Bob Holden (racing driver)

Robin John "Bob" Holden (born 1 December 1932 in Notting Hill, Victoria[1]) is an Australian racing driver. Holden raced small-engined touring cars throughout his career, racing Peugeots in the early 1960s, establishing a reputation for himself which saw him become a regular part of BMC Australia racing program for Minis which culminated with a victory in the 1966 Bathurst 500 co-driving with Rauno Aaltonen.[2] Into the 1970s Holden moved on to race Ford Escorts in various guises,[3] moving into Toyota Corollas in the 1980s, winning the 1.6-litre class at the Bathurst round of the 1987 World Touring Car Championship.[4][5][6] In the mid-1990s Holden moved into BMW M3s[7] and later a BMW 318i Super Touring car in which he raced his final Bathurst in 1998, at the time setting the record for most Bathurst appearances.[1]

Bob Holden
NationalityAustralian
Born (1932-12-01) 1 December 1932 (age 91)
Notting Hill, Victoria
Australian Super Touring Championship
Years active1993–98
TeamsBob Holden Motors
Starts34
Best finish7th in 1993 Australian 2.0 Litre Touring Car Championship
Previous series
1961-86
1963
Australian Touring Car Champ.
Australian Drivers' Champ.
Championship titles
1966Bathurst 1000

Holden has continued his involvement in racing through the historic racing scene,[8] and has restored two of his Group C specification Ford Escorts to race in historic touring car racing, although one was recently badly damaged at Oran Park. He has also restored one of his Group A specification Toyota Corolla FX-GTs which he races himself in the Australian Heritage Touring Car Championship for historic Group C and Group A touring cars. Holden is also involved in charity work, helping disadvantaged youth acquire trade skills to help establish themselves in society.

Career results

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Holden won the Up to 1100cc class at the 1966 Australian Tourist Trophy driving a Lolita. The car is pictured in 2018.
Season Title Position Car Team
1961 Australian Touring Car Championship 5th Holden FJ
1962 Australian Touring Car Championship 7th Peugeot 403
1963 Australian Drivers' Championship 12th Lynx-Peugeot Killara Motor Garage
1966 Australian Tourist Trophy (Up to 1100cc class) 1st Lolita
1966 Australian Touring Car Championship 8th Morris Cooper S BMC Australia Pty Ltd
1972 Australian Touring Car Championship 4th Ford Escort Twin Cam Dr Allan Hogan
1973 Australian Formula 2 Championship 12th Brabham BT36 Ford
1973 Australian Touring Car Championship 4th Ford Escort Twin Cam
1974 Australian Touring Car Championship 4th Ford Escort Twin Cam Brian Byrt Ford
1975 Australian Touring Car Championship 3rd Ford Escort Twin Cam
Ford Escort RS2000
Bob Holden Shell Racing
1976 Australian Touring Car Championship 16th Ford Escort RS2000 Bob Holden Motors
1976 Goodrich Radial Challenge 7th Ford Escort RS2000 Bob Holden Shell Sport
1976 Rothmans Sun-7 Series 8th Ford Escort RS2000
1981 Better Brakes 3.5 Litre Series 11th Ford Escort RS2000 Bob Holden Motors
1982 Australian Touring Car Championship 2nd Ford Escort RS2000 Bob Holden Motors
1982 Australian Endurance Championship 2nd Ford Escort RS2000 Bob Holden Motors
1983 Australian Touring Car Championship 20th Ford Escort RS2000 Bob Holden Motors
1985 Australian Touring Car Championship 10th Toyota Sprinter Bob Holden Motors
1986 Australian 2.0 Litre Touring Car Championship 3rd Toyota Sprinter Bob Holden Motors
1986 Australian Touring Car Championship 19th Toyota Sprinter Bob Holden Motors
1987 Australian 2.0 Litre Touring Car Championship 6th Toyota Sprinter Bob Holden Motors
1993 Australian 2.0 Litre Touring Car Championship 7th Toyota Sprinter Bob Holden Motors
1993 Australian Touring Car Championship 20th Toyota Sprinter Bob Holden Motors
1994 Australian Manufacturers' Championship 10th Toyota Sprinter Bob Holden Motors
1995 Australian Super Touring Championship 20th BMW M3 Bob Holden Motors
1996 Australian Super Touring Championship 18th BMW M3 Bob Holden Motors
1998 Australian Super Touring Championship 20th BMW 318i Bob Holden Motors
2010 Australian Production Car Championship 12th Toyota Yaris Bezcorp Security
2013 Australian Heritage Touring Car Championship Group A 7th Toyota Corolla AE82 FX-GT Bob Holden Motors
2014 Australian Heritage Touring Car Championship Group A 7th Toyota Corolla AE82 FX-GT Bob Holden Motors
2015 Australian Heritage Touring Car Championship Group A 7th Toyota Corolla AE82 FX-GT Bob Holden Motors

Complete Australian Touring Car Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 DC Points
1972 Dr. Allan Hogan Ford Escort Twin Cam Mk.I SYM
Ret
CAL
7
BAT
11
SAN
9
AIR
7
WAR
7
SUR
Ret
ORA
9
4th 37
1973 Bob Holden Ford Escort Twin Cam SYM
CAL
SAN
13
WAN
Ret
SUR
11
AIR
Ret
ORA
10
WAR
7
4th 23
1974 Bryan Byrt Ford Ford Escort GT1600 SYM
CAL
11
SAN
8
AMA
10
ORA
2
SUR
Ret
AIR
13
4th 34
1975 Shell/Bob Holden Motors Ford Escort Twin Cam SYM
11
CAL
12
AMA
9
ORA
13
SUR
12
SAN
AIR
8
LAK
7
3rd 60
1976 Bob Holden Motors Ford Escort Mark I RS2000 SYM
12
CAL
Ret
ORA
18
ORA
15
SAN
14
AMA
10
AMA
11
AIR
15
AIR
14
LAK
LAK
SAN
AIR
SUR
PHI
16th 9
1977 Bob Holden Motors Ford Escort RS2000 SYM
SYM
CAL
ORA
AMA
SAN
AIR
LAK
SAN
AIR
SUR
11
PHI
NC 0
1982 Bob Holden Motors Manly Vale Ford Escort Mk.II SAN
SAN
Ret
CAL
10
SYM
8
ORA
12
LAK
8
WAN
10
AIR
12
SUR
10
2nd 36
1985 Bob Holden Motors Toyota Sprinter WIN
8
SAN
15
SYM
11
WAN
12
AIR
14
CAL
14
SUR
15
LAK
AMA
15
ORA
Ret
10th 72
1986 Bob Holden Motors Toyota Sprinter AMA
11
SYM
SAN
AIR
16
WAN
SUR
CAL
19
LAK
WIN
ORA
17
19th 25
1987 Bob Holden Motors Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86 CAL
SYM
LAK
WAN
AIR
SUR
SAN
Ret
AMA
ORA
Ret
NC 0
1988 Bob Holden Motors Toyota Sprinter AE86 CAL
Ret
SYM
16
WIN
17
WAN
AIR
LAK
SAN
AMA
ORA
NC 0
1989 Bob Holden Motors Toyota Sprinter AE86 AMA
SYM
LAK
Ret
WAN
MAL
14
SAN
20
WIN
17
ORA
DNS
NC 0
1990 Bob Holden Motors Toyota Sprinter AE86 AMA
DNQ
SYM
PHI
WIN
LAK
MAL
BAR
ORA
1991 Bob Holden Motors Toyota Sprinter SAN
R1

SYM
R2

WAN
R3

LAK
R4

WIN
R5

AMA
R6

MAL
R7

LAK
R8

ORA
R9

1993 Bob Holden Motors Toyota Sprinter AE86 AMA
R1

AMA
R2

SYM
R3

SYM
R4

PHI
R5

PHI
R6

LAK
R7

LAK
R8

WIN
R9

WIN
R10

EAS
R11

EAS
R12

MAL
R13

MAL
R14

BAR
R15

BAR
R16

ORA
R17

ORA
R18

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 DC Points
1987 Bob Holden Motors Toyota Sprinter AE86 MNZ JAR DIJ NUR SPA BNO SIL BAT
23
CLD WEL FJI NC 0

References

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  1. ^ a b "Bob Holden career Statistics". Driver database. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  2. ^ "Bathurst Winners". Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  3. ^ "Holden Ready to Race Again". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 January 1972. p. 45.
  4. ^ "Bathurst 1000 Kilometres 1987". Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  5. ^ Frank de Jong (4 October 1987). "James Hardie 1000 Bathurst 1987". History of the European Touring Car Championship & Other International Touring Car Races. Archived from the original on 15 April 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  6. ^ Tuckey, Bill, ed. (1987–88). The Great Race. 7. Hornsby: The Berghouse Floyd Tuckey Publishing Group. ISSN 1031-6124.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  7. ^ "Australian Super Touring Championship". 30 October 1996.
  8. ^ "2006 Festival of Speed on Tweed report". 1 March 2009.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Winner of the Bathurst 500
1966
(with Rauno Aaltonen)
Succeeded by