V8 Supercars in action

V8 Supercar is the main motor racing series in Australia. A V8 Supercar is a five-litre V8 powered sedan, and races are held in all states of Australia as well as New Zealand and China. 2004 Bathurst 1000. ... 2004 Bathurst 1000. ...

The Australian Touring Car Championship evolved into V8 Touring Cars in the early 1990s. The company AVESCO was chartered to take the corporate rights of the ATCC from 1997, and invented the moniker "V8 Supercar". The series is known now by the name "V8 Supercar Championship Series", and the winner is awarded the "Australian Touring Car Championship". Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but keeping the same mind-set. ...

Development of the regulations

To the disappointment of a majority of fans who had watched a long history of Ford-Holden battles in Australian touring car categories since the 1960s, international touring car regulations (which moved from Group A to Super Touring) seemed destined to preclude the Australian-built Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon in the early 90s. However, this was avoided with V8 only regulations being drafted, in partnership Ford and Holden, to showcase their large Australian made cars. This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1960s. ... In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. ... The Holden Commodore is a car series built by the Holden division of General Motors in Australia, available as a sedan, wagon or, from 1989, utility). ... General description The Ford Falcon is a car which has been manufactured by Ford since 1960. ...

Nissan who had dominated in the early 90s had their Turbo AWD Skyline GT-R controversially excluded from the series, whilst BMW (with their non-turbo M3s) were allowed to continue. Nissan vowed never to return to touring car racing in Australia again, and a short time later ceased Australian production.

Eventually the BMW team of Paul Morris left to head a seperate new Australian Super Touring Championship (ASTC), and in the mid 90s this ST series ran in opposition to the V8 category. Super Touring with it's many makes had the backing of the Australian Racing Drivers Club and sensationally two Bathurst 1000s were held each year in 1997 and 1998, one for V8s and the other (backed by tradional custodian ARDC) for ST. The bulk of sponsorship, driver talent, and fan attention remained with the more popular V-8 category during this era leaving the ASTC to later collapse as an amateur category.

The Car

The regulations are designed to balance the desire for technical competition and fast vehicles with the requirement that costs are kept reasonable. Racing is close, and the cars bear some resemblance to production models.

Power: A V8 supercar is powered by either a 5L Ford SVO or Chev Aurora race engine (depending on the make) which produces approximately 650hp. Engines are have pushrod actuated valves and electronic fuel injection. Both Ford and Holden engines are based on racing engines from their respective US parent companies. Engines are restricted to 7500 rpm. A pushrod or overhead valve (OHV) type piston engine places the camshaft below the pistons and uses pushrods or rods to actuate lifters or tappets above the cylinder head to actuate the valves. ... Fuel injection is a technology used in internal combustion engines to mix the fuel with air prior to combustion. ...

Weight: The minimum category weight is 1355 kg.

Cost: Reported to be approximately $AU 400k per car and $AU 100k per engine.

Bodyshell: Each V8 Supercar is based on either Commodore or Falcon production bodyshells, with an elaborate roll cage constructed into the shell from aircraft grade materials. Other modifications include wider wheel arches.

Some common components: differentials and gearboxes are identical in all cars in the category. In this differential, input torque is applied to the ring gear (blue). ... A gearbox is an assembly of gears allowing the rotational speed of an input shaft to be changed to a different speed. ...

Suspension: Basic front suspension configuration is double wishbone, whilst rear suspension is a "live axle" design. Spring and damper design is unrestricted. Solid axle and Panhard rod on a 2002 Mazda MPV A live-axle (also called solid-axle, beam, or dead-axle) suspension is an automobile suspension that uses a single-piece axle to connect the front or rear wheels, side-to-side. ...

Tyres: A Dunlop "control tyre" is supplied to all teams. During the year, there are large restrictions on the number of testing days, along with the number of tyres used during those days. During race meetings, teams are allocated a set number of tyres for the entire weekend. People whose family name is or was Dunlop include John Boyd Dunlop — Scottish inventor and founder of the Dunlop rubber company John Thomas Dunlop — United States administrator Sir Edward Weary Dunlop — Australian war hero Douglas Morton Dunlop — Scottish-American professor of history and orientalist. ...

Aerodynamics: A standard "aerodynamic package" of spoilers and wings is supplied to the teams of each make. Testing is conducted so the two makes have as similar aerodynamic characteristics as possible.

The category is commercially successful and highly competitive, with races all over Australia, one in New Zealand, and in 2005, the first race in China. Tracks range from street circuits in Adelaide to more permanent road courses at Phillip Island. The largest single event is the Bathurst 1000. Adelaide is the capital city of the Australian state of South Australia. ... Named after Governor Arthur Phillip, Phillip Island in Victoria (Australia) forms a natural breakwater for the shallow waters of Western Port Bay. ... The Bathurst 1000 is a 1000 km motor race for touring cars, conducted at the Mount Panorama Circuit near Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. ...

Commercial Success & the Racing

The first Australian Touring Car Championship under the V8 Supercar rules was won by Glenn Seton with his team-mate former Formula 1 world champion Alan Jones taking second in the championship. V8 Supercars in action V8 Supercar is the main motor racing series in Australia. ... Glenn Seton (May 15, 1965–) is an Australian racing driver. ... Formula One, abbreviated to F1 and also known as Grand Prix racing, is the highest class of single-seat open-wheel auto racing. ... Alan Jones, b. ...

The racing is very close and aggressive between the top teams (with usually less than a second separating the top 10 - top 20 cars), as there is no official involvement by major car manufacturers. However, both Ford and Holden do provide sponsorship to the top teams that run their cars. From 1996 to 2002, V8 Supercars Holden Racing Team, managed by Tom Walkinshaw Racing, had a decisive competitive edge over most of the opposition. More recently, the sport has seen the return to prominence of Ford through Marcos Ambrose and Stone Brothers Racing, winning in 2003 and 2004. Ford may mean a number of things: A ford is a river crossing. ... Holden Australia is an Australian car manufacturer, originally independent but now a subsidiary of General Motors. ... V8 Supercars in action V8 Supercar is the main motor racing series in Australia. ... Tom Walkinshaw (born November 17 1950 Scotland) is a racing car driver and the founder of the racing team Tom Walkinshaw Racing. ... Ford may mean a number of things: A ford is a river crossing. ... Marcos Ambrose is a race car driver born in Launceston, Australia on the 1st of September 1976. ...

V8 Supercar Teams

Notable V8 Supercar teams include the following:

Stone Brothers Racing (Ford)

Established in 1996, after Alan Jones left Glenn Seton Racing and joined forces with former Dick Johnson Racing engineers Ross and Jim Stone to form a new team. The team was originally known as Pack Leader racing and had underhanded cigarette backing from former Glenn Seton Racing sponsor, however shortly afterwards Jones left. The team slumped somewhat into the midfield wildnerness in the year 2000 before the arrival of Marcos Ambrose sent to the team to a period of rapid expansion which culminated in wins of the 2003 and 2004 championships.

Holden Racing Team (Holden)

Founded by Holden in the lates 80s in partnership with Tom Walkinshaw to promote Holden Special Vehicles, who produce highly tuned road V8 Commodores. The 'HRT' took over where Peter's Brock Holden Dealer Team (HDT) empire and vehicles left off, after the collapse of HDT with, among other things, a debacle over the fitment of crystal energy polarizers to HDT cars. Initially HRT struggled through a number of lean years, in one year only attending a handful of rounds, however later the team improved after the drafting back in of Brock, his sponsorship from Mobil and input from Harrop Engineering. In their hey-day from 1996-2002 this well-financed team collected 6 championship wins. After the collapse of TWR, the team is now owned by successful team driver Mark Skaife. 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Ford Performance Racing(Prodrive)/Glenn Seton Racing (Ford)

Glenn Seton formed his own team in the late 80s, using Sierras. He had been a protege of the works Nissan team, and took the cigarette sponsorship of that team with him. Former F1 champ Alan Jones was secured as his team-mate. The team was one of the first to debut the new V8 Touring Car regulation car in place of the Sierra. GSR were a top V8 Supercar team in the early V8 years and won championships in 1993 and 1997. Glenn Seton came famously close to winning the Bathurst 1000 in 1995, retiring due to a minor part breakage while in the lead with just 8 laps to go. The team became known by the new name "Ford Tickford Racing" in 1999, which was a pseudo works deal, and the team gradually slipped in performance as V8 Supercar became more competitive. Ford diverted their attention to 00 Motorsport in 2002, and GSR reverted to a small battling one car outfit for that year before being purchased by Prodrive and reinvented as "Ford Performance Racing" to promote the high performance road Falcons built by "Ford Performance Vehicles".

Bathurst 1000 & Marque Events

The Bathurst 1000, Clipsal 500 and V8 Shanghai Round are the marque events of the V8 Supercar calendar. The Bathurst 1000 is a 1000 km motor race for touring cars, conducted at the Mount Panorama Circuit near Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. ...

Bathurst 1000

Known as the "Great Race" the Bathurst 1000, is a tradiontal 1000km test of team, driver and machine held at the Mt. Panaroma circuit near Bathurst in New South Wales. It is conducted over 161 laps, on a track that features two long straights, that contrast with a twisty section of fast blind corners across the top of the mountain. The race has increased markedly in intensity, althouhg Traditionally large margins split the placings, and the race was open to all challengers. In the modern V8 era, the field has been closed to professional teams only with the race becoming a flat out, and closely fought, sprint all the way. See the Bathurst 1000 page for the list of "great race" winners since the early 60s. Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Governor Premier Const. ... The Bathurst 1000 is a 1000 km motor race for touring cars, conducted at the Mount Panorama Circuit near Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. ...

Clipsal 500

The Clipsal 500 is held in Adelaide on a shortened version of the former Grand Prix circuit. The event in the heart of the city has a carnival atmosphere, and a crowd of 170,000 racing fans and socialites turns out each year. Two 250km races are held on each of Saturday and Sunday, and this has proven to be a very succesful format. Adelaide is the capital city of the Australian state of South Australia. ...

V8 Shanghai Round

The V8 Shanghai Round is held in China on a shortened version of the Shanghai Grand Prix circuit. In 2005the entire V8 circus was air freighted overseas for the first time, and the event appeared a success.

Past Eras of the ATCC

The championship has run to Appendix J, Group C and Group A regulations before the V8 Touring Car rules.

V8 Supercar Championship Series

List of V8 Series Champions

List of Australian Touring Car Champions

1960 DAVID McKAY JAGUAR 3.4

1961 BILL PITT JAGUAR 3.4

1962 BOB JANE JAGUAR 3.8Mk11

1963 BOB JANE JAGUAR 4.1Mk11

1964 IAN GEOGHEGAN FORD CORTINA GT

1965 NORM BEECHEY FORD MUSTANG

1966 IAN GEOGHEGAN FORD MUSTANG

1967 IAN GEOGHEGAN FORD MUSTANG

1968 IAN GEOGHEGAN FORD MUSTANG

1969 IAN GEOGHEGAN FORD MUSTANG

1970 NORM BEECHEY HOLDEN MONARO 350GTS

1971 BOB JANE CHEVROLET CAMARO

1972 BOB JANE CHEVROLET CAMARO

1973 ALLAN MOFFAT FORD FALCON GTHO

1974 PETER BROCK HOLDEN TORANA XU1/SLR5000

1975 COLIN BOND HOLDEN TORANA L34

1976 ALLAN MOFFAT FORD FALCON GT

1977 ALLAN MOFFAT FORD FALCON XB GT

1978 PETER BROCK HOLDEN TORANA A9X

1979 BOB MORRIS HOLDEN TORANA A9X

1980 PETER BROCK HOLDEN COMMODORE VB

1981 DICK JOHNSON FORD FALCON XD

1982 DICK JOHNSON FORD FALCON XD

1983 ALLAN MOFFAT MAZDA RX7

1984 DICK JOHNSON FORD FALCON XE

1985 JIM RICHARDS BMW 635Csi

1986 ROBBIE FRANCEVIC VOLVO 240T

1987 JIM RICHARDS BMW M3

1988 DICK JOHNSON FORD SIERRA RS500

1989 DICK JOHNSON FORD SIERRA RS500

1990 JIM RICHARDS NISSAN SKYLINE HR31/GT

1991 JIM RICHARDS NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R

1992 MARK SKAIFE NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R

Notables Figures

Notable figures involved in the category include:

• Mark Skaife, 5 times champion, 3 x Bathurst Winner
• Craig Lowndes, 3 times champion, 1 x Bathurst Winner
• Glenn Seton, 2 times champion
• Marcos Ambrose, 2 times champion
• John Bowe, 1 times champion, 2 x Bathurst Winner

• Greg Murphy, 4 x Bathurst Winner
• Larry Perkins, ex-F1 and team owner, Multiple Bathurst Winner
• Steven Richards, 2 x Bathurst Winner - Son of Jim Richards, 7x Bathurst Winner
• Russell Ingall 1 x Bathurst Winner
• Garth Tander 1 x Bathurst Winner
• Jason Bright 1 x Bathurst Winner
• Todd Kelly and Rick Kelly 1 x Bathurst Winner

• Max Wilson, ex-F1 test driver, ex-Champ Car World Series

• Alan Jones, F1 World Champion
• Paul Radisich WTCC Winner
• Steven Johnson, Son of Dick Johnson

• Brad Jones
• Cameron McConville

Mark Skaife (b 3 April 1967) is one of the most popular and successful touring car race drivers Australia has ever produced. ... The Bathurst 1000 is a 1000 km motor race for touring cars, conducted at the Mount Panorama Circuit near Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. ... Craig Lowndes (born June 21, 1974) is an Australian motor racing driver. ... Glenn Seton (May 15, 1965–) is an Australian racing driver. ... Marcos Ambrose is a race car driver born in Launceston, Australia on the 1st of September 1976. ... Larry Perkins (b. ... Steven Richards (born 11 July 1972, son of Jim Richards) is an Australian racing driver. ... Alan Jones, b. ... Steven Johnson (born 2 September 1974) is an Australian V8 Supercar racing driver. ... Dick Johnson is a former Australian racing driver, now V8 Supercar team owner. ... Cameron at the Clipsal 500 (2005). ...

External links

• V8 supercars official site
• The Official V8 Supercar Yearbook
• Stone Brothers Racing
• Holden Racing Team
• Ford Performance Racing
• Perkins Motorsport Castrol Racing
• V8Impact - V8 Supercar Resources