The Oran Park V8 Supercar round was a V8 Supercar, and formerly Australian Touring Car Championship, motor racing event held at Oran Park Raceway in Narellan, New South Wales, Australia. The event was held in every year from 1971 to 2008, with only three circuits having hosted more events in championship history as of 2020.
History
The Oran Park round of the championship was often held as the final round of the Australian Touring Car Championship and as such decided several championship titles. The first of these was in the inaugural event in 1971, with Bob Jane, Ian Geoghegan and Allan Moffat all entering the round with a chance of winning the championship. Moffat had led the race early before hitting problems, eventually closing down Jane in the final laps but unable to overtake. The race was also infamous for a spectator driving their Chrysler Valiant onto the circuit during the race, and in 2016 was considered as one of the top five races in championship history. In 1972, Moffat won the last championship round for the Ford Mustang nameplate until 2019. In the 1970s, two events were split into two races based on engine capacities. In these smaller capacity races, Ray Gulson in 1974 and Lawrie Nelson in 1979 won their only career championship races. The 1980 race was held on the Queen's Birthday public holiday Monday, having been postponed from the Sunday due to heavy rain. Bob Morris won the 1984 event, despite not only having not competed in any other championship round that year, but having not competed at all in the ATCC since he won the 1980 Oran Park event. The 1980s saw significant variety in the results, with seven different marques taking an event win. From 1985 to 1998 the circuit returned to the season-ending event on the calendar. One of the more controversial deciders in the circuit's history occurred in 1987 with championship combatants Jim Richards and Glenn Seton making contact as Richards took the lead and the championship victory. In 1989, long-time Holden driver Peter Brock won his first championship round aboard a Ford.
At the 1992 event, Mark Skaife won both the Australian Touring Car Championship and the Australian Drivers' Championship in a Formula Brabham open-wheeler on the same day. Four-time series champion Jim Richards won his final solo round at the 1993 event. The 1995 championship decider saw John Bowe defeat Seton and Brock in a three-way battle for the title. In 1997, Brock farewelled the sport as a full-time driver at the event, winning the first race and only losing a likely round victory late in the third race when a puncture dropped him down the order. At the same event, Glenn Seton secured his second championship, ten years after his battle with Richards, in another three-way decider. The 1997 event was part of a seven-year streak of wins from the Holden Racing Team, each of the last four going to Skaife. In doing this, Skaife joined Moffat with a record six round wins at the circuit.
The 2000 event was notable for a large start-line crash involving Larry Perkins, Paul Morris and Mark Larkham. Perkins stalled on the grid, and was hit by Morris who was then hit by Larkham, the latter two cars exploding into flames. All drivers escaped without serious injury. The 2005 event saw Russell Ingall win the only round of his championship-winning year. In 2007, Lee Holdsworth won his first championship race and round at the event in wet conditions. The 2008 event, branded under the Grand Finale umbrella, saw Jamie Whincup seal his first championship title, as well as Mark Skaife enter his final event as a full-time driver. It was also marred by an accident in the Australian Formula Ford Championship support category that saw Lucas Dumbrell left a quadriplegic. The event itself, won by Garth Tander, was the final championship event for the circuit, with Rick Kelly winning the final race at the circuit. Following the 2008 event the circuit was demolished for a housing redevelopment.
Winners
Year Driver Entrant Car Report1971 Bob JaneBob Jane Racing TeamChevrolet Camaro ZL-11972 Allan MoffatAllan Moffat RacingFord Boss 302 Mustang1973 Allan MoffatFord Works TeamFord XY Falcon GTHO Phase 31974 Allan MoffatAllan Moffat RacingFord XB Falcon GT Hardtop1975 Allan GriceCraven Mild RacingHolden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L341976 Allan MoffatAllan Moffat RacingFord XB Falcon GT Hardtop1977 Allan MoffatAllan Moffat RacingFord XB Falcon GT Hardtop1978 Peter BrockHolden Dealer TeamHolden LX Torana A9X SS1979 Bob MorrisRon Hodgson MotorsHolden Torana LX A9X SS1980 Bob MorrisCraven Mild RacingHolden VB Commodore1981 Dick JohnsonDick Johnson RacingFord XD Falcon1982 Kevin BartlettNine Network Racing TeamChevrolet Camaro Z281983 Allan MoffatAllan Moffat RacingMazda RX-71984 Bob MorrisBarry JonesMazda RX-71985 Robbie FrancevicMark Petch MotorsportVolvo 240T1986 George FuryGibson MotorsportNissan Skyline DR30 RS1987 Jim RichardsJPS Team BMWBMW M31988 Dick JohnsonDick Johnson RacingFord Sierra RS5001989 Peter BrockMobil 1 RacingFord Sierra RS5001990 Jim RichardsGibson MotorsportNissan Skyline R32 GT-R1991 Mark SkaifeGibson MotorsportNissan Skyline R32 GT-R1992 Mark SkaifeGibson MotorsportNissan Skyline R32 GT-R1993 Jim RichardsGibson MotorsportHolden VP Commodore1994 Glenn SetonGlenn Seton RacingFord EB FalconReport1995 John BoweDick Johnson RacingFord EF Falcon1996 Peter BrockHolden Racing TeamHolden VR Commodore1997 Greg MurphyHolden Racing TeamHolden VS Commodore1998 Craig LowndesHolden Racing TeamHolden VS Commodore1999 Mark SkaifeHolden Racing TeamHolden VT CommodoreReport2000 Mark SkaifeHolden Racing TeamHolden VT Commodore2001 Mark SkaifeHolden Racing TeamHolden VX CommodoreReport2002 Mark SkaifeHolden Racing TeamHolden VX Commodore2003 Marcos AmbroseStone Brothers RacingFord BA Falcon2004 Marcos AmbroseStone Brothers RacingFord BA Falcon2005 Russell IngallStone Brothers RacingFord BA Falcon2006 Craig LowndesTriple Eight Race EngineeringFord BA Falcon2007 Lee HoldsworthGarry Rogers MotorsportHolden VE CommodoreReport2008 Garth TanderHolden Racing TeamHolden VE CommodoreReport
Multiple winners By driver Wins Driver Years 6 Allan Moffat 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1983 Mark Skaife 1991, 1992, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 3 Bob Morris 1979, 1980, 1984 Jim Richards 1987, 1990, 1993 Peter Brock 1978, 1989, 1996 2 Dick Johnson 1981, 1988 Marcos Ambrose 2003, 2004 Craig Lowndes 1998, 2006
By team Wins Team 8 Holden Racing Team 5 Allan Moffat Racing Gibson Motorsport 3 Dick Johnson Racing Stone Brothers Racing 2 Craven Mild Racing Holden Dealer Team
By manufacturer Wins Manufacturer 14 Ford Holden 4 Nissan 2 Chevrolet Mazda
Notes – Holden Dealer Team was known as Mobil 1 Racing from 1988 to 1990, hence their statistics are combined.
Event sponsors 1981: Marlboro 1982: ARCO 1984–86: Castrol 2007: Jim Beam 2008: NRMA Motoring & Services
See also List of Australian Touring Car Championship races
References