1990 Australian Touring Car season


The 1990 Australian Touring Car season was the 31st year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.
There were 12 touring car race meetings held during 1990; an eight-round series, the 1990 Australian Touring Car Championship ; a support programme event at the 1990 Australian Grand Prix and a three-round series of long distance races, nicknamed 'enduros', which counted towards both the 1990 Australian Endurance Championship and the 1990 Australian Manufacturers' Championship.

Season review

After two years domination by Dick Johnson Racings Ford Sierras, 1990 was to prove much of an upset year with race victories spread across seven teams with Nissan and Holden teams taking wins off the massed privateer Ford teams. The arrival of the 4WD, twin turbo Nissan Skyline GT-R towards the end of the Australian Touring Car Championship was enough for Jim Richards to take Nissan's first title in a four driver showdown again Ford Sierra threesome, Dick Johnson, Peter Brock and the surprising Colin Bond who had won the Lakeside and Mallala rounds of the ATCC. Glenn Seton took his first race wins as a team owner beginning with the Sandown 500, while the Holden Racing Team took a memorable Bathurst win for Win Percy and Allan Grice outlasting the GT-R and the pack of tyre frying Sierras on a day of attrition. Larry Perkins underlined Holden's return to form by winning Eastern Creek Raceways first major touring car race at the end of the season.

Results and standings

Race calendar

The 1990 Australian touring car season consisted of 12 events.
DateSeriesCircuitCity / StateWinnerTeamCarReport
25 FebATCC Round 1Amaroo ParkSydney, New South WalesJim RichardsNissan Motorsport AustraliaNissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R
11 MarATCC Round 2Symmons Plains RacewayLaunceston, TasmaniaDick JohnsonShell Ultra-Hi RacingFord Sierra RS500
25 MarATCC Round 3Phillip Island Grand Prix CircuitPhillip Island, VictoriaDick JohnsonShell Ultra-Hi RacingFord Sierra RS500
8 AprATCC Round 4Winton Motor RacewayBenalla, VictoriaJim RichardsNissan Motorsport AustraliaNissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R
6 MayATCC Round 5Lakeside International RacewayBrisbane, QueenslandColin BondCaltex CXT RacingFord Sierra RS500
10 JunATCC Round 6Mallala Motor Sport ParkMallala, South AustraliaColin BondCaltex CXT RacingFord Sierra RS500
24 JunATCC Round 7Barbagallo RacewayPerth, Western AustraliaPeter BrockMobil 1 RacingFord Sierra RS500
15 JulATCC Round 8Oran Park RacewaySydney, New South WalesJim RichardsNissan Motorsport AustraliaNissan Skyline R32 GT-R
9 SepSandown 500 AEC Round 1Sandown International RacewayMelbourne, VictoriaGlenn Seton
George Fury
Peter Jackson RacingFord Sierra RS500report
30 SepTooheys 1000 AEC Round 2Mount Panorama CircuitBathurst, New South WalesWin Percy
Allan Grice
Holden Racing TeamHolden VL Commodore SS Group A SVreport
3-4 NovAnsett Air Freight ChallengeAdelaide Street CircuitAdelaide, South AustraliaGlenn SetonPeter Jackson RacingFord Sierra RS500
10 NovNissan Sydney 500 AEC Round 3Eastern Creek RacewaySydney, New South WalesLarry Perkins
Tomas Mezera
Perkins EngineeringHolden VL Commodore SS Group A SVreport

Australian Touring Car Championship

Australian Endurance Championship

Sandown 500

Tooheys 1000

Nissan Sydney 500

Australian Manufacturers' Championship

Ansett Air Freight Challenge

The Ansett Air Freight Challenge was a support event at the 1990 Australian Grand Prix meeting. Nissan Motorsport Australia had intended to run two of the new 4WD, twin-turbo Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R's at the meeting, but were reduced to just one car after Mark Skaife rolled his GT-R at Brewery Bend during practice.
DriverNo.TeamCarRace 1Race 2
Glenn Seton30Peter Jackson RacingFord Sierra RS50031
Dick Johnson17Shell Ultra Hi RacingFord Sierra RS50062
Win Percy16Holden Racing TeamHolden VL Commodore SS Group A SVDNF3
Alan Jones20Benson & Hedges RacingFord Sierra RS50044
Chris Lambden23BeaurepairesNissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R85
Wayne Park29Wayne ParkHolden VL Commodore SS Group A SV76
Ray Lintott12Ray LintottFord Sierra RS500107
Joe Sommariva28Joe SommarivaHolden VL Commodore SS Group A SV118
John Faulkner71Toyota Team AustraliaToyota Corolla FX-GT149
Murray Carter14NetcommFord Sierra RS5001710
Peter Brock05Mobil 1 RacingFord Sierra RS500DNFDNF
Colin Bond8Caltex CXT RacingFord Sierra RS5005DNF
Tony Longhurst25Benson & Hedges RacingFord Sierra RS500DNFDNF
John Bowe18Shell Ultra Hi RacingFord Sierra RS5002DNF
Jim Richards2Nissan Motorsport AustraliaNissan Skyline R32 GT-R1DNF
Phil Ward51Phil Ward RacingMercedes-Benz 190E9
Mark Skaife1Nissan Motorsport AustraliaNissan Skyline R32 GT-RDNSDNS