1998 Australian Sports Sedan Championship Explained

The 1998 Australian Sports Sedan Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Group 2D Sports Sedans.^[1] It was the 14th Australian Sports Sedan Championship to be awarded by CAMS.^[2]

Calendar

The championship was contested over a five round series.^[3]

• Round 1, Oran Park, New South Wales, 5 April^{[4] [5]}
• Round 2, Oran Park, New South Wales, 14 June^{[5] [6]}
• Round 3, Oran Park, New South Wales, 2 August^{[5] [7]}
• Round 4, Mallala Motor Sport Park, South Australia, 23 August^{[8] [9]}
• Round 5, Oran Park, New South Wales, 1 November^{[5] [10]}

Rounds were contested over three races.^[3]

Points system

Championship points were awarded on a 10–9–8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis for the first ten positions attained in qualifying at each round .^[3] No points were awarded for Race 1,^[3] however the results were used to determine the starting grid for Race 2.^[11] Championship points were awarded on a 21–19–17–16–15–14–13–12–11–10 basis for the first ten positions in both Race 2 and Race 3 of each round.^[3]

Results

Position	Driver	No.	Car	Entrant	Total
1	Tony Ricciardello	15	Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV Chevrolet	Basil Ricciardello	244
2	Mick Monterosso	2	Ford Escort RS2000 Chevrolet	Mick Monterosso	207
3	Kerry Baily	1	Toyota Celica Supra Chevrolet	K Baily	197
4	Mark Stinson	13	Holden Calibra	Australian Sports Sedan Association	173
5	Des Wall	20	Toyota Supra Chevrolet	Des Wall	121
6	Ivan Mikac	42	Mazda RX-7	Ivan Mikac	71
7	Stephen Lichtenberger	5	Mazda RX-7 Chevrolet	Australian Sports Sedan Association	62
8	Bob Jolly	3	Holden VS Commodore	Bob Jolly	58
9	Joseph Said	9	Fiat 124 Coupe		53
10	Graham Smith	16	Opel Calibra	Australian Sports Sedan Association	52
11	Stephen Voight	38	Honda Prelude	Stephen Voight	51
12	Keith Carling	11	Mazda RX-7 Nissan	JW Keen	47
13	Peter O'Brien	17	Holden VL Commodore	O'Brien Aluminium	43
14	Barry Jameson	45	Ford EF Falcon XR8	Barry Jameson	40
15	Tony Wilson	27	Holden VS Commodore	The Smash Repair Centre	39
16	James Phillip	55	Honda Prelude		34
17	Charlie Senese	12	Ford EF Falcon	Carmine Senese	32
18	Glen Taylor	19	Holden VN Commodore		27
19	Phil Crompton	49	Ford EB Falcon		25
20	Fred Axisa	80	Holden VK Commodore		25
21	Jeff Barnes	6	Pontiac Firebird Trans Am		22
22	Barry Morcom	7	Ford Falcon		18
23	Bill Martin	10	Mazda RX-7	Bill Martin	14
24	Frank Sola	78	Ford TE Cortina		13
25	Kevin Clark	116	Ford Mustang	Kevin Clark	12
26	Lance Hughes	22	Holden VL Commodore		11
27	Dean Randle	32	Saab 900 Aero	Dean Randle	10
28	Mike Imrie	4	Holden VS Commodore		10
29	Darren Pearce	83	Fiat 124		10

References

1. Australian Title Conditions, 1998 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 7-11
2. Records, Titles and Awards, 2006 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 14-10
3. Championship final pointscore, National Australian Sports Sedan Association, 25 November 1998
4. Baily brilliant at Oran, Australian Auto Action, 8–14 May 1998, page 33
5. 1998 race results at www.racetime.com.au – retrieved in 1998 – pages no longer available
6. Ricciardello in front, Australian Auto Action, 10–16 July 1998, page 36
7. Ricciardello extends advantage, Australian Auto Action, 15 – 21 August 1998, page 36
8. Ricciardello stretches lead, Australian Auto Action, 11–17 September 1998, pages 32–33
9. http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?23/08/1998.MALL Race results archive at www.natsoft.com.au
10. Ricciardello wraps it up, Australian Auto Action, 11 December 1998, page 30
11. Australian Sports Sedan Championship, race program, Mallala, 23 August 1998, pages 10–11