Group A Sports Cars
Encyclopedia
Group A Sports Cars is an Australia
n motor racing category that CAMS
formulated for sports car racing
in Australia. Introduced in 1964, it continues today under the name Group 2A Sports Cars.
On introduction in 1964, Group A catered only for closed sports racing cars with their open top counterparts continuing under existing CAMS Appendix C Sports Car regulations. For 1965, the Appendix C Sports Cars category was discontinued with Group A now catering for both open and closed sports cars. Vehicles were required to have two seats, two doors, mudguards, and an electrical system with operable lights, horn, and starter. Although the rules required that cars also be capable of being registered for road use, the category was not intended for production based cars, which were accommodated by two other newly introduced CAMS categories, Group B Improved Production Sports Cars and Group D Series Production Sports Cars. Initially, mechanical elements under Group A were virtually unrestricted however CAMS announced the introduction of a 5 litre engine capacity limit during 1966.
Group A cars contested Australia’s premier sports car event, the Australian Tourist Trophy
, each year from 1965 to 1968 and were then granted their own national series in 1969 with the introduction of the Australian Sports Car Championship
. When this title was moved across to Group D Production Sports Cars
in 1976, Group A cars would again contest the annual Australian Tourist Trophy although this title was discontinued for a second time after 1979. The Australian Sports Car Championship was once more opened up to Group A Sports Cars in 1982 and they would contest that title until its final running in 1988.
The Group A Sports Cars officially became known as Group 2A Sports Cars in 1988 and is still listed by CAMS as a current Australian motor sport category. The rules have remained basically the same as those for Group A in 1965. However the category no longer enjoys the profile it once had in Australian motor sport, and mainly applies today for historic motor racing with even state championship appearances being rare. Group 2C Sports Cars, also known as Supersports
is now the highest profile Sports Car category in Australia.
Some of the Group A Sports Cars that were designed and built in Australia include various Elfins, Rennmax
's and Kaditcha
's, the Matich SR3 and SR4, Bap Romano's Romano WE84
Cosworth
(which actually started its life as a Kaditcha K583) and Bernie Van Elsen's Veskanda Chevrolet
driven by John Bowe
. These were joined by various international cars such as various Lola and McLaren
sports cars.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n motor racing category that 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 ....
formulated for sports car racing
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
in Australia. Introduced in 1964, it continues today under the name Group 2A Sports Cars.
On introduction in 1964, Group A catered only for closed sports racing cars with their open top counterparts continuing under existing CAMS Appendix C Sports Car regulations. For 1965, the Appendix C Sports Cars category was discontinued with Group A now catering for both open and closed sports cars. Vehicles were required to have two seats, two doors, mudguards, and an electrical system with operable lights, horn, and starter. Although the rules required that cars also be capable of being registered for road use, the category was not intended for production based cars, which were accommodated by two other newly introduced CAMS categories, Group B Improved Production Sports Cars and Group D Series Production Sports Cars. Initially, mechanical elements under Group A were virtually unrestricted however CAMS announced the introduction of a 5 litre engine capacity limit during 1966.
Group A cars contested Australia’s premier sports car event, the Australian Tourist Trophy
Australian Tourist Trophy
The Australian Tourist Trophy is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for sports car drivers. The title was awarded for the first time in 1956 and then annually from 1958 until the introduction by CAMS of an Australian Sports Car Championship for 1969...
, each year from 1965 to 1968 and were then granted their own national series in 1969 with the introduction of the Australian Sports Car Championship
Australian Sports Car Championship
The Australian Sports Car Championship was the CAMS sanctioned national title for Sports Car drivers in the years from 1969 to 1988. Each championship was contested over a series of races with the exception of the 1975 title, which was awarded on the results of a single race held at the Phillip...
. When this title was moved across to Group D Production Sports Cars
Group D Production Sports Cars
Group D Production Sports Cars was a CAMS motor racing category current in Australia from 1972 to 1981.The Group D category catered for series-production type automobiles, other than those eligible to compete as Touring Cars, which were:...
in 1976, Group A cars would again contest the annual Australian Tourist Trophy although this title was discontinued for a second time after 1979. The Australian Sports Car Championship was once more opened up to Group A Sports Cars in 1982 and they would contest that title until its final running in 1988.
The Group A Sports Cars officially became known as Group 2A Sports Cars in 1988 and is still listed by CAMS as a current Australian motor sport category. The rules have remained basically the same as those for Group A in 1965. However the category no longer enjoys the profile it once had in Australian motor sport, and mainly applies today for historic motor racing with even state championship appearances being rare. Group 2C Sports Cars, also known as Supersports
Supersports
Supersports is an Australian motor racing class designed as a relatively cheap class of sports racing car. While looking like international sports cars the vehicles themselves are smaller and lighter. Engines are liquid-cooled, four stroke, naturally aspirated engines...
is now the highest profile Sports Car category in Australia.
Some of the Group A Sports Cars that were designed and built in Australia include various Elfins, Rennmax
Rennmax
The Rennmax name was applied to a series of open wheel racing cars and sports racing cars constructed by Rennmax Engineering in Sydney, Australia between 1962 and 1978...
's and Kaditcha
Kaditcha
Kaditcha was an automobile manufacturer in Australia. The company, formed by Queensland engineer Barry Lock, made open wheel and sports car racing cars, including cars for Formula 5000 and Australian Formula 2...
's, the Matich SR3 and SR4, Bap Romano's Romano WE84
Romano WE84
The Romano WE84 was an Australian designed and built closed top racing car built to CAMS Group A Sports Car specifications. The car began its life as the Kaditcha K583 when it first appeared in the 1983 Australian Sports Car Championship and was built by the Queensland based Kaditcha owner/engineer...
Cosworth
Cosworth DFV
The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. Named Four Valve because of the four valves per cylinder, and Double as it was a V8 development of the earlier, four-cylinder FVA , making it a Double Four Valve engine...
(which actually started its life as a Kaditcha K583) and Bernie Van Elsen's Veskanda Chevrolet
Chevrolet Small-Block engine
The Chevrolet small-block engine is a series of automobile V8 engines built by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors using the same basic small engine block...
driven by John Bowe
John Bowe (racing driver)
John Bowe is an Australian racing driver, presently racing a 1969 Ford Mustang in the historic series, Touring Car Masters....
. These were joined by various international cars such as various Lola and McLaren
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited, trading as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, is a British Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed and won in the Indianapolis 500 and Canadian-American Challenge Cup...
sports cars.