The 1996 Australian Drivers' Championship was an Australian motor racing competition for racing cars complying with CAMS Formula Holden regulations. The championship winner was awarded the 1996 CAMS Gold Star as the Australian Drivers' Champion. It was the 40th running of the Australian Drivers' Championship and the eighth to feature the Formula Holden category. The championship began on 8 March 1996 at the Albert Park Street Circuit and ended on 2 June at Mallala Motor Sport Park after eight races held over four rounds.

Paul Stokell won his third Australian Drivers' Championship in a season dominated by him and his Birrana Racing teammate Jason Bright. The two dark blue Reynard 91Ds won every race of the season except one. Bright's early season unreliability became the difference between the two at season's end. The only race they did not claim was race two at the 1996 Australian Grand Prix meeting which saw Europe-bound Mark Webber in a guest drive in the Graham Watson owned Reynard, take the win when both Stokell and Bright retired. Darren Edwards was consistently best of the rest of the field, claiming four top three finishes over the season. Stephen Cramp took three second places at the start of the season but faded, dropping to fifth position in the championship behind Adam Kaplan.

Teams and drivers

The following drivers competed in the 1996 Australian Drivers' Championship.

DriverNoCarEntrant
Australia Paul Stokell1Reynard 91D HoldenBirrana Racing
Australia Allan Galloway2Reynard 91D HoldenAllan Galloway
Australia Geoff Fickling3Reynard 90D HoldenGraham Watson
Australia Steven Johnson3Reynard 90D HoldenGraham Watson
Australia Graham Watson3Reynard 90D HoldenGraham Watson
New Zealand Bryan Hartley4Dome F102 HoldenBryan Hartley
Australia Stan Keen5Shrike NB89H HoldenStan Keen
New Zealand Graham Sims6Reynard 90D HoldenGraham Sims
Australia Adam Kaplan7Reynard 91D HoldenAdam Kaplan
Australia Dean Irwin8Ralt RT21 HoldenDean Irwin
Australia Jason Bright9Reynard 91D HoldenBirrana Racing
Australia Darren Edwards10Reynard 90D HoldenClem Smith
United Kingdom James Taylor11Reynard 91D HoldenKen Smith
New Zealand Ken Smith11Reynard 92D HoldenKen Smith
Australia Chas Talbot14March 87B HoldenChas Talbot
Australia Roger Seward16Ralt RT23 HoldenRoger Seward
Australia Arthur Abrahams19Reynard 92D HoldenArthur Abrahams
Australia Stephen Cramp21Ralt RT23 HoldenStephen Cramp
Australia Bob Minogue29Reynard 92D HoldenRA Minogue
Australia Mark Webber30Reynard 91D HoldenGraham Watson
Australia Owen Osborne34SPA 002 HoldenOwen Osborne
Australia Sam Astuti47Reynard 92D HoldenSH Racing
Australia Kevin Weeks70Reynard 91D HoldenKevin Weeks
New Zealand Maurice O'Reilly71Reynard 91D HoldenKevin Weeks
Australia Chris Hocking74Reynard 91D HoldenGL Knight & Assoc
Australia Brian Sampson78Cheetah Mk. 9 HoldenBrian Sampson
Australia Chas Jacobsen87Reynard 92D HoldenChas Jacobsen
Australia Darren Pate99Reynard 90D HoldenAuz Racing Team Pty Ltd

Race calendar

The 1996 Australian Drivers' Championship was contested over eight races at four rounds held in two states.

Rd/Race.CircuitLocation / stateDateWinner
R1/1Albert Park CircuitMelbourne, Victoria8 MarchPaul Stokell
R1/29 MarchMark Webber
R2/1Phillip Island Grand Prix CircuitPhillip Island, Victoria14 AprilPaul Stokell
R2/2Paul Stokell
R3/1Calder Park RacewayMelbourne, Victoria28 AprilJason Bright
R3/2Jason Bright
R4/1Mallala Motor Sport ParkMallala, South Australia2 JunePaul Stokell
R4/2Jason Bright

Results

Points were awarded 20–15–12–10–8–6–4–3–2–1 based on the top ten race positions in each race. Only half points were awarded for Race 1 of Round 2 at Phillip Island.

Pos.DriverRd1/1Rd2/2Rd2/1Rd2/2Rd3/1Rd3/2Rd4/1Rd4/2Pts
Pos. Driver Rd1/1 Rd2/2 Rd2/1 Rd2/2 Rd3/1 Rd3/2 Rd4/1 Rd4/2 Pts 1 Paul Stokell 1st Ret 1st 1st 2nd 3rd 1st Ret 97 2 Jason Bright Ret Ret Ret 2nd 1st 1st 2nd 1st 90 3 Darren Edwards 3rd 4th 6th 3rd 4th 2nd 3rd 6th 80 4 Adam Kaplan 4th 3rd 5th 6th 5th Ret 5th 3rd 60 5 Stephen Cramp 2nd 2nd 2nd 11th 8th 7th Ret 4th 54.5 6 Arthur Abrahams DNS 5th Ret 5th 6th 6th 6th 5th 42 7 Kevin Weeks 5th DNS 4th 7th 7th 5th Ret DNS 29 8 Darren Pate 4th 2nd 25 Sam Astuti 7th 10th 3rd 4th 25 10 Mark Webber Ret 1st 20 11 Ken Smith 3rd 4th 16 12 Bryan Hartley 8th 7th DNS 8th 11th 8th 13 13 James Taylor 6th 6th 12 14 Bob Minogue 7th 8th DNS Ret DNS Ret 7th DNS 11 15 Chas Jacobsen Ret 8th 9th 9th 14th 9th 9 16 Stan Keen Ret 9th 9th 7th 8 17 Chris Hocking 9th Ret 10th 10th 8th Ret 6 18 Dean Irwin 8th 9th Ret 11th 3.5 19 Alan Galloway 9th DNS Ret DNS 2 Maurice O'Reilly 10th 10th 2 21 Owen Osborne 10th DNS 10th DNS 1.5 22 Roger Seward 15th 10th 1 Pos Driver Rd1/1 Rd2/2 Rd2/1 Rd2/2 Rd3/1 Rd3/2 Rd4/1 Rd4/2 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)
1Paul Stokell1stRet1st1st2nd3rd1stRet97
2Jason BrightRetRetRet2nd1st1st2nd1st90
3Darren Edwards3rd4th6th3rd4th2nd3rd6th80
4Adam Kaplan4th3rd5th6th5thRet5th3rd60
5Stephen Cramp2nd2nd2nd11th8th7thRet4th54.5
6Arthur AbrahamsDNS5thRet5th6th6th6th5th42
7Kevin Weeks5thDNS4th7th7th5thRetDNS29
8Darren Pate4th2nd25
Sam Astuti7th10th3rd4th25
10Mark WebberRet1st20
11Ken Smith3rd4th16
12Bryan Hartley8th7thDNS8th11th8th13
13James Taylor6th6th12
14Bob Minogue7th8thDNSRetDNSRet7thDNS11
15Chas JacobsenRet8th9th9th14th9th9
16Stan KeenRet9th9th7th8
17Chris Hocking9thRet10th10th8thRet6
18Dean Irwin8th9thRet11th3.5
19Alan Galloway9thDNSRetDNS2
Maurice O'Reilly10th10th2
21Owen Osborne10thDNS10thDNS1.5
22Roger Seward15th10th1
PosDriverRd1/1Rd2/2Rd2/1Rd2/2Rd3/1Rd3/2Rd4/1Rd4/2Pts
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)

Notes and references

External links