1998_Australian_Drivers'_Championship

1998 Australian Drivers' Championship

1998 Australian Drivers' Championship

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The 1998 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title for drivers of cars conforming to Formula Holden regulations.[1] The title was contested over a six-round, twelve race series[2] with the winner awarded the CAMS Gold Star.[1] Officially the "Holden Australian Drivers' Championship for the CAMS Gold Star",[1] it was the 42nd Australian Drivers' Championship.[3]

New Zealand racer Scott Dixon won the championship driving a (Reynard 92D) for SH Racing, to give the team their first ADC title after coming close to victory in 1997 with Jason Bargwanna. Dixon won five of the twelve races[4] to finish ahead of Victorian racers Mark Noske (Reynard 95D) and Todd Kelly (Reynard 92D). Noske and Kelly each took three race wins, with Simon Wills (Reynard 92D) winning one, the first of his record 23 Australian Drivers' Championship career race victories.

Calendar

The championship was contested over six rounds with two races per round.[2][4]

Round[2] Circuit[2] Date
1 Sandown International Motor Raceway 1 February[5]
2 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit 19 April[6]
3 Winton Motor Raceway 3 May[7]
4 Mallala Motor Sport Park 24 May[8]
5 Calder Park Raceway 21 June[7]
6 Oran Park International Raceway 2 August[6]

Points system

Championship points were awarded on a 20–15–12–10–8–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the first ten finishers[1] in each race.

Championship standings

          Sandown Phillip Island Winton Mallala Calder Oran Park Total[9]
Position[9] Driver[9] No.[2][5][8][7] Car[2][5][8][7] Entrant[7][5][8] R1[2] R2[2] R1[2] R2[2] R1[2] R2[2] R1[2] R2[2] R1[2] R2[10] R1[2] R2[2]  
1 Scott Dixon 47 Reynard 92D SH Racing 20 15 15 10 20 15 20 15 20 10 12 15 187
2 Todd Kelly 2 Reynard 92D Todd Kelly 15 20 – 20 12 10 15 – 15 7.5 10 20 144.5
3 Mark Noske 10 Reynard 95D Arthur Abrahams 8 – 20 15 15 20 12 12 8 6 20 – 136
4 Brenton Ramsay 9 Reynard 91D & Reynard 94D Birrana Racing Pty Ltd 10 – 12 12 4 12 – 10 6 4 4 10 84
5 Markus Friesacher 11 & 19 Reynard 91D & Reynard 92D Ralt Australia & Arthur Abrahams 12 – 10 8 10 – 10 – 10 – – 6 66
6 Darren Edwards 3 & 11 Reynard 92D & Reynard 91D Ralt Australia Pty Ltd – – 4 6 – – 8 – 12 5 8 12 55
7 John de Vries 12 Reynard 91D Ralt Australia Pty Ltd 4 10 6 2 6 8 2 4 3 – 2 2 49
8 Simon Wills 13 & 31 Reynard 92D Greg Murphy Racing – – – – – – 3 20 – – 15 8 46
9 Owen Osborne 34 Reynard 92D NHP Electrical – – 8 – – – 6 – – 3 6 3 26[11]
10 Akihiro Asai 74 Reynard 94D Chris Hocking – – 1 3 8 – – 6 – – 3 4 25
11 Les Crampton 15 Reynard 91D Sun Wipes Formula Racing Team – 12 3 – – 2 – – 4 1 – – 22[12]
12 Dale Brede 27 Ralt RT23 National Capital Motors – 6 – – –   4 8 1 1.5 – – 20.5
13 Chas Jacobsen 87 Reynard 92D Chas Jacobsen – – 2 4 – 4 1 3 – – – – 14
14 Bob Power 48 Ralt RT23 Robert Power – – – 1 2 6 – – – – – 1 10
15 Garry Haywood 26 Reynard 90D Garry Haywood 1 8 – – – – – – – – – – 9
16 Damien Digby 69 Reynard 92D Damien Digby – 4 – – 3 – – 2 – – – – 9
17 Steve Cramp 21 Reynard 94D Stephen Cramp 6 2 – – – – – – – – – – 8
18 Craig Bastian 23 Reynard 92D Chris Hocking – – – – – – – 1 2 2 1 – 6
19 Paul Stephenson 8 Reynard 91D Paul Stephenson 3 – – – – – – – – – – – 3
20 Chas Talbot 14 March 87B Chas Talbot – 3 – – – – – – – – – – 3
21 Lars Johansson 36 Reynard 94D Lautentius Consultants – – – – – 3 – – – – – – 3
22 Chris Hocking 74 Reynard 94D Chris Hocking 2 – – – – – – – – – – – 2
23 Roger Oakeshott 28 Lola T93-50 Barshott Racing – – – – – 1 – – – 0.5 – – 1.5
24 Brian Sampson 78 Lola T91/50 Brian Sampson – – – – 1 – – – – – – – 1
  • Formula Holden regulations mandated the use of an approved Holden V6 engine.[13]
  • Race 2 of Round 5 at Calder was stopped due to adverse weather and half points were awarded to placegetters.[14]

Notes & references

  1. [1]
    1998 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 7–10
  2. [2]
    1998 Holden Australian Drivers' Championship, www.formulaholden.com/archive/1998hadc_pa.htm, Retrieved 30 March 2007, webpage no longer active
  3. [3]
    2002 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 14-4
  4. [4]
    Jason Parker, Very young guns, V8 Supercars – '98 Season Review, pages 88 to 90
  5. [5]
    Official Programme, Sandown International Motor Raceway, 1 February 1998
  6. [6]
    1998 Motor Sport Calendar, CAMS Report, Summer 1997
  7. [7]
    Race Results, racetime.com.au, website no longer active
  8. [8]
    Official Programme, Mallala, 24 May 1998
  9. [9]
    1998 HADC Overall Point Score, Formula Holden Association Inc
  10. [10]
    formulaholden.com shows full points for Race 2 of Round 2 at Calder. Austion Action states that half points were awarded. 1998 HADC Overall Point Score totals support the "half points" scenario
  11. [11]
    1998 HADC Overall Point Score shows 25 points for Osborne
  12. [12]
    1998 HADC Overall Point Score shows 24 points for Crampton
  13. [13]
    1998 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, pages 7–26
  14. [14]
    Dixon youngest Star, Australian Auto Action, 26 June – 2 July 1998, page 42
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