The 1985 Castrol 500 was an endurance race for "Group A" Touring Cars staged at the Sandown International Motor Racing Circuit in Victoria on 15 September 1985. Race distance was 129 laps of the 3.878 km (1.928 mi) circuit, totaling 500.262 km.

The event was Round 3 of both the 1985 Australian Endurance Championship and the 1985 Australian Manufacturers' Championship. There were 36 starters, of which 21 were classified as finishers.[1]

The race was won by the JPS Team BMW 635 CSi of Australian Touring Car Champion Jim Richards, and his co-driver Tony Longhurst. It was Longhurst's first major win in Australian touring car racing. JPS Team BMW made it a 1-2 finish when their second car, driven by Neville Crichton and on-loan Nissan team driver George Fury finished only a few seconds behind. Finishing in third place was the surprising Toyota Supra of Peter Williamson and 1985 Motorcraft Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series winner Tomas Mezera.

The 1985 Castrol 500 was the first time since 1972 that neither Peter Brock or Allan Moffat had won the Sandown enduro. 1984 Castrol 500 winner Brock, who claimed pole position with a time of 1:52.3 in his Holden Dealer Team VK Commodore SS, suffered engine failure after 41 laps, while Moffat, who was without a drive in 1985 due to Mazda not racing in Group A, was part of the ABC television commentary team.

Classes

The field was divided into three classes according to engine displacement.[2]

  • Class A : 3001 cc to 6000 cc[2]
  • Class B : 2001 cc to 3000 cc[2]
  • Class C : Up to 2000 cc[2]

Results

Top 10 Qualifiers

PosNo.[2]Entrant[2]DriverCar[1]Time
Pole05Mobil Holden Dealer TeamPeter BrockHolden VK Commodore SS[2]1:52.3
26Roadways Racing ServicesAllan GriceHolden VK Commodore SS[2]1:52.4
317Palmer Tube MillsDick JohnsonFord Mustang GT1:52.4
41JPS Team BMWJim RichardsBMW 635 CSi1:52.7
555Mark PetchRobbie FrancevicVolvo 240T1:52.9
643Mitsubishi RalliartPeter FitzgeraldMitsubishi Starion turbo1:53.3
77Mobil Holden Dealer TeamJohn HarveyHolden VK Commodore SS[2]1:53.7
842Mitsubishi RalliartKevin BartlettMitsubishi Starion turbo1:54.4
931JPS Team BMWGeorge FuryBMW 635 CSi1:54.4
103K. BaigentNeal LoweBMW 635 CSi1:54.4

Race

Position[1]Class[2]No.[2]Entrant[2]Drivers[1]Car[1]Laps[1]
1A1JPS Team BMWJim Richards
Tony Longhurst		BMW 635 CSi129
2A31JPS Team BMWNeville Crichton
George Fury		BMW 635 CSi129
3B44Peter Williamson ToyotaPeter Williamson
Tomas Mezera		Toyota Supra127
4B47Network AlfaColin Bond
Gregg Hansford		Alfa Romeo GTV6[2]126
5A36Lusty Engineering Pty LtdGraham Lusty
Ken Lusty		Holden VK Commodore SS[2]123
6A39Sleepy Head Bedding Co.Graeme Bowkett
Wayne Wilkinson		Holden VK Commodore SS[2]123
7A14Auckland Coin & Bullion Exchange Co.Denny Hulme
Ray Smith		Holden VK Commodore SS[2]121
8A13Grellis MarketingRay Ellis
Bernie McLure		Holden VK Commodore SS[2]120
9C61Toyota Team AustraliaRay Cutchie
John Faulkner		Toyota Sprinter115
10C57Bob Holden MotorsBob Holden
Glenn Clark		Toyota Sprinter115
11C58Bob Holden MotorsDavid Ratcliffe[2]
Don Smith		Toyota Sprinter114
12C88J. WhiteJohn White
Les Szreniawski		Isuzu Gemini ZZ112
13B45Alfa CityRay Gulson
Frank Porter		Alfa Romeo GTV6111
14B53Hulcraft AutoJohn Craft
Les Grose		Ford Capri107
15B52Hulcraft AutoPat Hogbin
John Hogbin		Ford Capri102
16C64K. HarrisonKen Harrison
Ian Wells		Ford Escort100
17B42Mitsubishi RalliartKevin Bartlett
Peter McKay		Mitsubishi Starion turbo[2]100
18B50J. L. HazeltonLaurie Hazelton
Jerry Stauberg		Ford Capri100
19A17Palmer Tube MillsDick Johnson
Larry Perkins		Ford Mustang GT[2]92
20C66Jagparts RacingLorraine Orchard
Paul Taylor		Triumph Dolomite84
21B54Melbourne Clutch & Brake ServiceBrian Sampson
Garry Waldon		Mitsubishi Starion turbo[2]51
DNFA41B. JonesBarry Jones
Tony Mulvihill		Holden VK Commodore SS[2]92
DNFA24Jagparts RacingGerald Kay
Martin Power		Holden VK Commodore SS[2]92
DNFA12G. WillmingtonGary Willmington[2]
Peter Janson		Jaguar XJS81
DNFA7Mobil Holden Dealer TeamJohn Harvey
David Parsons		Holden VK Commodore SS[2]78
DNFA6 Roadways Racing ServicesAllan Grice
Warren Cullen		Holden VK Commodore SS[2]68
DNFC60Toyota Team AustraliaJohn Smith
Drew Price		Toyota Corolla66
DNFB49J. BundyJohn Bundy
Norm Carr		Mazda RX-765
DNFB55Mark PetchRobbie Francevic
John Bowe		Volvo 240T60
DNFB43Mitsubishi RalliartPeter Fitzgerald
Brad Jones		Mitsubishi Starion turbo[2]50
DNFA21Erle McRae Motor SportCharlie O'Brien
Andrew Miedecke		BMW 635 CSi50
DNFA05Mobil Holden Dealer TeamPeter Brock
David Oxton		Holden VK Commodore SS[2]41
DNFA28Capri ComponentsLaurie Nelson
Bill O'Brien		Ford Mustang41
DNFA20J. KeoghJim Keogh
Garry Rogers		BMW 635 CSi39
DNFA3K. BaigentKent Baigent
Neal Lowe		BMW 635 CSi38
DNFC56M. MinearMike Minear
Paul Elliott		Volvo 360 GLT22

Notes

References

  1. ^ Barry Naismith, Bathurst 1985/86, page 77
  2. ^ Official Programme, Castrol 500, September 14 and 15, 1985
  • Australian Motor Racing Year, 1985/86
  • James Hardie 1000, 1985/86
  • Official Programme, Castrol 500, 14 and 15 September 1985
  • The Australian Racing History of Ford, 1989
  • The Official Racing History of Holden, 1988