Too many projects.....
Peter Brock voted best Touring Car driver of all time!!
Taken from the V8 Supercars website.
The late, great Peter Brock has been voted the all-time greatest Australian touring car driver, proving he really is the King and not just of the Mountain.
His son James will accept the award on his behalf at an invitation-only presentation tonight (Saturday) at the Norton 360 Sandown Challenge, which is the inaugural heritage event for V8 Supercars.
Brock, dubbed the King of the Mountain for winning the Bathurst endurance race a record nine times, was voted ahead of fellow Australian touring car greats Mark Skaife, Allan Moffat, Jim Richards and Dick Johnson.
An expert panel initially chose a list of 50 names and then chose a Top 10 from that list.
Drivers were selected on the basis of on-track success, their contribution to 50 years of local racing, dealings with fans and media, versatility and longevity across all touring car events in all eras and not just races with Championship status.
'Brocky' topped the list due to his prolific success, fan magnetism and his long-held status as the most famous race driver in Australia.
His legendary status was evident by the outpouring of emotion after he was killed in a rally crash in Western Australia in 2006.
He was given a State funeral in Victoria, which was broadcasted live on every television network.
After Brock's death V8 Supercars created a trophy in his honour, the Peter Brock Trophy, which is given to the winners of the Bathurst 1000, the most prestigious race of the Championship.
Former teammate Neil Crompton, who gave the moving eulogy at Brock's funeral, remembers Brock for many reasons including his uncanny natural ability, whacky ways and for being a person Australia adopted as one of their all-time favourite sportspeople.
"Peter's strength was obvious in the race car because when you look at his results it was extraordinary across a range of cars," Crompton said.
"He was Australian Touring Car Champion... and the rest.
"He had an amazing ability to feel the car. When you re-live the vision you realise how good he was.
"He was a bloke totally at the top of his powers. He could feel the car, feel the road even when it's as slippery as ice and he was miles in front of the car. At his peak he had that skill."
Crompton also recognised Brock's understanding of motorsport as a business.
"He understood in the '70s and '80s, way ahead of his time, that motor racing was entertainment.
"He had a fascination from the engineering aspects, a fascination from a sporting aspect but mostly he related to people.
"He could share the dream. He made you feel special and it wasn't about any particular person.
"He included all of them in the dream and in his experience. You had this greatness and the ability to roll it in to this extraordinary openness," Crompton added.
TeamVodafone teammates Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup were the only current drivers to make the Top 10.
Greg Murphy, Jason Bright, Rick Kelly, Todd Kelly, Russell Ingall, Garth Tander, Mark Winterbottom, Steven Richards, James Courtney and Jason Bargwanna all earned a place in the top 50.
The Top 10 Drivers in the History of the Australian Touring Car Championship, as voted by an expert panel of drivers, officials, the media, historians and statisticians, is:
1. Peter Brock
2. Mark Skaife
3. Allan Moffat
4. Jim Richards
5. Dick Johnson
6. Craig Lowndes
7. Ian Geoghegan
8. Marcos Ambrose
9. Norm Beechey
10. Jamie Whincup
The key achievements and contributions of the top 10 drivers:
1. Peter Brock
Nine-time Bathurst 500/1000 winner and three-time Australian Touring Car Champion. His record would have been even greater had he not raced during an era where many of his victories were in non ATCC/V8 Supercar championship races. Brock also raced overseas.
2. Mark Skaife
Five-time series champ and six-time Bathurst 1000 winner. The most winning driver in ATCC/V8SCS history and is still adding to his stats as an endurance co-driver. He is also influential off-track due to spells as a team owner, V8 Supercar Board member, race track designer, Car of the Future architect and TV commentator.
3. Allan Moffat
Ford's original hero. The Canadian-born driver's ratio of round wins to starts is unmatched at 32 from 101, hence his four titles. He also won four Bathursts and raised the sport's professionalism via his ultra-successful Mustang of the late '60s/early '70s.
4. Jim Richards
Won three Bathursts with Brock, before emerging from his shadow to win four more. Also won four ATCCs, with BMW and Nissan. Noted as a fierce competitor despite his quiet manner.
5. Dick Johnson
Five titles and three Bathurst 1000 wins. Johnson reignited the Ford/Holden rivalry when he bounced back from hitting a rock while leading the 1980 Bathurst 1000 and that story is possibly the most famed of all touring car folklore. Dick Johnson Racing led the 2010 series heading to Sandown.
6. Craig Lowndes
His success, when barely out of his teens, revolutionised local touring car racing. Many of today's drivers have Lowndes to thank for kick-starting the youth push. He has three titles and five Bathurst victories, including this year's 1000. The only current driver to compare to Brock for fan-magnetism.
7. Ian Geoghegan
Five-time ATCC champion - one of only three drivers to do so. 1973 Bathurst winner. Renowned for his sublime car control. Died in November 2003.
8. Marcos Ambrose
Scored pole on V8 Supercar debut and never looked back, securing back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2004. Halted HRT's domination and returned Ford to the winner's list. Narrowly beaten to the 2005 title, winning his final event before heading to NASCAR in the USA.
9. Norm Beechey
The 1965 and 1970 ATCC winner and the only driver to win a Championship in both a Ford and a Holden. In fact, he scored Holden's first ever title and was the General's original fan favourite. He also has numerous state touring car titles.
10. Jamie Whincup
Whincup has the opportunity this year of emulating Beechey's feat of winning the title in both a Ford and a Holden. Reigning and back-to-back V8 Supercar Champion. Three-time Bathurst 1000 winner, which he achieved from 2006 to 2008.
The top 50 list, in no particular order, is:
Alan Jones
Allan Grice
Allan Moffat
Bob Jane
Bob Morris
Colin Bond
Craig Lowndes
Glenn Seton
Greg Murphy
Ian Geoghegan
Jamie Whincup
Jason Bright
Jim Richards
John Bowe
John Goss
John Harvey
Kevin Bartlett
Larry Perkins
Marcos Ambrose
Mark Skaife
Norm Beechey
Peter Brock
Rick Kelly
Russell Ingall
Tony Longhurst
Win Percy
Brad Jones
Dick Johnson
Fred Gibson
Garth Tander
George Fury
Peter Manton
Tomas Mezera
Bob Holden
David McKay
Harry Firth
Jim McKeown
John French
Mark Winterbottom
Murray Carter
Robbie Francevic
Steven Richards
Wayne Gardner
Barry Seton
James Courtney
Jason Bargwanna
Paul Morris
Paul Radisich
Todd Kelly
Bruce McPhee.
As he should be really....He was a fantastic driver.
Tells it like it is.
I agree with Brock being best but somehow the top 50 may be a little large for Australia maybe. There are a lot of nobodies in there. I mean really,
Jason Bargwanna???? Bwahhahaahahaha
Reaper
Banned
lol, top 50 is anyone who has been on telle for 5minutes.
Brocky was a no brainer though, there would have been civil war if it was anyone else.
(Marcos Ambrose doesn't rate a mention, was "Successful" for 3 seasons, whoop... I can drive into people too...)
Great read!
What a truely honarable moment in Australian Touring Cars to here that Peter Brock is Australias favourite driver. RIP buddy, you are still sorely missed.
Too many projects.....
Yeh, Totally agree Reaper. Top 50 is too many, mabye top 20 at the most IMO.Originally Posted by Reaper
I agree with most of the top 10, apart from Marcos Ambrose, realistically he should be in the top 10 but probably 10th, Jamie Whincup is a much better (read: fairer, not a dirty racer like Ambrose) driver and i think probably Garth Tander should have been in the 10 so that would have nudged Ambrose out of the 10 for me
Everybody is going to have differing opinions on what the list should be.
Personally, i think Larry Perkins should have made the top 10.
He was always a better peddler than Ambrose!
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