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.

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 (the final edition of AMSCAR); 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 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
New Zealand Jim Richards 6 Volvo Cars Australia Volvo 850 1 1
New Zealand Steven Richards 34 Garry Rogers Motorsport Honda Accord 2 2
Australia Geoff Brabham 83 BMW Motorsport Australia BMW 320i DSQ 3
Australia Paul Morris 2 BMW Motorsport Australia BMW 320i DSQ 4
Australia Brad Jones 1 Brad Jones Racing Audi A4 Quattro DNF 5
Australia Alan Jones 3 Brad Jones Racing Audi A4 Quattro 3 6
Australia Bob Tweedie 79 IBC Motorsport Vauxhall Cavalier 4 7
Australia Cameron McConville 22 Warwick Fabrics Porsche 993 RSCS 5 8
Australia John Bowe 10 Ross Palmer Motorsport Ferrari F355 Challenge 7 9
Australia Justin Mathews 16 Bob Holden Motors BMW 318i 6 10
Australia Rusty French 28 Porsche 993 RSCS 8 11
Australia Max Dunn 46 Porsche 993 RSCS 10 12
Australia Ross Palmer 72 Ross Palmer Motorsport Ferrari F355 Challenge DNF 13
New Zealand Tony Newman 37 TC Motorsport Peugeot 405 Mi16 9 14
Australia Guy Gibbons 33 Subaru Impreza WRX 11 15
Australia Ian McAllister 66 Volvo 850 T5-R 13 16
Australia Eric Houghton 4 Zega Automotive Group Mitsubishi Lancer RS-E Evo IV DNF 17
Australia Murray Carter 18 Nissan 200SX Turbo 14 18
Australia Colin Osborne 21 Osborne Motorsport Toyota MR2 Bathurst 12 19
Australia Andrej Pavicevic 31 Subaru Impreza WRX DNF DNS
Australia 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
Australia Russell Ingall 8 Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore 1 1 1
Australia Larry Perkins 11 Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore 2 2 2
Australia Peter Brock 05 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 6 3 3
Australia John Bowe 18 Dick Johnson Racing Ford EL Falcon DNS 5 4
New Zealand Greg Murphy 15 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 3 8 5
Australia Wayne Gardner 7 Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VS Commodore DNS 7 6
Australia Dick Johnson 17 Dick Johnson Racing Ford EL Falcon 7 4 7
Australia Alan Jones 9 Alan Jones Racing Ford EL Falcon 5 6 8
New Zealand John Faulkner 46 John Faulkner Racing Holden VS Commodore 22 11 9
Australia Tony Longhurst 25 Longhurst Racing Ford EL Falcon 14 9 10
Australia Mark Noske 97 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 9 10 11
Australia Steve Ellery 52 Longhurst Racing Ford EL Falcon 24 12 12
Australia Glenn Seton 30 Glenn Seton Racing Ford EL Falcon 4 DNS 13
Australia Trevor Ashby 3 Lansvale Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 11 15 14
Australia Mark Skaife 2 Gibson Motorsport Holden VS Commodore DNF 13 15
United States Kevin Schwantz 75 John Sidney Racing Ford EF Falcon 26 18 16
Australia Tomas Mezera 47 Daily Planet Racing Holden VS Commodore DNF 17 17
New Zealand Steven Richards 34 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VS Commodore 12 14 18
Australia Terry Finnigan 27 Holden VS Commodore 15 DNF 19
Australia Kevin Heffernan 74 PACE Racing Holden VS Commodore 25 21 20
Australia Mark Larkham 10 Larkham Motor Sport Ford EL Falcon 10 20 21
Australia Anthony Tratt 42 Holden VP Commodore 17 16 22
Australia Chris Smerdon 39 Challenge Motorsport Holden VS Commodore 16 19 23
Australia Malcolm Stenniken 14 Holden VR Commodore 18 28 24
Australia Ian Palmer 20 Palmer Promotions Holden VS Commodore 19 25 25
Australia Wayne Russell 62 Holden VP Commodore 20 24 26
Australia Shaun Walker 99 Holden VS Commodore 23 27 27
Australia Mike Conway 79 Cadillac Productions Holden VP Commodore 21 DNF 28
Australia John Cotter 26 M3 Motorsport Holden VP Commodore DNF 26 29
Australia Neil Crompton 4 Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VS Commodore 8 23 DNF
Australia Mark Poole 38 James Rosenberg Racing Holden VS Commodore 13 22 DNS
Australia Rob Middleton 66 Clive Wiseman Racing Holden VP Commodore DNF DNS DNS

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
Australia Russell Ingall 8 Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore 2 1
Australia Larry Perkins 11 Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore 5 2
Australia Wayne Gardner 7 Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VS Commodore 7 3
Australia Neil Crompton 4 Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VS Commodore 6 4
Australia Tony Longhurst 25 Longhurst Racing Ford EL Falcon 8 5
Australia Alan Jones 9 Alan Jones Racing Ford EL Falcon 3 6
Australia Mark Larkham 10 Larkham Motor Sport Ford EL Falcon 10 7
New Zealand John Faulkner 46 John Faulkner Racing Holden VS Commodore 9 8
Australia Peter Brock 05 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 4 9
Australia Steve Ellery 52 Longhurst Racing Ford EL Falcon 13 10
Australia Steven Johnson 49 Alcair Racing Holden VS Commodore DNF 11
Australia Tomas Mezera 47 Daily Planet Racing Holden VS Commodore DNF 12
Australia John Bowe 18 Dick Johnson Racing Ford EL Falcon DNF 13
Australia Steve Reed 3 Lansvale Racing Team Holden VS Commodore DNF 14
Australia Kevin Heffernan 74 PACE Racing Holden VS Commodore DNF 15
Australia Garry Willmington 41 Garry Willmington Performance Ford EB Falcon 16 16
Australia Wayne Russell 62 Holden VP Commodore 14 17
New Zealand Greg Murphy 15 Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 1 DNF
Australia Mark Poole 38 James Rosenberg Racing Holden VS Commodore 12 DNF
Australia Danny Osborne 22 Colourscan Motorsport Ford EF Falcon 15 DNF
Australia Paul Romano 24 Romano Racing Holden VS Commodore 11 DNF
Australia Glenn Seton 30 Glenn Seton Racing Ford EL Falcon DNF DNS
Australia Dick Johnson 17 Dick Johnson Racing Ford EL Falcon DNF DNS
New Zealand Steven Richards 34 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VS Commodore DNF DNS
Australia Terry Finnigan 27 Holden VS Commodore DNF DNS

Australian Super Touring Championship

ARDC AMSCAR series

Tickford 500

AMP Bathurst 1000

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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