Tony Longhurst Racing
Encyclopedia
Tony Longhurst Racing is a former V8 Supercar
team. The team, based on Queensland
s Gold Coast
at the Longhurst family owned Dreamworld
adventure park, made its debut in Group A touring car racing
in the 1988 Australian Touring Car Championship
at Melbourne
's Calder Park Raceway
and made its last start in the 2005 V8 Supercar Championship Series
Grand Finale at Phillip Island
, some 140km south of Melbourne.
after 4 years of being understudy to Jim Richards at Frank Gardner's JPS Team BMW
, Longhurst, with Gardner's help, secured Freeport Cigarettes
as sponsor to run a Ford Sierra RS500 in the 1988 ATCC. Longhurst would win his first championship race at Lakeside
in Brisbane
after eventual series champion Dick Johnson was given a 60 second penalty for jumping the start.
Freeport Motorsport was re-named Benson & Hedges
Racing when the more recognisable Gold and Black colours of B&H replaced Freeport as major sponsor midway through 1988. Longhurst qualified his Sierra on the front row for the 1988 Enzed 500
at Sandown Raceway
but a broken universal joint bearing off the start line cost the team six laps. Longhurst and his co-driver Tomas Mezera
drove flat out for the rest of the day finally finishing 5th, only five laps down on the winning Sierra of Allan Moffat
and Gregg Hansford
.
Much better was to come for the team when Longhurst and Mezera won the 1988 Tooheys 1000
at Bathurst
. After having to dismantle and rebuild the car on the Friday after qualifying to answer a protest (against all Australian built Sierra's) they started 3rd on the grid and battled almost all day with the Klaus Niedzwiedz
/Allan Moffat/Gregg Hansford ANZ Sierra which was prepared for the race for car owner Moffat by car builder Ruedi Eggenberger. The B&H car got home to score team owner Longhurst's first of two wins and Mezera's only win in the great race.
For 1989
the B&H team expanded to two cars with New Zealand
businessman and driver Neville Crichton in the 2nd car (Longhurst's from 1988). Former Formula One
World Drivers' Champions Alan Jones and Denny Hulme
joined the team for the endurance races but victory eluded the team. Jones became the driver of the 2nd car from 1990
and remained with the team until moving to Glenn Seton Racing
in mid-1992.
1991
saw the team ditch the Sierra's in favour of the evolution version of the BMW M3. The now 2.5 litre cars (up from the previous 2.3 litres) proved to be giant killers when Longhurst was the only non-Nissan Skyline GT-R driver to win a round of the 1991 ATCC when he won at Sydney
's tight Amaroo Park
circuit in round six. He repeated this win two rounds later at Lakeside. Both times he used the lightweight M3's ability to be easy on its tyres compared to the heavier GT-R's, Holden Commodore
's and Sierra's to great advantage.
The team continued with the M3's for 1992 but tragedy would strike the team at Bathurst when former Formula One
World Champion Denny Hulme would pass away as a result of a heart attack
while driving the team's second BMW M3 on lap 33 of the 1992 Tooheys 1000
. The team soldiered on under difficult circumstances and manage to salvage 4th place in the race for Longhurst and Venezuelan
co-driver Johnny Cecotto
. This was despite Cecotto putting the car into the wall in the morning warm-up session and the car needing hasty repairs just to make the starting grid. The teams newest recruit Paul Morris unfortunately didn't get to drive as he was slated to be Hulme's co-driver and Denny had started the race.
Longhurst had surprised everyone at Bathurst by putting the M3 into 5th in qualifying with a time of 2:15.26 despite the cars relative lack of power compared to its rivals on what is generally known as a power circuit with its 1km climb up Mountain Straight, its steep climb to the Cutting and over the top of the mountain before the 1.5km run down Conrod Straight. Although he was quick acknowledge the time wouldn't have been possible without the tow he got from the Larry Perkins
Holden Commodore both up Mountain Straight and again down Conrod. In the Toohey's Top 10 run off for pole, Longhurst, without the benefit of the tow on the straights, could only record a 2:16.932 on his lap and dropped back to 9th on the starting grid.
The team ran the M3's until the end of 1993
. They also ran two extra BMW's under the name of Diet Coke
Racing. The team also continued its close association with BMW Motorsport
by importing top drivers from Europe
for the annual Bathurst 1000
. Steve Soper
partnered Longhurst in the lead B&H M3 with Jeff Allam
driving the teams 2nd car. German driver Joachim Winkelhock
was the fastest of all the M3 drivers qualifying his Diet Coke machine in 11 place but all 4 cars had a difficult run with problems (claimed by the team) related to the cars electrics caused by the CAMS
rev-limiters.
With only V8s being eligible for the 1994 ATCC, the team purchased 2 VP Commodores from Perkins Engineering for Longhurst and Morris to race. While learning the car Longhurst would finish the 1994 Australian Touring Car Championship
in 11th place. The teams fortunes turned around with the endurance races. With co-driver Charlie O'Brien
, Longhurst would finish a good 4th at the 1994 Sandown 500
and the pair would repeat that placing a few weeks later at the annual Tooheys 1000
.
racing a Ford Falcon
. Longhurst again finished the ATCC
in 11th place. He then teamed with Wayne Park to finish 4th at Sandown
but the pair could only manage 9th at Bathurst
. The team had a new engine builder in 1996 (Barry Seton
) who joined the team after leaving his son's team (Glenn Seton Racing) looking for a new challenge. In the 1996 ATCC
Longhurst would finish in 11th place for the third year running. He then teamed with Steven Ellery
to, coincidentally for the 3rd year in a row, finish in 4th place at the Sandown 500
. The pair then went to Bathurst and finished on the podium with 3rd place in the 1996 AMP Bathurst 1000
.
In 1997
the team expanded to two car operation with Steven Ellery joining the team in a second Konica sponsored EL Falcon, this year the team use the numbers #25 and #52. Longhurst would finish the ATCC
in 8th place with Ellery 18th. Ellery left the team mid way through the season so Charlie O'Brien joined Longhurst to finish 10th at the 1997 Tickford 500
. They unfortunately had a DNF at Bathurst
after qualifying a disappointing 39th.
Alan Jones joined the team in 1998
with a new number for the teams second car, #9. Longhurst and Jones finished the ATCC
in 8th and 16th places respectively. Both cars failed at the 1998 Tickford 500
with the Jones/Adam Macrow
car failing to complete a lap while the Longhurst/Geoff Brabham
car only managed 7 laps before retiring. Bathurst turned out better for the team with Longhurst qualifying his Falcon in 2nd place before he and Brabham finished 9th. Jones and Macrow again had a DNF when their car failed on lap 58 after qualifying 11th.
In 1999
the team only ran a single car again, an AU Falcon
. Longhurst finished the newly named Shell Championship Series in 14th spot. Longhurst teamed with Macrow in the endurance events of the series, qualifying 10th but recorded a DNF at the Queensland 500
. At the FAI 1000
at Bathurst, the car expired late in the race with a failed differential.
At the end of 1999 Longhurst sold the team to Brad Jones Racing
.
, for Longhurst, Paul Morris and John Blanchard. The ManChamp was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing competition for 2.0 Litre Touring Cars complying with FIA Class II rules. Longhurst and Morris would win 3 rounds each of the 6 round championship. Longhurst would win the series but not before being disqualified from at Winton
after he and Morris tangled on the pit straight. Longhurst blamed Morris for the crash which put both cars into the concrete wall and famously punched Morris through Morris's drivers side window.
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...
team. The team, based on Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
s Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
at the Longhurst family owned Dreamworld
Dreamworld
Dreamworld is a large theme park situated on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It is currently Australia's largest theme park with over 27 rides including 4 roller coasters. The park is made up of several themed lands: Ocean Parade, Kid's World, Wiggles World, Gold Rush Country, Rocky Hollow, Tiger...
adventure park, made its debut in Group A touring car racing
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
in the 1988 Australian Touring Car Championship
1988 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1988 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Group 3A Touring Cars. It was the 29th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. Promoted as the “1988 Shell Ultra Australian Touring Car Championship”, it began on 6 March at Calder Park...
at Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
's Calder Park Raceway
Calder Park Raceway
Calder Park Raceway is a motor racing circuit in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The complex includes a drag strip, a road circuit with several possible configurations, and the "Thunderdome", a high-speed banked oval equipped to race either clockwise or counter-clockwise .-History:Calder Park...
and made its last start in the 2005 V8 Supercar Championship Series
2005 V8 Supercar Championship Series
The 2005 V8 Supercar season was the seventh running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series. It began on 18 March 2005 in Adelaide and ended on 27 November at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit after 13 rounds.-Teams and drivers:...
Grand Finale at Phillip Island
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is a motor racing racing circuit on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. The circuit was opened in 1956.-Road circuit:...
, some 140km south of Melbourne.
History
Formed in 1988 by Tony LonghurstTony Longhurst
Tony Longhurst is an Australian former racing driver and Australian Champion water skier. He is most noted for his career in the Australian Touring Car Championship and V8 Supercar series....
after 4 years of being understudy to Jim Richards at Frank Gardner's JPS Team BMW
JPS Team BMW
JPS Team BMW is a former motor racing team that ran primarily in Australia and New Zealand mainly in touring car racing but also ran in sports sedans and GT cars as well...
, Longhurst, with Gardner's help, secured Freeport Cigarettes
Gallaher Group
Gallaher Group is a major United Kingdom-based multinational tobacco company. It was traded on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index, prior to its April 2007 acquisition by Japan Tobacco.-History:...
as sponsor to run a Ford Sierra RS500 in the 1988 ATCC. Longhurst would win his first championship race at Lakeside
Lakeside International Raceway
Lakeside Park, formerly known as Lakeside International Raceway is a motor racing circuit located at Pine Rivers north of Brisbane and lies adjacent to Lake Kurwongbah....
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
after eventual series champion Dick Johnson was given a 60 second penalty for jumping the start.
Freeport Motorsport was re-named Benson & Hedges
Benson & Hedges
Benson & Hedges is a British brand of cigarettes owned by the Gallaher Group, which became a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco in 2007. They are registered in Old Bond Street in London, and are manufactured in Lisnafillen, Ballymena, Northern Ireland for the UK and Irish markets.-History:Benson & Hedges...
Racing when the more recognisable Gold and Black colours of B&H replaced Freeport as major sponsor midway through 1988. Longhurst qualified his Sierra on the front row for the 1988 Enzed 500
1988 Enzed 500
The 1988 Enzed 500 was an endurance race for Group 3A Touring Cars. The event was held at the Sandown circuit in Victoria, Australia on 11 September 1988 over 129 laps of the 3.9 km circuit, a total distance of 503 km...
at Sandown Raceway
Sandown Raceway
Sandown International Raceway is a motor racing circuit in Melbourne, Victoria, approximately south east of the city centre. It is considered a power circuit with its front straight being 899m long and back straight 910m long.-History:...
but a broken universal joint bearing off the start line cost the team six laps. Longhurst and his co-driver Tomas Mezera
Tomas Mezera
Tomas Mezera, born November 5, 1958, in Czechoslovakia and now resides in Queensland, Australia. Mezera is best known as an Australian racing driver. Mezera's sporting career began as a downhill skier in his native Czechoslovakia, before he emigrated to Australia to be a ski instructor.-Formula...
drove flat out for the rest of the day finally finishing 5th, only five laps down on the winning Sierra of Allan Moffat
Allan Moffat
Allan George Moffat, OBE is an Australian racing driver known for his four wins in the Australian Touring Car Championship, six wins in the Sandown 500 and his four wins in the Bathurst 1000...
and Gregg Hansford
Gregg Hansford
Gregg Hansford was an Australian motorcycle and touring car racer.-Racing career:Hansford began racing motorcycles in Australia, winning the 1973 500cc Unlimited title, as well as competing in the New Zealand Marlboro Series in 1975/76 and 1977/78 on Team Kawasaki 750s. He also won one leg of the...
.
Much better was to come for the team when Longhurst and Mezera won the 1988 Tooheys 1000
1988 Tooheys 1000
The 1988 Tooheys 1000 was the 29th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 2 October 1988 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst...
at Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
. After having to dismantle and rebuild the car on the Friday after qualifying to answer a protest (against all Australian built Sierra's) they started 3rd on the grid and battled almost all day with the Klaus Niedzwiedz
Klaus Niedzwiedz
Klaus Niedzwiedz is a former professional race driver and motoring journalist.- Driver :His greatest success came in the 1980s, as a driver for Ford....
/Allan Moffat/Gregg Hansford ANZ Sierra which was prepared for the race for car owner Moffat by car builder Ruedi Eggenberger. The B&H car got home to score team owner Longhurst's first of two wins and Mezera's only win in the great race.
For 1989
1989 Australian Touring Car season
The 1989 Australian Touring Car season was the 30th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500....
the B&H team expanded to two cars with New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
businessman and driver Neville Crichton in the 2nd car (Longhurst's from 1988). Former Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
World Drivers' Champions Alan Jones and Denny Hulme
Denny Hulme
Denis Clive "Denny" Hulme, OBE was a New Zealand racing driver, the 1967 Formula One World Champion for the Brabham team....
joined the team for the endurance races but victory eluded the team. Jones became the driver of the 2nd car from 1990
1990 Australian Touring Car season
The 1990 Australian Touring Car season was the 31st year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500....
and remained with the team until moving to Glenn Seton Racing
Glenn Seton Racing
Glenn Seton Racing was a V8 Supercar racing team that competed in the V8 Supercar series in Australia.Glenn Seton formed his own team in 1989, using Ford Sierras. Seton had been a protege of the works Nissan team, and took the Peter Jackson cigarette sponsorship of that team with him. Former F1...
in mid-1992.
1991
1991 Australian Touring Car season
The 1991 Australian Touring Car season was the 32nd year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500....
saw the team ditch the Sierra's in favour of the evolution version of the BMW M3. The now 2.5 litre cars (up from the previous 2.3 litres) proved to be giant killers when Longhurst was the only non-Nissan Skyline GT-R driver to win a round of the 1991 ATCC when he won at Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's tight Amaroo Park
Amaroo Park
Amaroo Park was a motor racing circuit located in Annangrove, New South Wales, in the present-day western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. It opened in 1967, hosting its first motorcycle meeting on 26 February with a 30 lap production race won by Larry Simons on a BSA Spitfire in heavy rain. The...
circuit in round six. He repeated this win two rounds later at Lakeside. Both times he used the lightweight M3's ability to be easy on its tyres compared to the heavier GT-R's, Holden Commodore
Holden VN Commodore
The Holden VN Commodore was the sixth model of the Holden Commodore, a full-size car produced by the Australian automotive marque, Holden. It is essentially made out of an Opel donor body mated to either a Buick V6 or Holden V8, depending on the model, with slight tweaks to the front and rear ends...
's and Sierra's to great advantage.
The team continued with the M3's for 1992 but tragedy would strike the team at Bathurst when former Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
World Champion Denny Hulme would pass away as a result of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
while driving the team's second BMW M3 on lap 33 of the 1992 Tooheys 1000
1992 Tooheys 1000
The 1992 Tooheys 1000 was the 33rd running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on October 4, 1992 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst...
. The team soldiered on under difficult circumstances and manage to salvage 4th place in the race for Longhurst and Venezuelan
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
co-driver Johnny Cecotto
Johnny Cecotto
Alberto "Johnny" Cecotto is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver...
. This was despite Cecotto putting the car into the wall in the morning warm-up session and the car needing hasty repairs just to make the starting grid. The teams newest recruit Paul Morris unfortunately didn't get to drive as he was slated to be Hulme's co-driver and Denny had started the race.
Longhurst had surprised everyone at Bathurst by putting the M3 into 5th in qualifying with a time of 2:15.26 despite the cars relative lack of power compared to its rivals on what is generally known as a power circuit with its 1km climb up Mountain Straight, its steep climb to the Cutting and over the top of the mountain before the 1.5km run down Conrod Straight. Although he was quick acknowledge the time wouldn't have been possible without the tow he got from the Larry Perkins
Larry Perkins
Larry Clifton Perkins is a former racing driver and V8 Supercar team owner from Australia.-Career:...
Holden Commodore both up Mountain Straight and again down Conrod. In the Toohey's Top 10 run off for pole, Longhurst, without the benefit of the tow on the straights, could only record a 2:16.932 on his lap and dropped back to 9th on the starting grid.
The team ran the M3's until the end of 1993
1993 Australian Touring Car season
The 1993 Australian Touring Car season was the 34th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500....
. They also ran two extra BMW's under the name of Diet Coke
Diet Coke
Diet Coke is a sugar-free soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. It was first introduced in the United States on August 9, 1982, as the first new brand since 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark...
Racing. The team also continued its close association with BMW Motorsport
BMW Motorsport
BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...
by importing top drivers from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for the annual Bathurst 1000
1993 Tooheys 1000
The 1993 Tooheys 1000 was the 34th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 3 October 1993 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia...
. Steve Soper
Steve Soper
Steve Soper is a retired racing driver from Surrey, England, born in 1951. He raced in sports cars and touring cars at the top level for over 20 years. In 1983 he almost won the British Touring Car Championship before his Rover was deemed illegal. He finished as runner-up in the series in 1988 in a...
partnered Longhurst in the lead B&H M3 with Jeff Allam
Jeff Allam
Jeff Allam , was a British racing driver who made his name in Saloon Car racing. He now works as a dealer principal for Allam Motor Services in Epsom and Dorking which are a Skoda, Alfa Romeo and Kia dealership....
driving the teams 2nd car. German driver Joachim Winkelhock
Joachim Winkelhock
Joachim Winkelhock , is a German motor racing driver.The younger brother of the late Manfred Winkelhock, Winkelhock was born in Waiblingen, near Stuttgart...
was the fastest of all the M3 drivers qualifying his Diet Coke machine in 11 place but all 4 cars had a difficult run with problems (claimed by the team) related to the cars electrics caused by the 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 ....
rev-limiters.
With only V8s being eligible for the 1994 ATCC, the team purchased 2 VP Commodores from Perkins Engineering for Longhurst and Morris to race. While learning the car Longhurst would finish the 1994 Australian Touring Car Championship
1994 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1994 Australian Touring Car Championship was the 35th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It began on 27 February 1994 at Amaroo Park and ended on 24 July at Oran Park Raceway after 10 rounds.-Teams and drivers:...
in 11th place. The teams fortunes turned around with the endurance races. With co-driver Charlie O'Brien
Charlie O'Brien (racing driver)
This article is about the Australian racing driver. For other people, see Charles O'Brien.Charles Lindsay O'Brien is a former Australian race car driver. From 1976 to 2003, he held the record for being the youngest winner of an Australian Touring Car Championship round.-Career results:-References:...
, Longhurst would finish a good 4th at the 1994 Sandown 500
1994 Sandown 500
The 1994 Sandown 500 was endurance race for Group 3A Touring Cars and selected production cars held at the Sandown circuit in Victoria, Australia on 4 September 1994....
and the pair would repeat that placing a few weeks later at the annual Tooheys 1000
1994 Tooheys 1000
The 1994 Tooheys 1000 was the 35th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 2 October 1994 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst. The race was held for cars eligible for CAMS Group 3A touring car regulations, that later became known V8Supercars and for...
.
New Team
At the end of 1994 Longhurst sold his share of the team to the other shareholders Frank Gardner and Paul Morris. With the support of Castrol and Ford Longhurst established a new team on the Gold Coast to race in the 19951995 Australian Touring Car season
The 1995 Australian Touring Car season was the 36th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500....
racing a Ford Falcon
Ford EF Falcon
The Ford EF Falcon is a full-size car that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between 1994 and 1996. A total of 192,100 EF models were produced prior to replacement of the EF by the Ford EL Falcon in 1996.-Introduction and changes:...
. Longhurst again finished the ATCC
1995 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1995 Shell Australian Touring Car Championship was the 36th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship and was run for cars eligible to CAMS Group 3A touring car specifications. It began on 5 February 1995 at Sandown Raceway and ended on 6 August at Oran Park Raceway after 10...
in 11th place. He then teamed with Wayne Park to finish 4th at Sandown
1995 Sandown 500
The 1995 Sandown 500 was an endurance race for 5.0 Litre Touring Cars complying with CAMS Group 3A regulations. The event was staged at the Sandown circuit near Melbourne in Victoria, Australia on 3 September 1995...
but the pair could only manage 9th at Bathurst
1995 Tooheys 1000
The 1995 Tooheys 1000 was the 36th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on October 1, 1995 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst. The race was held for cars eligible under CAMS Group 3A 5.0 Litre Touring Car regulations, that later became known as V8Supercars...
. The team had a new engine builder in 1996 (Barry Seton
Barry Seton
Barry Seton , , is an Australian racing driver. He won the Bathurst 500 in 1965 with co-driver Midge Bosworth driving a Ford Cortina GT500. He has competed in the Bathurst 500 22 times, competing every year from 1963 to 1984, and completing the race in fifteen of those...
) who joined the team after leaving his son's team (Glenn Seton Racing) looking for a new challenge. In the 1996 ATCC
1996 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1996 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of 5.0 Litre Touring Cars complying with Australian Group 3A regulations. The championship, which was the 37th Australian Touring Car Championship, was promoted as the Shell Australian Touring Car...
Longhurst would finish in 11th place for the third year running. He then teamed with Steven Ellery
Steven Ellery
Steven Ellery is a retired Australian racing driver.Since 1994 Ellery has made 120 championship starts. He has recorded three podium finishes at the Bathurst 1000. Ellery has not raced full time in the series since the end of the 2005. season.-Career results:-References:...
to, coincidentally for the 3rd year in a row, finish in 4th place at the Sandown 500
1996 Tickford 500
The 1996 Tickford 500 was an endurance motor race for 5.0 Litre Touring Cars complying with CAMS Group 3A regulations. The event was held at the Sandown International Motor Raceway, Victoria, Australia on 8 September 1996...
. The pair then went to Bathurst and finished on the podium with 3rd place in the 1996 AMP Bathurst 1000
1996 AMP Bathurst 1000
The 1996 AMP Bathurst 1000 was the 37th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on October 6, 1996 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst...
.
In 1997
1997 Australian Touring Car season
The 1997 Australian Touring Car season was the 38th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500....
the team expanded to two car operation with Steven Ellery joining the team in a second Konica sponsored EL Falcon, this year the team use the numbers #25 and #52. Longhurst would finish the ATCC
1997 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1997 Shell Australian Touring Car Championship was the 38th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship and was run for cars eligible to V8 Supercar specifications...
in 8th place with Ellery 18th. Ellery left the team mid way through the season so Charlie O'Brien joined Longhurst to finish 10th at the 1997 Tickford 500
1997 Tickford 500
The 1997 Tickford 500 was the 32nd running of the Sandown 500 touring car endurance race. It was held on 14 September 1997 at the Sandown Raceway in Melbourne, Victoria.-Top ten shootout:-Official results:-External links:* *...
. They unfortunately had a DNF at Bathurst
1997 Primus 1000 Classic
The 1997 Primus 1000 Classic was the first running of the Australia 1000 race, sometimes known as the Bathurst Classic. The race was created in response to V8Supercar's need to hold an event at the massively popular Mount Panorama Circuit, without competing in the Bathurst 1000 as V8Supercar...
after qualifying a disappointing 39th.
Alan Jones joined the team in 1998
1998 Australian Touring Car season
The 1998 Australian Touring Car season was the 39th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500....
with a new number for the teams second car, #9. Longhurst and Jones finished the ATCC
1998 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1998 Shell Australian Touring Car Championship was the 39th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship and was run for cars eligible to V8 Supercar specifications. It began on 1 February 1998 at Sandown Raceway and ended on 2 August at Oran Park Raceway after 10 rounds.-Teams and...
in 8th and 16th places respectively. Both cars failed at the 1998 Tickford 500
1998 Tickford 500
The 1998 Tickford 500 was an endurance motor race for V8 Supercars. The event, which was the 33rd running of the Sandown 500, was held on 12 September 1998 at the Sandown International Motor Raceway in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Class Structure:...
with the Jones/Adam Macrow
Adam Macrow
Adam Macrow is a professional race car driver now living in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Starting in Karts in 1985 winning two National titles and ten Victorian titles...
car failing to complete a lap while the Longhurst/Geoff Brabham
Geoff Brabham
Geoff Brabham is an Australian racing driver. He is the son of three-time Formula One World Champion Jack Brabham. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the United States. He raced successfully in CART early in his career. In ten appearances in the Indianapolis 500, with a best result...
car only managed 7 laps before retiring. Bathurst turned out better for the team with Longhurst qualifying his Falcon in 2nd place before he and Brabham finished 9th. Jones and Macrow again had a DNF when their car failed on lap 58 after qualifying 11th.
In 1999
1999 Australian Touring Car season
The 1999 Australian Touring Car season was the 40th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500....
the team only ran a single car again, an AU Falcon
Ford AU Falcon
The Ford AU Falcon and Fairmont are the first of the sixth generation series of the Ford Falcon, a full-size car produced by Ford Australia...
. Longhurst finished the newly named Shell Championship Series in 14th spot. Longhurst teamed with Macrow in the endurance events of the series, qualifying 10th but recorded a DNF at the Queensland 500
1999 Queensland 500
The 1999 Queensland 500 was an endurance race for V8 Supercars held at the Queensland Raceway, near Ipswich, in Queensland, Australia on 19 September 1999...
. At the FAI 1000
1999 FAI 1000
The 1999 FAI 1000 was an endurance race for V8 Supercars. The event was held on November 14, 1999 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia and was the thirteenth and final round of the 1999 Shell Championship Series....
at Bathurst, the car expired late in the race with a failed differential.
At the end of 1999 Longhurst sold the team to Brad Jones Racing
Brad Jones Racing
Brad Jones Racing is an Australian motor racing team centred around brothers Kim and Brad Jones and is based in Albury, New South Wales. Presently the team compete in the V8 Supercar Series, which they joined in 2000. Recently they have also returned to the Australian Formula Ford Championship...
.
2.0 Litre Touring Cars
Tony Longhurst Racing also ran two BMW 318i's and one BMW M3 in the 1994 Australian Manufacturers' Championship1994 Australian Manufacturers' Championship
The 1994 Australian Manufacturers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing competition for 2.0 Litre Touring Cars complying with FIA Class II rules. The championship, which was promoted as the 1994 Valvoline Australian Manufacturers' Championship, began on 17 April 1994 at Eastern Creek...
, for Longhurst, Paul Morris and John Blanchard. The ManChamp was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing competition for 2.0 Litre Touring Cars complying with FIA Class II rules. Longhurst and Morris would win 3 rounds each of the 6 round championship. Longhurst would win the series but not before being disqualified from at Winton
Winton Motor Raceway
Winton Motor Raceway is a Motor Racing track in Winton, near Benalla, Victoria, Australia.-History:The Benalla Auto Club began planning for a permanent racing track around 1958. In 1960 it was decided to build the track at Winton Recreation Reserve and was completed in twelve months...
after he and Morris tangled on the pit straight. Longhurst blamed Morris for the crash which put both cars into the concrete wall and famously punched Morris through Morris's drivers side window.