The 1974 Australian Touring Car Championship was an Australian motor racing competition open to Group C Touring Cars.[1] Authorised by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport as an Australian National Title,[1] it was the 15th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. The championship began at Symmons Plains on 4 March 1974 and ended at Adelaide International Raceway on 9 June after eight rounds.

The championship was won by Peter Brock, driving for the Holden Dealer Team in a Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 and a Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000.

Drivers

The following drivers contested the championship.

Entrant No. Car Driver
Holden Dealer Team[2] 1 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Colin Bond
Holden Dealer Team[3] 2 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Dick Johnson
Holden Dealer Team[4] 2 [4]
6 [3]
8 [5] 		Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1
Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 		Peter Brock
Phil Waters 4 Ford XY Falcon GTHO Phase III Phil Waters
Allan Grice 4 Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 Allan Grice
McLeod Ford [2] 5 Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop John Goss
Road & Track Auto Services [2] 6 Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop Fred Gibson
Bob Jane Racing [4] 7 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Bob Jane
Dustings of Burwood [4] 9 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Rod McRae
Bob Forbes 10 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Bob Forbes
Gary Cooke 11 Mazda RX-3 Gary Cooke
Norman G. Booth Pty. Ltd.[2] 12 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Jim Hunter
Bryan Byrt Ford 13 Ford Escort GT1600 Bob Holden
Peak Performance P/L [3] 14 Ford Escort GT1600 John English
John Stoopman 15 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 John Stoopman
Insul Fluf Home Insulation [5] 16 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Graeme Blanchard
Ron Hodgson Motors 17 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Bob Morris
Murray Carter Motors [4] 18 Ford XA Falcon GT Hardtop Murray Carter
Muirs Mtrs. Ashfield [3] 19 Holden HQ Monaro GTS350 Ron Dickson
Peter Robinson Motors [6] 20 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Tony Niovanni
Kevin Kennedy 21 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Kevin Kennedy
D. Holland Motors [2] 24 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Don Holland
Graham Parsons 25 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Graham Parsons
Mulgrave Mazda [4] 26 Mazda RX-3 Mel Mollison
Richard Purtell 27 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Richard Purtell
Neil West 28 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Neil West
Ray Gulson 29 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV Ray Gulson
M. McGinley [6] 29 Honda Civic Gordon Dickson
W. A. Fisher (Holdings) Pty. Ltd.[2] 30 Mazda RX-3 Bernie Haehnle
Lawrie Nelson 32 Chrysler Valiant Charger R/T E49 Lawrie Nelson
Allan Moffat Racing[6] 33 Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop Allan Moffat
Ken Loughan 34 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Ken Loughan
McRaes of Hastings [4] 35 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Russ McRae
Matthew Phillip 36 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Matthew Phillip
Alan Cant 37 Ford Escort GT1600 Alan Cant
Alan Taylor 38 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Alan Taylor
B & D Autos [7] 39 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Tim Smith
Graham Ryan 41 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Graham Ryan
Robert Bride 42 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Robert Bride
John French Pty. Ltd.[4] 43 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV John French
George Garth 44 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 George Garth
R. J. Holden [3] 45 Ford Escort GT1600 Lyndon Arnel
Keith Henry 49 Morris Cooper S Keith Henry
Brian Ovenden 50 Chrysler Valiant Charger R/T E49 Brian Ovenden
John Wharton 51 Mazda RX-3 John Wharton
Cam Richardson 52 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Cam Richardson
Barry Benson [4] 55 Ford Escort GT1600 Barry Seton
Ron Dickson 58 Holden HQ Monaro GTS350 Ron Dickson
Peter Mac's Towing [6] 62 Ford Escort GT1600 Geoff Wade
Roger Bonhomme 63 Holden LC Torana GTR Roger Bonhomme
A. C. R. Watts / Coca-Cola Bottlers [7] 64 Morris Cooper S Tony Watts
David Clement 66 Morris Cooper S David Clement
Geoff Perry 69 Mazda RX-3 Geoff Perry
R. D. Mahoney [6] 74 Ford Escort GT1600 Roger Mahoney
John Millyard 80 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 John Millyard
John Gifford 81 Morris Cooper S John Gifford
John Lewis 82 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 John Lewis
Milton Leslight 85 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Milton Leslight
Tom Heffernan 86 Holden Torana GTR Tom Heffernan
Keith Shaw 88 Honda Civic Keith Shaw
Dean Smith 90 Ford Escort GT1600 Dean Smith
A. F. & M. Beninca P/L [6] 91 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV Ray Harrison
P. A. Buda [3] 92 Morris Cooper S Phil Buda
Graeme Adams 94 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Graeme Adams
Peter LeFrancke 95 Toyota Corolla Peter LeFrancke
Dennis Martin 96 Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Dennis Martin
Tony Farrell 99 Mazda RX-3 Tony Farrell

Calendar

The championship was contested over seven rounds.[8]

Rd. Race title Circuit City / state Date Winner Team Report
1 Symmons Plains Raceway Launceston, Tasmania 4 March Peter Brock Holden Dealer Team
2 Calder Park Raceway Melbourne, Victoria 17 March Peter Brock Holden Dealer Team
3 Sandown International Raceway Melbourne, Victoria 7 April Allan Moffat Allan Moffat Racing
4 Amaroo Park Sydney, New South Wales 14 April Peter Brock Holden Dealer Team
5 Oran Park Raceway Sydney, New South Wales 28 April Ray Gulson Canberra Speed Shop
Allan Moffat Allan Moffat Racing
6 Surfers Paradise International Raceway Surfers Paradise, Queensland 19 May Peter Brock Holden Dealer Team
7 Datsun Trophy [5] Adelaide International Raceway Adelaide, South Australia 9 June Peter Brock Holden Dealer Team

Classes and points system

Cars were classified into one of two displacement classes:[1]

Points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the first six place-getters in each class and on a 4-3-2-1 basis for the first four place-getters outright, irrespective of class.[1]

Championship standings

Pos.[9] Driver [9] Car Sym. Cal. San. Ama. Ora. Sur. Ade. Pts.[9]
1 Peter Brock Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1
Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 		1st(13) 1st(13) 3rd(6) 1st(13) 2nd(9) 1st(13) 1st(13) 80
2 Bob Morris Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 2nd(9) 4th(4) 2nd(9) 3rd(6) 2nd(9) 2nd(9) 46
3 Allan Moffat Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop 2nd(9) 4th(4) 1st(13) 9th 1st(13) 39
4 Bob Holden Ford Escort GT1600 11th(4) 8th(9) 10th(9) 2nd(6) Ret (6) 34
5 Murray Carter Ford XA Falcon GT Hardtop 3rd(6) 2nd(9) 7th 4th(4) 4th(4) 3rd(6) 29
Ray Gulson Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV (2) 1st(9) 8th(9) 11th(9) 29
7 Mel Mollison Mazda RX-3[10] 9th(6) (2) 10th(4) (3) 6th(1) (4) (4) 24
8 Roger Mahoney Ford Escort GT1600 8th(9) (3) (3) 15
9 Barry Seton Ford Escort GT1600 10th(6) (1) (6) Ret 13
10 John French Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV 9th(9) 9
Ray Harrison Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV (3) 9th(6) 9
12 Tony Niovanni Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 5th(2) 5th(2) 4th(4) 8
13 Tim Smith Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 3rd(6) 6
Colin Bond Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 3rd(6) 6
Dick Johnson Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 3rd(6) 6
Don Holland Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 8th 4th(4) 5th(2) 6
John English Ford Escort GT1600 (6) 6
Alan Cant Ford Escort GT1600 (4) 5th(2) 6
19 Graham Parsons Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 4th(4) 12th 4
Rod McRae Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 6th(1) 6th(1) 5th(2) 4
Tony Watts Morris Cooper S (4) 4
Bernie Haehnle Mazda RX-3[11] 3rd(4) 4
22 John Gifford Morris Cooper S (3) 3
Roger Bonhomme Holden LC Torana GTR 4th(3) 3
Lyndon Arnel Ford Escort GT1600 (3) 3
25 Bob Jane Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 5th(2) Ret 2
Jim Hunter Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 5th(2) 8th 2
Graeme Adams Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 7th 5th(2) 2
Bob Forbes Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 6th(1) 6th(1) 2
Geoff Wade Ford Escort GT1600 (2) 2
Tom Heffernan Holden Torana GTR (2) 2
31 Richard Purtell Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 6th(1) 1
Fred Gibson Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop DNS 6th(1) 1
Graham Blanchard Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 7th 7th 6th(1) 1
Phil Buda Morris Cooper S (1) 1
Pos Driver Car Sym. Cal. San. Ama. Ora. Sur. Ade. Pts
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)
  Up to and including 2,000 cc class competitors

References & notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Conditions for Australian Titles, CAMS Manual of Motor Sport 1974, pages 84 to 90
  2. ^ a b c d e f Program, Amaroo Park Raceway, 14th April, 1974
  3. ^ a b c d e f Official Programme, Surfers Paradise International Raceway, Sun. 19th May 1974
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Official Raceway Program, Calder, March 17, 1974
  5. ^ a b c Adelaide International Raceway Programme (9 June 1974)
  6. ^ a b c d e f Official Programme, Sandown, April 7th (1974)
  7. ^ a b Programme, Symmons Plains, 4 March 1974
  8. ^ Touring Car Champs, Australian Competition Yearbook, 1975 Edition, pages 102 to 119
  9. ^ a b c Graham Howard , Stewart Wilson, David Greenhalgh, The official history - Australian Touring Car Championship - 50 Years
  10. ^ Mollison's Mazda RX-3 is shown in the Calder Program as having an engine capacity of 1964 cc.
  11. ^ Haehnle's Mazda RX-3 is shown in the Amaroo Program as having an engine capacity of 2292 cc.
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