Article: 1985 Bathurst 1000 - Group A Comes To Australia

[Steve Holmes]

The two Zakspeed cars were built to run in the 1984 DTM. The first car to be finished was raced by Klaus Ludwig, I remember he qualified well and finished second or third? I dont know who the second car was built for but after that one race both cars were shelved, never to race again in the DTM for reasons only known to Zakspeed, most probably relevent marketing and hence sponsorship reasons.

Thanks Jim, this is what had baffled me, as Germany had several touring car championships all happening in a similar time-frame in the early 1980s, including DRM, DRP, DRT. The DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft) didn't begin until 1986, but it was essentially just a renamed version of the Deutsche Produktionswagen Meisterschaft), which itself only ran for two years, 1984/85 and had grown from the DRM.

I have only been able to find one Group A Mustang that raced in the DPM in 1984, run by the ABR Ringhausen Rennsport team, driven by Manfred Trint. This car was quite competitive in 1984, but the pictures I have seen of it, the car doesn't look the same as the Johnson car. I also thought the Zakspeed car would have been used in the DPM, but can't find any reference to this, which is why I wondered where Johnsons cars had raced.

However, Zakspeed did race a Mustang at the touring car support race at the 1983 Hockenheim GP event, driven by Klaus Niedzwiedz. Could this possibly be one of the cars bought by Johnson?

You can see a photo of the Trint car here: http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/p%...alenpokal.html

[Steve Holmes]

the other was the Masserati that we briefly saw in the WTCC, anyone remember it?

Yep, I certainly do! I was very excited to see the Biturbo when it was touring with the WTCC in 1987. However, like several of the other teams racing in the WTCC, it didn't make it as far as New Zealand, where I was living. By this stage, the Rouse/Moffat RS500 had also gone home. The squadron of Alfa 75s didn't even get to Australia! I had purchased the 1987 Bathurst preview book which included the full entry list prior to the Bathurst race, but several of the European teams entered didn't front up.

Back to the Maserati, from what I can recall, two of them were entered for Bathurst, but only one qualified and raced. Kevin Bartlett was one of the drivers, and I think there was talk he may continue racing one in Australia? The car did seem quite exotic with a twin-turbo V6, but I guess under Group A rules it must have been lugging around a lot of ballast.

[jimdigris]

Big Rev Kev had two of the Pro Team Italia Maserati's at Bathurst in 87. He thought both were entered when he nominated one and the second nomination was a TBA, however, the powers to be saw it differently and only gave one car a start in the race. He was running the second car as a T-Car right up until final qualifying, hoping his protests to allow the secon car to race would be heard. Alas, only one raced. The European "Pro Team Italia" cars running in the WTCC in Europe became quite competetive in the second ranks, and one had a great battle with the Rothmons Commodore in one race, very heady stuff. Then all of a sudden it disapeared. Strangly Big Rev Kev's car was a good five seconds off the pace needed to run with the top 15 in the race

The squadron (FIVE!) of Alfas disapearance was disapointing. One Alfa actually finished third at Silverstone in Spetember, then wham, the team was disbanded. Like I said, very disapointing, I guess they saw the writing on the wall when the RS500 was homologated.

[Steve Holmes]

Jim, did the Alfa's have to race to the same weight as the RS500s? Wasn't the Alfa 75 a 1.7 turbo?

Yeah shame about the Maserati, was certainly an interesting car. In fact, 1987 started out as an interesting year, with some fascinating machinery, and high expectations. As well as the Sierra Cosworth/RS500, the Alfa 75, Maserati Biturbo, BMW M3, Toyota Supra turbo, there were the existing Nissan Skylines and new VL Commodores etc. I guess everyone began the year with high expectations that theirs might be the weapon to beat. But it soon became clear the RS500 was superior, even if only Eggenberger and Rouse could get them to be both fast and reliable to begin with. But by 1988, if you didn't have an RS500, you were there to make up the numbers, and I guess this is where Group A began to come apart. It essentially became a one-make series.

[seaqnmac27]

the point about Alfa Romeo's involvement was, as you may remember, Bernie Ecclestone decided to end the WTCC and switch to a "Silhouette" Formula. This never got off the ground as Alfa was the only manufacturer who got behind it. So as this was mooted mid 87 Alfa's focus shifted to these cars, this was the result.

[Steve Holmes]

Yeah I remember that! Wow, that Silhouette formula had the potential to be something pretty exciting. Of course, only one car was built as you said Sean. I think from memory when they tested it the car was actually faster in a straight line than an F1 car?

[seaqnmac27]

I believe this to be true as well. i have a suspicion the powerplant was derived from the Alfa Romeo that the Ligier team were due to use in 1987 but Alfa pulled out after Arnoux said some unfortunately timed comments.

[Steve Holmes]

Yikes! 30 years ago. Where did the time go?

[John McKechnie]

Soooo.............you have just noticed ????????????????

[Mark Petch]

Steve, yes I was, however Petch sold his interest in the LHD car I think after the 2nd round of the '86 ATCC and John Sheppard assumed control of the team known as Volvo Dealer Team. He obviously brought in some of his own troops but the majority of the guys left. With the withdrawal of Volvo support the rest of the team went their own ways. In retrospect while a a good team manager it was his way or the highway and there are numerous references to the difficulties Robbie had with him. Petch then had the ex Rouse Sierra and while it performed reasonably well here in NZ it was not up with the play at Bathurst in '86. Then came the CeeBeeEmm M3 followed by an ex Wolf Racing Sierra known as the Whittakers Peanut Slab Sierra. Volvo Sweden as I understand it pulled out of GrpA and ordered the cars back to Sweden. The spanner man I was trying to recall in a previous thread was Guy Trigaux and the Petch Volvo was a GTM built car in Belgium raced by Michelle Delcourt...Post by Frosty5.


I can't quite be sure on this as it was a long time ago, maybe Frosty5 can confirm it or not but I seem to recall Mark Petch initially contract Les Small of Roadways to manage and run the 1986 car, and it won on it's first outing at Symmons Plains. It was either after that success or the following round that the team was sold and Les Small went back to building customer Commodores. There was quite a bit of disharmony in the Volvo Dealer Team that eventuated when Sheppard took over

A few years late I know but just to set the record straight, Les Small helped me in 1985 and we ran the team out of Les workshop in Melbourne for Sandown, Symonds Plain's, Adelaide and Perth. We then moved the team down to by factory in Sydney and at that point we employed Wayne Eckersley, and Tony Fraser, who moved down from Melbourne we he had been working for Les.

There is a lot of misinformation about what happened in 1986 when I pursuaded Volvo Australiam with the invaluable help of Bob Atkin's, to back the formation of a Volvo dealer Team. John Sheppard had nothing to do with the formation of the team and was suggested to me as an ideal person to run the team on a day to day basis as the Team Manager. John in theory was supposed to report to me but soon learnt that he could bypass me, and on the 10th July 1986 I resigned, and Volvo Australia paid me out. The rest is pretty much history.