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1975 Australian Touring Car Championship
Motor racing competition
Motor racing competition
The 1975 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Group C Touring Cars. The championship began at Symmons Plains and ended at Lakeside after seven rounds. It was the 16th Australian Touring Car Championship.
The Championship was won by Colin Bond driving a Holden Torana.
The 1975 championship was one of the most controversial in the history of the title with series leader Allan Grice disqualified from the fifth round at Surfers Paradise for a technical infringement. He continued racing under appeal, but the penalty was upheld and Grice lost all points gained from the final three rounds. Reigning champion Peter Brock parted company with the Holden Dealer Team before the series began and raced in a privately funded Holden Torana during the season. Colin Bond, driving a Holden Torana for the Marlboro Holden Dealer Team took victory at the opening round at Symmons Plains Raceway, and end of season wins at Adelaide International Raceway and Lakeside International Raceway saw Bond move past Grice and Bob Morris on points to win the championship. 2000cc class competitor Christine Gibson, driving a factory supported Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV, led the series mid-season after taking four class wins, but had disqualification problems of her own and Bond regained the points advantage by season's end. Gibson's effort however remains to this day (2014) the best performance by a woman in Australian Touring Car Championship history.
Drivers
The following drivers competed in the 1975 Australian Touring Car Championship.
| Entrant | No | Car | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gown-Hindhaugh | 1 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Peter Brock |
| Marlboro Holden Dealer Team | 2 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Colin Bond |
| Ron Dickson | 3 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Ron Dickson |
| Bob Forbes | 4 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Bob Forbes |
| Don Holland | 6 | Mazda RX-3 | Don Holland |
| Citizen Watches | 7 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Bob Morris |
| Alfa Romeo Dealers Australia | 8 | Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV | Christine Gibson |
| Allan Moffat Racing | 9 | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Allan Moffat |
| Dustings of Burwood | 9 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Rod McRae |
| Craven Mild | 10 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Allan Grice |
| Lakis Manticas | 11 | Mazda RX-3 | Lakis Manticas |
| Bob Jane | 12 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Bob Jane |
| Bob Jane | 12 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Frank Gardner |
| Gene Cooke | 13 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Gene Cook |
| Shell/Bob Holden Motors | 14 | Ford Escort MkI Twin Cam | Bob Holden |
| Charlie O'Brien | 15 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Charlie O'Brien |
| John Stoopman | 16 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | John Stoopman |
| Stuart Saker | 17 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Stuart Saker |
| Shell/Motorcraft | 18 | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Murray Carter |
| John English | 19 | Ford Escort MkI Twin Cam | John English |
| Roadways | 20 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Garth Wigston |
| Kevin Kennedy | 21 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Kevin Kennedy |
| Rotary Rebuild | 22 | Mazda RX-3 | Craig Bradtke |
| Alfa Romeo Dealers Australia | 24 | Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV | John French |
| Barry Sheales Holden | 27 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Kelvin Gough |
| Retell Ford Mentone | 28 | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Ray Allford |
| Bernie Haehnle | 30 | Mazda RX-3 | Bernie Haehnle |
| Barry Seton | 31 | Ford Capri V6 | Barry Seton |
| Lawrie Nelson | 32 | Chrysler Valiant Charger R/T E49 | Lawrie Nelson |
| Murray Coote | 37 | Datsun 1200 | Murray Coote |
| Leichhardt Auto Port | 39 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Phil Arnull |
| Rod Morris | 40 | Fiat 128 Coupe | Rod Morris |
| Tony Mulvihill | 41 | Mazda RX-3 | Tony Mulvihill |
| Ray Gulson | 42 | Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV | Ray Gulson |
| Peter Brown | 44 | Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV | Peter Brown |
| Jim Keogh | 45 | Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop | Jim Keogh |
| Bob Anderson | 46 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Bob Anderson |
| Shell/Bob Holden Motors | 48 | Ford Escort MkI Twin Cam | Lyndon Arnel |
| Brian Ovenden | 49 | Chrysler Valiant Charger R/T E49 | Brian Ovenden |
| Barry Nelson | 50 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Barry Nelson |
| John Wharton | 51 | Mazda RX-3 | John Wharton |
| Norm Gown | 52 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Norm Gown |
| Ian Wells | 53 | Honda Civic | Ian Wells |
| Dick Johnson | 55 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Dick Johnson |
| Bernie McClure | 58 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Bernie McClure |
| Milton Leslight | 61 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Milton Leslight |
| Tony Watts | 64 | Morris Cooper S | Tony Watts |
| Ian White | 65 | Ford Escort MkI Twin Cam | Ian White |
| John Duggan | 66 | Mazda RX-3 | John Duggan |
| Peter Williamson | 70 | BMW 2002tii | Peter Williamson |
| Alan Welling | 71 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Alan Welling |
| Colin Campbell | 72 | Ford Escort MkI Twin Cam | Colin Campbell |
| Brian Power | 73 | Datsun 1200 | Brian Power |
| Graeme Adams | 74 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Graeme Adams |
| Robert Armstrong | 75 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Robert Armstrong |
| Jack Thompson | 76 | Mini Clubman | Jack Thompson |
| Neville Bridges | 77 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Neville Bridges |
| Wayne Mahnken | 79 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Wayne Mahnken |
| Graeme Blanchard | 81 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Graeme Blanchard |
| Keith Shaw | 88 | Honda Civic | Keith Shaw |
| Tom Heffernan | 89 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Tom Heffernan |
| Ian Shields | 90 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Ian Shields |
| Peter LeFrancke | 92 | Toyota Corolla | Peter LeFrancke |
| Terry Daly | 93 | Ford Escort MkI Twin Cam | Terry Daly |
| John Pooley | 94 | Volkswagen Passat TS | John Pooley |
| Warren Scott | 95 | Toyota Corolla | Warren Scott |
| Roamer Watches Australia | 97 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Ray Kaleda |
| Harry Stephenson | 98 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Harry Stephenson |
| Barry Nixon-Smith | 99 | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | Barry Nixon-Smith |
| Russell Worthington | 100 | Mazda RX-2 | Russell Worthington |
| Chris Beards | 101 | Toyota Corolla | Chris Beards |
| David Caswell | 102 | Honda Civic | David Caswell |
| Eric Olsen | 103 | Ford Escort MkI Twin Cam | Eric Olsen |
| Graham Parsons | 125 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Graham Parsons |
Calendar
The 1975 Australian Touring Car Championship was contested over a seven-round series with one race per round.
| Rd. | Event title | Circuit | Location / state | Winner | Car | Team | Date | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symmons Plains | Symmons Plains Raceway | Launceston, Tasmania | Colin Bond | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Marlboro Holden Dealer Team | 03/03/1975 | |||||||||
| Calder | Calder Park Raceway | Melbourne, Victoria | Allan Grice | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Craven Mild Racing | 16/03/1975 | |||||||||
| Amaroo Park | Amaroo Park | Sydney, New South Wales | Bob Morris | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Ron Hodgson Motors | 30/03/1975 | |||||||||
| Oran Park | Oran Park Raceway | Sydney, New South Wales | Allan Grice | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Craven Mild Racing | 27/04/1975 | |||||||||
| Surfers Paradise | Surfers Paradise International Raceway | Surfers Paradise, Queensland | Bob Morris | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Ron Hodgson Motors | 18/05/1975 | |||||||||
| Sandown | Sandown Raceway | Melbourne, Victoria | *cancelled* | ||||||||||||
| Adelaide | Adelaide International Raceway | Virginia, South Australia | Colin Bond | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Marlboro Holden Dealer Team | 08/06/1975 | |||||||||
| Lakeside | Lakeside International Raceway | Brisbane, Queensland | Colin Bond | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Marlboro Holden Dealer Team | 29/06/1975 |
Classes
Cars competed in two classes:
- Up to and including 2000cc
- Over 2000cc
Points system
Championship points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis for the first six positions in each class at each round. Bonus points were awarded on a 4–3–2–1 basis for the first four outright positions at each round.
Championship results
| Pos. | Driver | Car | Rd 1 | Rd 2 | Rd 3 | Rd 4 | Rd 5 | Rd 6 | Rd 7 | Rd 8 | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 28 | Pos | Driver | Car | Rd 1 | Rd 2 | Rd 3 | Rd 4 | Rd 5 | Rd 6 | Rd 7 | Rd 8 | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colin Bond | Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | 1st(13) | 3rd(6) | Ret | 2nd(9) | 3rd(6) | 1st(13) | 1st(13) | **60** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Murray Carter | Ford Falcon XB GT | 2nd(9) | 4th(4) | 3rd(6) | 3rd(6) | 4th(4) | 2nd(9) | 3rd(6) | **44** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allan Grice | Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | 4th(4) | 1st(13) | 2nd(9) | 1st(13) | DSQ | DSQ | DSQ | **39** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bob Holden | Ford Escort Twin Cam | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ford Escort RS2000 | (4) | (6) | (6) | (3) | (2) | (9) | (9) | **39** | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Christine Gibson | Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV | (9) | (9) | (9) | (9) | DSQ | **36** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bob Morris | Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | 3rd(6) | Ret | 1st(13) | Ret | 1st(13) | Ret | **32** | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peter Brock | Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | Ret | 2nd(9) | Ret | Ret | 2nd(9) | Ret | 2nd(9) | **27** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ray Gulson | Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV | (9) | (3) | (2) | (2) | (3) | (6) | **25** | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John French | Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV | (6) | Ret | (9) | Ret | DSQ | **10** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peter Williamson | BMW 2002 Ti | (6) | (9) | **10** | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Craig Bradtke | Mazda RX-3 | (6) | (2) | (1) | (1) | **10** | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bob Forbes | Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | 4th(4) | 4th(4) | **8** | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rod McRae | Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | 6th(1) | 5th(2) | 4th(4) | **7** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kel Gough | Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | 3rd(6) | **6** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lyndon Arnel | Ford Escort Twin Cam | (6) | **6** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ian White | Ford Escort Twin Cam | (4) | (1) | **5** | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rod Anderson | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | 4th(4) | **4** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Stoopman | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | 5th(2) | 6th(1) | 6th(1) | **4** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peter Brown | Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV | (4) | **4** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Wharton | Mazda RX-3 | (4) | **4** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brian Power | Datsun 1200 | (4) | **4** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peter Lefranke | Toyota Corolla | (3) | **3** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allan Moffat | Ford Falcon XB GT | 5th(2) | **2** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Barry Nixon-Smith | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | 5th(2) | **2** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dick Johnson | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | 5th(2) | **2** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graham Blanchard | Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | 5th(2) | **2** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Neville Bridges | Holden Torana GTR | 5th(2) | **2** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Garth Wigston | Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | 6th(1) | **1** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Charlie O'Brien | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | 6th(1) | **1** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tom Heffernan | Holden Torana GTR | 6th(1) | **1** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lakis Manticas | Mazda RX-3 | 6th(1) | **1** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rod Morris | Fiat 128 Coupe | 6th(1) | **1** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eric Olsen | Ford Escort Twin Cam | 6th(1) | **1** |
|}
References
References
- Conditions for Australian Titles, 1975 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 84 to 89
- Touring Car Champs, Australian Competition Yearbook, 1976 Edition, pages 38 to 55
- Calder Raceway supplement and official program, Reprinted from "The Sun", Thursday, March 13, 1975
- Official Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, Sunday 8 June 1975
- Graham Howard, Stewart Wilson, David Geenhalgh, The official history – Australian Touring Car Championship – 50 Years, 2011, page 159
- The official history of the Australian Touring Car Championship - 50 Years, page 159
- Australian Competition Yearbook, 1976 Edition, pages 52 & 55
- Australian Competition Yearbook, 1976 Edition, page 49
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