Australian Touring Car Championship

== Links to Formula One ==
The Australian Touring Car Championship was first organised in 1960 by the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS) as a response to the growing popularity of racing ordinary passenger sedans over sportscars or single seater racing in Australia. The inaugral championship in 1960 was a single race at the Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit in New South Wales. 
The motor racing journalist, David McKay to whom was racing a 13.4 took the inaugral championship when he won at Gnoo Blas. The inaugral ATCC championship race provided much popularity to Australia about the concept of motor racing. The idea of touring cars as being an affordable racing series in Australia was proving to be of popular interest to the Australian public. 
In the inaugral race, it was a British manufacturer in Jaguar to have taken the first win, however although the Jaguar's were proving to be the fastest, the Holden, an Australian manufacturer was proving to be a popular choice among the first ATCC racers. Jaguar drivers' won the opening three seasons of the ATCC, however in 1964, it was a Cortina that took the victory. 
Ford had been a quiet competitor in the ATCC's opening years, however following 1964, Ford would begin its string of domination in the sport. It would take until 1970 for Holden, Australia's leading car manufacturer to take its first win in the sport. 
In 1969, the ATCC for the first time expanded to a multiple race season. The season had five races within New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania. The points' system that was introduced to determine the championship was identical to that which was used to determine the Formula One world championship.
In 1972 this was somewhat modified to which the individual race standings would still follow the Formula One points system, however the top four drivers' in the championship would receive a points boost regardless of their individual race position. 
By the mid-1970's, the ATCC was proving to be the most popular motor racing entertainment in Australia. Although it was not as prestigious as the Australian Grand Prix and did not attract the best international Formula One drivers' like the Tasman Series, it was however a more relatable and affordable form of motorsport for the average household to follow. 
However the series did not spark particular interest among the International racing community, even Jack Brabham, Australia's most accomplished racing driver was not intrigued by the ATCC throughout his career. It was not until 1975 that one of Australia's international racers, Frank Gardner opted to enter the series. 
Gardner whom had briefly raced Formula One as well as the World Sportscar Championship  had decided to return to live in Australia full-time and made brief apperances in the ATCC throughout 1975 and 1976. Gardner thereafter never returned to the touring cars to which he preferred to focus his interests on the Australian Endurance Championship.
However in 1976, Australia's first Formula One world champion, Jack Brabham opted to briefly come out of retirement to compete in the series. Brabham whom was racing a Holden Torano took fourth place in his first race at Surfers Paradise for the 1976 Rothmans 300. In 1978, Brabham made a further two appearances at Oran Park and Sandown to which he scored two fifth places for Holden.
==Drivers==
Note: Only drivers who have completed in a round of the Formula One World Championship are listed here.
Entries
Driver 	F1 years 	ATCC Years
Sébastien Bourdais	2008-2009 	2010-2012, 2015
David Brabham 	1990, 1994 	1999, 2003-2006, 2010-2013
Jack Brabham 	1955-1970 	1976-1978
Frank Gardner 	1964-1965, 1968 	1975-1976
Lucas di Grassi 	2010 	2012
Nick Heidfeld 	2000-2011 	2012
Alan Jones 	1975-1981, 1983, 1985-1986	1985, 1990-2002
Christian Klien 	2004-2006, 2010 	2011-2012
Vitantonio Liuzzi 	2005-2007, 2009-2011 	2011-2012
Jan Magnussen 	1995, 1997-1998 	2003, 2011
Franck Montagny 	2006 	2012
Tiago Monteiro 	2005-2006 	2010
Gianni Morbidelli 	1990-1992, 1994-1995, 1997	2010-2012
Larry Perkins 	1974, 1976-1977 	1977, 1981, 1985, 1987-2003
Emanuele Pirro 	1989-1991 	2011
Mika Salo 	1994-2000, 2002 	2010-2012
Stéphane Sarrazin 	1999 	2011-2012
Jacques Villeneuve	1996-2006 	2010, 2012
Justin Wilson 	2003 	2012
Alex Yoong 	2001-2002 	2004
===Races Entered===
Driver 	F1 Races Entered
Nick Heidfeld 	185
Jacques Villeneuve	165
Jack Brabham 	128
Alan Jones 	117
Mika Salo 	111
Vitantonio Liuzzi 	81
Gianni Morbidelli 	70
Christian Klien 	51
Emanuele Pirro 	40
Tiago Monteiro 	37
David Brabham 	30
Sébastien Bourdais	27
Jan Magnussen 	25
Lucas di Grassi 	19
Larry Perkins 	18
Alex Yoong 	18
Justin Wilson 	16
Frank Gardner 	9
Franck Montagny 	7
Stéphane Sarrazin 	1
Driver 	ATCC Races Entered
Larry Perkins 	320
Alan Jones 	186
David Brabham 	24
Sébastien Bourdais 	10
Jacques Villeneuve 	8
Gianni Morbidelli 	6
Mika Salo 	6
Jack Brabham 	4
Christian Klien 	4
Stéphane Sarrazin 	4
Alex Yoong 	4
Vitantonio Liuzzi 	3
Jan Magnussen 	3
Frank Gardner 	2
Nick Heidfeld 	2
Emanuele Pirro 	2
Tiago Monteiro 	2
Justin Wilson 	2
Lucas di Grassi 	1
Franck Montagny	1
===Points===
Driver 	F1 points
Nick Heidfeld 	259
Jack Brabham 	253
Jacques Villeneuve	235
Alan Jones 	199
Mika Salo 	33
Vitantonio Liuzzi 	26
Christian Klien 	14
Gianni Morbidelli 	8.5
Tiago Monteiro 	7
Sébastien Bourdais	6
Emanuele Pirro 	3
Jan Magnussen 	1
Justin Wilson 	1
Driver 	ATCC points
Larry Perkins 	6763
Alan Jones 	2136
Sébastien Bourdais	711
David Brabham 	560
Jan Magnussen 	281
Alex Yoong 	278
Christian Klien 	228
Mika Salo 	201
Emanuele Pirro 	114
Vitantonio Liuzzi 	48
Gianni Morbidelli 	45
Stéphane Sarrazin 	42
Jack Brabham 	9
Frank Gardner 	6
===Podiums===
Driver 	F1 podiums
Jack Brabham 	31
Alan Jones 	24
Jacques Villeneuve	23
Nick Heidfeld 	13
Mika Salo 	2
Tiago Monteiro 	1
Gianni Morbidelli 	1
Driver 	ATCC podiums
Larry Perkins 	38
Alan Jones 	32
Sébastien Bourdais	4
Mika Salo 	2
Frank Gardner 	1
===Pole Positions===
Driver 	F1 poles
Jack Brabham 	13
Jacques Villeneuve	13
Alan Jones 	6
Nick Heidfeld 	1
Driver 	ATCC poles
 Sébastien Bourdais	4
Alan Jones 	2
Frank Gardner 	1
Larry Perkins 	1
===Wins===
Driver 	F1 wins
Jack Brabham 	14
Alan Jones 	12
Jacques Villeneuve	11
Driver 	ATCC Wins
Larry Perkins 	8
Alan Jones 	5
Sébastien Bourdais	2
Mika Salo 	1
===Championships===
Driver 	WDC	Seasons
Jack Brabham 	3 	1959, 1960, 1966
Alan Jones 	1 	1980
Jacques Villeneuve	1 	1997
Driver	ATCC champion	Seasons
- 	- 	-
== Manufacturers ==
Note: Only manufactuers who have competed in a round of the Formula One World Championship are listed here.
===Entries===
Manufacturer	F1 years 	ATCC Years
 	1950-1951, 1961-1963, 1965, 1970-1971, 1976-1987	1966-1967, 1969-1983, 1986-1993
 	1952-1954, 1967-1969, 1981-1988, 2000-2009 	1975-1977, 1981-1993
 	1950, 1952-1969 	1963-1974
 	1966-2004 	1960-present
 	1950-1956 	1966
 	1964-1968, 1983-1992, 2000-2008, 2015-present 	1976-1977
 	2000-2004 	1960-1964, 1985-1988
 	1958-1994 	1965, 1967-1971
 	1954-1955, 1994-present 	1988, 1990, 2013-2015
 	1994-2000 	1961-1962
 	1957-1964, 1984-1987, 1991 	1968-1971
 	1977-1986, 1989-1997, 2001-present 	1964
 	2002-2009 	1968-1976, 1979-1993
== Venues ==
* Adelaide Street Circuit
* Albert Park Circuit (non-championship until 2018)
* Yas Marina Circuit
* Circuit of the Americas
* Shanghai International Circuit
* Bahrain International Circuit
Category:Motor racing series
Category:Needs introduction