1981 Australian Touring Car Championship


The 1981 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Group C Touring Cars. The championship, which was the 22nd running of the Australian Touring Car Championship, began at Symmons Plains Raceway and ended at Lakeside International Raceway after 8 rounds.
Dick Johnson, using the Falcon built with the money he received after TV viewers had pledged AUD$72,000 following his crash with 'The Rock' at Bathurst the previous year, won his first ATCC ahead of defending champion Peter Brock in his Holden Dealer Team Commodore. Johnson and Brock were the only drivers to win during the championship which came down to the final round on Dick's home track at Lakeside. Johnson won the race from Brock, the two battling all the way to the Chequered flag in what many believe to be one of the best ATCC races in history. Johnson later praised Brock, claiming that he had every opportunity to punt him off the road at Lakeside, while Brock also praised Johnson who held his nerve and won a clean race.

Classes

Cars competed in two engine displacement classes:
Championship points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the first six placegetters in each class at each round. Bonus points were awarded on a 4-3-2-1 basis to the top four placegetters irrespective of class at each round.
Only the best seven round results could be retained by each driver.
Round positions at rounds which were run in two parts were determined by allocating points on a 20-16-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis to the first fourteen placegetters in each part. These points were then aggregated to determine the results for that round. However a different method of determining round positions was used for Round 6 at Adelaide International Raceway where points were allocated on a 20-16-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis to the first fourteen placegetters in each class in each part.

Entrants and drivers

The following entrants and drivers competed in the 1981 Australian Touring Car Championship.
EntrantCarNoDriver
Gary CookeHolden VB Commodore2Gary Cooke
Cadbury-SchweppesHolden VC Commodore3Peter Janson
Re-Car RacingHolden VC Commodore3Alan Browne
Re-Car RacingHolden VC Commodore4Alan Browne
Toms TyresHolden VC Commodore4Wayne Negus
Marlboro Holden Dealer TeamHolden VC Commodore05Peter Brock
Rusty FrenchFord XD Falcon6Rusty French
Bob MorrisFord XD Falcon7Bob Morris
Launceston HotelHolden VC Commodore7Larry Perkins
Garry WillmingtonFord XD Falcon8Garry Willmington
Nine Network Racing TeamChevrolet Camaro Z289Kevin Bartlett
Roadways RacingHolden VC Commodore10Steve Harrington
JPS Team BMWBMW 635CSi11Allan Grice
Warren CullenHolden VC Commodore12Warren Cullen
John EnglishFord XD Falcon14John English
Neil CunninghamHolden VB Commodore16Neil Cunningham
Tru-Blu Steel TubingFord XD Falcon17Dick Johnson
Murray CarterFord XD Falcon18Murray Carter
Phil LyonHolden VB Commodore23Phil Lyon
Army Reserve Racing TeamFord XD Falcon24Bob Muir
Ray AllfordFord XD Falcon26Ray Allford
Capri ComponentsFord Capri Mk III29Lawrie Nelson
Peter McLeodMazda RX-730Peter McLeod
Masterton HomesFord Capri Mk II31Colin Bond
Masterton HomesFord Capri Mk II32Steve Masterton
John SmithFord XD Falcon33John Smith
Terry ShielMazda RX-734Terry Shiel
Phil AlexanderMazda RX-335Phil Alexander
Belgrave MazdaMazda RX-341Frank Porter
Michael O'HehirMazda RX-342Michael O'Hehir
Beninca MotorsAlfa Romeo Alfetta GTV46Joe Beninca
Ross BurbidgeMazda RX-346Ross Burbidge
Brian CallaghanFord XD Falcon47Brian Callaghan
Evan ThomasMazda RX-348Evan Thomas
Chickadee ChickenToyota Celica53Graeme Bailey
Craig BradtkeMitsubishi Lancer57Craig Bradtke
Jim FanecoIsuzu Gemini60Jim Faneco
Garry EverittMazda RX-361Garry Everitt
Alexandra SurpliceToyota Corolla Levin62Alexandra Surplice
Graeme HooleyHolden VC Commodore71Graeme Hooley
Guy CheneryFord Escort75Guy Chenery
Toyota Dealer TeamToyota Celica77Peter Williamson
Gary WhittakerHolden LX Torana SLR 5000 A9X78Gary Whittaker
Phil WaltonToyota Celica79Phil Walton
Bill O'BrienFord XD Falcon80Bill O'Brien
John BristowToyota Celica81John Bristow
Daryl GetgrixFord Escort RS200095Daryl Getgrix

Results and Standings

Race Calendar

The 1981 Australian Touring Car Championship was contested over an eight-round series with Rounds 1, 3, 5, 7 & 8 being single race rounds and Rounds 2, 4 & 6 being two race rounds.
Rd.Race TitleCircuitCity / StateDateWinnerTeamReport
1LauncestonSymmons Plains RacewayLaunceston, Tasmania1 MarDick JohnsonPalmer Tube Mills
2CalderCalder Park RacewayMelbourne, Victoria15 MarPeter BrockMarlboro Holden Dealer Team
3Marlboro CupOran Park RacewaySydney, New South Wales22 MarDick JohnsonPalmer Tube Mills
4SandownSandown RacewayMelbourne, Victoria12 AprDick JohnsonPalmer Tube Mills
5Saab-Scania TrophyWanneroo ParkPerth, Western Australia26 AprPeter BrockMarlboro Holden Dealer Team
6AdelaideAdelaide International RacewayAdelaide, South Australia3 MayPeter BrockMarlboro Holden Dealer Team
7Surfers ParadiseSurfers Paradise RacewaySurfers Paradise, Queensland17 MayDick JohnsonPalmer Tube Mills
8LakesideLakeside International RacewayBrisbane, Queensland21 JunDick JohnsonPalmer Tube Mills

Championship standings

, driving an under 3 litre Ford Capri took seven class wins in the first seven rounds, but did not race at the final round as he was unlikely to improve his nett score. With Dick Johnson and Peter Brock only twice failing to take the top two positions, they were classified ahead of Bond due to the bonus points they each received for their outright placings.

Note: Points which could not be retained under the "best seven rounds" rule are shown in the above table within brackets.
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