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I believe the reason that Perkins didn't race at the AGP in 1989 was purely Tom Walkinshaw. The pair really didn't get along, only working together for convenience sake. When HSV started there were really only 2 top Holden teams to choose from to run any factory outfit. Roadways and Perkins and Tom had no love for Roadways or Gricey after the 1986 ETCC and that left Perkins by default. Perkins was logical though as he had previous factory links via the HDT. Tom as HSV owner and effectively the HRT team owner (even though the HRT was contracted to Perkins Engineering) basically told Larry he couldn't race in Adelaide, that he wanted Percy and Crompton in the cars. It left an understandably angry Perkins out of a drive in his own team. It effectively saw the end of the road for the uneasy relationship between TWR and Perkins Engineering.
Tom Walkinshaw had this unwritten rule that senior TWR management (other than himself) could not take part in dangerous activities. One of those dangerous activities was being a race car driver. He made the odd exception such as Win Percy having the dual role of HRT team manager and lead driver in 1990-91, but for the most part he stuck to it. This rule almost cost John Harvey a drive at Bathurst in 1988. After Harves turned down a drive in the #40 HSV Team car (he had played #2 to Brock for 10 years and wasn't about to play #3. His co-driver was to be Percy from what I have read), Uncle Tom invoked his dangerous activities rule on Harves who at the time was (I think) HSV's marketing manager. It was only intense lobbying by Harves that saw Walkinshaw finally relent and allow him to drive the Bob Forbes Commodore with Kevin Bartlett. As it was I believe it turned out to be Harvey's last ever race as he retired from driving soon after. It was also Walkinshaw's final race as well I think.
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