Chris Clearihan

Christopher Alfred Clearihan (born 10 September 1949) is an Australian motor racing driver and Air Race pilot.

Motor racing Clearihan's first race car was the Canon Bolwell Nagari. It was with this car, previously operated by Terry Spooner, that he showed up at Oran Park, Toby-Lee Series in 1972. With an audience of 20,000 people, Clearihan claimed his first win. He then continued to win production sports car races in the Nagari, establishing a name for himself. Clearihan then bought a Formula Ford open-wheeled Elfin and proceeded to win the TAA Driver to Europe Formula Ford race in rainy conditions at Surfers Paradise.

Clearihan won two Australian Sports Car Championships in 1982, and 1985 (while finishing second in 1984 and third in 1983, 1986 and 1988), in addition to various state titles, the Pie Series and Scratch Races at Amaroo Park in Sydney. He finished in the top-ten in the Bathurst 1000, and eighth in the 1988 Indonesian Grand Prix. He competed consistently between 1986–92. After purchasing the Tony Edmondson Alfa Romeo Alfetta-Chevrolet Sports Sedan, Clearihan spent the next ten years breaking all lap records.

At the 1984 Castrol 500 touring car race at the Sandown Raceway in Melbourne, Clearihan, who was to have co-driven with David Grose in a Mazda RX-7, was excluded from the meeting after qualifying following an altercation in the pits with Allan Moffat. Moffat (also driving an RX-7) and Clearihan had tangled out on the circuit with a confrontation following in the pits. After Clearihan's exclusion, the 1983 Sports Car Champion Peter Hopwood who was driving in the final round of the 1984 Australian Drivers' Championship at the meeting, was given permission to take his place in the RX-7. Moffat went on to take second place in the 500.

Claerihan won the 2008 Wakefield 300.

Aircraft Developing an interest in aircraft in 1992, Clearihan switched to flying in search of a new challenge. In 1992 and 1994, he won the Twin Engine Pylon Air Race, coming second in 1993 while still racing cars. In 1998, Clearihan won the Around Australia Air Race and continued to win other twin-engine races.

More recently Clearihan has worked on developing an airstrip in Michelago, New South Wales.

Career results Season Series Position Car Team 1982 Australian Sports Car Championship 1st Kaditcha Chevrolet Chris Clearihan Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series 10th Bowin P4 1983 Australian Sports Car Championship 3rd Kaditcha Chevrolet Canberra Sports Car Club 1984 Australian Sports Car Championship 2nd Kaditcha Chevrolet Steve Webb Australian Touring Car Championship 16th Mazda RX-7 Chris Clearihan 1985 Australian Sports Car Championship 1st Kaditcha Chevrolet Chris Clearihan 1986 Australian Sports Car Championship 3rd JWS Kaditcha Chevrolet Chris Clearihan Australian Endurance Championship 46th Toyota CorollaHolden VK Commodore SS Group A Toyota Team AustraliaFred Geissler 1988 Australian Sports Car Championship 3rd Kaditcha Chevrolet Chris Clearihan 2004 Aussie Racing Car Super Series 25th Falcon-Yamaha Chris Clearihan Racing 2005 Aussie Racing Car Super Series 50th Falcon-Yamaha Chris Clearihan Racing 2006 ARMS Thunder Sports Series 3rd Future Racer-Yamaha 2007 Thunder Sports Series 7th Future Racer-Yamaha 2009 Australian Rocket Sports Championship 11th Future Racer-Yamaha 2011 Miniature Race Cars Championship 6th Future Racer-Yamaha

Complete World Touring Car Championship results (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 Peter Williamson Toyota Toyota Celica Supra MNZ JAR DIJ NUR SPA BNO SIL BATDNQ CLD WEL FJI NC 0

Complete Indonesian Grand Prix results Year Car 1 2 Rank Points 1993 Ralt RT21 Holden SEN SEN 9th 6

Complete Bathurst 1000 results Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps 1984 Berklee Exhausts David Grose Mazda RX-7 C 123 27th 21st 1986 Airport Car Rental Fred Geissler Holden VK Commodore SS Group A C 156 12th 8th 1987 Peter Williamson Toyota Peter Williamson John Sax Toyota Supra 1 0 DNQ DNQ 1988 Steve Williams Steve Williams Holden VK Commodore SS Group A 1 0 DNQ DNQ

Complete Bathurst 12 Hour results Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps 1992 MJ Imrie Mike Imrie Grant Munday Saab 900 B 208 35th 7th 1993 Peter McLeod Jane Taylor Chris Wiles Citroën BX16 B 74 DNF DNF 1994 Craig Dare Craig Dare Ford Laser TX3 4WD Turbo T 25 DNF DNF