Australian Stock Car Auto Racing - AUSCAR Category

AUSCAR Category

AUSCAR was also the name used for the second tier racing category that raced alongside the Australian NASCAR stock car racing series, starting in 1986 and continuing until 2001. The cars were not pure space frame chassis like NASCAR, but were built on Australian Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon road car chassis. As a result, AUSCARs are right-hand-drive, and race clockwise at ovals, compared to the left-hand-drive anticlockwise NASCAR vehicles. Brad Jones dominated the category winning five consecutive titles during the peak of the series popularity, all in Commodore's. Other notable drivers include: Marshall J. Brewer, Terry Wyhoon, Russell Ingall, John Faulkner, Jim Richards, Steven Richards, Adam Pay, Nathan and Nicole Pretty, Jason Whylie, Eddie Abelnecia and Leigh Watkins (who was the only driver to win the championship in a Ford Falcon). Even Australian touring car legend Peter Brock briefly tried AUSCAR in 1988 driving a Falcon (after his 1987 split with Holden) and again at his testimonial race meeting (held on the Calder Park road circuit) in 1995 driving a Commodore.

Due to the returning popularity of the Australian Touring Car Championship, relaunched as V8 Supercars in 1997, and financial difficulties, AUSCAR was shut down and the drivers dispersed into other national racing series.