The 2000 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars conforming to Formula Holden regulations.[1] The title was contested over an 8-round, 16 race series with the winner awarded the 2000 CAMS Gold Star. The championship, which was promoted as the 2000 Holden Australian Drivers' Championship,[2] was the 44th Australian Drivers' Championship and the 12th to be contested with Formula Holden or Formula Brabham cars.

Teams and drivers

TeamChassisNoDriverRounds
Birrana RacingReynard 94D1Simon WillsAll
8LeRoy StevensonAll
9Brenton Ramsay1, 3
D SamimiRalt RT212Neville Wills3
Stan KeenShrike NB89H5Stan Keen8
Kmart RacingReynard 93D7Paul DumbrellAll
Ralt AustraliaReynard 92D11Chris Staff1–5, 7
Reynard 94D12Matt HallidayAll
Chas TalbotMarch 87B14Chas Talbot1
3M Australia Racing TeamReynard 91D15Les Crampton1, 3, 8
Mantis RacingReynard 92D17Mark Ellis3–6, 8
NRC RacingReynard 94D20Dale BredeAll
Reynard 95D25Christian MurchisonAll
Greg Murphy RacingReynard 92D22Tim Leahey2–7
Camtech RacingReynard 91D24Ian PetersAll
Garry HaywoodReynard 91D26Garry Haywood1–2
Terry ClearihanRalt RT2327Terry Clearihan4–8
Hocking MotorsportReynard 97D28Roger OakeshottAll
Reynard 97D74Craig Bastian1–2
Reynard 98DAkihiro Asai3
Reynard 97DSteve Owen4–8
Reynard 94D75Andy Booth1–5
Reynard 97DStuart Kostera Jr.8
Laurentius ConsultantsReynard 94D36Lars Johansson1, 3
Bob PowerRalt RT2348Bob Power2, 4–5
Rohan CarrigReynard 89D49Rohan Carrig3, 6, 8
Peter HillReynard 94D66Peter HillAll
Damien DigbyReynard 92D69Damien Digby3

Schedule

The championship was contested over an eight-round series with two races per round.[3]

RoundCircuitDatePole positionFastest lapWinning driverWinning team
1R1Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
(Phillip Island, Victoria)		13 FebruarySimon WillsSimon WillsSimon WillsBirrana Racing
R2Simon WillsSimon WillsBirrana Racing
2R1Eastern Creek International Raceway
(Eastern Creek, New South Wales)		26 MarchTim LeaheyTim LeaheySimon WillsBirrana Racing
R2Tim LeaheyChristian MurchisonNRC Racing
3R1Adelaide Street Circuit
(Adelaide, South Australia)		8–9 AprilSimon WillsSimon WillsChristian MurchisonNRC Racing
R2Simon WillsMatt HallidayRalt Australia
4R1Canberra Street Circuit
(Canberra, Australian Capital Territory)		10–11 JuneTim LeaheySimon WillsSimon WillsBirrana Racing
R2Simon WillsChris StaffRalt Australia
5R1Queensland Raceway
(Ipswich, Queensland)		2 JulySimon WillsMatt HallidaySimon WillsBirrana Racing
R2Simon WillsChristian MurchisonNRC Racing
6R1Winton Motor Raceway
(Benalla, Victoria)		16 JulyTim LeaheySimon WillsTim LeaheyGreg Murphy Racing
R2Christian MurchisonTim LeaheyGreg Murphy Racing
7R1Oran Park Raceway
(Sydney, New South Wales)		30 JulySimon WillsTim LeaheySimon WillsBirrana Racing
R2Simon WillsSimon WillsBirrana Racing
8R1Mallala Motor Sport Park
(Mallala, South Australia)		27 AugustSimon WillsSimon WillsChristian MurchisonNRC Racing
R2Christian MurchisonSimon WillsBirrana Racing

Points System

Championship points were awarded on a 20–15–12–10–8–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the first ten finishers in each race.[4]

Review

New Zealand racer Simon Wills won his second Australian Drivers' Championship driving a Birrana Racing Reynard 94D Holden.[5] Wills won eight of the 16 races to finish 33 points ahead of Singaporean born West Australian Christian Murchison (Reynard 95D & 97D). Another New Zealander, Matt Halliday (Reynard 94D Holden) finished third in the points, 58 points behind Wills. It was the sixth Australian Drivers' Championship victory in seven years for a Birrana Racing driver.

In addition to Wills' eight wins, Murchison took four race victories and Tim Leahey (Reynard 92D Holden) took two with single victories recorded by Halliday and Chris Staff (Reynard 92D Holden)

Championship results

Pos.Driver
PHI
EAS
ADE
CAN
QUE
WIN
ORA
MAL		Pts
R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2
1Simon Wills111Ret821712221131244
2Christian Murchison3421153221Ret63216208
3Matt Halliday2233214Ret5Ret334322163
4Tim LeaheyDNS3RetRet332RetRetRet112Ret109
5LeRoy Stevenson512Ret4767463124865597
6Paul Dumbrell4Ret55441257Ret455414Ret96
7Dale Brede75RetRet12Ret534126Ret774380
8Chris StaffRetDNS72576111463
9Andy Booth61346689Ret1066557
10Steve Owen106355Ret986456
11Peter Hill976DNS998Ret13117710109737
12Ian PetersRet8Ret8Ret141489109811971425
13Mark Ellis101615912710911912
14Garry HaywoodRet68Ret9
15Les Crampton89111012158
16Roger OakeshottRetRetRetRet151111DNS1598DNSRet11RetRet7
17Terry Clearihan1610148Ret10121210106
18Craig BastianRet11Ret74
19Stan Keen8123
=Brenton RamsayRetRet3
=Robert PowerRetDNS13DNS8Ret3
22Lars Johansson10RetRet122
23Chris Talbot11101
-Rohan Carrig16DNS11Ret13130
-Akihiro AsaiRetRet0
-Stuart Kostera JrRet110
-Damien Digby14130
-Neville Wills13150
Pos.Driver
PHI
EAS
ADE
CAN
QUE
WIN
ORA
MAL		Pts
R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2

References

  1. ^ Australian Title Conditions, 2000 CAMS Manual of Australian Motor Sport, Page 7-11
  2. ^ Sporting Regulations - Administration Retrieved from www.formulaholden.com via web.archive.org on 17 January 2011
  3. ^ 2000 Holden Australian Drivers Championship Race Results Sheets Retrieved from www.formulaholden.com via web.archive.org on 17 January 2011
  4. ^ Sporting Regulations - Awards and Pointscores Retrieved from www.formulaholden.com via web.archive.org on 17 January 2011
  5. ^ "Gold Star Winners - 1957 - 2009". formula3.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2010.

Further reading

  • Connor McNally, "Simply Simon", Motor Racing Australia, No 55, Dec 2000 / Jan 2001, page 44