Australian Endurance Championship

The Australian Endurance Championship is an Australian motor racing title which has been awarded by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport in numerous years and for numerous categories since 1981.

Australian Endurance Championship
CategoryTouring car racing
Production car racing
GT racing
CountryAustralia
Inaugural season1981
Drivers' championGeoff Emery
Garth Tander
Official websiteAustralian Endurance Championship

History

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Touring cars

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The title was first contested as a championship for car manufacturers. Replacing the Australian Championship of Makes, which had been held from 1976 to 1980, it was decided over a series of endurance races for cars complying with CAMS Group C Touring Car regulations. In the years from 1982 to 1984, the winner of the Australian Endurance Championship was the most successful driver rather than the manufacturer. The Australian Endurance Championship of Makes, run concurrently with the drivers’ title, was the new name for the manufacturers’ award.

For 1985 the manufacturers’ title was again renamed, now becoming the Australian Manufacturers' Championship. The dual Australian Endurance Championship / Australian Manufacturers' Championship titles were contested in both 1985 and 1986 over a series of endurance races for cars complying with Australian Touring Car regulations, which were based on International Group A. No Australian Endurance Championship was awarded in the years from 1987 to 1989, however the Australian Manufacturers' Championship continued, now contested over the same series of sprint races as the Australian Touring Car Championship.

In 1990 CAMS re-instated the Australian Endurance Championship, once again as a drivers’ championship, run over a series of endurance races for Group 3A Touring Cars. The Australian Manufacturers' Championship title was moved back to this series in the same year, however this format was only utilised for two years and the titles were not contested in 1992. From 2013 onwards, an Enduro Cup was awarded to the drivers scoring the most championship points over the three two-driver endurance events in the Supercars Championship.

Production cars

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The CAMS Australian Endurance Championship title was revived in 2011 and contested within the Australian Manufacturers' Championship from that year through to 2015.[1][2]

GT cars

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From 2016, the CAMS Australian Endurance Championship was contested by Australian GT cars.[3] The inaugural season included four 101 lap races, at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Sydney Motorsport Park, Hampton Downs Motorsport Park and the Highlands 101 at Highlands Motorsport Park. In 2018, the Australian Endurance Championship was conducted over the three Endurance rounds of the Australian GT Championship,[4] rather than being contested as a separate series.

Champions

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The following table lists the winners of the Australian Endurance Championship as awarded by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport.

Season[5] Champion Vehicle
1981 Toyota (Australia) Toyota Celica
1982   Allan Moffat Mazda RX-7
1983   Peter McLeod Mazda RX-7
1984   Allan Moffat Mazda RX-7
1985   Jim Richards BMW 635 CSi
1986   Jim Richards BMW 635 CSi
1987

1989
Not contested
1990   Glenn Seton Ford Sierra RS500
1991   Mark Gibbs
  Rohan Onslow
Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R
1992

2010
Not contested
2011   Stuart Kostera
  Ian Tulloch
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
2012   Stuart Kostera
  Ian Tulloch
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
2013 Not contested
2014   Grant Sherrin[6] BMW 135i
2015   Grant Sherrin BMW 135i
2016   Grant Denyer
  Nathan Morcom
McLaren 650S GT3
2017   Peter Hackett
  Dominic Storey
Mercedes-AMG GT3
2018   Max Twigg
  Tony D'Alberto
Mercedes-AMG GT3
2019   Geoff Emery
  Garth Tander
Audi R8 LMS Evo

Multiple winners

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By driver

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Wins Driver Years
2   Allan Moffat 1982, 1984
  Jim Richards 1985, 1986
  Stuart Kostera 2011, 2012
  Ian Tulloch 2011, 2012
  Grant Sherrin 2014, 2015

By manufacturer

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Wins Manufacturer Years
4   BMW 1985, 1986, 2014, 2015
3   Mazda 1982, 1983, 1984
2   Mitsubishi 2011, 2012
  Mercedes-Benz 2017, 2018

Australian Production Car Endurance Championship

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CAMS also awarded an Australian Production Car Endurance Championship in 2011 and 2012.[5] It was contested with the Australian Manufacturers' Championship in both years.[1][7]

Champions

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The following table lists the winners of the Australian Production Car Endurance Championship as awarded by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport.

Year[5] Champion Car
2011 Stuart Kostera
Ian Tulloch
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
2012 Stuart Kostera
Ian Tulloch
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

AASA claim

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The Australian Autosport Alliance (AASA) has previously run a competition it dubbed the Australian Endurance Championship.

An alternate sanctioning body to CAMS, which ran the Australian Endurance Championship from 1981 to present, the AASA competition is not considered official or legitimate, and is not a recognised competition by the Australian Office of Sport.

The AASA competition centered on placing a title across the otherwise disconnected events, which in 2013 saw its title \awarded to highest point-scorer in the Wakefield 300 and Winton 300 endurance events.[citation needed]

In 2014, it also included the Willowbank 300 at Queensland Raceway. This 3 event series was won by Justin Ruggier and Mark Mackay.

See also

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References

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  • Australian Motor Racing Yearbooks, 1981/82 to 1991/92
  • CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1981 to 1991
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