The 1998 AMP Bathurst 1000 was the 40th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 4 October 1998 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst. It was the second year of the controversial split between race organisers, the Australian Racing Drivers Club, and V8 Supercar, which had led to Australia's leading touring car series leaving the Bathurst 1000. The V8 Supercar teams raced the 1998 FAI 1000 race, held six weeks later. The race distance was 161 laps, approximately 1000 km.
Class structure The 1998 AMP Bathurst 1000 was an endurance race for Super Touring Cars, New Zealand Touring Cars and Production Cars.
ST The class featured International Group 2 Touring Cars, otherwise known as Supertouring. It featured teams from Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain fielding a total of 28 cars. Featured cars were: Alfa Romeo 155, Audi A4, BMW 318i, BMW 320i, Ford Mondeo, Holden Vectra, Honda Accord, Hyundai Lantra, Nissan Primera, Peugeot 405, Peugeot 406, Toyota Carina, Vauxhall Cavalier, Vauxhall Vectra and Volvo S40.
NZ The New Zealand touring car series, Schedule S, was invited and the ten car entry featured: BMW 320i, BMW 325i, Ford Telstar, Honda Integra, Nissan Sentra, Peugeot 405, Suzuki Baleno, Toyota Corolla and Toyota Corona.
3E Production cars, conforming to an older version of the Australian Production Car Championship regulations were also invited with five cars arriving. They cars were: Honda Civic, Mazda 626 and Toyota Camry.
Top ten run-off Post-qualifying shootout results as follows:
Pos No Team Driver Car Time 1 40 Volvo S40 Racing Rickard Rydell Volvo S40 2:14.9265 2 34 Team Dynamics Steven Richards Nissan Primera 2:16.4143 3 4 Volvo S40 Racing Tim Harvey Volvo S40 2:16.4672 4 80 Team Vectra Greg Murphy Holden Vectra 2:16.7782 5 8 Team Vectra Derek Warwick Vauxhall Vectra 2:17.3103 6 2 Audi Sport Australia Paul Morris Audi A4 Quattro 2:18.2657 7 1 Audi Sport Australia Brad Jones Audi A4 Quattro 2:18.3658 8 29 Brookes Motorsport Lee Brookes Honda Accord 2:18.9932 9 12 Greenfield Mowers Racing Cameron McLean BMW 320i 2:19.1715 10 88 Knight Racing Peter Hills Ford Mondeo 2:22.9436
Official results Race results as follows:
Pos Class No Team Drivers Car Laps Time/Retired Grid 1 ST 40 Volvo S40 Racing Rickard Rydell Jim Richards Volvo S40 161 6:54:23.4756 1 2 ST 34 Team Dynamics Steven Richards Matt Neal Nissan Primera 161 +1.9975 2 3 ST 1 Audi Sport Australia Brad Jones Cameron McConville Audi A4 Quattro 161 +25.7516 7 4 ST 12 Greenfield Mowers Racing Cameron McLean Tony Scott BMW 320i 159 +2 laps 9 5 ST 8 Team Vectra Derek Warwick John Cleland Vauxhall Vectra 157 +4 laps 5 6 ST 88 Knight Racing Peter Hills Domenic Beninca Ford Mondeo 155 +6 laps 10 7 ST 30 Roadchill Express Troy Searle Luke Searle BMW 320i 152 +9 laps 12 8 ST 22 Rod Wilson Racing Rodney Forbes Rod Wilson BMW 318i 152 +9 laps 15 9 ST 16 Faber-Castell Racing Justin Mathews Bob Holden Paul Nelson BMW 318i 145 +16 laps 16 10 NZ 64 International Motorsport Kevin Bell Rod Hicks BMW 320i 144 +17 laps 28 11 ST 20 Brian Bradshaw Race Preparation Dennis Chapman Brian Bradshaw BMW 318i 144 +17 laps 22 12 NZ 65 International Motorsport Aaron Harris Miles Worsley BMW 325i 141 +20 laps 33 13 ST 45 Gun Motorsport David Auger Lawrie Kyte Alfa Romeo 155 137 +24 laps 17 14 3E 35 Tom Watkinson Tom Watkinson Calvin Gardiner Mazda 626 136 +25 laps 36 15 3E 71 Rebound Clothing Co. Phil Kirkham Matt Lehmann Mazda 626 135 +26 laps 34 16 NZ 67 Geoff Short Geoff Short Greg Goudie Ford Telstar 131 +30 laps 32 17 3E 37 Ken Talbert Ken Talbert Carlos Rolfo Mazda 626 130 +31 laps 40 18 ST 25 Rodney Jones Racing Mike Newton Jamie Miller Vauxhall Cavalier 128 +33 laps 30 DNF ST 14 Racing Projects Blair Smith Jim Cornish Nissan Primera 139 Crash damage 13 DNF NZ 63 International Motorsport Jason Richards Barrie Thomlinson BMW 320i 128 Engine 24 NC NZ 68 Wayne Johnson Wayne Johnson Maurice O'Reilly Honda Integra 120 Not Classified 37 NC ST 49 Grid Motorsport Anthony Robson Ric Shaw BMW 318i 112 Not Classified 21 DNF NZ 70 Air Vanuatu / Bartercard Ted Jarvis Tony Rutherford Toyota Corolla 111 Engine 42 NC ST 11 All Auto Parts Milton Leslight Dennis Cribbin Toyota Carina 110 Not Classified 27 NC ST 58 HVE Motorsport Paul Pickett Peter Rushton Nigel Stones Hyundai Lantra 107 Not Classified 19 DNF ST 2 Audi Sport Australia Paul Morris Paul Radisich Audi A4 Quattro 84 Crash damage 6 DNF ST 80 Team Vectra Greg Murphy Russell Ingall Holden Vectra 83 Crash 4 DNF ST 4 Volvo S40 Racing Tim Harvey Jan Nilsson Volvo S40 82 Crash 3 DNF ST 98 Knight Racing Paula Elstrek Damien Digby Heidi O'Neill Ford Mondeo 78 Spun Off 25 DNF ST 77 Motorsport Developments Malcolm Rea Wayne Wakefield Toyota Carina 76 Crash 23 DNF ST 24 Bruce Miles Bruce Miles Murray Cleland BMW 318i 63 Gearbox 20 DNF 3E 38 Phoenix Motorsport David Ratcliff Ron Searle Toyota Camry 59 Electrical 35 DNF NZ 61 Prestige Motorsports Management Peter Van Breugel Ian Spurle Mike Eady Nissan Sentra SSS 56 Crash 26 DNF ST 10 TC Motorsport Tony Newman Mark Williamson Peugeot 406 52 Engine 11 DNF ST 29 Brookes Motorsport Robb Gravett Lee Brookes Honda Accord 49 Oil Sump 8 DNF NZ 90 Robert Ker Bernie Gillon Paul Pedersen Toyota Corona 47 Engine/Driveshaft 31 DNF NZ 62 BT Motorsport Bill Tunzelmann Malcolm Udy Peugeot 405 47 Steering 41 DNF 3E 33 Burwood Motorsport Allan Letcher Adam Macrow Cameron Edwards Honda Civic 34 Suspension 38 DNF ST 18 Aaron McGill Aaron McGill Clayton Haynes Peugeot 405 24 Suspension 18 DNF ST 60 Knight Racing Warren Luff Mark Zonneveld Ford Mondeo 18 Engine 14 DNF ST 23 MF Motorsport Mike Fitzgerald Jenni Thompson Peugeot 405 17 Suspension 29 DNF ST 15 Racing Projects Jamie Wall Mark Adderton Honda Accord 14 Steering 43 DNS NZ 66 Suzuki Value Finance Max Pennington Grant Aitken Chris Bird Suzuki Baleno Crash in Qualifying 39
Statistics Provisional Pole Position – #80 Greg Murphy Pole Position – #40 Rickard Rydell – 2:14.9265 Fastest Lap – #40 Rickard Rydell – 2:17.9558 – Lap 153 Average Speed – N/A Race Time – 6:54:23.4756
References
Auto Action, 2–8 October 1998 Auto Action, 9–15 October 1998