The 1989 Australian Drivers' Championship was an Australian motor racing competition open to racing cars complying with CAMS Formula Holden regulations. The championship winner was awarded the 1989 CAMS Gold Star as the Australian Drivers' Champion. It was the 33rd running of the Australian Drivers' Championship and the first to feature the Formula Holden class which had been developed during 1988, originally named Formula Australia.

The championship began on 7 May 1989 at Mallala Motor Sport Park and ended on 10 September at Sandown Raceway after ten rounds. Defending champion Rohan Onslow of Sydney won his second consecutive Australian Drivers' Championship driving a Ralt RT20. Mark McLaughlin, the winner of the inaugural Formula Holden race at Mallala, placed second in his Elfin FA891 (an Australian car designed and built specifically for the new category as opposed to the Ralt's which were sourced from Formula 3000 racing overseas). Channel 7 television commentator and then sometime touring car driver Neil Crompton finished third in his debut year in open wheel racing driving an ex-Satoru Nakajima Ralt RT20.

Teams and drivers

The following teams and drivers competed in the 1989 Australian Drivers' Championship.

TeamCarNoDriver
R.J.Macarthur OnslowRalt RT201Australia Rohan Onslow
Tony BlancheRalt RT213Australia Tony Blanche
Competitive EdgeRalt RT204Australia Roger Martin
Clive Kane PhotographyRalt RT215Australia Simon Kane
Elfin Sports CarsElfin FA8916Australia Mark McLaughlin
Boylan RacingRalt RT207Australia Neil Crompton
Bap RomanoSpa FB0018Australia Bap Romano
Cascone CorporationSpa FB0018 12Australia Sam Astuti
John BriggsRalt RT219Australia John Briggs
Ray CutchieRalt RT411Australia Ray Cutchie
Brian SheadCheetah Mk.913Australia Peter Glover
TAFE Team MotorsportShrike NB89H18Australia Arthur Abrahams Australia Ian Richards
20Australia Peter Doulman Australia Mark Poole
David MawerRalt RT2127Australia Elwyn Bickley Australia John Smith
Brett FisherListon BF350Australia Brett Fisher
Chris Hocking87B74Australia Chris Hocking Australia Rohan Onslow
John HermannRalt RT488Australia John Herrman

Note: All cars were required by the Formula Holden regulations to be fitted with 3.8 litre Holden V6 engines.

Race calendar

The 1989 Australian Drivers' Championship was contested over ten rounds at five race meetings.

Rd.CircuitLocation / stateDateWinnerTeam
1Mallala Motor Sport ParkMallala, South Australia7 MayMark McLaughlinElfin Sports Cars
2Rohan OnslowR.J.Macarthur Onslow
3Winton Motor RacewayBenalla, Victoria4 JuneRohan OnslowR.J.Macarthur Onslow
4John BriggsJohn Briggs
5Oran Park RacewaySydney, New South Wales9 JulyRohan OnslowR.J.Macarthur Onslow
6Rohan OnslowR.J.Macarthur Onslow
7Amaroo ParkSydney, New South Wales6 AugustNeil CromptonBoylan Racing
8Simon KaneClive Kane Photography
9Sandown International RacewayMelbourne, Victoria10 SeptemberSam AstutiCascone Corporation
10Neil CromptonBoylan Racing

Points system

Championship points were awarded 9–6–4–3–2–1 based on the top six race positions at each round.

Results

PosDriverRd 1Rd 2Rd 3Rd 4Rd 5Rd 6Rd 7Rd 8Rd 9Rd 10Pts
Pos Driver Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 4 Rd 5 Rd 6 Rd 7 Rd 8 Rd 9 Rd 10 Pts 1 Rohan Onslow 5th 1st 1st Ret 1st 1st Ret 6th 2nd 3rd 49 2 Mark McLaughlin 1st 2nd 2nd 2nd DNS 3rd 2nd 3rd Ret Ret 41 3 Neil Crompton 3rd 5th Ret 3rd 2nd 6th 1st DNS 3rd 1st 39 4 Sam Astuti Ret DNS 4th 4th 3rd 2nd 1st 2nd 31 5 Simon Kane DNS DNS 4th 4th 7th 2nd 5th 1st Ret DNS 23 John Briggs 4th 6th 3rd 1st Ret 8th 4th 4th 23 7 Peter Glover 2nd 3rd 6th DNS 11 8 Chris Hocking 5th 5th 6th 5th 7th DNS 5th DNS 9 9 Peter Doulman 9th Ret 6th 4th 6th 5th 7 10 Mark Poole 3rd Ret 4 11 Bap Romano Ret 4th 3 John Smith 4th DNS 3 Tony Blanche Ret DNS Ret Ret 8th 7th 8th 5th DNS 6th 3 14 Ian Richards 5th Ret 8th Ret 2 15 Ray Cutchie 7th 8th 7th 6th 7th Ret 1 Brett Fisher 6th 9th Ret Ret 1 Pos Driver Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 4 Rd 5 Rd 6 Rd 7 Rd 8 Rd 9 Rd 10 PtsColour Result Gold Winner Silver Second place Bronze Third place Green Points classification Blue Non-points classification Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Retired, not classified (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)
1Rohan Onslow5th1st1stRet1st1stRet6th2nd3rd49
2Mark McLaughlin1st2nd2nd2ndDNS3rd2nd3rdRetRet41
3Neil Crompton3rd5thRet3rd2nd6th1stDNS3rd1st39
4Sam AstutiRetDNS4th4th3rd2nd1st2nd31
5Simon KaneDNSDNS4th4th7th2nd5th1stRetDNS23
John Briggs4th6th3rd1stRet8th4th4th23
7Peter Glover2nd3rd6thDNS11
8Chris Hocking5th5th6th5th7thDNS5thDNS9
9Peter Doulman9thRet6th4th6th5th7
10Mark Poole3rdRet4
11Bap RomanoRet4th3
John Smith4thDNS3
Tony BlancheRetDNSRetRet8th7th8th5thDNS6th3
14Ian Richards5thRet8thRet2
15Ray Cutchie7th8th7th6th7thRet1
Brett Fisher6th9thRetRet1
PosDriverRd 1Rd 2Rd 3Rd 4Rd 5Rd 6Rd 7Rd 8Rd 9Rd 10Pts
ColourResult
GoldWinner
SilverSecond place
BronzeThird place
GreenPoints classification
BlueNon-points classification
Non-classified finish (NC)
PurpleRetired, not classified (Ret)
RedDid not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
BlackDisqualified (DSQ)
WhiteDid not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
BlankDid not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Further reading

  • Clarke, Andrew; Barry Catford (1990). "Australian Motor Racing Year 1989/90 19". Australian Motor Racing Yearbook. Chevron Publishing Group: 162–183. ISSN .
  • "Racing Car News". Racing Car News. Chevron Publishing Group. June–November 1989.

External links