The 1997 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to 5.0 Litre Touring CarsAustralian Title Conditions, 1997 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 7–9 to 7–10 complying with Group 3ARacing, 1997 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 7-1 regulations. The championship, which was the 38th Australian Touring Car Championship,Records, Titles and Awards, 2002 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 14-7 began on 15 March at Calder Park Raceway and ended on 3 August at Oran Park Raceway after 10 rounds.V8 Supercars – 1997 Review, Chevron Publishing Group, 1997

Promoted as the Shell Australian Touring Car Championship,Official Programme, Shell Australian Touring Car Championship, Round 9, 13 July 1997 the series was won by Glenn Seton driving a Ford EL Falcon.

Teams and drivers

The following teams and drivers competed in the 1997 Australian Touring Car Championship. TeamCarNoDrivers Gibson Motorsport Holden VS Commodore 2 Mark Skaife 45 Darren Hossack Lansvale Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 3 Trevor Ashby 6 Steve Reed Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore 05 Peter Brock 15 Greg Murphy 97 Stephen White Wayne Gardner Racing Holden VS Commodore 7 Wayne Gardner Perkins Engineering Holden VS Commodore 8 Russell Ingall 11 Larry Perkins 16 Melinda Price 19 Kerryn Brewer Alan Jones Racing Ford EL Falcon 9 Alan Jones Larkham Motor Sport Ford EL Falcon 10 Mark Larkham Malcolm Stenniken Holden VR Commodore 14 Malcolm Stenniken Dick Johnson Racing Ford EL Falcon 17 Dick Johnson 18 John Bowe Palmer Promotions Holden VS Commodore 20 Ian Palmer Colourscan Motorsport Ford EF FalconFord EL Falcon 22 Danny Osborne Ray Hislop Ford EF Falcon 23 Ray Hislop Romano Racing Holden VS Commodore 24 Paul Romano Longhurst Racing Ford EL Falcon 25 Tony Longhurst 52 Steven Ellery M3 Motorsport Holden VP Commodore 26 Peter Doulman John Cotter Terry Finnigan Holden VS Commodore 27 Terry Finnigan Glenn Seton Racing Ford EL Falcon 30 Glenn Seton Phil Johnson Holden VS Commodore 31 Grant Johnson West Coast Racing Ford EL Falcon 32 Allan McCarthy 35 Claude Giorgi Pro-Duct Motorsport Holden VS Commodore 33 Bob Pearson Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VS Commodore 34 Steven Richards Jason Bright Gearbox Motorsport Holden VR CommodoreHolden VS Commodore 36 Neil Schembri James Rosenberg Racing Holden VS Commodore 38 Mark Poole Challenge Motorsport Holden VS Commodore 39 Chris Smerdon Michael Hart Holden VR Commodore 40 Michael Hart 42 Peter Lawrence Garry Willmington Performance Ford EB Falcon 41 Garry Willmington Wynn's Racing Holden VR Commodore 45 Darren Hossack John Faulkner Racing Holden VS Commodore 46 John Faulkner Daily Planet Racing Holden VS Commodore 47 John Trimbole Alcair Racing Holden VS Commodore 49 Greg Crick Steven Johnson Truckie Parsons Holden VS Commodore 55 David Parsons Novocastrian Motorsport Holden VS Commodore 62 Wayne Russell Briggs Motor Sport Ford EF Falcon 70 John Briggs PACE Racing Holden VS Commodore 74 Kevin Heffernan V8 Racing Holden VP Commodore 77 Richard Mork Cadillac Productions Holden VP CommodoreFord EB Falcon 79 Mike Conway Don Pulver Holden VP Commodore 88 Don Pulver Geoff Kendrick Holden VS Commodore 92 Geoff Kendrick Shaun Walker Holden VS Commodore 99 Shaun Walker

Race calendar The championship was contested over ten rounds with three races per round.Graham Howard, 1997 ATCC, Stewart Wilson & David Greenhalgh, The official history – Australian Touring Car Championship – 50 Years, 2011, page 371 Rd.CircuitLocation / stateDate Round winnerCarTeam 1 Calder Park Raceway Melbourne, Victoria 13–15 Mar Wayne Gardner Holden VS Commodore Wayne Gardner Racing 2 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Phillip Island, Victoria 11–13 Apr Russell Ingall Holden VS Commodore Perkins Engineering 3 Sandown International Raceway Melbourne, Victoria 25–27 Apr Glenn Seton Ford EF Falcon Glenn Seton Racing 4 Symmons Plains Raceway Launceston, Tasmania 2–4 May Greg Murphy Holden VS Commodore Holden Racing Team 5 Winton Motor Raceway Benalla, Victoria 16–18 May Russell Ingall Holden VS Commodore Perkins Engineering 6 Eastern Creek Raceway Sydney, New South Wales 23–25 May Glenn Seton Ford EF Falcon Glenn Seton Racing 7 Lakeside International Raceway Brisbane, Queensland 13–15 Jun John Bowe Ford EF Falcon Dick Johnson Racing 8 Barbagallo Raceway Perth, Western Australia 4–6 Jul Peter Brock Holden VS Commodore Holden Racing Team 9 Mallala Motor Sport Park Mallala, South Australia 11–13 Jul Greg Murphy Holden VS Commodore Holden Racing Team 10 Oran Park Raceway Sydney, New South Wales 1–3 Aug Greg Murphy Holden VS Commodore Holden Racing Team

Race winners

RoundRaceCircuitWinnerTeam 1 1 Calder Park Raceway Greg Murphy Holden Racing Team 2 Wayne Gardner Wayne Gardner Racing 3 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing 2 4 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing 5 Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering 6 Larry Perkins Perkins Engineering 3 7 Sandown International Raceway Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing 8 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing 9 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing 4 10 Symmons Plains Raceway Peter Brock Holden Racing Team 11 Greg Murphy Holden Racing Team 12 Greg Murphy Holden Racing Team 5 13 Winton Motor Raceway Larry Perkins Perkins Engineering 14 Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering 15 Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering 6 16 Eastern Creek Raceway Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing 17 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing 18 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing 7 19 Lakeside International Raceway Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing 20 John Bowe Dick Johnson Racing 21 Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering 8 22 Barbagallo Raceway Larry Perkins Perkins Engineering 23 John Bowe Dick Johnson Racing 24 Greg Murphy Holden Racing Team 9 25 Mallala Motor Sport Park Greg Murphy Holden Racing Team 26 Greg Murphy Holden Racing Team 27 Larry Perkins Perkins Engineering 10 28 Oran Park Raceway Peter Brock Holden Racing Team 29 Alan Jones Alan Jones Racing 30 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing

Points system Championship points were awarded on a 30–26–24–22–20–18–16–14–12–10–8–6–4–2–1 basis to the top 15 finishers in each race.Motor Racing Australia, Jan/Feb 1998, page 63

Championship results Pos. DriverCar Penalty Cal Phi San Sym Win Eas Lak Bar Mal Ora Total 1 Glenn SetonFord EL Falcon 0 80 54 90 70 68 90 30 44 70 72 668 2 John BoweFord EL Falcon 0 50 62 78 50 62 76 82 64 68 16 608 3 Russell Ingall Holden VS Commodore 0 62 82 62 50 86 64 68 48 50 Ret 572 4 Greg Murphy Holden VS Commodore 0 62 46 30 86 36 16 42 70 86 76 550 5 Larry Perkins Holden VS Commodore 0 38 78 42 50 82 42 54 48 82 32 548 6 Peter Brock Holden VS Commodore 0 42 32 28 82 60 58 58 74 24 62 520 7 Dick JohnsonFord EL Falcon 0 14 50 42 22 40 72 68 0 50 36 384 8 Tony LonghurstFord EL Falcon 0 18 30 48 32 4 36 62 38 26 64 358 9 Wayne Gardner Holden VS Commodore 0 82 20 28 66 54 28 54 332 10 John Faulkner Holden VS Commodore 0 14 42 38 42 28 34 42 20 18 46 324 11 Alan JonesFord EL Falcon 0 60 60 22 2 16 26 62 16 54 318 12 Steven Richards Holden VS Commodore 0 12 24 26 9 22 24 42 52 52 263 13 Mark Skaife Holden VS Commodore 0 50 68 14 20 14 166 14 Mark Poole Holden VS Commodore 0 20 24 24 16 20 34 138 15 Mark LarkhamFord EL Falcon 0 6 Ret 4 22 34 6 Ret 32 12 18 134 16 Terry Finnigan Holden VS Commodore 0 2 7 0 20 18 18 20 10 9 122 17 Darren Hossack Holden VS Commodore 0 0 6 0 Ret 8 7 12 22 6 6 67 18Steve ElleryFord EL Falcon 0 26 10 2 20 58 19 Trevor Ashby Holden VS Commodore 0 3 3 10 26 8 50 20 Stephen White Holden VS Commodore 0 16 18 34 21 Jason Bright Holden VS Commodore 0 24 24 22 Kevin Heffernan Holden VS Commodore 0 0 8 1 12 21 23 Allan McCarthyFord EL Falcon 0 0 20 20 24 Chris Smerdon Holden VS Commodore 0 1 4 14 19 25 Paul Romano Holden VS Commodore 0 Ret 8 DNS 2 10 26 Steve Reed Holden VS Commodore 0 0 1 8 9 27 Danny Osborne Ford EL Falcon 0 Ret 1 Ret 7 0 Ret 8 28 John Trimbole Holden VS Commodore 0 Ret Ret 7 Ret 7 Kerryn Brewer Holden VS Commodore 0 6 1 Melinda Price Holden VS Commodore 0 2 5 31 Grant Johnson Holden VS Commodore 0 6 6 32 Bob Pearson Holden VS Commodore 0 3 3 33 Steven Johnson Holden VS Commodore 0 2 2 David "Truckie" Parsons Holden VS Commodore 0 2 Mike Conway Holden VS Commodore Ford EB Falcon 0 1 Ret 1 Ret Greg Crick Holden VS Commodore 0 2 Neil Schembri Holden VR Commodore 0 0 2 John BriggsFord EF Falcon 0 2 39 Ray HislopFord EF Falcon 0 1 0 Ret 1 Claude Giorgi Ford EL Falcon 0 1 Pos DriverCar Penalty Cal Phi San Sym Win Eas Lak Bar Mal Ora Total

Privateers' Cup The Privateers' Cup was open to Category 2 and Category 3 entries only.Points to make, Official Programme, Shell Australian Touring Car Championship, Round 9, Mallala, 13 July 1997 Points were awarded on a 30–26–24–22–20–18–16–14–12–10–8–6–4–2–1 basis to the top 15 eligible finishers in each race.

Pos.Jason Parker, Private Faulkner – Privateers' Cup, V8 Supercars – 1997 Review, Chevron Publishing Group, 1997, pages 80 to 83 Driver Car 1 John Faulkner Holden VS Commodore 2 Mark Poole Holden VS Commodore 3 Terry Finnigan Holden VS Commodore 4 Darren Hossack Holden VS Commodore 5 Trevor Ashby Holden VS Commodore

Note: Only the top five positions are shown.

See also 1997 Australian Touring Car season

References

External links Australian Titles, www.cams.com.au Official V8 Supercar site Natsoft Race Results