The 1987 Australian Formula 2 Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Australian Formula 2 racing cars.Conditions for Australian Titles, CAMS Manual of Motor Sport 1987, pages 80–81 It was the 20th Australian Formula 2 Championship.Past Title Winners, CAMS Manual of Motor Sport 1989, page 51
The championship was won by Arthur Abrahams driving a modified version of a Cheetah Mk.8 after championship leader Mark McLaughlin (Elfin 852) collided with third placed driver Graeme Smith (Cheetah Mk.7) in the warm-up of the final race of the season. Abrahams only win was at the final race compared to McLaughlin's three. The other race wins were taken by Cheetah driver Derek Pingel and Ralt RT30 driver David Brabham. Abrahams won the championship by 20 points. Smith stayed third, 41 points behind McLaughlin and just four points ahead of Pingel. Magnum driver Neil Israel was a further three points behind.
Calendar The championship was contested over a six-round series with one race per round.1987 Championship Results, Australian Motor Racing Year 1987/88, pages 317–318 Round 1, Symmons Plains, Tasmania, 8 March Round 2, Lakeside, Queensland, 5 April Round 3, Adelaide International Raceway, South Australia, 3 May Round 4, Amaroo Park, New South Wales, 21 June Round 5, Mallala Motor Sport Park, South Australia, 9 August Round 6, Sandown Park, Victoria, 13 September .
Points system Championship points were awarded on a 30–27–24–21–19–17–15–14–13–12–11–10–9–8–7–6–5–4–3–2 basis to the first 20 finishers in each round.Conditions for Australian Titles, CAMS Manual of Motor Sport 1987, pages 78–81
Results Position Driver No. CarOfficial Programme, Adelaide International Raceway, 3 May 1987, page 20Official Programme, Mallala Motor Sport Park, Sunday 9 August 1987, page 13 Entrant R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 TotalTotal points for each driver were calculated by applying the pointscore system published in the 1987 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport to the race results published in Australian Motor Racing Year 1987/88Top 10 positions & points confirmed by championship results published in Australian Motor Racing Year 1987/88, page 226 1 Arthur Abrahams 19 Cheetah Mk.8 Volkswagen Arthur Abrahams 6th 2nd 3rd 2nd 2nd 1st 152 2 Mark McLaughlin 9 Elfin 852 Volkswagen Elfin Sports Cars Pty Ltd 1st 1st 4th 4th 1st DNS 132 3 Graeme Smith 27 Cheetah Mk.7 Volkswagen Graeme Smith 5th 5th 9th 5th 4th Ret 91 4 Derek Pingel 5 Cheetah Mk.8 Volkswagen Derek Pingle Ret 3rd 1st 3rd Ret 13th 87 5 Neil Israel 44 Magnum 863 Volkswagen Magnum Racing Australia 4th 4th 7th Ret 2nd 84 6 Jon Crooke 1 Cheetah Mk.8 Volkswagen Michael Borland 2nd Ret 2nd 9th 67 7 Ian Caldwell 6 Cheetah Mk.6 Toyota Ian Caldwell 10th 15th 10th 9th 10th 56 8 Rohan Onslow 1 Cheetah Mk.8 Volkswagen Michael Borland 3rd 5th 43 Grahame Blee 2 Cheetah Mk.6 Toyota Bill Slattery's Truck & Bus Sales 7th Ret 11th 6th Ret 43 10 Ian Richards 11 Richards 201C Volkswagen Ian Richards 3rd Ret 8th Ret 38 11 Wayne Ford 31 Ralt RT3 Volkswagen Ralt RT3 Ford Wayne Ford 8th Ret 6th DNS 31 12 David Brabham 8 Ralt RT30 Volkswagen Australian Motor Racing Pty Ltd Ret Ret 1st 30 Barry Johnson Cheetah Mk.8 Ford Ret 7th 7th 30 14 Dave Thompson 53 Ralt RT4 Nissan Autosport Pty Ltd 6th 10th Ret 29 David Goode Elfin 630B 7th 8th 29 16 John Wise Cheetak Mk.7 Volkswagen 3rd 24 17 Chris Hocking Cheetak Mk.6 Toyota 4th 21 18 Peter Beehag 14 PBS 852 Nissan Peter Beehag 5th 19 Mike Holmes 22 Elfin 700 Volkswagen Mike Holmes 5th 19 20 Craig Sparks 3 Richards 201 Volkswagen Craig Sparks 6th Ret 17 Thomas Crozier 26 Cheetak Mk.8 Volkswagen Thomas Crozier DNS Ret 6th 17 22 Tom Coull 24 Elfin 620B Ford Tom Coull Ret 7th 15 23 Bob Jennings 4 Cheetak Mk.7 Nissan Bob Jennings 8th 14 Robert Antel Elfin GE Two-25 Volkswagen 8th 14 25 Shane Flynn 77 Kaditcha F283A Volkswagen Avanti Spares DNS 9th DNS 13 Rodney Moody Cheetak Mk.6 Toyota 9th 13 27 Graham Sharley 30 Cheetah Toyota Graham Sharley 10th 12 28 Salvatore Astuti Cheetak Mk.6 Ford 11th 11 29 Michael Lock 10 Richards 201B Volkswagen Michael Lock 12th 10 Ray Cutchie Ralt RT4 Ford 12th 10 31 Mike Drewer 45 Cheetak Mk.7 Toyota Michael John Drewer 13th Ret 9 32 Tony Rees 78 Ralt RT3 AG Rees 14th 8 Max Engellenner Crabtree BMW 14th 8 Vince McLaughlan Cheetah Mk.8 Volkswagen Ret Ret Ret Ret 0 Adrian Martin Ralt RT1 Ford Ret 0 Guy Richards Cheetah BMW DNS Ret 0 Noel Orphan Elfin 700 Ford Ret 0 Rob Newman Cheetah Mk.7 Toyota Ret DNS 0 Steve Noble Richards 201B Volkswagen Ret DNS 0 Bob Power Ralt RT3 Volkswagen Ret 0 Barry Ward Ralt RT30 Volkswagen Ret DNS 0 Carl Gibson Elfin 792 Volkswagen Ret 0 Phil Sutton Elfin 623 DNS 0 Ron Barnacle Wren Volkswagen DNS DNS 0 Mark Potter Elfin 700 Ford DNS 0
Notes and references
Further reading Barry Catford, Australian Formula 2 Championship, Australian Motor Racing Year 1987/88, pages 225–239
External links Images of Australian Open Wheelers – 1987, including two from the Amaroo Park round of the AF2C