The 1996 Australian Touring Car season was the 37th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000 , the Armstrong 500.
Holden VR Commodore of Craig Lowndes
Two major touring car categories raced in Australia during 1996, Group 3A Touring Cars and Super Touring. Between them there were 26 touring car race meetings held during 1996; a ten-round series for Group 3A Touring Cars, the 1996 Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC); an eight-round series for Super Touring, the 1996 Australian Super Touring Championship (ASTC); a two event series in New Zealand, support programme events at the 1996 Australian Grand Prix and 1996 Bartercard Indycar Australia and two stand alone long distance races, nicknamed 'enduros'.
Results and standings
Race calendar
The 1996 Australian touring car season consisted of 26 events.
Date
Series
Circuit
City / state
Winner
Team
Car
Report
27 Jan
ATCC Round 1
Eastern Creek Raceway
Sydney , New South Wales
Craig Lowndes
Holden Racing Team
Holden VR Commodore
4 Feb
ATCC Round 2
Sandown International Raceway
Melbourne , Victoria
Craig Lowndes
Holden Racing Team
Holden VR Commodore
25 Feb
ATCC Round 3
Mount Panorama Circuit
Bathurst , New South Wales
John Bowe
Dick Johnson Racing
Ford EF Falcon
9–10 Mar
Super Touring Car Race
Albert Park street circuit
Melbourne , Victoria
Geoff Brabham
Paul Morris Motorsport
BMW 318i
TAC Touring Cars
Peter Brock
Holden Racing Team
Holden VR Commodore
17 Mar
ATCC Round 4
Symmons Plains Raceway
Launceston , Tasmania
Craig Lowndes
Holden Racing Team
Holden VR Commodore
30–31 Mar
Super Touring Cars
Surfers Paradise street circuit
Surfers Paradise , Queensland
Greg Murphy
Brad Jones Racing
Audi A4 Quattro
EA Sports Touring Cars
John Bowe
Dick Johnson Racing
Ford EF Falcon
14 Apr
ATCC Round 5
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
Phillip Island , Victoria
Larry Perkins
Perkins Engineering
Holden VR Commodore
28 Apr
ATCC Round 6
Calder Park Raceway
Melbourne , Victoria
Russell Ingall
Perkins Engineering
Holden VR Commodore
5 May
ATCC Round 7
Lakeside International Raceway
Brisbane , Queensland
Craig Lowndes
Holden Racing Team
Holden VR Commodore
19 May
ASTC Round 1
Amaroo Park
Sydney , New South Wales
Brad Jones
Brad Jones Racing
Audi A4 Quattro
26 May
ATCC Round 8
Barbagallo Raceway
Perth , Western Australia
Craig Lowndes
Holden Racing Team
Holden VR Commodore
2 Jun
ATCC Round 9
Mallala Motor Sport Park
Adelaide , South Australia
Craig Lowndes
Holden Racing Team
Holden VR Commodore
17 Jun
ATCC Round 10
Oran Park Raceway
Sydney , New South Wales
Peter Brock
Holden Racing Team
Holden VR Commodore
23 Jun
ASTC Round 2
Lakeside International Raceway
Brisbane , Queensland
Paul Morris
Paul Morris Motorsport
BMW 318i
14 Jul
ASTC Round 3
Amaroo Park
Sydney , New South Wales
Brad Jones
Brad Jones Racing
Audi A4 Quattro
11 Aug
ASTC Round 4
Mallala Motor Sport Park
Adelaide , South Australia
Greg Murphy
Brad Jones Racing
Audi A4 Quattro
25 Aug
ASTC Round 5
Winton Motor Raceway
Benalla , Victoria
Paul Morris
Paul Morris Motorsport
BMW 318i
8 Sep
Tickford 500
Sandown International Raceway
Melbourne , Victoria
Craig Lowndes Greg Murphy
Holden Racing Team
Holden VR Commodore
report
22 Sep
ASTC Round 6
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
Phillip Island , Victoria
Greg Murphy
Brad Jones Racing
Audi A4 Quattro
5–6 Oct
Super Touring
Mount Panorama Circuit
Bathurst , New South Wales
Jim Richards
Volvo Dealer Racing
Volvo 850
AMP Bathurst 1000
Craig Lowndes Greg Murphy
Holden Racing Team
Holden VR Commodore
report
27 Oct
ASTC Round 7
Lakeside International Raceway
Brisbane , Queensland
Paul Morris
Paul Morris Motorsport
BMW 318i
9 Nov
ASTC Round 8
Oran Park Raceway
Sydney , New South Wales
Brad Jones
Brad Jones Racing
Audi A4 Quattro
17 Nov
Pukekohe Mobil Sprints
Pukekohe Park Raceway
Pukekohe , New Zealand
Greg Murphy
Holden Racing Team
Holden VR Commodore
24 Nov
Wellington Mobil Sprints
Wellington street circuit
Wellington , New Zealand
John Bowe
Dick Johnson Racing
Ford EF Falcon
Australian Touring Car Championship
This meeting was a support event of the 1996 Australian Grand Prix .
TAC Touring Cars
This meeting was a support event of the 1996 Australian Grand Prix .
Champ Car Super Touring support race
This meeting was a support event of the 1996 Bartercard Indycar Australia .
EA Sports Touring Cars
This meeting was a support event of the 1996 Bartercard Indycar Australia .
Australian Super Touring Championship
Tickford 500
Bathurst 1000 Super Touring support race
This meeting was a support event of the 1996 AMP Bathurst 1000 .
AMP Bathurst 1000
Mobil New Zealand Sprints
This was a two event invitational series held in New Zealand late in 1996. Seven teams (two of them with just a single car) were freighted to New Zealand and held three races at each of two events held at Pukekohe Park Raceway and a Wellington street circuit . Points were allocated 20–16–14–12–10–8–6–4–2–1 for each of the six races.