1978 Hardie-Ferodo 1000


The 1978 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 was the 19th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 1 October 1978, at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst. The race was open to cars eligible to the locally developed CAMS Group C touring car regulations with three engine capacity based classes.
The race was won by Peter Brock, his third win, and Sports Sedan racer Jim Richards, his first. The pair drove a Holden Dealer Team Holden Torana to a single lap victory over another Torana, that of Allan Grice and Formula 5000 driver John Leffler. Third was the first of the Ford Falcons, that of veteran Murray Carter and New Zealand open wheel great Graeme Lawrence. Richards became the first New Zealander to win the race and it was the Holden Dealer Teams third win.

Class structure

Class A

The 3001 - 6000cc class consisted entirely of compact muscle cars including V8 Holden Toranas and Ford Falcons.

Class B

The 2001 – 3000cc class featured Mazda RX3, Ford Capri, and BMW 3.0Si.

Class C

The Up to 2000cc class saw a mix of Alfa Romeo Alfetta and GTV 2000, Ford Escort RS2000, Holden Gemini, Toyota Celica, Triumph Dolomite and VW Golf.

Hardies Heroes

1978 saw the introduction of the Hardies Heroes Top 10 runoff for pole position, devised by race broadcaster Channel 7 and the Australian Racing Drivers Club for extra television time on the day before the race. With official qualifying now held on the Friday, the runoff was held on the Saturday morning with Seven showing half-hour highlights around Australia later in the afternoon. Drivers drew the order in which they would run out of a hat with the order being Allan Grice, Peter Brock, Jack Brabham, Dick Johnson, Derek Bell, Bob Morris, Garth Wigston, Colin Bond, John French and lucky last Allan Moffat. Each driver had two, one lap runs to set a quick time, though the second lap was optional.
Morning showers meant that the track was damp during the first run and with most cars on wet weather tyres, times reflected this with Grice recording a first up 2:38.2 and Brock a 2:35.6. No other driver was then able to lap better than 2:27 until Allan Moffat went out and ignoring the puddles, ran a 2:21.59 lap while hitting on Conrod Straight. Moffat's time in his 5.8 L V8 powered Ford Falcon Cobra was some 6 seconds faster than anyone else had managed and 4.8 seconds under his own Group C Touring Car lap record set in 1977. Taking Moffat's cue that the track was now dry enough for quick times, Brock then ran a 2:20.006 in his HDT Torana which was enough to give him his second Bathurst pole in succession and his third overall. Moffat's team mate Colin Bond then joined Brock on the front row with a 2:20.871 lap, and while Moffat then tried to respond, he had to settle for the inside of the second row with a time of 2:21.597. Bob Morris, the fastest in official qualifying with a 2:21.7 would start in fourth after equaling his time in the runoff, with his team mate Derek Bell rounding out the top 5, though he was some 2.8 seconds slower than Morris. John French in the second Bryan Byrt Ford Falcon was the slowest in the runoff, his time some 10.2 seconds slower than Brock's pole time and 4.6 seconds slower than team mate Dick Johnson.
PosNoTeamDriverCarTime
Pole05Marlboro Holden Dealer Team Peter BrockHolden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback2:20.006
22Moffat Ford Dealers Colin BondFord XC Falcon Cobra2:20.871
31Moffat Ford Dealers Allan MoffatFord XC Falcon Cobra2:21.597
47Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing Bob MorrisHolden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback2:21.766
527Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing Derek BellHolden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback2:24.602
617Bryan Byrt Ford Dick JohnsonFord XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop2:25.632
76Craven Mild Racing Allan GriceHolden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback2:25.950
88Jack Brabham Holdings Pty Ltd Jack BrabhamHolden LX Torana SS A9X 4 Door2:25.988
920Roadways / Gown-Hindhaugh Garth WigstonHolden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback2:26.144
1032Bryan Byrt Ford John FrenchFord XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop2:30.244

PosClassNoTeamDriversCarLapsQual
Pos
Shootout
Pos
1A05Marlboro Holden Dealer Team Peter Brock
Jim Richards
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback1631
2A6Craven Mild Racing Allan Grice
John Leffler
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback1627
3A18Brian Wood Ford Murray Carter
Graeme Lawrence
Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop16031
4A11Citizens Watches Australia Pty Ltd Gary Cooke
Doug Chivas
Holden LX Torana SS A9X 4 Door15827
5A17Bryan Byrt Ford Dick Johnson
Vern Schuppan
Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop1536
6A8Jack Brabham Holdings Pty Ltd Jack Brabham
Brian Muir
Holden LX Torana SS A9X 4 Door1538
7A23Settlement Road Motor Wreckers Warren Cullen
Johnnie Walker
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback15213
8A33Amco Pty Ltd Barry Seton
Don Smith
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback15215
9C69Brian Wood Ford Rod Stevens
Bill Evans
Ford Escort RS2000 Mk.I14938
10B52Amco Pty Ltd Steve Masterton
Phil Lucas
Ford Capri Mk.I14940
11C70Peter Williamson Pty Ltd Peter Williamson
Mike Quinn
Toyota Celica14936
12B41B&J Tyre Co Pty Ltd Terry Shiel
Ross Burbidge
Mazda RX-314837
13B42Fury Ford Pty Ltd Terry Daly
Eric Boord
Ford Capri Mk.I14830
14B37Shell Sport Peter Hopwood
Jim Davidson
Ford Capri Mk.II14735
15B35Amco Pty Ltd Don Holland
Lawrie Nelson
Ford Capri Mk.II14529
16C62Greater Pacific Finance Co Ray Gulson
Paul Gulson
Alfa Romeo GTV 200014355
17B48James Mason Pty Ltd Barry Jones
Brian Potts
Mazda RX-314263
18C57Thomson Ford Bill Stanley
Ian Messner
Ford Escort RS2000 Mk.II14252
19A15Marlboro Holden Dealer Team John Harvey
Charlie O'Brien
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback13911
20B51JD Duggan John Duggan
Brian Wheeler
Mazda RX-313745
21B36Arthur Hardwick Arthur Hardwick
Greg McCombie
Mazda RX-313634
22A10Garry & Warren Smith Pty Ltd Bob Forbes
Kevin Bartlett
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback13612
23A29Garry Willmington Garry Willmington
Jeff Barnes
Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop13623
24A19Bonds Coates Patons Graham Ryan
Phillip Arnull
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback13520
25C73B&G Myers Leyland Terry Wade
John Myers
Triumph Dolomite Sprint13447
26C60Peter Brown Peter Brown
Graham Ritter
Alfa Romeo GTV 200013341
27B43Gough Motors Mazda Nick Louis
Stephen Stockdale
Mazda RX-313243
28C54Bruce T Hodgson Bruce Hodgson
Dave Morrow
Ford Escort RS2000 Mk.II13046
29C66Brian Hilton Toyota Jeff Harris
Doug Clark
Toyota Celica12858
30A28Rod Donovan Rod Donovan
Craig McAllister
Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop12524
31C61Consolidated Pneumatic Tools Co Pty Ltd Ian Sonneman
John English
Ford Escort RS2000 Mk.I12150
DNFA26Craven Mild Racing Ralph Radburn
Robyn Hamilton
Holden LX Torana SS A9X 4 Door14821
DNFB49ABE Copiers Pty Ltd Sue Ransom
Bill Brown
Ford Capri Mk.I14433
DNFA31Norm G Smith Racing Leo Leonard
Gary Sprague
Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop11918
DNFA20Roadways / Gown-Hindhaugh Garth Wigston
Wayne Negus
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback1189
DNFC65LR Morris Rod Morris
Terry Finnigan
Ford Escort RS2000 Mk.II11556
DNFA9ReCar Racing / Cadbury - Schweppes Peter Janson
Phil Brock
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback11014
DNFC59Kevin Dennis Motors Pty Ltd Allan Gough
Kel Gough
Holden Gemini10959
DNFA14Thomson Ford Ron Dickson
John McCormack
Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop10016
DNFC56Paul-Francois Berthier Paul Berthier
Bob Wootton
Triumph Dolomite Sprint9549
DNFC63Bob Holden / Shell Sport Bob Holden
Lyndon Arnel
Ford Escort RS2000 Mk.II9348
DNFA34Tim Slako Tim Slako
Colin Hall
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback9226
DNFB50ATP Australia Pty Ltd Alan Cant
Bruce Stewart
Ford Capri Mk.I9161
DNFA4John Goss Pty Ltd Rusty French
Graham Moore
Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop9025
DNFC64Bob Holden / Shell Sport Greville Arnel
Greg Toepfer
Ford Escort RS2000 Mk.II8951
DNFB39Citizens Watches Australia Pty Ltd Barry Lee
David Clement
Mazda RX-38244
DNFA1Moffat Ford Dealers Allan Moffat
Jacky Ickx
Ford XC Falcon Cobra813
DNFA24Hendersons Federal Spring Works / Shell Sport Jim Keogh
Grant Walker
Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop7419
DNFA7Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing Bob Morris
John Fitzpatrick
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback734
DNFA13Scotty Taylor Holden Alan "Scotty" Taylor
Kevin Kennedy
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback6822
DNFA3John Goss Pty Ltd John Goss
Henri Pescarolo
Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop6728
DNFB46Brian Wood Ford Ray Farrar
Gerry Wittenden
Ford Capri Mk.I6662
DNFB47Selby's Steering & Suspension Service Pty Ltd Dean Gall
Allan Bryant
Mazda RX-36154
DNFA2Moffat Ford Dealers Colin Bond
Fred Gibson
Ford XC Falcon Cobra592
DNFA32Bryan Byrt Ford John French
Warwick Brown
Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop5710
DNFC53Lennox Motors Chris Heyer
Rudi Dahlhauser
Volkswagen Golf GTi3560
DNFB44Geoff Leeds Cam Worner
Geoff Leeds
Ford Capri Mk.I2932
DNFA12Bob Jane T-Marts Ian Geoghegan
Garry Rogers
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback2917
DNFB45Robert Darley Jim Hunter
Barry Lake
BMW 530i2753
DNFB40Phil McDonell Phil McDonnell
Lynn Brown
BMW 3.0Si2139
DNFC72Alf Grant Alf Grant
Geoff Russell
Alfa Romeo GTV 20002157
DNFA27Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing Derek Bell
Dieter Quester
Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback55
DNFC71Brian Foley Pty Ltd Garry Leggatt
Patrick Nève
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV342
DNSA30Everlast Battery Service Bill O'Brien
Ray Winter
Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop
DNSC74Rejon Industries Pty Ltd Bernie McClure
David Langman
Holden Gemini

Statistics