1977 Australian Sports Sedan Championship

January 2020 August 2011 The 1977 Australian Sports Sedan Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Sports Sedans complying with Group B regulations.CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1977, The championship, which was the second Australian Sports Sedan Championship, was won by Frank Gardner driving a Chevrolet Corvair. Scehedule The championship was contested over a seven-round series. Round 1, Oran Park, New South Wales, 1 May Round 2, Surfers Paradise, Queensland, 15 May Round 3, Wanneroo Park, Western Australia, 12 June Round 4, Sandown Park, Victoria, 3 July Round 5, Calder Raceway, Victoria, 7 August Round 6, Adelaide International Raceway, South Australia, 21 August Round 7, Symmons Plains, Tasmania, 18 September Round 1 was conducted as a single race and all other rounds were contested over two heats.Jim Shepherd, A History of Australian Motor Sport, 1980, pp. 159–160 Points system Championship points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the top six placegetters in each round. Only the best six round results for each driver were counted. Where rounds were run over two heats, results were determined by awarding round points on a 20–16–13–11–10–9–8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis to the top fourteen placegetters in each heat. Where round points were tied, the relevant round placing was awarded to the driver attaining the higher position in the second heat. Competitors Entrant Car No. Driver Marlboro Holden Dealer Team Holden LH Torana 2 Ron Harrop Phil Lucas Volvo 142 3 Phil Lucas Bob Nitschke Holden Torana 3 Bob Nitschke Shell Sport Holden LX Torana 4 Kevin Bartlett John Player Racing Chevrolet Corvair Corsa 6 Frank Gardner Bob Jane 2UW Racing Team Holden HQ Monaro 7 Bob Jane Donald Elliott Chrysler Valiant Charger 9 Tony Edmondson Ling Gowans Toyota Toyota Celica 11 Bruce Gowans Jim Richards Ford Mustang 12 Jim Richards Tony Watts Ford Escort 12 Tony Watts Shell Sport Chevrolet Camaro 14 David Jarrett Dick Johnson Ford XB Falcon GT 17 Dick Johnson Top Of The Town Motors Ford Escort 17 Allan Watts Brian Wood Ford Ford XB Falcon GT 18 Murray Carter Modern Auto Wreckers Holden Torana 18 Steven Chopping Tim Slako Holden LH Torana SLR5000 L34 21 Tim Slako Mike Cloak Ford Capri 23 Mike Cloak Allan Moffat Ford Capri 25 Allan Moffat Ross Bennett Morris Mini Clubman 29 Ross Bennett Terry Reed Holden FJ 30 Terry Reed Greater Pacific Finance Ford Escort 34 Garry Rogers Greater Pacific Finance Holden HQ Monaro 34 Garry Rogers Gordon Mitchell Leyland Marina 37 Gordon Mitchell Warren Matthews Holden EH 40 Warren Matthews Dave Cliffe Ford Cortina 41 Dave Cliffe Ken Loughran Toyota Corolla 41 Ken Loughran Tanners Service Centre Holden Gemini 42 Leon Burdon Peter Wells Vauxhall Viva 43 Peter Wells Rob Davies Autos Toyota Corolla 44 Rob Davies John Glasson Ford Escort 45 John Glasson John Gifford Mini Cooper S 46 John Gifford Brian Smith Chrysler Valiant Charger 47 Brian Smith Neville Cooper Alfa Romeo GTV 48 Neville Cooper Les Verco Toyota Corolla 51 Les Verco David O'Brien Holden Torana GTR XU-1 53 David O'Brien Mario Romeri Ford Escort 55 Mario Romeri Stewart Salter Holden HB Torana 55 Stewart Salter Laurie Hazelton Holden HK Monaro 57 Laurie Hazelton Ron Lindau Ford Falcon 59 Ron Lindau Graeme Elliott Ford Falcon 59 Graeme Elliott Globe Hotel Racing Holden Torana GTR XU-1 62 Ed Conacher Steven Birtwistle Holden Torana GTR XU-1 63 Steven Birtwistle Roger Mahoney Ford Escort 65 Roger Mahoney Peter Gillon Ford Cortina 66 Peter Gillon Hitachi Holden LH Torana 69 Rex Monahan Peter Flanagan Mini Cooper S 69 Peter Flanagan Ray Mead Holden EH 70 Ray Mead Barry Percy Morris Mini Clubman GT 72 Barry Percy Jon Riordan Holden EH 79 Jon Riordan RJ Smith Holden FX 80 RJ Smith Tino Leo Holden HQ Monaro 85 Tino Leo Barry Kallawk Holden Torana 86 Barry Kallawk Stephen Bell Holden Torana GTR XU-1 86 Stephen Bell Geoff Moran Ford Capri 87 Geoff Moran Peter Kitto Ford Capri 88 Peter Kitto Industrial Services Mazda R100 93 Nathan Cherry Brian Rhodes Holden Torana 94 Brian Rhodes Bill Stace Mini Cooper S 96 Bill Stace Stephen Wynwood Holden EH 96 Stephen Wynwood Phillips Industries/World Of Tyres Holden LJ Torana 98 Ian Diffen Matt De Paoli Holden EH 99 Matt De Paoli Garry Luttrell Holden EH 102 Garry Luttrell Leigh Lovering Holden Torana 108 Leigh Lovering Tony Jory Ford Falcon 109 Tony Jory Martin Sinclair Holden Torana GTR XU-1 114 Martin Sinclair Richard Purtell Holden Torana GTR XU-1 117 Richard Purtell Garry Stevens Holden EH 120 Garry Stevens Paul Minehan Holden FX 123 Paul Minehan Brian Shelley Holden Torana GTR XU-1 124 Brian Shelley Brian Higgins Motors Holden LH Torana 125 Graham Parsons M.Arnold Holden FX 130 M.Arnold Ted Garrad Ford Capri 133 Ted Garrad Darryl Wilcox Holden Torana GTR XU-1 134 Darryl Wilcox Alan Welling Holden Torana GTR XU-1 135 Alan Welling Results Position Driver No. Car Entrant Ora. Sur. Wan. San. Cal. Ade. Sym. Total 1 Frank Gardner 6 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa John Player Racing 9 (4) 9 9 6 9 9 51 2 Bob Jane 7 Holden Monaro HQ Bob Jane 2UW Racing Team 6 9 4 6 9 6 – 40 3 Garry Rogers 34 Ford Escort & Holden Monaro HQ Greater Pacific Finance 3 – – 3 3 3 6 18 4 Jim Richards 12 Ford Mustang Jim Richards 2 6 – 4 – 4 – 16 5 Ian Diffen 98 Holden Torana LJ Chevrolet Philips Industries – World of Tyres – – 6 – – – – 6 Phil Lucas Volvo 142 4 2 – – – – – 6 7 Kevin Bartlett 4 Holden Torana LX ShellSport – – – – – 1 4 5 8 Tony Edmondson 9 Chrysler Valiant Charger Repco Holden Donald Elliott – – – – 4 – – 4 Darryl Wilcox 134 Holden Torana GTR XU-1 – – – – 1 – 3 4 10 Dick Johnson Ford Falcon XB GT Dick Johnson – 3 – – – – – 3 Tim Slako 21 Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34 – – 3 – – – – 3 12 Neville Cooper 48 Alfa Romeo GTV – – 2 – – – – 2 Murray Carter Ford Falcon XB GT – – – 2 – – – 2 Tino Leo Holden Monaro HQ – – – – 2 – – 2 David Jarrett 14 Chevrolet Camaro ShellSport – – – – – 2 – 2 Steven Birtwistle 63 Holden Torana – – – – – – 2 2 17 Laurie Hazelton Holden Monaro HK 1 – – – – – – 1 Allan Moffat Ford Capri – 1 – – – – – 1 Brian Smith 47 Chrysler Valiant Charger – – 1 – – – – 1 Ron Harrop 2 Holden Torana Marboro Holden Dealer Team – – – 1 – – – 1 Rex Monahan 69 Holden Torana – – – – – – 1 1 References Further reading Australian Competition Yearbook, 1978 Chequered Flag, August 1977, pp. 19–20 (Sandown round report) Official Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, 14 August 1977 The Australian Racing History of Ford, 1989 The Mercury, Monday, 19 September 1997, p. 19 (Symmons round report) The Official Racing History of Holden, 1988 External links CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, Records, Titles & Awards Autopics 1977 images, including Sports Sedans Category:National Sports Sedan Series Sports Sedan Championship