Whincup Breaks Peter Brock's Pole Position Record

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Originally Posted by Redback

There's only ever been one Brand loyal driver I remember and that was Larry Perkins, most of the drivers from back then went for the best and fastest car, look at Brock, Longhurst, Bartlett, Jim Richards, Colin Bond, I started going to Bathurst in the early 70s, bikes and cars, Amaroo, Oran Park, never missed the racing on TV.

The reason for all the overtaking back then, was not about the driver(although it helped) it was the car, so many privateer teams with not a lot of cash, so any time a good drive came up, the driver would go there, not any different now IMO.

With the parody, it's all about the driver and the team who set the car up.

I do agree that the cars look pretty much the same and at times it can be a boring single line race, but not all the time, and now that the teams other than Holden and Ford are back, it should end up a good series, I quite enjoyed the weekends racing, especially Saturday.

Baz.

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Well said mate, and very true.
With regard to previous posters,...As far as the cars are concerned, yes they are very close, "set up" is vital, and I would also have to say, that the current cars are far more difficult to drive, they're more complex, some drivers are STILL getting used to them, and the pressure to succeed, and the need to succeed, is far greater than the "Old Days",...and I enjoyed the "old days" too.
I knew Brock very well, knew him before He became "famous", but it would be fair to say, that once he joined the Holden Dealer Team, He did have good equipment, most of the time, but that's just the way it is,..the best funded teams are the best teams, they get the best drivers, the best equipment, and consequently, they do most of the winning.
Pickles.

Just touching on privateer teams,blokes like "Captain Peter Janson and Bob Morris could really stick it to the big boys at times.And the legend that is Larry Perkins ran a first class operation with many great wins.

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Originally Posted by rick130

Pat, it's really hard to pass when everyone is so even and you are relying on aero (albeit a minuscule amount) for grip.

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That's the problem,no one can overtake,it's not about the best driver but the best blocker :D. Pat

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Originally Posted by Pickles2

You obviously didn't watch any of the racing at the weekend, including a couple of the most "balls out moves" in the wet, by the Giz that I've ever seen.
Pickles.

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So it's only interesting when it rains?. Pat

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Originally Posted by PAT303

So it's only interesting when it rains?. Pat

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If you'd bothered to watch, you'd have known that it didn't rain on Sunday, & likewise if you'd watched on the Saturday, when to to use your "balls" quote, they ("balls") were very much necessary, the Giz must have very big ones,....but seriously my friend, if you can't be bothered watching, and you obviously aren't interested in getting up to speed with COTF, ...all good, but if you've got no interest,..why are you bothering to post?
Pickles.

Possibly not totally about brand loyalty, but more about sponsorship from the General and consistency, plus he built his own engines and his workshop and workbase were around Holden engines. Very, very intelligent man. I have had a few conversations with him about building engines. Dick Johnson was initially a big Holden man and probably should have driven more races for HDT than he did and should have been a factory driver at HDT with Brock. Brock while often had good gear also had to do it with sub-standard cars until pretty much 1978.
Larry did also drive other cars including Elfins in both Ford and Chevrolet powered and Ralt Fords in open wheelers Volkswagons in Rallycross, Jaguar, in World Sportscar Prototype, A Porsche 956 in the World Sportscar Championship.
But most certainly in ATCC and V8 Supercar stayed loyal to Holden and was great to see. Bit of a shame to see young Jack in a Ford.
But as Peter Brock said to me better to have a drive with a decent car in an opposing brand than not to have a drive at all or have a very substandard drive.
Brock would have also stayed loyal to the Holden Brand if he had not had the fallout with Holden management. I have personally had this conversation with him twice, the first when he was actually driving for Ford at the Adelaide Motor Show at the Ford stand, the Ford rep was not very impressed in the conversation we were having and had to walk away.
The sad thing with the cars now is they are neither really Holden or Ford amongst the big 2, but a conglomeration or performance parts (Dont see too many Commy's or Con's with transaxles on the road). It will eventually get to the stage of Nascar with the only thing resembling the brand being the badge on the bonnet.

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Originally Posted by Redback

There's only ever been one Brand loyal driver I remember and that was Larry Perkins, most of the drivers from back then went for the best and fastest car, look at Brock, Longhurst, Bartlett, Jim Richards, Colin Bond, I started going to Bathurst in the early 70s, bikes and cars, Amaroo, Oran Park, never missed the racing on TV.

The reason for all the overtaking back then, was not about the driver(although it helped) it was the car, so many privateer teams with not a lot of cash, so any time a good drive came up, the driver would go there, not any different now IMO.

With the parody, it's all about the driver and the team who set the car up.

I do agree that the cars look pretty much the same and at times it can be a boring single line race, but not all the time, and now that the teams other than Holden and Ford are back, it should end up a good series, I quite enjoyed the weekends racing, especially Saturday.

Baz.

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Back in the late nineties thru the early two thousands, I lived in Tasmainia.
My wife and I used to do time keeping and marshaling duties in Targa Tas.
One year 2000 I think , Brockie and Richards were in Mole Creek for a public lunch break.
I noted that the whole one hour lunch break ( taken in the carpark outside the village hall). That Brockie had a crowd of people around him constantly and did not really get a chance to eat but happily answered questions.
Jim was lucky as he was left to have his lunch alone.

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Originally Posted by worane

Back in the late nineties thru the early two thousands, I lived in Tasmainia.
My wife and I used to do time keeping and marshaling duties in Targa Tas.
One year 2000 I think , Brockie and Richards were in Mole Creek for a public lunch break.
I noted that the whole one hour lunch break ( taken in the carpark outside the village hall). That Brockie had a crowd of people around him constantly and did not really get a chance to eat but happily answered questions.
Jim was lucky as he was left to have his lunch alone.

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The main difference between Brock and a lot of other drivers was Brock thrived on giving back to his fans and genuinely seemed to enjoy it. The times I met or saw him he always seemed calm and happy to talk and sign. I have seen many other drivers get fed up and walk away, even nasty and aggressive to fans. Wayne Gardiner was one.
There are others and a lot depends on their mind set, health and stress at the time.
The drivers I have never seen lose it when talking to fans include Peter Brock, Alan Grice, Jim Richards, Craig Lowndes, Steven Johnson, John Bowe.
I saw DJ not happy once, but I do also understand he had a nasty cold at the time as well at Bathurst so could cut him a break and now I also understand there were also major financial issues with the team at the time.

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Originally Posted by CraigE

The main difference between Brock and a lot of other drivers was Brock thrived on giving back to his fans and genuinely seemed to enjoy it. The times I met or saw him he always seemed calm and happy to talk and sign. I have seen many other drivers get fed up and walk away, even nasty and aggressive to fans. Wayne Gardiner was one.
There are others and a lot depends on their mind set, health and stress at the time.
The drivers I have never seen lose it when talking to fans include Peter Brock, Alan Grice, Jim Richards, Craig Lowndes, Steven Johnson, John Bowe.
I saw DJ not happy once, but I do also understand he had a nasty cold at the time as well at Bathurst so could cut him a break and now I also understand there were also major financial issues with the team at the time.

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I remember meeting Brock at lakeside in the early 80's when i was a young fella,the thing that sticks in my mind was the line up was huge and he had a way of making you feel like the most important person.The way he interacted with fans was incredible.

I took my daughters to the Townsville 500 to meet Lowndes and i see a lot of the same with him bloody nice bloke.I am/was a ford fan,but the day Brock died i must admit it hit me harder than i thought it would.RIP you legend.