In the following video – produced in 1995 – the work involved is demonstrated by Larry Perkins and Paul Romano – in the process proving that age is also no barrier.

Great stuff.

Enter Perkins Engineering, run by Larry Perkins – Brock’s former engineer and team-mate between 1982 and early 1985. Perkins had all the gear, but no funding. Brock had all the funding, but no gear. The marriage of convenience was born, and Brock returned to Holden.

Despite some reasonable results, the season wasn’t the best for the Perkins Engineering Mobil-backed team of 1991, and they went their separate ways again for 1992, with Brock holding onto the cars to form Advantage Racing, and Perkins returning to his 1990-built chassis.

But the prodigal son had returned to Holden, and the gods were appeased!

As an interesting note point of history, this segment was originally prepared to be shown on the Seven Network during their coverage of the opening round of the 1991 season from Sandown. However, due to coverage of the First Gulf War breaking into normal programming, approximately 30 minutes was trimmed from the start of the Sandown coverage. This segment was dropped, and was then shown as part of the coverage of the second round from Symmons Plains – notice the little piece tacked onto the end about how the “new team” went at Sandown.

Going through my old tapes, when I reached the presentation ceremony at the end of the race, I rediscovered the footage that reveals why Paul Morris is called “Dude”. He (in yellow) and Geoff Full (in white) won the 1600cc and Under class that day, and were duly presented on the podium as such. Here is their “effort” on the podium with Channel Seven’s Garry Wilkinson:

I remember when watching it live on the day – when Morris in particular was largely unknown – that these two were obviously excited for their result, but also that they were a tad on the “odd” side. For evermore, Paul Morris was known as “Dude”!

Holdsworth has a golden look on his face in the pitlane discussion at the end, as Skaife rags out the deficiencies of the car to he and engineer Richard Hollway.

Last weekend it was Mark Larkham’s turn in Greg Murphy’s PMM Commodore at Queensland Raceway.

Clearly a lot more rusty than Crompton was, but still a great package worth looking at.

After coming home third on the day, the “winning” and “second place” Eggenberger Texaco Ford Sierra’s were firstly cleared of having illegal fuel by the Tuesday after the race, but found to have illegally modified wheel arches and associated body work to allow them to run larger tyres on their cars. Their disqualification saw Brock, and co-drivers Peter McLeod, and David Parsons elevated to the winning position.

It took until June 1988, but Brock was declared the winner. Though it has been almost four years since he was killed in the Targa West Rally in Perth, it is difficult to comprehend that given he competed right up until his death, that the man who is best known for his Bathurst exploits, won his last Bathurst race TWENTY THREE years ago. It just doesn’t seem so long.

Enjoy a slice of pure Brock magic!

There have been many changes at Mount Panorama in recent years. A new pit complex. A massive hotel/convention centre at the bottom of Conrod Straight. A new bridge over Pit Straight. Regular track resurfacing.

However, the year the biggest changes occurred was 1987, when the Bathurst 1000 became a round of the now-defunct original World Touring Car Championship.

After the death of Mike Burgmann in the 1986 race, Caltex Chase scarred the original Conrod Straight forever. Concrete walls lined most of the circuit, and the pit complex that was torn down in 2007, was built. Here Neil Crompton looks at the massive changes made for the 1987 James Hardie 1000.

Plenty different now!

Apart from taking it really really easy through the dangerous turn number eight, I think Neil showed that he’s still got a bit of pace in him. He certainly didn’t mess about through some corners, and particularly down the main straight into the Senna Chicane.

Russell Ingall seemingly forgets to change down gears until the very last moment in the midst of this passing attempt on Will Davison. Just love the quick downshifts when he suddenly arrives at the first corner, and realises that he’s still in sixth gear!

Great stuff!

It was a sad day for me – one of my racing heroes, Denny Hulme died on live television before my eyes that day – of a heart-attack at the wheel early in the race. Given the mood, many people just wanted to get this race over and done with, and move on. It’s certainly the only Bathurst I’ve wanted to “hurry up and finish”.

That wish was granted when the rain intervened, and the notoriety of this day in Australian sport was born.