RACE two this weekend at The Bend will mark the 100^th Championship race for the ATCC/Supercars in South Australia since 1963.

WORDS: Mark Walker HEADER IMAGE: By a much younger Richard Craill

From Mallala to Adelaide International, to the Adelaide Parklands and finally the futuristic The Bend Motorsport Park, these 100 races have been filled with some great action and awesome stories.

In this opening segment of our two part deep dive, we’ll recap:

• Moffat’s early on-track, and unimaginable off-track dramas
• Peter Brock’s first ATCC win
• Title showdowns between Bob Morris and Brock
• The final ever Group C ATCC race
• DJR’s first ever ATCC Sierra race win
• A three-wide rolling start!
• The debut of the Nissan GT-R
• Craig Lowndes’ maiden title
• Johnson’s final ever ATCC podium

Click here for Part 2, analysing the Adelaide 500 & The Bend…

1963

The fourth ever running of the Australian Touring Car Championship was contested over a single race at the former RAAF Base Mallala, the first time South Australia featured in the rotation through the states. The event was set up as a battle between Bob Jane’s Jaguar Mk II and Norm Beechey’s Chev Impala, which was sadly sidelined with engine woes pre-event. With Beechey DNFing his backup Holden 48-215 on the opening circuit, Jane went on to claim his second consecutive ATCC crown.

1969-1971

The ATCC became a series of races in 1969, with Mallala earning a place on the five event roster, with the win going to Mustang mounted Ian Geoghegan. The South Oz slot on the schedule continued at Mallala through to 1971, when the venue was purchased by Keith Williams, who coincidentally was building the nearby Adelaide International Raceway. That year’s race went down to the wire, with Bob Jane aboard his Chev Camaro leading home Geoghegan by only 0.3sec at the chequered flag. Williams subsequently had a court covenant placed on Mallala to ensure that no further racing would ever take place there again…

1972

With the round moving to Adelaide International Raceway, the biff was brought back! A couple of rounds following on from that epic Easter battle at Bathurst, the gloves were off in a battle between Jane and Allan Moffat’s Moffstang. Both drivers were shown the bad sportsmanship flag during a fantastic battle, before Jane was spun entering the oval, with Moffat subsequently black flagged. Jane rebounded to win the race, and ultimately the title.

1973

This was the year where Moffat’s Falcon was stolen on the Saturday night of the race. The race day itself saw the timetable altered, with the ATCC race moved back in the program in the hope that the missing car could be found. In the end, Moffat borrowed Murray Carter’s Falcon, and from the rear of grid finished second to Peter Brock, who scored his first ever ATCC race win aboard a HDT Torana XU-1. Moffat’s car was eventually found, largely undamaged, with the culprit charged for their misdemeanour.

1976

Moffat’s run of remarkable off-track drama at AIR continued, with his transporter almost burning to the ground en route to the venue at Bridgewater in the Adelaide Hills. Borrowing a car from John Goss, Moffat went on to win both heats. In 1976 and ’77, AIR hosted two events in each season.

1978 – 1979

To close out the 70s, Adelaide International hosted the Championship decider, and on both occasions the battle came down to the wire between the factory backed Peter Brock, and privateer challenger Bob Morris. First time around, it was Brock who came out on top – Morris spun while attempting a pass on Brock, falling only two points short in the final run down. The tables were turned the following year, when Morris won the finale to claim his first and only ATCC crown.

1980

Kevin Bartlett’s Channel 9 Chev Camaro only ever won three ATCC races in its life, with the second coming at AIR in 1980.

1983

The ’83 visit by the ATCC to South Australia was an absolute cracker, with Peter Brock (Commodore) claiming the win from Allan Moffat’s RX7, then Allan Grice (Commodore), George Fury (Bluebird) and Dick Johnson (Falcon).

1984

The end of an era: the final ever Group C ATCC round was contested at Adelaide International, with Grice claiming the win from Brock and Johnson.

1986

John Bowe made his first ATCC start for the factory Volvo squad, and duly parked the 240T on the outside of the front row, before being swamped at the start. With the non-finishes of the works Nissans, and Brock’s disqualification, it was Robbie Francevic with the win in the lead Volvo, ahead of the somewhat unlikely podium combo of Graeme Crosby and Charlie O’Brien.

1987-1988

Adelaide International in 1987 provided a red letter day for a red coloured Sierra, with Dick Johnson coming through from fourth to claim his first of 13 career ATCC race wins aboard the turbo charged rockets. After a tough start to the season, Johnson finally showed podium promise at the previous round seven days prior when he finished second at Barbagallo. Turbo issues however would sideline him in the next three straight events. Johnson would also win at the venue in ’88, like he did in six of the nine races contested that season.

Interestingly in ’87, the race featured a rolling start, as per the wishes of promoter Bob Jane. Featuring a 3-2-3 grid formation, with the pace car being driven by Tim Schenken!

1989

A funny thing happened for 1989… After 1971, Mallala was used as a test track for Adelaide based manufacturers like Chrysler and Elfin, before falling into disrepair. Clem Smith rescued the facility in 1977, overturned the court order on it, and set about rebuilding the track. Car racing returned in 1982, before ultimately landing an ATCC round in 1989, with the event touring north after AIR owner Bob Jane signed a lucrative anti-smoking advertising deal with the Victoria Government. With Peter Jackson and Benson & Hedges darts money rich in the touring car scene, the circus returned home, 36km to the north, 18 years later.

1990

Andrew Miedecke spun John Bowe, Andrew Miedecke clipped John Bowe, Andrew Miedecke went for a heck of a ride… This particular race saw the ATCC debut of the Nissan GT-R Godzilla in the hands of Mark Skaife, although a hub failure would sideline the car, before Jim Richards took it over for the Oran Park season finale, where he claimed his fourth and final ATCC crown.

1991-1992

You’re in 4WD country now… Skaife would take Godzilla to victory twice in as many years.

1993

Glenn Seton essentially wrapped up the first Championship of the Five Litre V8 era with this win, the seventh and final victory of his season. It also happened to be the closest race to the finish all year, with Seton half a car length ahead of Skaife at the chequered flag.

1994

Like 12 months prior, the Championship was more or less wrapped up at Mallala, this time in the favour of Skaife. There was rain and there was sunshine, while fire struck down Seton.

1995

The 1995 ATCC battle was one that went down to the final event at Oran Park, with John Bowe coming out on top from Glenn Seton and Peter Brock. Mallala however was the start of a great south-west stretch for Seton, who won from Bowe and Brock, before winning seven days later at Barbagallo, where Bowe struggled to bounce back after a major tangle in the Peter Jackson Dash.

1996

The biff was brought back! Absolutely everyone crashed into everyone else, Wayne Gardner won a race, and Craig Lowndes won his maiden title in his rookie season. Had. A. Bit. On.

1997

Seven days prior to Mallala, the Bye Bye Brock party hit overdrive at Barbagallo Raceway, when the King of the Mountain registered his 37th and final ATCC/V8 Supercars round victory. Come race day, Mallala was oversubscribed with punters eager to catch a glimpse of Brock one last time before the Oran Park grand final, where he scored one last pole, and one last heat win.

1998

Dick Johnson registered the 82nd and final ATCC race podium finish of his career in heat two. Not bad for a 53 year old!

Click here for part two: the Adelaide 500 and the birth of The Bend…