2000 Australian Drivers' Championship
# 2000 Australian Drivers' Championship

The 2000 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars conforming to Formula Holden regulations. 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, was the 44th Australian Drivers' Championship and the 12th to be contested with Formula Holden or Formula Brabham cars.

## Schedule

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

| Round | Round | Circuit | Date | Pole position | Fastest lap | Winning driver | Winning team |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | R1 | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (Phillip Island, Victoria) | 13 February | Simon Wills | Simon Wills | Simon Wills | Birrana Racing |
| 1 | R2 | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (Phillip Island, Victoria) | 13 February | | Simon Wills | Simon Wills | Birrana Racing |
| 2 | R1 | Eastern Creek International Raceway (Eastern Creek, New South Wales) | 26 March | Tim Leahey | Tim Leahey | Simon Wills | Birrana Racing |
| 2 | R2 | Eastern Creek International Raceway (Eastern Creek, New South Wales) | 26 March | | Tim Leahey | Christian Murchison | NRC Racing |
| 3 | R1 | Adelaide Street Circuit (Adelaide, South Australia) | 8–9 April | Simon Wills | Simon Wills | Christian Murchison | NRC Racing |
| 3 | R2 | Adelaide Street Circuit (Adelaide, South Australia) | 8–9 April | | Simon Wills | Matt Halliday | Ralt Australia |
| 4 | R1 | Canberra Street Circuit (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory) | 10–11 June | Tim Leahey | Simon Wills | Simon Wills | Birrana Racing |
| 4 | R2 | Canberra Street Circuit (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory) | 10–11 June | | Simon Wills | Chris Staff | Ralt Australia |
| 5 | R1 | Queensland Raceway (Ipswich, Queensland) | 2 July | Simon Wills | Matt Halliday | Simon Wills | Birrana Racing |
| 5 | R2 | Queensland Raceway (Ipswich, Queensland) | 2 July | | Simon Wills | Christian Murchison | NRC Racing |
| 6 | R1 | Winton Motor Raceway (Benalla, Victoria) | 16 July | Tim Leahey | Simon Wills | Tim Leahey | Greg Murphy Racing |
| 6 | R2 | Winton Motor Raceway (Benalla, Victoria) | 16 July | | Christian Murchison | Tim Leahey | Greg Murphy Racing |
| 7 | R1 | Oran Park Raceway (Sydney, New South Wales) | 30 July | Simon Wills | Tim Leahey | Simon Wills | Birrana Racing |
| 7 | R2 | Oran Park Raceway (Sydney, New South Wales) | 30 July | | Simon Wills | Simon Wills | Birrana Racing |
| 8 | R1 | Mallala Motor Sport Park (Mallala, South Australia) | 27 August | Simon Wills | Simon Wills | Christian Murchison | NRC Racing |
| 8 | R2 | Mallala Motor Sport Park (Mallala, South Australia) | 27 August | | Christian Murchison | Simon Wills | Birrana 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.

## Review

New Zealand racer Simon Wills won his second Australian Drivers' Championship driving a Birrana Racing Reynard 94D Holden. 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

| | | | | | Phillip Island | Phillip Island | Eastern Creek | Eastern Creek | Adelaide | Adelaide | Canberra | Canberra | Qld. Raceway | Qld. Raceway | Winton | Winton | Oran Park | Oran Park | Mallala | Mallala | |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Position | Driver | No. | Car | Entrant | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | Total |
| 1 | Simon Wills | 1 | Reynard 94D Holden | Birrana Racing | 20 | 20 | 20 | - | 3 | 20 | 20 | 4 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 12 | 20 | 244 |
| 2 | Christian Murchison | 25 | Reynard 95D Holden | NRC Racing | 12 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 20 | - | 6 | 12 | 15 | 20 | 6 | 208 |
| 3 | Matt Halliday | 12 | Reynard 94D Holden | Ralt Australia | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 15 | - | 10 | - | 8 | - | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 163 |
| 4 | Tim Leahey | 22 | Reynard 92D Holden | Greg Murphy Racing | - | 12 | - | - | 12 | 15 | 15 | - | - | - | 20 | 20 | 15 | - | - | - | 109 |
| 5 | LeRoy Stevenson | 8 | Reynard 94D Holden | Birrana Racing | 8 | - | - | 10 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 12 | - | 10 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 97 |
| 6 | Paul Dumbrell | 7 | Reynard 93D Holden | K Mart Racing | 10 | - | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | - | 8 | 4 | - | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | - | - | 96 |
| 7 | Dale Brede | 20 | Reynard 94D Holden | NRC Racing | 4 | 8 | - | 2 | - | - | 8 | 12 | 10 | - | 6 | - | 4 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 80 |
| 8 | Chris Staff | 11 | Reynard 92D Holden | Ralt Australia | - | - | 4 | 15 | 8 | - | 6 | 20 | - | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 63 |
| 9 | Andy Booth | 75 & 11 | Reynard 97D Holden | Hocking Motorsport | 6 | - | 10 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | - | 1 | 6 | - | - | 6 | 8 | - | - | 57 |
| 10 | Steve Owen | 74 | Reynard 97D Holden | Hocking Motorsport | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 8 | - | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 56 |
| 11 | Peter Hill | 66 | Reynard 94D Holden | Peter Hill | 2 | 4 | 6 | - | 2 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 37 |
| 12 | Ian Peters | 24 | Reynard 91D Holden | Ian Peters | - | 3 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | - | 2 | 4 | - | 25 |
| 13 | Mark Ellis | 17 | Reynard 92D Holden | Mark Ellis | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 2 | - | 4 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | 12 |
| 14 | Garry Haywood | 26 | Reynard 91D Holden | Garry Haywood | - | 6 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9 |
| 15 | Les Crampton | 15 | Reynard 91D Holden | 3M Australia Racing Team | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8 |
| 16 | Roger Oakeshott | 28 | Reynard 97D Holden | Roger Oakeshott | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | 7 |
| 17 | Terry Clearihan | 27 | Ralt RT23 Holden | Terry Clearihan | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 18 | Craig Bastian | 74 | Reynard 97D Holden | Hocking Motorsport | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| 19 | Stan Keen | 5 | Shrike NB89H Holden | Stan Keen | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | 3 |
| 20 | Brenton Ramsay | 9 | Reynard 94D Holden | Birrana Racing | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 3 |
| 21 | Bob Power | 48 | Ralt RT23 Holden | Bob Power | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| 22 | Lars Johansson | 36 | Reynard 94D Holden | Laurentius Consultants | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| 23 | Chas Talbot | 14 | March 87B Holden | Chas Talbot | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
