The 1998 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title for drivers of cars conforming to Formula Holden regulations.1998 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 7–10 The title was contested over a six-round, twelve race series1998 Holden Australian Drivers' Championship, www.formulaholden.com/archive/1998hadc_pa.htm, Retrieved 30 March 2007, webpage no longer active with the winner awarded the CAMS Gold Star. Officially the "Holden Australian Drivers' Championship for the CAMS Gold Star", it was the 42nd Australian Drivers' Championship.2002 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 14-4
New Zealand racer Scott Dixon won the championship driving a (Reynard 92D) for SH Racing, to give the team their first ADC title after coming close to victory in 1997 with Jason Bargwanna. Dixon won five of the twelve racesJason Parker, Very young guns, V8 Supercars – '98 Season Review, pages 88 to 90 to finish ahead of Victorian racers Mark Noske (Reynard 95D) and Todd Kelly (Reynard 92D). Noske and Kelly each took three race wins, with Simon Wills (Reynard 92D) winning one, the first of his record 23 Australian Drivers' Championship career race victories.
Teams and drivers Team Chassis No Driver Rounds Todd Kelly Reynard 92D 2 Todd Kelly All Ralt Australia Reynard 92D 3 Darren Edwards 2 Reynard 91D 11 4–6 Reynard 91D 12 John de Vries 1, 3–6 Birrana Racing Reynard 91D 9 Brenton Ramsay All NRC International Reynard 95D 10 Mark Noske 1–5 Reynard 91D 11 Markus Friesacher 1–3 Reynard 92D 19 4 Reynard 95D 5–6 Chas Talbot March 87B 14 Chas Talbot 1–2 Sun Wipes Formula Racing Team Reynard 91D 15 Les Crampton 1–5 Stephen Cramp Reynard 94D 21 Stephen Cramp 1 Hocking Motorsport Reynard 92D 23 Craig Bastian 2, 4–5 Reynard 94D 74 Chris Hocking 1 Akihiro Asai 2–6 Garry Haywood Reynard 90D 26 Garry Haywood 1–2 National Capital Motors Ralt RT23 27 Dale Brede 1, 4–5 Barshott Racing Lola T93/50 28 Roger Oakeshott 2–5 Greg Murphy Racing Reynard 92D 31 Simon Wills 4, 6 Ken Herd Ralt RT21 33 Ken Herd 4 NHP Electrical Reynard 92D 34 Owen Osbourne All Lautentius Consultants Reynard 94D 36 Lars Johansson 1–3 Paul Stephenson Reynard 91D 41 Paul Stephenson 1 SH Racing Reynard 92D 47 Scott Dixon All Robert Power Ralt RT23 48 Robert Power 2–3, 5–6 Peter Hill Reynard 92D 66 Peter Hill 2 Damien Digby Reynard 92D 69 Damien Digby 1–4 Speco Thomas, Motor Improvement Lola T91/50 78 Brian Sampson 1–5 Chas Jacobsen Reynard 92D 87 Chas Jacobsen 2–5
Calendar The championship was contested over six rounds with two races per round. Round Circuit Date 1 Sandown International Motor Raceway 1 FebruaryOfficial Programme, Sandown International Motor Raceway, 1 February 1998 2 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit 19 April1998 Motor Sport Calendar, CAMS Report, Summer 1997 3 Winton Motor Raceway 3 MayRace Results, racetime.com.au, website no longer active 4 Mallala Motor Sport Park 24 MayOfficial Programme, Mallala, 24 May 1998 5 Calder Park Raceway 21 June 6 Oran Park International Raceway 2 August
Points system Championship points were awarded on a 20–15–12–10–8–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the first ten finishers in each race.
Championship standings Sandown Phillip Island Winton Mallala Calder Oran Park Total Position1998 HADC Overall Point Score, Formula Holden Association Inc Driver No. Car Entrant R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2formulaholden.com shows full points for Race 2 of Round 2 at Calder. Austion Action states that half points were awarded. 1998 HADC Overall Point Score totals support the "half points" scenario R1 R2 1 Scott Dixon 47 Reynard 92D SH Racing 20 15 15 10 20 15 20 15 20 10 12 15 187 2 Todd Kelly 2 Reynard 92D Todd Kelly 15 20 – 20 12 10 15 – 15 7.5 10 20 144.5 3 Mark Noske 10 Reynard 95D Arthur Abrahams 8 – 20 15 15 20 12 12 8 6 20 – 136 4 Brenton Ramsay 9 Reynard 91D & Reynard 94D Birrana Racing Pty Ltd 10 – 12 12 4 12 – 10 6 4 4 10 84 5 Markus Friesacher 11 & 19 Reynard 91D & Reynard 92D Ralt Australia & Arthur Abrahams 12 – 10 8 10 – 10 – 10 – – 6 66 6 Darren Edwards 3 & 11 Reynard 92D & Reynard 91D Ralt Australia Pty Ltd – – 4 6 – – 8 – 12 5 8 12 55 7 John de Vries 12 Reynard 91D Ralt Australia Pty Ltd 4 10 6 2 6 8 2 4 3 – 2 2 49 8 Simon Wills 13 & 31 Reynard 92D Greg Murphy Racing – – – – – – 3 20 – – 15 8 46 9 Owen Osborne 34 Reynard 92D NHP Electrical – – 8 – – – 6 – – 3 6 3 261998 HADC Overall Point Score shows 25 points for Osborne 10 Akihiro Asai 74 Reynard 94D Chris Hocking – – 1 3 8 – – 6 – – 3 4 25 11 Les Crampton 15 Reynard 91D Sun Wipes Formula Racing Team – 12 3 – – 2 – – 4 1 – – 221998 HADC Overall Point Score shows 24 points for Crampton 12 Dale Brede 27 Ralt RT23 National Capital Motors – 6 – – – 4 8 1 1.5 – – 20.5 13 Chas Jacobsen 87 Reynard 92D Chas Jacobsen – – 2 4 – 4 1 3 – – – – 14 14 Bob Power 48 Ralt RT23 Robert Power – – – 1 2 6 – – – – – 1 10 15 Garry Haywood 26 Reynard 90D Garry Haywood 1 8 – – – – – – – – – – 9 16 Damien Digby 69 Reynard 92D Damien Digby – 4 – – 3 – – 2 – – – – 9 17 Steve Cramp 21 Reynard 94D Stephen Cramp 6 2 – – – – – – – – – – 8 18 Craig Bastian 23 Reynard 92D Chris Hocking – – – – – – – 1 2 2 1 – 6 19 Paul Stephenson 8 Reynard 91D Paul Stephenson 3 – – – – – – – – – – – 3 20 Chas Talbot 14 March 87B Chas Talbot – 3 – – – – – – – – – – 3 21 Lars Johansson 36 Reynard 94D Lautentius Consultants – – – – – 3 – – – – – – 3 22 Chris Hocking 74 Reynard 94D Chris Hocking 2 – – – – – – – – – – – 2 23 Roger Oakeshott 28 Lola T93-50 Barshott Racing – – – – – 1 – – – 0.5 – – 1.5 24 Brian Sampson 78 Lola T91/50 Brian Sampson – – – – 1 – – – – – – – 1
Formula Holden regulations mandated the use of an approved Holden V6 engine.1998 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 7–26 Race 2 of Round 5 at Calder was stopped due to adverse weather and half points were awarded to placegetters.Dixon youngest Star, Australian Auto Action, 26 June – 2 July 1998, page 42
Notes & references
External links Gold Star Winners – 1957 – 2009, formula3.com.au