1998 Australian Touring Car season
# 1998 Australian Touring Car season

The 1998 Australian Touring Car season was the 39th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.

Two major touring car categories raced in Australia during 1998, V8 Supercar and Super Touring. Between them there were 23 touring car race meetings held during 1998; a ten-round series for V8 Supercars, the 1998 Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC); an eight-round series for Super Touring, the 1998 Australian Super Touring Championship (ASTC); support programme events at the 1998 Australian Grand Prix and 1998 Honda Indy 300 and three stand alone long distance races, nicknamed 'enduros'.

## Results and standings

### Race calendar

The 1998 Australian touring car season consisted of 23 events.

| Date | Series | Circuit | City / state | Winner | Team | Car | Report |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 Feb | ATCC Round 1 | Sandown International Raceway | Melbourne, Victoria | Craig Lowndes | Holden Racing Team | Holden VS Commodore | |
| 8 Feb | ATCC Round 2 | Symmons Plains Raceway | Launceston, Tasmania | Mark Skaife | Holden Racing Team | Holden VS Commodore | |
| 6–8 Mar | Super Touring GT-P Race | Albert Park street circuit | Melbourne, Victoria | Cameron McConville | Brad Jones Racing | Audi A4 Quattro | |
| 6–8 Mar | TAC V8 Supercar Showdown | Albert Park street circuit | Melbourne, Victoria | Russell Ingall | Perkins Engineering | Holden VS Commodore | |
| 29 Mar | ATCC Round 3 | Lakeside International Raceway | Brisbane, Queensland | Russell Ingall | Perkins Engineering | Holden VS Commodore | |
| 5 Apr | ASTC Round 1 | Calder Park Raceway | Melbourne, Victoria | Cameron McConville | Brad Jones Racing | Audi A4 Quattro | |
| 19 Apr | ATCC Round 4 | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit | Phillip Island, Victoria | Craig Lowndes | Holden Racing Team | Holden VS Commodore | |
| 27 Apr | ASTC Round 2 | Oran Park Raceway | Sydney, New South Wales | Brad Jones | Brad Jones Racing | Audi A4 Quattro | |
| 3 May | ATCC Round 5 | Winton Motor Raceway | Benalla, Victoria | John Bowe | Dick Johnson Racing | Ford EL Falcon | |
| 17 May | ASTC Round 3 | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit | Phillip Island, Victoria | Jim Richards | Volvo Dealer Racing | Volvo S40 | |
| 24 May | ATCC Round 6 | Mallala Motor Sport Park | Adelaide, South Australia | Russell Ingall | Perkins Engineering | Holden VS Commodore | |
| 31 May | ATCC Round 7 | Barbagallo Raceway | Perth, Western Australia | Craig Lowndes | Holden Racing Team | Holden VS Commodore | |
| 7 Jun | ASTC Round 4 | Eastern Creek Raceway | Sydney, New South Wales | Brad Jones | Brad Jones Racing | Audi A4 Quattro | |
| 21 Jun | ATCC Round 8 | Calder Park Raceway | Melbourne, Victoria | Craig Lowndes | Holden Racing Team | Holden VS Commodore | |
| 28 Jun | ASTC Round 5 | Lakeside International Raceway | Brisbane, Queensland | Brad Jones | Brad Jones Racing | Audi A4 Quattro | |
| 19 Jul | ATCC Round 9 | Hidden Valley Raceway | Darwin, Northern Territory | Russell Ingall | Perkins Engineering | Holden VT Commodore | |
| 19 Jul | ASTC Round 6 | Mallala Motor Sport Park | Adelaide, South Australia | Cameron McConville | Brad Jones Racing | Audi A4 Quattro | |
| 2 Aug | ATCC Round 10 | Oran Park Raceway | Sydney, New South Wales | Craig Lowndes | Holden Racing Team | Holden VT Commodore | |
| 9 Aug | ASTC Round 7 | Winton Motor Raceway | Benalla, Victoria | Cameron McConville | Brad Jones Racing | Audi A4 Quattro | |
| 30 Aug | ASTC Round 8 | Oran Park Raceway | Sydney, New South Wales | Brad Jones | Brad Jones Racing | Audi A4 Quattro | |
| 13 Sep | Tickfrd Sandown 500 | Sandown International Raceway | Melbourne, Victoria | Russell Ingall Larry Perkins | Perkins Engineering | Holden VT Commodore | report |
| 4 Oct | AMP Bathurst 1000 | Mount Panorama Circuit | Bathurst, New South Wales | Rickard Rydell Jim Richards | Volvo Dealer Racing | Volvo S40 | report |
| 17–18 Oct | Hog's Breath Cafe V8 Supercar Challenge | Surfers Paradise Street Circuit | Surfers Paradise, Queensland | Mark Larkham | Larkham Motor Sport | Ford EL Falcon | |
| 15 Nov | FAI 1000 Classic | Mount Panorama Circuit | Bathurst, New South Wales | Jason Bright Steven Richards | Stone Brothers Racing | Ford EL Falcon | report |

### Super Touring GT-P Race

This meeting was a support event of the 1998 Australian Grand Prix. The thin Super Touring field was bolstered by cars from the Australian GT-Production Car Championship (indicated in italics).

| Driver | No. | Team | Car | Race 1 | Race 2 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Cameron McConville | 2 | Brad Jones Racing | Audi A4 Quattro | 1 | 1 |
| Jim Richards | 5 | Volvo Dealer Racing | Volvo S40 | 8 | 2 |
| Brad Jones | 1 | Brad Jones Racing | Audi A4 Quattro | 2 | 3 |
| Cameron McLean | 12 | Greenfield Mowers Racing | BMW 320i | 3 | 4 |
| Peter Hills | 88 | Knight Racing | Ford Mondeo | 4 | 5 |
| Paul Gover | 3 | Brad Jones Racing | Audi A4 Quattro | 5 | 6 |
| Domenic Beninca | 3 | Beninca Racing | Porsche 993 RSCS | 6 | 7 |
| Anthony Robson | 99 | | BMW 318i | 7 | 8 |
| Jenni Thompson | 89 | Knight Racing | Ford Mondeo | 11 | 9 |
| Simon Froude | | | Porsche 993 RSCS | 9 | 10 |
| Peter McKay | 27 | House of Maserati | Maserati Ghibli Cup | 10 | 11 |
| Trevor Haines | 61 | | Subaru Impreza WRX | 13 | 12 |
| Richard Davis | 25 | | HSV GTS-R | 14 | 13 |
| Paul Nelson | 16 | Bob Holden Motors | BMW 318i | 12 | DNF |
| Murray Carter | 18 | | Nissan 200SX Turbo | DNS | DNF |
| Ed Aitken | 8 | | Porsche 993 RSCS | DNF | DNS |
| Milton Leslight | 15 | | Toyota Carina | DNS | DNS |
| Robert Porter | 38 | | Subaru Impreza WRX | DNS | DNS |

### TAC V8 Supercar Showdown

This meeting was a support event of the 1998 Australian Grand Prix.

| Driver | No. | Team | Car | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Race 4 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Russell Ingall | 8 | Perkins Engineering | Holden VS Commodore | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| John Bowe | 18 | Dick Johnson Racing | Ford EL Falcon | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Larry Perkins | 11 | Perkins Engineering | Holden VS Commodore | 12 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Mark Skaife | 50 | Holden Racing Team | Holden VS Commodore | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Craig Lowndes | 15 | Holden Racing Team | Holden VS Commodore | DNF | 11 | 8 | 5 |
| Glenn Seton | 1 | Glenn Seton Racing | Ford EL Falcon | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| John Faulkner | 46 | John Faulkner Racing | Holden VS Commodore | 9 | 8 | 11 | 7 |
| Steven Richards | 34 | Garry Rogers Motorsport | Holden VS Commodore | 36 | 19 | 7 | 8 |
| Dick Johnson | 17 | Dick Johnson Racing | Ford EL Falcon | 10 | 6 | 6 | 9 |
| Greg Crick | 49 | Greg Crick Motorsport | Holden VS Commodore | DNF | 15 | 12 | 10 |
| Wayne Gardner | 96 | Wayne Gardner Racing | Holden VS Commodore | 8 | 10 | DNF | 11 |
| Tomas Mezera | 32 | Challenge Motorsport | Holden VS Commodore | 17 | DNF | 17 | 12 |
| Anthony Tratt | 75 | John Sidney Racing | Ford EL Falcon | 19 | DNF | 18 | 13 |
| Rodney Forbes | 28 | Glenn Seton Racing | Ford EL Falcon | 20 | 16 | DNF | 14 |
| Darren Hossack | 7 | Gibson Motorsport | Holden VS Commodore | 14 | 13 | DNF | 15 |
| Mal Rose | 44 | Mal Rose Racing | Holden VS Commodore | 21 | 20 | 20 | 16 |
| Ray Hislop | 23 | | Ford EF Falcon | 25 | 23 | 23 | 17 |
| Mick Donaher | 80 | Clive Wiseman Racing | Holden VS Commodore | 23 | DNF | 21 | 18 |
| Wayne Russell | 45 | | Holden VS Commodore | 35 | 25 | 24 | 19 |
| Steve Ellery | 2 | Gibson Motorsport | Holden VS Commodore | 13 | 9 | DNF | 20 |
| Neil Schembri | 36 | Schembri Motorsport | Holden VS Commodore | 27 | 27 | 22 | 21 |
| Garry Willmington | 41 | Simon Emerzidis | Holden VR Commodore | 30 | 30 | 25 | 22 |
| Mike Conway | 79 | Cadillac Productions | Ford EL Falcon | 34 | DNF | DNF | 23 |
| D'arcy Russell | 45 | Rod Smith Racing | Holden VS Commodore | 29 | DNF | DNS | 24 |
| Mike Imrie | 14 | Imrie Motor Sport | Holden VS Commodore | 31 | 28 | DNS | 25 |
| Barry Morcom | 52 | | Holden VP Commodore | 32 | 29 | 26 | 26 |
| Mark Poole | 38 | James Rosenberg Racing | Holden VS Commodore | 16 | 12 | DNF | 27 |
| Trevor Ashby | 3 | Lansvale Racing Team | Holden VS Commodore | 18 | 17 | 13 | 28 |
| Paul Romano | 24 | Romano Racing | Holden VS Commodore | DNF | DNS | 16 | DNF |
| Jason Bargwanna | 35 | Garry Rogers Motorsport | Holden VS Commodore | 7 | 7 | DNS | DNF |
| John Cotter | 26 | M3 Motorsport | Holden VS Commodore | 28 | DNF | DNS | DNF |
| Mark Larkham | 10 | Larkham Motor Sport | Ford EL Falcon | 11 | 14 | 9 | DNF |
| Paul Weel | 43 | Paul Weel Racing | Ford EL Falcon | 33 | 24 | 19 | DNF |
| Wayne Park | 51 | Charles Ryman | Ford EL Falcon | DNF | 21 | 15 | DNF |
| Terry Finnigan | 27 | | Holden VS Commodore | 15 | DNF | 14 | DNF |
| Tony Longhurst | 25 | Longhurst Racing | Ford EL Falcon | 4 | DNF | 10 | DNS |
| Darren Pate | 31 | Gibson Motorsport | Holden VS Commodore | 22 | 18 | DNF | DNS |
| Kerryn Brewer | 16 | Perkins Engineering | Holden VS Commodore | 26 | 22 | DNF | DNS |
| Danny Osborne | 22 | Colourscan Motorsport | Ford EL Falcon | 24 | 26 | DNS | DNS |
| Jason Bright | 4 | Stone Brothers Racing | Ford EL Falcon | 5 | DNF | DNS | DNS |

### Hog's Breath V8 Supercar Challenge

This meeting was a support event of the 1998 Honda Indy 300.

| Driver | No. | Team | Car | Race 1 | Race 2 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Mark Larkham | 10 | Larkham Motor Sport | Ford EL Falcon | 1 | 1 |
| Mark Skaife | 50 | Holden Racing Team | Holden VS Commodore | 3 | 2 |
| Jason Bargwanna | 35 | Garry Rogers Motorsport | Holden VS Commodore | 5 | 3 |
| Tony Longhurst | 25 | Longhurst Racing | Ford EL Falcon | 4 | 4 |
| Larry Perkins | 11 | Perkins Engineering | Holden VS Commodore | 6 | 5 |
| Steven Johnson | 17 | Dick Johnson Racing | Ford EL Falcon | 9 | 6 |
| John Faulkner | 46 | John Faulkner Racing | Holden VS Commodore | 7 | 7 |
| Russell Ingall | 8 | Perkins Engineering | Holden VS Commodore | DNF | 8 |
| Alan Jones | 9 | Longhurst Racing | Ford EL Falcon | 8 | 9 |
| Neil Crompton | 5 | Glenn Seton Racing | Ford EL Falcon | DNF | 10 |
| Wayne Gardner | 96 | Wayne Gardner Racing | Holden VS Commodore | 14 | 11 |
| Garth Tander | 34 | Garry Rogers Motorsport | Holden VS Commodore | DNF | 12 |
| Tomas Mezera | 32 | Tomas Mezera Motorsport | Holden VT Commodore | 13 | 13 |
| John Briggs | 70 | John Briggs Motorsport | Ford EL Falcon | 11 | 14 |
| Kevin Heffernan | 74 | PACE Racing | Holden VS Commodore | DNF | 15 |
| Jason Bright | 4 | Stone Brothers Racing | Ford EL Falcon | 2 | 16 |
| Dean Crosswell | 49 | Greg Crick Motorsport | Holden VS Commodore | 12 | 17 |
| Simon Emerzidis | 54 | Simon Emerzidis | Ford EL Falcon | DNF | 18 |
| Paul Romano | 24 | Romano Racing | Holden VS Commodore | 10 | DNF |
| Steve Reed | 3 | Lansvale Racing Team | Holden VS Commodore | DNF | DNF |
| Craig Lowndes | 1 | Holden Racing Team | Holden VS Commodore | DNF | DNS |
