1981 Australian Sports Sedan Championship

The 1981 Australian Sports Sedan Championship was an Australian motor racing competition for Group B Sports Sedans.[1] It was sanctioned by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport[1] and was the sixth Australian Sports Sedan Championship.

Reigning champion Tony Edmonson, won his second consequtive title in the Don Elliot-owned Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV, this time fitted with an ex-Formula 5000 5.0L Chevrolet V8 engine instead of the Repco Holden V8 used in 1980. His closest competition came from the 6.0 litre Chevrolet Monza of Adelaide's John Briggs, who finished second, with Sydney's Phil Ward third in his Penthouse sponsored Holden Monaro HQ. Both the Alfa Romeo and the Chevrolet were built by Adelaide-based K&A Engineering.

The championship was the last for Australian driver / businessman Bob Jane, who drove his Pat Purcell-built Chevrolet Monza to equal ninth in the series. Jane, who had won the Bathurst 500 on four occasions in the 1960s and had also won four Australian Touring Car Championships, retired from driving at the end of 1981 due to an ongoing back injury.

The Sports Sedan Championship was discontinued with the introduction of the Australian GT Championship in 1982. Some Sports Sedans were converted to GT specifications and others competed in the new championship with the GT cars. The GT Championship itself lasted only until 1985 before also being disbanded. Although there would be minor Sports Sedan series contested in various Australian states, the Australian Sports Sedan Championship itself would not return to the Australian calendar until 1991.

Calendar

Dick Ward placed 14th in the championship driving a Fiat Abarth. Car and driver are depicted in 2013

The championship was contested over eleven rounds.

Round Name Circuit State Date Format[2] Winning driver Car
1 Lakeside Queensland 29 March Two heats John Briggs Chevrolet Monza
2 Winton Victoria 3 May Two heats Tony Edmondson Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV Chevrolet
3 Amaroo Park New South Wales 24 May Two heats Tony Edmondson Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV Chevrolet
4 Oran Park New South Wales 21 June Two heats Tony Edmondson Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV Chevrolet
5 Sandown Victoria 5 July One race Garry Rogers Holden Torana LX
6 Patra Challenge Calder Victoria 2 August Two heats Tony Edmondson Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV Chevrolet
7 Wanneroo Park Western Australia 16 August Two heats Tony Edmondson Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV Chevrolet
8 Surfers Paradise Queensland 30-Aug Two heats Allan Grice BMW 320i
9 Symmons Plains Tasmania 20-Sep One race John Briggs Chevrolet Monza
10 Baskerville Tasmania 11 October Two heats Tony Edmondson Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV Chevrolet
11 The Advertiser Sports Sedan Challenge Adelaide International Raceway South Australia 25 October Two heats Tony Edmondson Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV Chevrolet

Points

Championship points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the top six placegetters in each round. Only the best nine round performances were counted towards each driver's championship total. For rounds run over two heats, round points were awarded on a 20–16–13–11–10–9–8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis to the top 14 placegetters in each heat. The six drivers attaining the highest aggregate from the two heats were then awarded the championship points for that round. If more than one driver attained the same total, the relevant round placing was awarded to the driver who achieved the higher placing in the second heat.[3]

Results

Position[2] Driver No. Car Entrant Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 4 Rd 5 Rd 6 Rd 7 Rd 8 Rd 9 Rd 10 Rd 11 Total
1 Tony Edmondson 1 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV Chevrolet Donald Elliott 4 9 9 9 – 9 9 – – 9 9 67
2 John Briggs 9 Chevrolet Monza John Roberts 9 – 1 – – 6 – 6 9 6 6 43
3 Phil Ward 2 Holden Monaro HQ Australian Penthouse Racing 6 6 6 4 – 4 – 1 4 4 – 35
4 Garry Rogers 34 Holden Torana LX Garry Rogers – – – 6 9 2 – – 6 3 – 26
5 Allan Grice 11 BMW 318i JPS Team BMW – – 4 – 3 – 6 9 – – – 22
6 Tony Parkinson 28 & 12 Holden Commodore VB QH – Adelaide Brake Service 3 – – 3 4 – – – 3 2 3 18
7 Clem Smith 16 Chrysler Valiant Charger VH Clem Smith – – – – – – – 4 – – 4 8
8 Peter Finch 16 Holden Monaro HQ Peter Finch – – – – 6 1 – – – – – 7
9 Bob Jane 10 & 7 Chevrolet Monza Bob Jane T-Marts – – – – – 3 – – – – 2 5
John English 14 Ford Escort Mk 1 Mazda Bryan Byrt Ford 2 – – – – – – 3 – – – 5
John Tesoriero 32 Volvo 242 John Tesoriero – – 3 – – – – 2 – – – 5
12 Geoff Boyd 29 Holden Torana Carling Constructions – 4 – – – – – – – – – 4
Gordon Mitchell 57 Alfa Romeo GTV Cechelle Motors – – – – – – 4 – – – – 4
14 Ken James 49 Mazda RX-3 – 3 – – – – – – – – – 3
Dick Ward 27 Fiat Abarth Go Gear-rotomotion – – – – – – 3 – – – – 3
16 Jeff Groves 97 Ford Escort Jeff Groves – 2 – – – – – – – – – 2
Bob Stevens 17 Holden Monaro HQ Bob Stevens – – 2 – – – – – – – – 2
Paul Jones 64 Chevrolet Monza Paul Jones – – – 2 – – – – – – – 2
Rusty French 23 Ford Falcon XD Rusty French Racing – – – – 2 – – – – – – 2
Craig Marsland 56 Chrysler Valiant Charger Pizza Hut – – – – – – 2 – – – – 2
Rob Davies 44 Ford Escort Mk 1 – – – – – – – – 2 – – 2
22 Kent Youlden 55 Ford Cortina TE Dowsett Engineering – 1 – – 1 – – – – – – 2
23 John White 65 Chevrolet Monza John White 1 – – – – – – – – – – 1
Larry Perkins 69 Holden Commodore VC Launceston Hotel – – – 1 – – – – – – – 1
Gordon Stephenson 75 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT Gordon Stephenson – – – – – – 1 – – – – 1
Kerry Baily 58 Holden Torana GTR XU-1 – – – – – – – – 1 – – 1
Richard Purtell 62 Holden Torana GTR XU-1 – – – – – – – – – 1 – 1
Luigi DeLuca 22 Ford Anglia DWU Australia Pty Ltd – – – – – – – – – – 1 1
  • Note: The top six results in the above table are based on those published in Australian Motor Racing Year, 1981, Page 164 however additional positions below the top six have been calculated from results for Rounds 1 through 10 in the same publication and results for the final round in Racing Car News, November 1981, page 35.

References

  1. ^ a b CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1981, Page 94
  2. ^ a b Australian Motor Racing Year, 1981/82, Pages 164–187
  3. ^ CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1981, pages 91–92

Further reading

  • Racing Car News, January 1982, page 38
  • Souvenir Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, Sunday 25 October 1981