1975 Australian Touring Car Championship

Motor racing competition July 2015 January 2020 1975 Australian Touring Car Championship 1974 1976 The 1975 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Group C Touring Cars.Conditions for Australian Titles, 1975 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 84 to 89 The championship began at Symmons Plains and ended at Lakeside after seven rounds.Touring Car Champs, Australian Competition Yearbook, 1976 Edition, pages 38 to 55 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. EntrantNo CarDriver 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 RacingCalder Raceway supplement and official program, Reprinted from "The Sun", Thursday, March 13, 1975 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 #D0E7FF Up to 2000cc class competitor solid 1px #AAAAAA Calendar The 1975 Australian Touring Car Championship was contested over a seven-round series with one race per round. Rd.Event titleCircuitLocation / stateWinnerCarTeamDate 1 Symmons Plains Symmons Plains Raceway Launceston, Tasmania Colin Bond Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Marlboro Holden Dealer Team03/03/1975 2 Calder Calder Park Raceway Melbourne, Victoria Allan Grice Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Craven Mild Racing16/03/1975 3 Amaroo Park Amaroo Park Sydney, New South Wales Bob Morris Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Ron Hodgson Motors30/03/1975 4 Oran Park Oran Park Raceway Sydney, New South Wales Allan Grice Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Craven Mild Racing27/04/1975 5 Surfers Paradise Surfers Paradise International Raceway Surfers Paradise, Queensland Bob Morris Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Ron Hodgson Motors18/05/1975 6 Sandown Sandown Raceway Melbourne, Victoria cancelled 7 Adelaide Adelaide International Raceway Virginia, South Australia Colin Bond Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Marlboro Holden Dealer Team08/06/1975 8 Lakeside Lakeside International Raceway Brisbane, Queensland Colin Bond Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Marlboro Holden Dealer Team29/06/1975 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.Official Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, Sunday 8 June 1975 Bonus points were awarded on a 4–3–2–1 basis for the first four outright positions at each round. Championship results Pos.Graham Howard, Stewart Wilson, David Geenhalgh, The official history – Australian Touring Car Championship – 50 Years, 2011, page 159 Driver CarThe official history of the Australian Touring Car Championship - 50 Years, page 159Rd 1Rd 2Rd 3Rd 4Rd 5Rd 6Rd 7Rd 8 Total 1 Colin Bond Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 1st(13) 3rd(6) Ret 2nd(9) 3rd(6) 1st(13) 1st(13) 60 2 Murray Carter Ford Falcon XB GT 2nd(9) 4th(4) 3rd(6) 3rd(6) 4th(4) 2nd(9) 3rd(6) 44 3 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 RS2000Australian Competition Yearbook, 1976 Edition, pages 52 & 55 (4) (6) (6) (3) (2) (9) (9) 39 5 Christine Gibson Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV (9) (9) (9) (9) DSQ 36 6 Bob Morris Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 3rd(6) Ret 1st(13) Ret 1st(13) Ret 32 7 Peter Brock Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Ret 2nd(9) Ret Ret 2nd(9) Ret 2nd(9) 27 8 Ray Gulson Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV (9) (3) (2) (2) (3) (6) 25 9 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 12 Bob Forbes Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 4th(4) 4th(4) 8 13 Rod McRae Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 6th(1) 5th(2) 4th(4) 7 14 Kel Gough Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 3rd(6) 6 Lyndon Arnel Ford Escort Twin Cam (6) 6 16 Ian White Ford Escort Twin Cam (4) (1) 5 17 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 22 Peter Lefranke Toyota Corolla (3) 3 23 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 28 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 CoupeAustralian Competition Yearbook, 1976 Edition, page 49 6th(1) 1 Eric Olsen Ford Escort Twin Cam 6th(1) 1 Pos Driver CarRd 1Rd 2Rd 3Rd 4Rd 5Rd 6Rd 7Rd 8 Pts #D0E7FF Up to 2000cc class competitor solid 1px #AAAAAA References Category:Australian Touring Car Championship seasons Touring Car Championship