Number 10 for Brocky ?

[Donny]

Brock eyes perfect 10
By Ray Kershler - Fox Sports
November 20, 2003

EVEN the King of the Mountain needs his sleep.

Peter Brock, now 58, has enlisted the help of three young V8 Supercar drivers in his bid to become Peter Perfect.

The No.10, made the mark of perfection by the Romanian gymnast Nada Comaneci, beckons Brock when he climbs into a seven-litre Holden Monaro at Mt Panorama this weekend.

Brock's previous nine Bathurst wins have been in the Bathurst 1000 - close to just one-third the distance of this weekend's 24-hour race.

But he will happily claim a 10th Bathurst win if his Monaro comes home first this weekend.

Competing against some very flash imported cars, the Monaro won last year but Brock was not part of the team.

There will be two Monaros this year and while Holden have kept last year's winning team - Nathan Pretty, Garth Tander, Cameron McConville and Steven Richards - together, Brock has been given his own crew.

And a pretty hot crew it is, too.

The three-time Bathurst 1000 winner Greg Murphy is teamed with fellow V8 drivers Jason Bright and Todd Kelly, with Kelly the only driver of the quartet yet to greet the checkered flag on the mountain.

"A 10th Bathurst victory might seem like a bit of a dream at the moment but my job this time is going to be easier with these talented drivers," Brock said yesterday.

"Being young blokes they'll be able to handle the difficult dawn to dusk driving stint when the fabled giant kangaroos might appear," he joked.

In the inaugural 24-hour race last year, the Australian drivers had great delight in telling the European drivers tall tales about the local wildlife - and they weren't talking about the RSL club.

For Murphy, there is now a chance to win Bathurst twice in the same year. His dominant victory in the Bathurst 1000 in October is still fresh in his mind.

"It's a dream to think of winning Bathurst just once, so to be given the chance to do it twice is exciting," Murphy said.

"Each of my Bathurst wins has been pretty special but to help Brock to win his 10th would be pretty cool."

A full grid of up to 55 cars is expected to start the race at 2pm on Saturday with luxury car makers Porsche, BMW, Lamborghini, Mosler and Ferrari all challenging the Monaro.

With the race in progress during the World Cup rugby final, the English driver Martin Short has set his sights on dual victories for his country.

Short, who was second last year, will drive the flash Mosler coupe with two countrymen and a Kiwi, and makes no bones about barracking for the English in the rugby.

"I think England will give the Wallabies a good bashing and I hope we do the same to the Australian cars," he said yesterday.

"We will have to rely on others dropping the ball but we will push them to the limit."

[Blanch]

One could only hope that this legend, who barracks for the pies, gets his crown! Go Brocky!

[MargOZ]

I'll certainly be cheering him on. He was the reason I first got hooked on touring cars (many years ago now!) and it would be fantastic for one of our best drivers ever to hit the magical 10th win at Bathurst.

GO BROCKY!
Marg

[Donny]

After 1 hour and 24 laps, who's in the lead ?

Peter Brock.

[Geoffy Pie]

after 22.5 hours the 2 monaro's are out front separated by 0.5 seconds. Brock is sitting in second behind steven richards, but the pit crew have informed richards that the rear diff is over heating

Go BROCKY AND MURPHS!!!!!!!

[Donny]

What an amazing performance by the two Monaros.

With 15 minutes to go, the Brock/Murphy car leads the Tander/Richards car by under 1 second !!

[Donny]

Quite incredible.

These two are racing like it's a 10 lap sprint. .3 of a second separates the two Monaros.

Two laps to go !!

[HAL]

Two of them?

[Donny]

Tander keeps challenging.

It's the last lap.

Brock/Murphy hold on. THEY WIN !!

[Donny]

Just to give all the drivers credit.

Winning team of drivers: Peter Brock, Greg Murphy, Jason Bright and Todd Kelly.

Second: Garth Tander, Steven Richards, Cam McConville and Nathan Pretty

[Donny]

Hey Geoffy. Didn't Brocky win his first Bathurst in a Monaro ?

[Geoffy Pie]

geez, u know i got no idea donny

[Donny]

I did think Brocky won a Bathurst in a Monaro but no. His first, in 1972 was in the XU1.

Looks like 4 in Toranas and 5 in Commodores.

--------------------------------

1972 wins Bathurst
Holden Torana XU1

1973 wins Sandown

1974 wins Australian Touring Car Championship

1975 wins Sandown
wins Bathurst with Brian Samson, Holden Torana

1976 wins Sandown

1977 wins Sandown

1978 wins Australian Touring Car Championship
wins Bathurst with Jim Richards, Holden Torana
wins Sandown

1979 wins Sandown
wins Bathurst with Jim Richards, Holden Torana

1980 wins Australian Touring Car Championship
wins Bathurst with Jim Richards, Holden Commodore VB
wins Sandown
awarded Australian Medal

1981 wins Sandown

1982 wins Bathurst

1983 wins Bathurst with Larry Perkins, John Harvey, Holden Commodore VH

1984 wins Sandown
wins Bathurst with Larry Perkins, Holden Commodore VK

1987 9th Bathurst win with David Parsons, Peter McLeod, Holden Commodore VL

1997 retires at season end
last season with the Holden Racing Team (HRT)

2001 competes in Targa Tasmania with Commodore SS Utility
competes in Australian Safari in Holden Jackroo

2002 owner of "Team Brock" in V8 Supercar with 2 drivers (Craig Baird, James Brock)
returns to Bathurst 1000 after 5 years absence

2003 comes out of retirement to race Nations Cup
Holden Monaro, Gary Rogers Motorsports
wins Bathurst 24 Hours with Murphy, Bright, T Kelly; Holden Monaro

[HAL]

Ah. . . . THat sounds very interesting.

[Bones]

Pity the greedy little man didn't leave the v8 Brutes to the amateurs...