1968 British Saloon Car Championship season
Encyclopedia
The 1968 British Saloon Car Championship
, was the 11th season of the series. The Royal Automobile Club Motor Sports Association (RACMSA
) took control of the championship this year from the BRSCC. Australian driver Frank Gardner
won back to back championships, successfully defending his 1967 title, in 1968 changing from a Ford Falcon to contest the Class C with initially a Cortina until the new Ford Escort was introduced ].
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
, was the 11th season of the series. The Royal Automobile Club Motor Sports Association (RACMSA
Motor Sports Association
The Motor Sports Association , is the official governing body of motorsport in the United Kingdom.-Responsibilities:...
) took control of the championship this year from the BRSCC. Australian driver Frank Gardner
Frank Gardner (driver)
Frank Gardner OAM was a racing driver from Australia. He was best known as a Touring car racing and Sports car racing driver. He also participated in nine World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 11 July 1964. He scored no championship points...
won back to back championships, successfully defending his 1967 title, in 1968 changing from a Ford Falcon to contest the Class C with initially a Cortina until the new Ford Escort was introduced ].
Calendar & Winners
Overall winners in bold.Round | Circuit | Date | Class A Winner | Class B Winner | Class C Winner | Class D Winner | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Brands Hatch Brands Hatch Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events... , Kent Kent Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of... |
March 17 | Ray Calcutt | John Rhodes | Vic Elford Vic Elford Victor Henry Elford is a former sportscar racing, rallying and Formula One driver from England. He participated in 13 World Championship F1 Grands Prix, debuting on 7 July 1968... |
Brian Muir | |
2 | Thruxton Circuit Thruxton Circuit Thruxton Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near the village of Thruxton in Hampshire, England which is used to host a number of motorsport events including British Touring Cars and Formula 3 racing.... , Hampshire Hampshire Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force... |
April 15 | Chris Craft | Graham Janzen | Frank Gardner | Brian Muir | |
3 | Silverstone Circuit Silverstone Circuit Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side... , Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,... |
April 27 | Chris Craft | John Rhodes | Vic Elford Vic Elford Victor Henry Elford is a former sportscar racing, rallying and Formula One driver from England. He participated in 13 World Championship F1 Grands Prix, debuting on 7 July 1968... |
Brian Muir | |
4 | A | Crystal Palace Crystal Palace (circuit) Crystal Palace circuit was a motor racing circuit in Crystal Palace, London, England. The circuit was located within Crystal Palace park. The route of the track can still be seen on maps providing access to the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre that is also located in the park.- History :The... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
June 3 | Mike Walker | Steve Neal Team Dynamics Team Dynamics is a UK-based motor-racing team based in Pershore, Worcestershire; best known for their successes as an independent squad in the British Touring Car Championship, including winning the Overall Drivers title in 2005 and 2006 with Matt Neal... |
Not contested. | |
B | Not contested. | Frank Gardner | Brian Muir | ||||
5 | A | Mallory Park Mallory Park Mallory Park is a motor racing circuit situated in the village of Kirkby Mallory, just off the A47, between Leicester and Hinckley. With the full car circuit measuring only 1.35 miles it is amongst the shortest permanent race circuits in the UK... , Leicestershire Leicestershire Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire... |
June 23 | Les Nash Les Nash Les Nash is a British auto racing driver. In 1973 he finished as runner-up in the British Saloon Car Championship, driving a Sunbeam Imp that had been driven the previous season by championship winner Bill McGovern.-External links:*... |
John Fitzpatrick John Fitzpatrick (racing driver) thumb|upright=0.7|John Fitzpatrick in 1972John Fitzpatrick is a former British racing driver, winning many titles throughout his career. He still works within motorsport as a consultant doing corporate events and driver management... |
Not contested. | |
B | Not contested. | Frank Gardner | Brian Muir | ||||
6 | Brands Hatch Brands Hatch Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events... , Kent Kent Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of... |
July 20 | Tony Lanfranchi Tony Lanfranchi Tony Lanfranchi was a British racing driver. He competed in many various events throughout a long racing career, including the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans for Elva, non-championship Formula One races in 1968, and the British Formula Three Championship... |
John Fitzpatrick John Fitzpatrick (racing driver) thumb|upright=0.7|John Fitzpatrick in 1972John Fitzpatrick is a former British racing driver, winning many titles throughout his career. He still works within motorsport as a consultant doing corporate events and driver management... |
Frank Gardner | Hubert Hahne Hubert Hahne -Career:He participated in five Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, two of those at the wheel of Formula Two cars, and one non-Championship Formula One race.Hahne was successful in touring car racing, e.g. the European Touring Car Championship... |
|
7 | Silverstone Circuit Silverstone Circuit Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side... , Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,... |
July 27 | Les Nash Les Nash Les Nash is a British auto racing driver. In 1973 he finished as runner-up in the British Saloon Car Championship, driving a Sunbeam Imp that had been driven the previous season by championship winner Bill McGovern.-External links:*... |
John Fitzpatrick John Fitzpatrick (racing driver) thumb|upright=0.7|John Fitzpatrick in 1972John Fitzpatrick is a former British racing driver, winning many titles throughout his career. He still works within motorsport as a consultant doing corporate events and driver management... |
Frank Gardner | David Hobbs | |
8 | Croft Circuit Croft Circuit Croft Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near Dalton-on-Tees in North Yorkshire, England. The tarmac circuit is just over long and is based on the lands of an airfield, but has long since moved on from being a basic airfield circuit... , North Yorkshire North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest... |
August 10 | Gordon Spice Gordon Spice Gordon Spice, is an ex British racing driver who competed in both sports cars and Touring Car racing in the 1960s and 1970’s before starting Spice Engineering with fellow Ray Bellm in the 1980s.... |
John Fitzpatrick John Fitzpatrick (racing driver) thumb|upright=0.7|John Fitzpatrick in 1972John Fitzpatrick is a former British racing driver, winning many titles throughout his career. He still works within motorsport as a consultant doing corporate events and driver management... |
Frank Gardner | Roy Pierpoint Roy Pierpoint Roy Pierpoint was a British racing driver who drove in saloons and sports cars.-Racing career:His first race was in 1949, at a BARC meeting driving a Fiat 1100 special, which he built himself: "very neat was Pierpont's F.I.A.T... |
|
9 | Oulton Park Oulton Park Oulton Park Circuit is a motor racing track in the small village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington with a nearby rail connection along the Mid-Cheshire Line. It occupies much of the area which was... , Cheshire Cheshire Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow... |
August 17 | Gordon Spice Gordon Spice Gordon Spice, is an ex British racing driver who competed in both sports cars and Touring Car racing in the 1960s and 1970’s before starting Spice Engineering with fellow Ray Bellm in the 1980s.... |
Chris Craft | Frank Gardner | Brian Muir | |
10 | Brands Hatch Brands Hatch Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events... , Kent Kent Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of... |
September 2 | Les Nash Les Nash Les Nash is a British auto racing driver. In 1973 he finished as runner-up in the British Saloon Car Championship, driving a Sunbeam Imp that had been driven the previous season by championship winner Bill McGovern.-External links:*... |
John Rhodes | Frank Gardner | Roy Pierpoint Roy Pierpoint Roy Pierpoint was a British racing driver who drove in saloons and sports cars.-Racing career:His first race was in 1949, at a BARC meeting driving a Fiat 1100 special, which he built himself: "very neat was Pierpont's F.I.A.T... |
|
11 | Brands Hatch Brands Hatch Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events... , Kent Kent Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of... |
October 20 | Tony Lanfranchi Tony Lanfranchi Tony Lanfranchi was a British racing driver. He competed in many various events throughout a long racing career, including the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans for Elva, non-championship Formula One races in 1968, and the British Formula Three Championship... |
Chris Craft | Frank Gardner | David Hobbs |
Championship results
Driver's championship | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Driver | Points |
1 | Frank Gardner Frank Gardner (driver) Frank Gardner OAM was a racing driver from Australia. He was best known as a Touring car racing and Sports car racing driver. He also participated in nine World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 11 July 1964. He scored no championship points... |
84 |
2 | Brian Muir | 58 |
3 | Brian Robinson | 50 |
4 | John Rhodes John Rhodes (driver) John Rhodes is a British former racing driver from England, who participated in one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, the 1965 British Grand Prix, at Silverstone on July 10, 1965, from which he retired on lap 39 with ignition problems. His Cooper-Climax T60 was provided for him by... |
50 |
5 | Roy Pierpoint Roy Pierpoint Roy Pierpoint was a British racing driver who drove in saloons and sports cars.-Racing career:His first race was in 1949, at a BARC meeting driving a Fiat 1100 special, which he built himself: "very neat was Pierpont's F.I.A.T... |
44 |
6 | John Fitzpatrick John Fitzpatrick (racing driver) thumb|upright=0.7|John Fitzpatrick in 1972John Fitzpatrick is a former British racing driver, winning many titles throughout his career. He still works within motorsport as a consultant doing corporate events and driver management... |
42 |