The 1998 Australian Super Touring Championship was the sixth running of a CAMS sanctioned motor racing series in Australia under the Super Touring Car regulations and the fourth to carry the Australian Super Touring Championship name. It began on 5 April 1998 at Calder Park Raceway and ended on 30 August at Oran Park Raceway after eight rounds. The series was promoted by TOCA Australia as the 1998 BOC Gases Australian Super Touring Championship. As in the British Touring Car Championship the race format changed with each meeting now consisting a shorter "sprint" race and a "feature" race, 25% longer than previous races featuring a mandatory two-tyre stop to be taken between 15 and 75% distance. The one exception was the round at Lakeside Raceway where the pit lane was deemed unsuitable.
Team and Driver changes
edit- 1997 championship winners Paul Morris and BMW left the series as BMW scaled back its touring car operation.
- Volvo switched from the 850 to the new S40[1] for Jim Richards.
- Cameron McLean drove the 1997 championship winning BMW[2] switching from the Opel/Holden Vectra he raced in 1997.
- Tony Newman upgraded to an ex BTCC Peugeot 406[3]
- Mark Adderton switched from the Phoenix Motorsport Toyota Camry to a Honda Accord.[4]
Entry List
editThe following teams and drivers competed in the 1998 Australian Super Touring Championship.
Results and standings
editRace calendar
editThe 1998 Australian Super Touring Championship was contested over eight rounds with two races per round.
| Rd. | Race | Race title | Circuit | City / state | Date | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC | 1 |  Australian Grand Prix support
|
Albert Park Circuit | Melbourne, Victoria | 6–7 Mar | Cameron McConville | Audi Sport Australia |
| 2 | Australian Grand Prix support
|
Albert Park Circuit | Melbourne, Victoria | 6–7 Mar | Cameron McConville | Audi Sport Australia | |
| 1 | 1 | Calder Park
|
Calder Park Raceway | Melbourne, Victoria | 4–5 Apr | Cameron McConville | Audi Sport Australia |
| 2 | Calder Park
|
Calder Park Raceway | Melbourne, Victoria | 4–5 Apr | Cameron McConville | Audi Sport Australia | |
| 2 | 1 | Oran Park
|
Oran Park Raceway South Circuit | Sydney, New South Wales | 26–27 Apr | Brad Jones | Audi Sport Australia |
| 2 | Oran Park
|
Oran Park Raceway South Circuit | Sydney, New South Wales | 26–27 Apr | Brad Jones | Audi Sport Australia | |
| 3 | 1 | Phillip Island
|
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit | Phillip Island, Victoria | 16–17 May | Cameron McConville | Audi Sport Australia |
| 2 | Phillip Island
|
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit | Phillip Island, Victoria | 16–17 May | Jim Richards | Volvo Dealer Racing | |
| 4 | 1 | Eastern Creek
|
Eastern Creek Raceway | Sydney, New South Wales | 6–7 Jun | Jim Richards | Volvo Dealer Racing |
| 2 | Eastern Creek
|
Eastern Creek Raceway | Sydney, New South Wales | 6–7 Jun | Brad Jones | Audi Sport Australia | |
| 5 | 1 | Lakeside
|
Lakeside International Raceway | Brisbane, Queensland | 27–28 Jun | Brad Jones | Audi Sport Australia |
| 2 | Lakeside
|
Lakeside International Raceway | Brisbane, Queensland | 27–28 Jun | Brad Jones | Audi Sport Australia | |
| 6 | 1 | Mallala
|
Mallala Motorsport Park | Adelaide, South Australia | 18–19 Jul | Brad Jones | Audi Sport Australia |
| 2 | Mallala
|
Mallala Motorsport Park | Adelaide, South Australia | 18–19 Jul | Cameron McConville | Audi Sport Australia | |
| 7 | 1 | Winton
|
Winton Motor Raceway | Benalla, Victoria | 8–9 Aug | Cameron McConville | Audi Sport Australia |
| 2 | Winton
|
Winton Motor Raceway | Benalla, Victoria | 8–9 Aug | Cameron McConville | Audi Sport Australia | |
| 8 | 1 | Oran Park
|
Oran Park Raceway | Sydney, New South Wales | 29–30 Aug | Cameron McConville | Audi Sport Australia |
| 2 | Oran Park
|
Oran Park Raceway | Sydney, New South Wales | 29–30 Aug | Brad Jones | Audi Sport Australia | |
| NC | 1 | AMP Bathurst 1000
|
Mount Panorama Circuit | Bathurst, New South Wales | 4 Oct | Rickard Rydell & Jim Richards | Volvo S40 Racing |
Drivers Championship
editPoints were awarded 15-12-10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 based on the top ten race positions in each race. There was a bonus point allocated for pole position.
|
|
Manufacturers Championship
edit| Position[5] | Manufacturer[5] | Points[5] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Audi | 234 |
| 2 | Volvo | 186 |
Teams Championship
edit| Position[5] | Team[5] | Points[5] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Audi Sport Australia | 204 |
| 2 | Knight Racing | 136 |
TOCA Challenge - Independents Cup
editIndependents Cup points were awarded on a 15-12-10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for relative positions achieved by drivers in entries nominated as Independents at each race.
The TOCA Challenge - Independents Cup was won by Cameron McLean in his Greenfield Mowers Racing-entered BMW 320i, scoring 205 points. Second was Mark Adderton on 151 points, and third was Peter Hills on 136 points.[5]
References
edit- ^ "Volvo S40 (R7-004)". Super Touring Register. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ "BMW 3 Series (E36) (E36 STC 96/006)". Super Touring Register. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ "Peugeot 406". Super Touring Register. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ "Honda Accord (HR003)". Super Touring Register. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g TOCA Australia, 1998 Results, as at Round 8 Oran Park, 09/08 '98