The 1972 Australian Touring Car Championship season is one of the most significant in history and was proof an underdog can go close to winning the title.
Back when the big V8s dominated, Mike Stillwell and his mighty Ford Escort Twin Cam Mk.1 snuck up on the opposition to nearly steal the Australian Touring Car Championship.
Stillwell came from a storied motor racing family led by father Bib, who won four Australian Drivers’ Championship Gold Stars in a row from 1962 to 1965, while competing in the prestigious Tasman Series against the world’s best.
Aided by the addition of the Under 2.0-Litre Class as it awarded nine-points for a win, Stillwell then had the potential to add a further as many as four if he scored an outright win. Drivers also had to drop their worst round.
The Stillwell team built up a new Escort using a Ford Australia fleet example as its base using a fully tweaked Lotus Twin Cam motor featuring internals sourced from Cosworth, a reliable drivetrain, large brakes, adjustable multi-link suspension and tyres to match a competitive package.
Stillwell dominated the Under 2.0-Litre Class by taking seven out of eight victories, plus finished fourth to add a two more points also.
Despite being at a power deficit to Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan’s Ford ‘Super’ Falcon, the Ford Mustang Trans Am of Allan Moffat and Bob Jane’s 7.0-Litre Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Stillwell led the outright standings on many occasions off the back of his dominant class display.
However, Jane’s extra points for stronger outright performances ensured the big Camaro won the title, but Stillwell proved power wasn’t everything.
Christine Gibson did the same in 1976 driving an Alfa Romeo, but that’s another story.