1981 James Hardie 1000
# 1981 James Hardie 1000

The 1981 James Hardie 1000 was the 22nd running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 4 October 1981 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst. The race was open to cars eligible to the locally developed CAMS Group C touring car regulations with three engine configuration based classes, a system used uniquely for this race.

For the first time the race did not go the full race distance as on lap 121, a six car accident blocked the track at McPhillamy Park Corner. The Ford Falcon of Dick Johnson and John French were leading the race at the time of the accident and were declared the winners, becoming the first Queenslanders to win the race. Bob Morris and British endurance racer John Fitzpatrick, also driving a Falcon finished second. A lap down in third was Allan Moffat and British endurance racing great Derek Bell driving a Mazda RX-7, the best ever result to that point for a Japanese built car.

History was made at Bathurst in 1981. For the first (and as of 2020, the only) time in the races history, a reigning Formula One World Drivers' Champion drove in the Bathurst 1000. This honour fell to Australia's own 1980 World Champion Alan Jones who co-drove with Warren Cullen in Cullen's V8 Holden Commodore.

After 8 wins in the race dating back to Bob Jane and Harry Firth's win in a Ford Falcon XL at Phillip Island in 1962, this would prove to be the last Bathurst 1000 win for the Ford Falcon until 1994. It would also be the 5th and last Bathurst win for the 5.8 L 351 Cleveland V8 engine.

## Class structure

### Class : 8 Cylinder & Over

This class was almost exclusively for V8s; Holden Commodores, Ford Falcons and Chevrolet Camaros. The exception being a V12 Jaguar XJ-S.

### Class : 6 Cylinder (Includes Rotary Engines)

The class for six-cylinder and rotary-engined cars was contested mostly by Ford Capris, with a single factory supported BMW 635CSi and those Mazda RX7s entered, powered by Rotary engines.

### Class : 4 Cylinder (Includes 5 Cylinder & Turbo)

The class for cars with four-cylinder engines included Alfa Romeo Alfasud, Alfa Romeo Alfetta, Ford Escort, Isuzu Gemini, Mitsubishi Colt, Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Bluebird Turbo, Toyota Celica, Toyota Corolla, Triumph Dolomite and Volkswagen Golf.

## Hardies Heroes

| Pos | No | Team | Driver | Car | Time |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Pole | 9 | Nine Network Racing Team | Kevin Bartlett | Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | 2:36.432 |
| 2 | 17 | Palmer Tube Mills | Dick Johnson | Ford XD Falcon | 2:38.813 |
| 3 | 05 | Marlboro Holden Dealer Team | Peter Brock | Holden VC Commodore | 2:39.043 |
| 4 | 7 | Bob Morris Motor Sport | Bob Morris | Ford XD Falcon | 2:39.339 |
| 5 | 43 | Peter Stuyvesant International Racing | Allan Moffat | Mazda RX-7 | 2:39.443 |
| 6 | 11 | Soundwave Discos | Garry Rogers | Holden VC Commodore | 2:41.315 |
| 7 | 3 | Cadbury Schweppes Racing | Larry Perkins | Holden VC Commodore | 2:42.621 |
| 8 | 25 | Marlboro Holden Dealer Team | John Harvey | Holden VC Commodore | 2:43.018 |
| 9 | 21 | Ron Dickson | Ron Dickson | Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | 2:44.505 |
| 10 | 27 | Roadways Racing | Garth Wigston | Holden VC Commodore | 2:46.248 |

* This was the first Top 10 shootout to be held in wet conditions, though conditions were damp for the first ever shootout in 1978. * For the 2nd year running, Kevin Bartlett was fastest qualifier and won Hardies Heroes in his Channel 9 sponsored Chevrolet Camaro. It was also the second year in a row that Dick Johnson would equal Bartlett's time in qualifying, but would be slower in the shootout. Due to the extremely wet conditions, Bartlett's runoff time was almost 16 seconds slower than his time in qualifying. * This was the first time a car powered by something other than a V8 engine had contested Hardies Heroes. The honor went to the 12A Rotary powered Mazda RX-7 of Allan Moffat who ended up 5th on the grid. * The gap of 2.381 seconds between Bartlett and Johnson broke the 1979 record of 1.966 seconds between Peter Brock and Bob Morris. As of the 2018 race, Bartlett's shootout record remains unbeaten.

## Race

The race was stopped on lap 122 because of a multiple-car incident that blocked the track at McPhillamy Park Corner. The accident began with a collision between the Ford Falcons of Bob Morris and Christine Gibson. Garry Rogers and Tony Edmondson (both driving Holden Commodores) and the Isuzu Gemini of David Seldon collided with already crashed cars with the Chevrolet Camaro of Kevin Bartlett being the final car to be involved.

According to the regulations, the race was declared based on the timesheets as the race leader, at the time John French, completed lap 120. This is done so that crashed vehicles can be included in the results. This was particularly significant in this instance as a significant number of the vehicles involved held high race position. Morris was second, Rogers fourth, Edmondson fifth and Christine Gibson sixth.

## Results

| Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Car | Laps | Qual Pos | Shootout Pos |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 17 | Palmer Tube Mills | Dick Johnson John French | Ford XD Falcon | 120 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 7 | Bob Morris Motor Sport | Bob Morris John Fitzpatrick | Ford XD Falcon | 120 | 4 | 4 |
| 3 | 6 Cylinder & Rotary | 43 | Peter Stuyvesant International Racing | Allan Moffat Derek Bell | Mazda RX-7 | 119 | 9 | 5 |
| 4 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 11 | Soundwave Discos | Garry Rogers Clive Benson-Browne | Holden VC Commodore | 118 | 7 | 6 |
| 5 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 4 | Re-Car Racing | Alan Browne Tony Edmondson | Holden VC Commodore | 117 | 11 | |
| 6 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 20 | King George Tavern | Joe Moore Christine Gibson | Ford XD Falcon | 115 | 25 | |
| 7 | 6 Cylinder & Rotary | 44 | JPS Team BMW | Allan Grice David Hobbs | BMW 635 CSi | 113 | 12 | |
| 8 | 6 Cylinder & Rotary | 32 | Masterton Homes | Colin Bond Don Smith | Ford Capri Mk.II | 113 | 32 | |
| 9 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 8 | Garry Willmington Performance | Garry Willmington Mike Griffin | Ford XD Falcon | 113 | 18 | |
| 10 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 15 | Valley Meat Hall | John English John Donnelly | Ford XD Falcon | 112 | 22 | |
| 11 | 6 Cylinder & Rotary | 33 | Masterton Homes | Steve Masterton Bruce Stewart | Ford Capri Mk.II | 111 | 34 | |
| 12 | 4 Cylinder | 77 | Peter Williamson Toyota | Peter Williamson John Smith | Toyota Celica | 111 | 36 | |
| 13 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 9 | Nine Network Racing Team | Kevin Bartlett Bob Forbes | Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | 111 | 2 | 1 |
| 14 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 29 | Brian Callaghan Racing | Brian Callaghan Peter McKay | Ford XD Falcon | 111 | 24 | |
| 15 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 26 | Scotty Taylor Holden | Alan Taylor Kevin Kennedy | Holden VC Commodore | 109 | 29 | |
| 16 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 21 | Ron Dickson | Ron Dickson Bob Stevens | Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | 108 | 10 | 9 |
| 17 | 6 Cylinder & Rotary | 39 | Capri Components | Lawrie Nelson Peter Jones | Ford Capri Mk.III | 108 | 41 | |
| 18 | 6 Cylinder & Rotary | 46 | Hulcraft Autos | John Gates John Craft | Ford Capri Mk.III | 108 | 40 | |
| 19 | 4 Cylinder | 50 | Gary Leggatt | Gary Leggatt Phil McDonnell | Alfa Romeo GTV6 | 107 | 45 | |
| 20 | 4 Cylinder | 60 | Country Dealer Team | Jim Faneco Allan Gough | Isuzu Gemini | 103 | 52 | |
| 21 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 05 | Marlboro Holden Dealer Team | Peter Brock Jim Richards | Holden VC Commodore | 103 | 3 | 3 |
| 22 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 6 | John Sands Racing | Rusty French Leo Leonard | Ford XD Falcon | 100 | 30 | |
| 23 | 4 Cylinder | 68 | Dandenong Mitsubishi | Rod Stevens Craig Bradtke | Mitsubishi Lancer | 100 | 53 | |
| 24 | 4 Cylinder | 59 | Bathurst Light Car Club | Tony Mulvihill Brian Nightingale | Ford Escort Mk.II RS2000 | 97 | 56 | |
| 25 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 31 | Ron Dickson | Graham Moore Steve Dymand | Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | 96 | 28 | |
| 26 | 6 Cylinder & Rotary | 40 | Peter McLeod | Peter McLeod Peter Dane | Mazda RX-7 | 96 | 28 | |
| 27 | 4 Cylinder | 64 | Bob Holden Motors | Phillip Revell Ron Barnacle | Ford Escort Mk.II 1.6 | 93 | 59 | |
| 28 | 8 Cylinder & Over | 24 | Army Reserve Racing Team | Bob Muir Ian Geoghegan | Ford XD Falcon | 92 | 13 | |
| DNF | 8 Cylinder & Over | 18 | Murray Carter Racing | Murray Carter Graeme Lawrence | Ford XD Falcon | 109 | 16 | |
| DNF | 4 Cylinder | 62 | Alexandra Surplice | Alexandra Surplice Doug Clark | Toyota Corolla Levin | 88 | 47 | |
| NC | 8 Cylinder & Over | 14 | Fred Geissler | Fred Geissler Graham Watson | Holden VC Commodore | 85 | 14 | |
| NC | 4 Cylinder | 66 | Scottune | Ian Burrell Rob Shute | Mitsubishi Colt | 83 | 57 | |
| NC | 4 Cylinder | 49 | Jagparts | Martin Power Brian Winsall | Triumph Dolomite Sprint | 80 | 55 | |
| DNF | 8 Cylinder & Over | 16 | Re-Car Racing | Ron Wanless Ralph Radburn | Holden VC Commodore | 79 | 15 | |
| NC | 4 Cylinder | 70 | Colin Spencer | Colin Spencer John White | Isuzu Gemini | 75 | 60 | |
| DNF | 8 Cylinder & Over | 30 | Everlast Battery Service | Bill O'Brien Gary Cooke | Ford XD Falcon | 74 | 17 | |
| DNF | 6 Cylinder & Rotary | 41 | West End Mazda | Barry Jones Geoff Leeds | Mazda RX-7 | 74 | 26 | |
| DNF | 4 Cylinder | 61 | Rex Monaghan | Ray Cutchie Ray Farrar | Ford Escort Mk.II 1.6 | 73 | 58 | |
| NC | 8 Cylinder & Over | 10 | John Goss Racing | John Goss Barry Seton | Jaguar XJ-S | 73 | 19 | |
| NC | 4 Cylinder | 63 | Cherry City Ford | John Faulkner Gary Dumbrell | Ford Escort Mk.II 2.0 GL | 72 | 51 | |
| NC | 4 Cylinder | 57 | Sutton Motors P/L | David Seldon Gary Rowe | Isuzu Gemini ZZ | 70 | 46 | |
| DNF | 8 Cylinder & Over | 3 | Cadbury Schweppes Racing | Peter Janson Larry Perkins | Holden VC Commodore | 67 | 8 | 7 |
| DNF | 4 Cylinder | 56 | Nissan Motor Co. | Masahiro Hasemi Kazuyoshi Hoshino | Nissan Bluebird Turbo | 66 | 31 | |
| DNF | 6 Cylinder & Rotary | 37 | Trend Windows P/L | Terry Daly Peter Hopwood | Ford Capri Mk.II | 56 | 37 | |
| DNF | 6 Cylinder & Rotary | 45 | Precinct Performance P/L | Allan Bryant Dean Gall | Mazda RX-7 | 54 | 39 | |
| DNF | 8 Cylinder & Over | 27 | Roadways Racing | Garth Wigston Steve Harrington | Holden VC Commodore | 53 | 6 | 10 |
| DNF | 4 Cylinder | 47 | Walter Scott | Walter Scott Peter Walton | Toyota Celica | 50 | 48 | |
| DNF | 8 Cylinder & Over | 12 | Warren Cullen | Warren Cullen Alan Jones | Holden VC Commodore | 48 | 20 | |
| DNF | 6 Cylinder & Rotary | 35 | Alexander Rotary Engines | Phil Alexander Ron Gillard | Mazda RX-7 | 46 | 38 | |
| DNF | 4 Cylinder | 52 | Bob Holden Motors | Bob Holden Wally Storey | Ford Escort Mk.II 2.0 GL | 44 | 49 | |
| DNF | 8 Cylinder & Over | 23 | Great Eastland Television | Paul Gulson Rodney Combs | Holden VB Commodore | 42 | 21 | |
| DNF | 8 Cylinder & Over | 25 | Marlboro Holden Dealer Team | John Harvey Vern Schuppan | Holden VC Commodore | 37 | 5 | 8 |
| DNF | 4 Cylinder | 65 | HDT Special Vehicles | Phil Brock Gary Scott | Isuzu Gemini ZZ | 36 | 44 | |
| DNF | 4 Cylinder | 51 | Chickadee Chicken | Graeme Bailey Steve Land | Toyota Celica | 34 | 42 | |
| DNF | 4 Cylinder | 58 | Graham Mein | Graham Mein Geoff Russell | Ford Escort Mk.II RS2000 | 34 | 50 | |
| DNF | 4 Cylinder | 55 | Nissan Motor Co. | George Fury Fred Gibson | Nissan Bluebird Turbo | 30 | 43 | |
| DNF | 4 Cylinder | 54 | Terry Finnigan | Terry Finnigan Ross Wittig | Isuzu Gemini | 29 | 54 | |
| DNF | 8 Cylinder & Over | 2 | Citizen Watches Australia P/L | Charlie O'Brien Mike Quinn | Holden VC Commodore | 16 | 23 | |
| DNF | 6 Cylinder & Rotary | 34 | Penrith Mazda Centre | Terry Shiel Don Holland | Mazda RX-7 | 13 | 27 | |
| DNF | 6 Cylinder & Rotary | 42 | Mazcars Croyden | John Duggan Michael O'Hehir | Mazda RX-7 | 1 | 35 | |
| DNQ | 8 Cylinder & Over | 19 | Neil Cunningham | Neil Cunningham Rod Coppins | Holden VC Commodore | | | |
| DNQ | 8 Cylinder & Over | 22 | John Sands 3MP Racing | Jim Keogh Andrew Newton | Ford XD Falcon | | | |
| DNQ | 6 Cylinder & Rotary | 38 | Les Grose | Les Grose Alan Cant | Ford Capri Mk.III | | | |
| DNQ | 8 Cylinder & Over | 1 | Warren Cullen | Warren Cullen Alan Jones | Holden VC Commodore | | | |
| DNQ | 4 Cylinder | 53 | Chris Heyer | Chris Heyer Peter Lander | Volkswagen Golf | | | |
| DNQ | 4 Cylinder | 71 | Ken Harrison | Ken Harrison Ian Wells | Ford Escort Mk.II 1.6 | | | |
| DNQ | 4 Cylinder | 48 | Douglas B. Rutter | Ken Price Steve Jonas | Isuzu Gemini | | | |
| DNQ | 4 Cylinder | 67 | Ray Gulson | Ray Gulson Gordon Mackinlay | Alfa Romeo Alfasud | | | |
