Season summary The 1997 Australian Super Touring Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Super Touring Cars. It was the fifth national title to be run in Australia for Super Touring Cars and the third to carry the Australian Super Touring Championship name. The championship, which was promoted by TOCA Australia as the 1997 BOC Gases Australian Super Touring Championship, began on 4 May at Lakeside International Raceway and ended on 9 November at Amaroo Park after eight rounds and sixteen races. The Drivers Championship was won by Paul Morris, the Manufacturers Championship by BMW and the Teams Championship by BMW Motorsport.TOCA Australia – BOC Gases Australian Super Touring Championship Points – Final, 9 December 1997
Teams and drivers Team Car No Drivers Rounds Class Orix Audi Sport Australia Audi A4 Quattro 1 Brad JonesAllM 11 Cameron McConvilleAllM BMW Motorsport Australia BMW 320i 2 Paul MorrisAllM 22 Craig Baird7-8M 83 Geoff BrabhamAllM Volvo Racing Australia Volvo 850 4 Tony Scott 8M 8 Jim Richards AllMPhoenix MotorsportToyota Camry 10 Mark Adderton3-4, 7-8P Neal Bates 5-6 P Greenfield Mowers Racing Opel Vectra Holden Vectra 12 Cameron McLean All P CPW Motorsport BMW 318iS 13 Wayne Wakefield 1 P 27 Steven Johnson 7 P 64 Jason Richards 4 P HVE Motorsport Hyundai Lantra 14 Jim Cornish5-6 P Kurt Kratzmann7 P 57 Jim Cornish1 P 58 Paul Pickett 1-2, 7-8 P Team Petronas Touring Car Ford Mondeo 15 Gianfranco Brancatelli 2 P Michael Briggs3 P All Auto Parts Toyota Carina 15 Milton Leslight 8 P Faber Castell Racing BMW 318i 16 Justin MatthewsAll P MF Motorsport Peugeot 405 Mi16 21 Mike Fitzgerald 8 PGarry Rogers Motorsport Honda Accord 34 Steven Richards 1 P Nissan Primera2-6, 8 P Fastway Couriers Peugeot 405 Mi16 37 Tony Newman 1-4, 7-8 P 38 Dwayne Bewley 7-8 P Tony Newman 5-6 P Gun Racing Alfa Romeo 155 TS 45 David Auger All P John Henderson Racing Opel Vectra 56 John Henderson 8 P FAI Insurance Honda Accord 60 Warren Luff 8 P IBC Motorsport Vauxhall Cavalier 79 Bob Tweedie All P Knight Racing Ford Mondeo 88 Peter Hills 4-5, 7-8 P 89 Jenni Thompson 7 P Claude Elias 8 P Nigel Barclay BMW 318i 99 Blair Smith 7-8 P Icon ClassM Drivers eligible to score points in the Manufactures Trophy P Private Drivers
Race calendar The 1997 Australian Super Touring Championship was contested over eight rounds with two races held at each round.Official Programme, Australian Super Touring Championship, Mallala, Round 6–24 August 1997, p. 40 Rd.Race CircuitLocation / stateDate WinnerCarTeamReport NC 1 Albert Park Circuit Melbourne, Victoria 8–9 March Jim Richards Volvo 850 GLT Volvo Racing Australia 2 Albert Park Circuit Melbourne, Victoria 8–9 March Jim Richards Volvo 850 GLT Volvo Racing Australia 3 Albert Park Circuit Melbourne, Victoria 8–9 March Jim Richards Volvo 850 GLT Volvo Racing Australia 1 1 Lakeside International Raceway Brisbane, Queensland 3–4 May Paul Morris BMW 320i Paul Morris Motorsport 2 Lakeside International Raceway Brisbane, Queensland 3–4 May Paul Morris BMW 320i Paul Morris Motorsport 2 1 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Phillip Island, Victoria 31 May–1 Jun Paul Morris BMW 320i Paul Morris Motorsport 2 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Phillip Island, Victoria 31 May–1 Jun Geoff Brabham BMW 320i Paul Morris Motorsport 3 1 Calder Park Raceway Melbourne, Victoria 21–22 Jun Brad Jones Audi A4 Quattro Brad Jones Racing 2 Calder Park Raceway Melbourne, Victoria 21–22 Jun Geoff Brabham BMW 320i Paul Morris Motorsport 4 1 Amaroo Park Sydney, New South Wales 19–20 Jul Brad Jones Audi A4 Quattro Brad Jones Racing 2 Amaroo Park Sydney, New South Wales 19–20 Jul Brad Jones Audi A4 Quattro Brad Jones Racing 5 1 Winton Motor Raceway Benalla, Victoria 9–10 Aug Cameron McConville Audi A4 Quattro Brad Jones Racing 2 Winton Motor Raceway Benalla, Victoria 9–10 Aug Paul Morris BMW 320i Paul Morris Motorsport 6 1 Mallala Motor Sport Park Mallala, South Australia 23–24 Aug Brad Jones Audi A4 Quattro Brad Jones Racing 2 Mallala Motor Sport Park Mallala, South Australia 23–24 Aug Cameron McConville Audi A4 Quattro Brad Jones Racing NC 1 Mount Panorama Circuit Bathurst, New South Wales 5 Oct David Brabham & Geoff Brabham BMW 320i BMW Motorsport Australia Report 7 1 Lakeside International Raceway Brisbane, Queensland 25–26 Oct Paul Morris BMW 320i Paul Morris Motorsport 2 Lakeside International Raceway Brisbane, Queensland 25–26 Oct Paul Morris BMW 320i Paul Morris Motorsport 8 1 Amaroo Park Sydney, New South Wales 8–9 Nov Geoff Brabham BMW 320i Paul Morris Motorsport 2 Amaroo Park Sydney, New South Wales 8–9 Nov Paul Morris BMW 320i Paul Morris Motorsport
Championships Standings
Points system 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th Pole position15121086543211
Drivers Championship Pos. Driver Car LAK PHI CAL AMA WIN MAL LAK AMA Points 1 Paul MorrisBMW 320i 1 1 1 2 Ret 2 2 4 2 1 6 3 1 1 4 1 191 2 Geoff BrabhamBMW 320i 2 2 5 1 2 1 4 3 8 3 Ret 2 2 2 1 3 171 3 Cameron McConville Audi A4 Quattro DSQ 8 2 4 3 3 3 2 1 2 3 1 4 6 3 2 155 4 Brad Jones Audi A4 Quattro Ret 6 11 3 1 4 1 1 3 6 1 4 Ret 7 2 Ret 126 5 Jim Richards Volvo 850 3 3 Ret 5 4 5 5 5 4 4 2 5 5 4 6 5 111 6 Cameron McLean Opel Vectra Holden Vectra 4 4 4 Ret 5 10 11 6 5 7 4 6 6 5 13 11 67 7 Steven Richards Honda Accord Nissan Primera Ret Ret 3rd 6th DSQ 6th 6th 7th 7th 5th 11th Ret 8th Ret 42 8 Craig Baird BMW 320i 3 3 5 4 35 9 Justin Matthews BMW 318i 5 8 6 8 9 9 10 11 10 9 Ret Ret 9 9 16 8 31 10 Tony Newman Peugeot 405 Mi16 8 9 7 7 8 Ret Ret 10 11 Ret 7 8 Ret 14 Ret DNS 23 11 David Auger Alfa Romeo 155 TS 7 10 8 Ret 7 8 13 13 12 10 9 9 10 10 14 Ret 20 12 Bob Tweedie Vauxhall Cavalier Ret Ret 12 DSQ 6 Ret 9 9 13 11 8 7 11 12 12 Ret 19 13 Mark Adderton Toyota Camry Ret Ret 8 Ret 8 Ret 7 7 14 13 Neal Bates Toyota Camry 6 8 5 Ret 14 15 Wayne Wakefield BMW 318i 6 7 10 16 Tony Scott Volvo 850 9 6 7 16 Jason Richards BMW 318i 7 8 7 16 Steven Johnson BMW 318i 7 8 7 19 Michael Briggs Ford Mondeo Ret 7 4 20 Jim Cornish Hyundai Elantra Ret 9 11 Ret Ret Ret 10 Ret 3 21 Peter Hills Ford Mondeo 12 12 9 12 12 11 Ret Ret 2 22 Claude Elias Ford Mondeo 15 9 2 23 Dwayne Bewley Peugeot 405 Mi16 Ret 13 10 10 2 24 Paul Pickett Hyundai Elantra Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret 15 Ret DNS 1 - Warren Luff Honda Accord Ret DNS 11 Ret - - Jenni Thompson Ford Mondeo 13 16 - - Gianfranco Brancatelli Ford Mondeo Ret Ret - - Blair Smith BMW 318i Ret Ret Ret Ret - - Kurt Kratzmann Hyundai Elantra Ret DNS - - John Henderson Opel Vectra Ret Ret - - Milton Leslight Toyota Carina Ret DNS - - Mike Fitzgerald Peugeot 405 Mi16 Ret DNS - - Albert Poon Ford Mondeo DNS DNS - Pos. Driver Car LAK PHI CAL AMA WIN MAL LAK AMA Points
Manufacturers Championship Manufacturers Championship points were awarded on a 15-12-10 basis for relative positions attained in each race by the best placed car of each of the three manufacturers that had nominated cars to compete on their behalf.
Position Manufacturer LAK PHI CAL AMA WIN MAL LAK AMA Points 1 BMW 15 15 15 15 12 15 12 12 12 15 10 12 15 15 15 15 220 2 Audi - 10 12 12 15 12 15 15 15 12 15 15 12 10 12 12 194 3 Volvo 12 12 - 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 12 10 10 12 10 10 158
Teams' Trophy Pos Team Car Points 1 BMW Motorsport Australia BMW 320i 362 2 Orix Audi Sport Australia Audi A4 305 3 HVE Motorsport Hyundai Lantra 31 4 Knight Racing Ford Mondeo 30 5 Volvo Dealer Team Volvo 850 25 6 Fastway Racing Peugeot 405 Mi16 17
TOCA Challenge Cup - Independents Position Driver Car Points 1 Cameron McLean Opel Vectra Holden Vectra 186 2 Steven Richards Nissan Primera 123 3 Justin Matthews BMW 318i 111 4 David Auger Alfa Romeo 155 TS 81 5 Robert Tweedie Vauxhall Cavalier 78 6 Tony Newman Peugeot 405 Mi16 74 7 Mark Adderton Toyota Camry 50 8 Neal Bates Toyota Camry 34 9 Peter Hills Ford Mondeo 30 10 Wayne Wakefield BMW 318i 24 = Steven Johnson BMW 318i 24 12 Jason Richards BMW 318i 23 13 Dwayne Bewley Peugeot 405 Mi16 22 14 Jim Cornish Hyundai Lantra 16 15 Claude Elias Ford Mondeo 13 16 Mike Briggs Ford Mondeo 12 17 Warren Luff Honda Accord 8 18 Paul Pickett Hyundai Lantra 6 19 Jenni Thompson Ford Mondeo 4
The TOCA Challenge Cup was open to drivers of teams which did not receive major support from a manufacturer.
See also 1997 AMP Bathurst 1000, a non-championship race for Super Touring cars.
References
Touring Car World 97/98 — The official book of Touring car
External links Australian Titles at docs.cams.com.au as archived at web.archive.org Results Archive at www.natsoft.com.au Review and images from the Winton round of the Championship at www.minerva.com.au 1997 Australian Super Touring Championship Entry List at www.supertouringregister.com