2
Wayne Gardner 7 Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VS Commodore 7 3
Neil Crompton 4 Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VS Commodore 6 4
Tony Longhurst 25 Longhurst Racing Ford EL Falcon 8 5
Alan Jones 9 Alan Jones Racing Ford EL Falcon 3 6
Mark Larkham 10 Larkham Motor Sport Ford EL Falcon 10 7
John Faulkner 46 John Faulkner Racing Holden VS Commodore 9 8
Peter Brock 05 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 4 9
Steve Ellery 52 Longhurst Racing Ford EL Falcon 13 10
Steven Johnson 49 Alcair Racing Holden VS Commodore DNF 11
Tomas Mezera 47 Daily Planet Racing Holden VS Commodore DNF 12
John Bowe 18 Dick Johnson Racing Ford EL Falcon DNF 13
Steve Reed 3 Lansvale Racing Team Holden VS Commodore DNF 14
Kevin Heffernan 74 PACE Racing Holden VS Commodore DNF 15
Garry Willmington 41 Garry Willmington Performance Ford EB Falcon 16 16
Wayne Russell 62 Holden VP Commodore 14 17
Greg Murphy 15 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 1 DNF
Mark Poole 38 James Rosenberg Racing Holden VS Commodore 12 DNF
Danny Osborne 22 Colourscan Motorsport Ford EF Falcon 15 DNF
Paul Romano 24 Romano Racing Holden VS Commodore 11 DNF
Glenn Seton 30 Glenn Seton Racing Ford EL Falcon DNF DNS
Dick Johnson 17 Dick Johnson Racing Ford EL Falcon DNF DNS
Steven Richards 34 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VS Commodore DNF DNS
Terry Finnigan 27 Holden VS Commodore DNF DNS

Australian Super Touring Championship
Main article: 1997 Australian Super Touring Championship

ARDC AMSCAR series
Main article: 1997 ARDC AMSCAR series

Tickford 500
Main article: 1997 Tickford 500

AMP Bathurst 1000
Main article: 1997 AMP Bathurst 1000

Primus 1000 Classic
Main article: 1997 Primus 1000 Classic

References
  1. "Gold Coast 22 March 1997 1997 Sunbelt Indy Carnival Support Races". National Software. 22 March 1997. Retrieved 25 April 2008.
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