1988 Australian Drivers' Championship
Encyclopedia
The 1988 Australian Drivers' Championship
was a CAMS
sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars conforming to Australian Formula 2 regulations. The title was contested over a seven race series with the winner awarded the 1988 CAMS Gold Star. It was the second Gold Star to be contested by AF2, and the first full series. AF2 was however seen as a stop-gap measure against the introduction of the Formula 3000
-based category regulations to be introduced in 1989, called Formula Australia
.
New South Wales racer Rohan Onslow won his first Australian Drivers' Championship driving a Cheetah Mk.8 Volkswagen
. Onslow won two of the seven races to finish 42 points ahead of Queensland racer Derek Pingel (Ralt
RT30 Volkswagen
). Barry Ward was third (Ralt
RT30 Volkswagen
), 74 points behind Onslow.
In addition to Onslow's wins, Neil Israel (Magnum 863 Volkswagen
) took two victories. Single victories were scored by Pingel, Ward and factory Nissan touring car racer Glenn Seton
who entered a Nissan Pulsar
powered Ralt
RT4 late in the series. Seton's race win at Adelaide International Raceway
would be the only race win for an AF2 during its brief period as the Gold Star category that was won by a car powered by anything other than the Volkswagen Golf
AF2 engine.
Australian Drivers' Championship
The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...
was a CAMS
Confederation of Australian Motor Sport
The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport , has been the governing body of Australian motorsport since 1953. It is affiliated with the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile ....
sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars conforming to Australian Formula 2 regulations. The title was contested over a seven race series with the winner awarded the 1988 CAMS Gold Star. It was the second Gold Star to be contested by AF2, and the first full series. AF2 was however seen as a stop-gap measure against the introduction of the Formula 3000
Formula 3000
The Formula 3000 International Championship was a motor racing series created by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile in 1985 to become the final preparatory step for drivers hoping to enter the Formula One championship...
-based category regulations to be introduced in 1989, called Formula Australia
Formula Holden
Formula Holden was an Australian open wheel racing category.-History:Known during its development as Formula Australia, it was initially for chassis constructed from aluminium only, running a 3.8 litre Buick V6 engine as it was then utilised in the new versions of the Holden Commodore...
.
New South Wales racer Rohan Onslow won his first Australian Drivers' Championship driving a Cheetah Mk.8 Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
. Onslow won two of the seven races to finish 42 points ahead of Queensland racer Derek Pingel (Ralt
Ralt
RALT was a manufacturer of single-seater racing cars, founded by ex-Jack Brabham associate Ron Tauranac after he sold out his interest in Brabham to Bernie Ecclestone. Ron and his brother had built some specials in Australia in the 1950s under the RALT name...
RT30 Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
). Barry Ward was third (Ralt
Ralt
RALT was a manufacturer of single-seater racing cars, founded by ex-Jack Brabham associate Ron Tauranac after he sold out his interest in Brabham to Bernie Ecclestone. Ron and his brother had built some specials in Australia in the 1950s under the RALT name...
RT30 Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
), 74 points behind Onslow.
In addition to Onslow's wins, Neil Israel (Magnum 863 Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
) took two victories. Single victories were scored by Pingel, Ward and factory Nissan touring car racer Glenn Seton
Glenn Seton
Glenn Seton is an Australian racing driver.Seton, father of Courtney and Aaron Seton and husband to Jayne Seton, retired from full time racing after the 2005 V8 Supercar season, and is only one of five drivers to have competed in over 200 rounds in the series. The other drivers are Dick Johnson ,...
who entered a Nissan Pulsar
Nissan Pulsar
The Nissan Pulsar is an automobile that was produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan from 1978, when it debuted as a subcompact car, to 2007, when it was replaced in all markets by the Nissan Tiida. It was originally conceived as a replacement for Nissan's first front-wheel drive platform, the...
powered Ralt
Ralt
RALT was a manufacturer of single-seater racing cars, founded by ex-Jack Brabham associate Ron Tauranac after he sold out his interest in Brabham to Bernie Ecclestone. Ron and his brother had built some specials in Australia in the 1950s under the RALT name...
RT4 late in the series. Seton's race win at Adelaide International Raceway
Adelaide International Raceway
The Adelaide International Raceway is a permanent circuit owned by Australian Motorsport Club Limited under the auspices of the Bob Jane Corporation. It is located on Port Wakefield Road at Virginia, a small town just north of Adelaide, South Australia, and is round the corner from Speedway City...
would be the only race win for an AF2 during its brief period as the Gold Star category that was won by a car powered by anything other than the Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The...
AF2 engine.