Holden Heroes take aim at six of the best
18/9/2004 18:00 (Press Release) -
The memories are fresh, yet already etched into motorsport folklore … Greg Murphy’s record-breaking Top 10 Shootout lap in 2003 to set up an inspiring win the next day; Mark Skaife desperately hanging on to win in 2002 as racetrack debris slowly choked his engine; the jubilant scenes as surprise victors Murphy and Steven Richards celebrated in 1999.
Five times in as many years, Mt Panorama has belonged to Holden and its supporters on that special October day, and in 2004 Holden’s heroes will line up for a record-breaking sixth consecutive victory in the Bathurst 1000 to keep the Lion roaring over the Mount for another year.
History is on Holden’s side - since its Commodore made its racetrack debut in 1980, it has been driven to Bathurst 1000 glory in 16 of the 24 enduros held – a 66 per cent success rate.
Holden also holds a significant edge in driver experience, its 2004 crop of drivers and co-drivers having accumulated 30 wins at Mt Panorama between them, compared to six for their Ford rivals.
Headlining the charge of the red brigade this year will be defending champion Murphy and his young Kmart Racing teammate Rick Kelly. Now 21, Kelly became the youngest ever winner of the Bathurst 1000 at the age of 20 and since earning that title has also joined a select club as both a round winner (Eastern Creek 2003) and pole position qualifier (Sandown 2004).
Murphy, despite a sometimes difficult 2004 season by his high standards, is a three-time Bathurst 1000 winner (1996, 1999, 2003) and knows exactly what is needed to win over 1000km at Mt Panorama.
“Winning my first one at Bathurst was pretty special, and to win three times has been amazing,” Murphy said. “But that’s history now and we’re drawing on every experience we have as a team to make it happen again this year.”
Another man with a happy habit of winning the Bathurst 1000 is Mark Skaife, whose four victories (1991, 1992, 2001, 2002) make him the most successful driver at the Mountain from the current full-time crop of V8 Supercar drivers. He teams up with Todd Kelly to form a solid, experienced combination for the Holden Racing Team.
Also driving a HRT car is the man whose name is synonymous with Mt Panorama, Peter Brock. The “King of the Mountain” makes a welcome return to the race he has won a record nine times, and has not discounted a surprise victory with co-driver, British Touring Car Championship star Jason Plato, to complete a “Peter Perfect 10”.
“I never like to discount any opportunity in life and although I’d be foolish to think I can out-drive these guys you never, ever know. When it’s your day, it’s your day,” he said.
Starting at short odds, and an unbackable sentimental favorite, will be the father-son combination of Steven and Jim Richards. Between the Castrol Perkins Racing pair they have won at Mt Panorama a total of eight times (Jim 6, Steven 2) stretching back to Jim’s win alongside Brock in 1978, when Steven was just six years old.
Also looming as legitimate Holden contenders to add to the longest winning streak in Bathurst history are the PWR Racing pairing of championship contender Jason Bright and co-driver Paul Weel, and 2000 race winner Garth Tander and his Garry Rogers Motorsport teammate Cameron McConville.
The 2004 Bob Jane T-Marts Bathurst 1000 will be held at Mt Panorama from October 7-10.
|
|
