Peter Brock
It hasn’t been a good week for Australian icons, with the deaths of Steve Irwin ‘The Crocodile Hunter’ and author Colin Thiele. Now, its capped off with the death of Peter Brock; motor sport legend.
My family has a strong affinity with motor sport; and particularly Holden. Brock has been Holden’s most well-known personality, and signs of it are dotted throughout our house; a signed shirt or cap, a model car, a few posters in the back of a cupboard. It’s defiantly the end of an era.
I’ve been to Bathurst twice in my life; once in 1997 for Brock’s final foray into professional motor sport; the year that the crowds erupted and everyone on ‘the mountain’ wanted to see ‘Peter Perfect’ attempt a 10 Bathurst 1000 wins. I’ll always remember that Perkins and Ingall won that year; but no-one cared; it was all about Brock.
It was the year that a group of Brock devotees vandalised the huge ‘Mount Panorama’ sign to read ‘Brock’s Mount Panorama’ as a farewell salute.
The second time was in the days before my Year 12 formal in 2003, instead of being tanned and manicured, I was at Bathurst (drunk, disorderly and bruised) when Brocky re-emerged with his ‘Team Brock’ outfit.
Bathurst is important to me. Brock is important to Bathurst.
A few hours after his death, one of my Toowoomba mates got in touch with me, with the poignant (but ocker) message:
‘At least he died doing what he loved…it’s a fuckin’ shame he wasn’t driving an XU1 Torana…’
So, Bathurst this year; don’t expect to be able to get in touch with me on October 8th. I’ll be in front of the TV for those 131 laps, with my family and friends, beer, and the token salt and vinegar chips, celebrating the life and times of Peter Brock; who now joins the ranks of dearly departed motor racing greats; Barry Sheene, Possum Bourne, Ayrton Senna, Dale Earnhardt and Grenville Anderson.
I’ve no idea what the organisers of the Bathurst 1000 will have planned this year; but its going to be big.
posted by Jess @ 3:25 AM
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