South Pacific Touring Car Championship


The South Pacific Touring Car Championship was a motorsport championship staged in Australia and New Zealand for Group A touring cars between October and December in 1986. The championship was won by Australian driver Allan Grice.
Unfortunately, the series received little support from the top teams, especially the Australians other than for the first two rounds held in Australia, while all bar a couple of the New Zealand teams only contested NZ races. Once the series went to New Zealand, Grice and Charlie O'Brien were in fact the only Australian drivers to support the series while those such as Peter Jackson Nissan, JPS Team BMW and the Mobil Holden Dealer Team completely ignored the NZ races.
The series was reportedly set to continue in 1987, however after the first race in Adelaide, interest flagged as the Australian teams were not interested in going to New Zealand after a long season which included the 1987 World Touring Car Championship rounds at Bathurst, Calder and Wellington and the series was cancelled.

Champions

1986 race calendar

The 1986 South Pacific Touring Car Championship was contested over a five-round series with two races in Australia and three races in New Zealand.
Round 1 of the series also doubled as Round 5 of the 1986 Australian Endurance Championship, while Round 2 in Adelaide also doubled as the Group A support race at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix.
Rd.Race TitleCircuitCityDateWinnerCarTeamReport
1The Sun South Pacific 300Calder Park RacewayMelbourne19 October George Fury
Glenn Seton
Nissan Skyline DR30 RSPeter Jackson Nissan Racing
2South Australia CupAdelaide Street CircuitAdelaide25 October Allan GriceHolden VK Commodore SS Group ARoadways Racing
3Manfield SPTCCManfeild AutocoursePalmerston North30 November Graeme Crosby
Wayne Wilkinson
Holden VK Commodore SS Group ABob Jane T-Marts
4Baypark SPTCCBaypark RacewayMount Maunganui7 December Allan Grice
Kent Baigent
Nissan Skyline DR30 RSTeam Nissan Racing NZ
5Pukekohe SPTCCPukekohe Park RacewayPukekohe14 December Charlie O'Brien
Glenn McIntyre
BMW 635 CSiState Coal BMW

Championship results