1997 Primus 1000 Classic


The 1997 Primus 1000 Classic was a 1000 kilometre endurance race for V8 Supercars, staged at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia on 19 October 1997.
It was the inaugural "1000 Classic" race, created in response to the desire of V8 Supercar organisers AVESCO to compete at the popular Mount Panorama Circuit outside of the traditional Bathurst 1000 event, as AVESCO were in conflict with the Bathurst 1000 organisers, the Australian Racing Drivers' Club. While many attempts were made to broker a peace between the two bodies, there was a fundamental chasm over the issue of television coverage with AVESCO holding a series contract with Network Ten and the ARDC holding a contract with the Seven Network. The impasse was solved when Bathurst City Council negotiated a deal with AVESCO for a separate race, to be held two weeks after the 1997 AMP Bathurst 1000, which subsequently went ahead with a field of Australian and British Super Touring cars.
The 1997 Primus 1000 Classic was won by Larry Perkins and Russell Ingall driving a Holden VS Commodore.

Class structure

Level 1

These were the full-time professional teams, aiming to win the race outright and holders of a 'Level 1' V8 Supercar franchise.

Level 2

The smaller, part-time 'Level 2' teams, running on a Dunlop control tyre of lower, cheaper specification.

Special level 1

The smaller, part-time 'Level 2' teams, who wished to run on the tyres of their own choosing.

Top 10 Shootout

PosNoTeamDriverCarTime
Pole05Holden Racing Team Mark SkaifeHolden VS Commodore2:10.0397
21Glenn Seton Racing Glenn SetonFord EL Falcon2:10.8120
315Holden Racing Team Greg MurphyHolden VS Commodore2:11.0270
411Perkins Engineering Larry PerkinsHolden VS Commodore2:11.0826
597Holden Young Lions Jason BargwannaHolden VS Commodore2:11.0887
69Alan Jones Racing Alan JonesFord EL Falcon2:11.2317
717Dick Johnson Racing Dick JohnsonFord EL Falcon2:11.3336
846John Faulkner Racing John FaulknerHolden VS Commodore2:11.4114
918Dick Johnson Racing Steven JohnsonFord EL Falcon2:11.6200
107Wayne Gardner Racing Wayne GardnerHolden VS Commodore2:12.8269

Official results

PosClassNoTeamDriversCarLapsQual
Pos		Shootout
Pos
1L111Perkins Engineering Larry Perkins
Russell Ingall		Holden VS Commodore16164
2L134Garry Rogers Motorsport Steven Richards
Jim Richards		Holden VS Commodore16111
3L110Larkham Motor Sport Mark Larkham
Andrew Miedecke		Ford EL Falcon16112
4L118Dick Johnson Racing Steven Johnson
Craig Baird		Ford EL Falcon158109
5L146John Faulkner Racing John Faulkner
Win Percy		Holden VS Commodore15478
6L145Gibson Motorsport Darren Hossack
Steven Ellery		Holden VS Commodore15415
7L214Malcolm Stenniken Malcolm Stenniken
Peter Gazzard		Holden VS Commodore15433
8S13Lansvale Racing Team Steve Reed
Trevor Ashby		Holden VS Commodore15318
9L236Schembri Motorsport Neil Schembri
Ian Luff		Holden VS Commodore15330
10S127Terry Finnigan Terry Finnigan
Terry Shiel		Holden VS Commodore15317
11L19Alan Jones Racing Alan Jones
Scott Pruett
Jason Bright		Ford EL Falcon15396
12L216Perkins Engineering Melinda Price
Kerryn Brewer		Holden VS Commodore152DNQ
13L244Mal Rose Racing Mal Rose
Kevin Burton		Holden VS Commodore15027
14S149Greg Crick Motorsport Greg Crick
Peter Fitzgerald		Holden VS Commodore15014
15L220Palmer Promotions Ian Palmer
John English		Holden VS Commodore14636
16L221Walden Racing Brian Walden
Steve Williams		Holden VP Commodore14437
17L239Challenge Motorsport Chris Smerdon
Charlie Cox		Holden VS Commodore14325
18L226M3 Motorsport Peter Doulman
John Cotter		Holden VP Commodore13921
19L274PACE Racing Kevin Heffernan
Danny Osborne		Holden VS Commodore13524
DNFL262Novacastrian Motorsport Wayne Russell
Ric Shaw		Holden VS Commodore12634
DNFL11Glenn Seton Racing Glenn Seton
David Parsons		Ford EL Falcon12132
NCL240Michael Hart Michael Hart
Peter Lawrence		Holden VR Commodore11940
DNFL125Longhurst Racing Tony Longhurst
Charlie O'Brien		Ford EL Falcon11039
NCL237The Xerox Shop Alan Taylor
Bill Attard
Stephen Bell		Holden VP Commodore11038
DNFL258Everlast Automotive Peter O'Brien
Brian Callaghan Jr
Ron Barnacle		Holden VR Commodore10935
DNFL213John Faulkner Racing Ryan McLeod
Darren Pate		Holden VR Commodore10122
DNFL228Playscape Racing Kevin Waldock
John Smith		Ford EF Falcon9229
DNFL17Wayne Gardner Racing Wayne Gardner
Neil Crompton		Holden VS Commodore89410
DNFL279Cadillac Productions Mike Conway
Gavin Monaghan		Ford EB Falcon7928
DNFS138James Rosenberg Racing Mark Poole
Tony Scott		Holden VS Commodore7419
DNFS124Romano Racing Paul Romano
Allan Grice		Holden VS Commodore6920
DNFL223Ray Hislop Ray Hislop
Tim Briggs		Ford EF Falcon6226
DNFL241Garry Willmington Performance Garry Willmington
Bill Sieders		Holden VR Commodore6132
DNFL105Holden Racing Team Peter Brock
Mark Skaife		Holden VS Commodore5221
DNFL212Robert Smith Racing Bruce Williams
Paul Gover		Holden VS Commodore4631
DNFL233Pro-Duct Motorsport Bob Pearson
Allan McCarthy		Holden VS Commodore4323
DNFL115Holden Racing Team Craig Lowndes
Greg Murphy		Holden VS Commodore3883
DNFS147CDB Bottle Magic
Tomas Mezera		Holden VS Commodore2513
DNFL117Dick Johnson Racing
John Bowe		Ford EL Falcon1757
DNFL154Wayne Gardner Racing
Paul Stokell
Holden VS Commodore1616
DNSL197Holden Young Lions
Holden VS Commodore15

The names of drivers who did not drive in the actual race are shown in the above table within brackets.

Statistics