Aussie Racing Cars (ARC) is an Australian

motor racing Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...

category. ARC is a motorcycle powered

silhouette racing car A silhouette racing car is a race car which, although bearing a superficial resemblance to a production model, differs mechanically in fundamental ways. The purpose of silhouette cars is to provide a manufacturer with a tangible link to their consum ...

class created by former

touring car Touring car and tourer are both terms for open cars (i.e. cars without a fixed roof). "Touring car" is a style of open car built in the United States which seats four or more people. The style was popular from the early 1900s to the 1930s. Th ...

racer Phil Ward and influenced by the American

Legends A legend is a historical narrative, a symbolic representation of folk belief. Legend(s) or The Legend(s) may also refer to: Narrative * Urban legend, a widely repeated story of dubious truth * A fictitious identity used in espionage Books, co ...

category. Aussie Racing Cars was developed as a Major National Category supporting the V8 Supercars under an exclusive Category Management Agreement (CMA) with the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS). Initially, the cars were based on caricatures of 1940 Ford Coupe and FJ Holden body styles until in 2007 a new era of Aussie Race Car emerged with the design and launch of the Toyota Aurion bodied Aussie Race Car. The new car extended the wheelbase and track on the first generation cars thus improving performance significantly. Respected design engineer Russell Mapplebeck lead the engineering project alongside James Ward and Blake Hammond. The process to design and build the first "New Age" Aussie Race Car paved the way for future models, also designed by Mapplebeck including Mercedes- Benz, Holden Cruze, and later the Camaro and Mustang. Aussie Race Cars are now regarded as one of the most successful motorsport categories of all time in Australia, operating under the same branding and philosophy for over 20 years and this success is largely attributed to the substantial improvements in visual appeal and performance delivered from Mapplebeck's New Age design. Ward sold the category in April 2012 to Tony Quinn with the Ward brothers of James and Brad continuing to work in the business under Quinn's ownership. The category contests an annual Aussie Racing Car Series which is approved by the

Confederation of Australian Motor Sport Motorsport Australia, formerly the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS), is the nationally recognised governing and sanctioning body for four-wheeled motorsport in Australia. It is affiliated with the Federation Internationale de l'Au ...

as a National Series. Over its 20-year history the category has supported the biggest motorsports events in Australia including the Adelaide 500, Indy 500 Gold Coast, F1 Australian Grand Prix and Bathurst 1000. The most successful drivers in the category are Paul Kemal who has won the series title three times, James Duckworth and Mike Russell twice, while Phil Ward's two sons James and Brad have also won titles. The Hampton Downs round of the 2016 season hosted the inaugural Trans-Tasman Woman's Challenge. Charlotte Poynting was chosen to represent Team Australian up against Alyssa Clapperton representing Team New Zealand. In Race 3 Poynting who started 9th on the grid, raced through the field to win by 2.5 seconds, becoming the first ever woman to win a race in the Aussie Racing Cars category. Two time Series winner James Duckworth is the only driver since Mike Russell to win consecutive Drivers championships.

Cars

The Aussie Racing Car combines current racing technology and performance in a one-design class where all cars are mechanically identical with strict rules in place to maintain that position. Various body styles are permitted. Originally only 1940 Ford Coupé and

Holden FJ The Holden FJ series is a range of motor vehicles which was produced in Australia by Holden from 1953 until 1956. The FJ was the second model of an "all Australian car" manufactured by Holden and was based upon the established 48-215 series, c ...

body styles were available, with

Ford AU Falcon The Ford Falcon (AU) is a full-size car that was produced by Ford Australia from 1998 to 2002. It was the sixth generation Ford Falcon and also included the Ford Fairmont (AU)—the luxury-oriented model range. The AU series replaced the EL Falc ...

and

Holden VY Commodore The Holden Commodore (VY) is an executive car that was produced by Holden from 2002 to 2004. It was the third iteration of the third generation of the Commodore. Its range included the luxury variants, Holden Berlina (VY) and Holden Calais (VY ...

styles which replicate

V8 Supercars The Supercars Championship is a touring car racing category in Australia, running as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) regulations, governing the sport. Supercars events take place in all Australian ...

later made available. A

Toyota Aurion The Toyota Aurion is a mid-size car produced by Toyota in Australia and parts of Asia from 2006 to 2017. In the two generations it was produced, the Aurion was derived from the equivalent Camry. Changes were mainly limited to revised front- an ...

body shape was launched in 2008, followed by a Holden Cruze in 2012 and a Mercedes-Benz inspired "Euro GT" in 2013.

Nissan Altima The Nissan Altima is a mid-size car that has been manufactured by Nissan since 1992. It is a continuation of the Nissan Bluebird line, which began in 1955. The Altima has historically been larger, more powerful, and more luxurious than the Nissa ...

Ford Mustang The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...

,Stefan Bartholomaeus, ''Mustang and Camaro join Aussie Racing Cars'', Wednesday 8 October 2014, www.speedcafe.com
Retrieved 20 June 2015 and

Chevrolet Camaro The Chevrolet Camaro is a mid-size American automobile manufactured by Chevrolet, classified as a pony car. It first went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed to compete with the Ford Mustang. The Camaro share ...

were added in 2014.

Hyundai Elantra The Hyundai Elantra, also known as the Hyundai Avante ( ko, 현대 아반떼), is a compact car produced by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai Motor Company, Hyundai since 1990. The Elantra was initially marketed as the ''Lantra'' in Austra ...

debuted during the 2015 series.''James Hunt’s son to debut new Aussie Racing Car'', www.speedcafe.com
Retrieved 20 June 2015 Cars are constructed on a purpose built steel tubular space frame chassis with integral

roll cage A roll cage is a specially engineered and constructed frame built in (or sometimes around, in which case it is known as an exo cage) the passenger compartment of a vehicle to protect its occupants from being injured or killed in an accident, pa ...

construction designed and approved to stringent engineering specifications. The lightweight composite body is a designed caricature of its full size counterpart featuring opening doors, boot and lift off front section. Powered by a 1.3 litre

twin cam An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...

16 valve engine sourced second-hand from used Yamaha FJR1300 motorcycles that revs to 11500 rpm. The 515 kg all up weight provides a high power-to-weight ratio that allows the car to reach speeds in excess of 200 km/h. Lap times achieved at

Oran Park Raceway Oran Park Raceway was a motor racing circuit at Narellan south west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia which was operational from February 1962 until its closure in January 2010. The track was designed and started by George Murray and Jac ...

are within six seconds of a

V8 Supercar The Supercars Championship is a touring car racing category in Australia, running as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) regulations, governing the sport. Supercars events take place in all Australian ...

. They feature fully adjustable suspension geometry, performance brakes and controlled competition tyres that produce high grip levels. All cars are hand built in the ARC facility and supplied ready to race. The cockpit layout is purpose built and fitted with a five point racing harness. The steering requires only one turn lock to lock and minimal steering movement during racing. The sequential gear lever is close to the steering wheel and the carbon fibre dash displays the necessary instrumentation. The chassis design incorporates simplicity in suspension adjustment to cater for all drivers preferences including castor/camber, sway bar, roll centre and ride height etc. Brakes have front to rear bias adjustment. The class has proven attractive to karting racers without the budget to progress to

Formula Ford Formula Ford, also known as F1600 and Formula F, is an entry-level class of single seater, open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held across the world form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers. Formula For ...

. Aussie Racing Cars is by far the most cost effective 1st tier category in Australia and New Zealand.

Series winners

Technical specifications

Engine

*Yamaha 1.3 (1300cc) litre twin-cam water/air cooled four cylinder *Four valves per cylinder *125 bhp, 11500 rpm (Governed)

Cooling

*PWR radiator and oil cooler

Gearbox

*Integral 5-speed dog engagement *

Sequential manual gearbox A sequential manual transmission, also known as a sequential gearbox, or a sequential transmission, is a type of non-synchronous manual transmission used mostly for motorcycles and racing cars. It produces faster shift time Shift time refers ...

Dash

*Electronic dash programmed to ARC specifications. Shift light, tachometer, water-temp and lap-timer

Chassis

*Tubular space-frame and cockpit with integral driver roll-cage *Momo race seat with five point harness *Momo quick-release steering wheel

Suspension

*Front – Coil over shocks fully adjustable rose jointed wishbones *Ultra fast rack and pinion *Rear – Live axle, optional long and short track ratios *Coil over shocks, parallel trailing arms, panhard rod

Brakes

*Disc brakes - Full bias adjustment with balance bar, braided lines

Wheels and tyres

*13 x 5.5 various styles available *

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...

A048R treaded race spec tyres

Body styles

* Euro GT * Ford Falcon AU *

Holden Commodore VY The Holden Commodore (VY) is an executive car that was produced by Holden from 2002 to 2004. It was the third iteration of the third generation of the Commodore. Its range included the luxury variants, Holden Berlina (VY) and Holden Calais (VY) ...

* Holden Cruze *

Dimensions

*Length: 3.0 m *Width: 1.35 m *Height: 1.05 m *Weight: 515 kg

Speed

*Top Speed: 230 km/h *0-100: 4.9 seconds *0-400m: 11.9 seconds

References

External links

Official Site
{{V8 Supercar support categories Motorsport categories in Australia Aussie Racing Cars