# 1978 Australian Touring Car Championship

The 1978 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Group C Touring Cars. The title, which was the 19th Australian Touring Car Championship, was won by Peter Brock. It was his second Australian Touring Car Championship victory.
For the second time in the history of the championship, the point score regulation which specified that not all results counted had an effect on the championship outcome. Bob Morris finishing the series on 53 points, two less than championship winner Peter Brock, after Morris lost the two points awarded for his fifth placing at Amaroo Park. However, the regulation did not actually change the championship winner as Brock would otherwise have won the title due to the tiebreaker rule with three round wins to one for Morris. Third in the championship was the consistent Rod Stevens driving his Under 3.0 litre Ford Escort RS2000. Stevens benefited from the point system that favoured the small class cars by giving bonus points for class placings.
In his first ATCC since 1973, five time series champion Ian Geoghegan won his ninth and last ATCC race when he drove his Bob Jane owned Holden Torana to a surprise win in Round 4 at Sandown. In what would be his last ATCC season, Geoghegan finished 13th in the championship.

## Calendar

The championship was contested over an eight round series.
| Rd. | Race / circuit | Location / state | Date | Format | Round winner | Car | Entrant |
| 1 | Symmons Plains Symmons Plains | Launceston, Tasmania | 5 March | One race | Peter Brock | Holden LX Torana A9X | Marlboro Holden Dealer Team |
| 2 | Oran Park Oran Park | Sydney, New South Wales | 26 March | One race | Peter Brock | Holden LX Torana A9X | Marlboro Holden Dealer Team |
| 3 | Amaroo Park Amaroo Park | Sydney, New South Wales | 9 April | One race | Allan Grice | Holden LX Torana A9X | Craven Mild Racing |
| 4 | Sandown Sandown | Melbourne, Victoria | 16 April | One race | Ian Geoghegan | Holden LX Torana A9X | Bob Jane T-Marts |
| 5 | Wanneroo Wanneroo Park | Perth, Western Australia | 7 May | Two heats | Peter Brock | Holden LX Torana A9X | Marlboro Holden Dealer Team |
| 6 | Calder Calder Park Raceway | Melbourne, Victoria | 28 May | One race | Bob Morris | Holden LX Torana A9X | Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing Team |
| 7 | Round 7 Presented by Rothmans Lakeside | Brisbane, Queensland | 25 June | One race | Allan Moffat | Ford XC Falcon | Moffat Ford Dealers |
| 8 | Adelaide International Raceway Adelaide International Raceway | Virginia, South Australia | 8 August | One race | Colin Bond | Ford XC Falcon | Moffat Ford Dealers |

## Classes

Car competed in two engine displacement classes:
* Up to and including 3000 cc
* 3001 to 6000 cc

## Points system

Championship points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the first six placegetters in each of the two classes. Bonus points were awarded on a 4–3–2–1 basis to the first four placegetters irrespective of class. Only the best six scores counted towards the championship totals.
Where a round was contested in two parts, points were allocated on a 20–16–13–11–10–9–8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis to the first 14 place-getters in each part and then aggregated. If more than one driver attained the same total, the superior round placing was awarded to the driver who was higher placed in the last part. Championship points were then awarded for the round.

## Championship standings

| Pos. | Driver | No. | Car | Entrant | Sym | Ora | Ama | San | Wan | Cal | Lak | Ade | Total |
| 1 | Peter Brock | 05 | Holden LX Torana A9X | Marlboro Holden Dealer Team | 13 | 13 | 6 | DSQ | 13 | | 4 | 6 | 55 |
| 2 | Bob Morris | 7 | Holden LX Torana A9X | Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing Team | 9 | 9 | (2) | 9 | 4 | 13 | 9 | Ret | 53 (55) |
| 3 | Rod Stevens | 69 | Ford Escort RS2000 * | Brian Wood Ford | | 4 | 3 | Ret | 9 | Ret | 9 | 9 | 34 |
| 4 | Allan Moffat | 1 | Ford XC Falcon | Moffat Ford Dealers | Ret | Ret | 9 | DSQ | | | 13 | 9 | 31 |
| 5 | Colin Bond | 2 | Ford XC Falcon | Moffat Ford Dealers | 4 | 4 | 4 | DSQ | | | Ret | 13 | 25 |
| 5 | Sue Ransom | 101 | Ford Capri V6 * | ABE Copiers Pty Ltd | | 6 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 1 | | 25 |
| 7 | Allan Grice | 26 | Holden LX Torana A9X | Craven Mild Racing | 2 | 0 | 13 | 6 | Ret | Ret | | 1 | 22 |
| 8 | John Harvey | 76 | Holden LX Torana A9X | Marlboro Holden Dealer Team | 6 | 0 | DNS | 4 | 9 | | Ret | | 19 |
| 9 | Barry Seton | 33 | Ford Capri V6 * | Amco | | 9 | 9 | | | | | | 18 |
| 10 | Dick Johnson | 17 | Ford XC Falcon | Bryan Byrt Ford | | 6 | Ret | | | 9 | DSQ | | 15 |
| 10 | Ray Cutchie | 53 | Ford Capri V6 * | Ray Cutchie | | | | 6 | | 9 | | | 15 |
| 10 | Ray Farrar | 46 | Ford Capri V6 * | R. Farrar / Brain Wood Ford | 9 | | | 3 | | 3 | | Ret | 15 |
| 13 | Ian Geoghegan | 3 | Holden LX Torana A9X | Bob Jane Racing Bob Jane T-Marts | Ret | | | 13 | | 1 | | | 14 |
| 14 | Colin Campbell | 50 | Ford Capri V6 * | Ranger Truck Rentals Pty Ltd | | | | | | 6 | | 6 | 12 |
| 15 | Lawrie Nelson | 38 | Ford Capri V6 * | Lawrie Nelson | | | | 9 | | | | | 9 |
| 15 | Peter Hopwood | 37 | Ford Capri IIS * | | | 3 | 6 | | | | | | 9 |
| 17 | Garry Rogers | 34 | Holden LX Torana A9X | Greater Pacific Finance | 1 | | 1 | | | 6 | | | 8 |
| 18 | Brian Potts | 48 | Mazda RX-3 * | | | 1 | | | | | 6 | | 7 |
| 19 | Wayne Negus | 4 | Holden LX Torana A9X | | | | | | 6 | | | | 6 |
| 19 | Charlie O'Brien | 15 | Holden LX Torana A9X | O'Brien's Transport | 0 | | | | | Ret | 6 | | 6 |
| 21 | Murray Carter | 18 | Ford XC Falcon | Brian Wood Ford | Ret | | | 0 | | 4 | | | 4 |
| 21 | Warren Cullen | 23 | Holden LX Torana A9X | Pioneer Electronics | Ret | | | 0 | | | | 4 | 4 |
| 21 | Jack Brabham | 8 | Holden LX Torana A9X | | | 2 | | 2 | | | | | 4 |
| 21 | Graham Mein | 102 | Ford Escort RS2000 * | | | | | | | | 4 | | 4 |
| 21 | Vic Wilson | 91 | Ford Capri V6 * | Vic Wilson | | | | | | | | 4 | 4 |
| 26 | Ross Burbidge | 72 | Mazda RX-3 * | | | | | | | | 3 | | 3 |
| 26 | David Cannon | 77 | Ford Escort RS2000 * | Wavell Dawson Car Sales | | | | | | | | 3 | 3 |
| 26 | Ian Lees | 42 | Ford Capri V6 * | Ian Lees | | | | 1 | | 2 | | | 3 |
| 26 | Noel Edwards | 44 | Mazda RX-3 * | Noel Edwards | | | | | | 1 | | 2 | 3 |
| 30 | Colin Hall | 21 | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | | | | | | 2 | | | | 2 |
| 30 | Peter Janson | 9 | Holden LX Torana A9X | Re-Car | | | | | | 2 | | | 2 |
| 30 | Graham Ryan | 19 | Holden LX Torana A9X | | | | | | | | 2 | | 2 |
| 30 | Jim Richards | 27 | Holden LX Torana A9X | Marlboro Holden Dealer Team | | | | | | | | 2 | 2 |
| 30 | John Goss | 31 | Ford XC Falcon | John Goss Pty Ltd | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | 2 |
| 30 | John Faulkner | 49 | Ford Capri V6 * | Wynn's Friction Proofing | | 2 | | | | | | | 2 |
| 30 | Terry Shiel | 41 | Mazda RX-3 * | | | | | 2 | | | | | 2 |
| 30 | Evan Thomas | 93 | Mazda RX-3 * | | | | | | | | 2 | | 2 |
| 38 | Barry Kallawk | 86 | Holden LX Torana A9X | | | 0 | | | 1 | | | | 1 |
| 38 | Peter Kuebler | 64 | Alfa Romeo * | Safcol-Snappy Tom | | | | | | | | 1 | 1 |
| Pos. | Driver | No. | Car | Entrant | Sym | Ora | Ama | San | Wan | Cal | Lak | Ade | Total |
| Colour | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | Second place |
| Bronze | Third place |
| Green | Points finish |
| Blue | Non-points finish |
| Blue | Non-classified finish (NC) |
| Purple | Retired (Ret) |
| Red | Did not qualify (DNQ) |
| Red | Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| White | Withdrew (WD) |
| White | Race cancelled (C) |
| Blank | Did not practice (DNP) |
| Blank | Did not arrive (DNA) |
| Blank | Excluded (EX) |
Note: Cars marked with an asterisk competed in the "Up to and including 3000 cc" class.