1998 AMP Bathurst 1000
# 1998 AMP Bathurst 1000

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
