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25 Jun 2007, 05:37 (Ref:1945993) | #26 | |||
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25 Jun 2007, 06:09 (Ref:1945999) | #27 | ||
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25 Jun 2007, 09:19 (Ref:1946119) | #28 | |||
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Included in a story shown during the first ATCC round at Calder (March 1), Richard Hay (who was down here to commentate on the first two ATCC rounds for Channel 7) did a story on what was happening, amongst others who were entering, and it includes an interview with Win Percy, saying that TWR hadn't told him the plans yet, but Hay says that a pair of TWR Commodore's were planned for Walkinshaw/Percy & Jeff Allam/Denny Hulme. Included in this part of the story is a brief piece of footage of the TWR workshop, with a bunch of Commodore's (both VKs & VLs, 4 or 5 in total) visible, thats where i got the 'brace' from. This is from memory, i'm curious now, i'll get the tape out and have a proper look On the Serge Power cars, as GTR mentions Holden Motorsport would likely happily have provided shells to anyone, but would the likes of Serge Power have built their own cars? |
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25 Jun 2007, 11:27 (Ref:1946217) | #29 | ||
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Serge Power did not build a Holden or any other car for that matter, bar the very very odd one, as he was an engine builder. And a very good one for that matter.
The Holdens were race ready when they bought them. None of the Holdens came from down under. |
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25 Jun 2007, 12:20 (Ref:1946260) | #30 | |||
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25 Jun 2007, 12:36 (Ref:1946275) | #31 | |||
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25 Jun 2007, 12:38 (Ref:1946277) | #32 | |||
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25 Jun 2007, 19:30 (Ref:1946643) | #33 | |||
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25 Jun 2007, 19:31 (Ref:1946644) | #34 | ||
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If I've not got my wires crossed, Camaroz is talking about the Senator, which was an ex-Brock HDT Group C VK Commodore brought over to the UK around 1985 (as I remember, when the Thundersaloon programme was announced in the press, it was still in Marlboro HDT colours) . After GM Dealersport sold this on in 1987 or so (think to Peter Stevens?), it was replaced by the Carlton, which was the car built by Dave Cook's outfit. Just a thought, if Peter Barnes' car was the same shape as the Rallycross VL in the pics on the last page, by any chance could the Barnes car be the ex-Mike O'Brien BTCC Commodore...? |
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25 Jun 2007, 19:34 (Ref:1946649) | #35 | ||
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We know the Grice car went to Mike O'Brien, so we're maybe looking at either two of the cars built for the aborted TWR WTCC programme, or possibly the cars HDT used in their 1986 ETCC programme, updated to VL-spec. Does anyone know if these stayed in Europe, or whether they went back to Australia? |
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25 Jun 2007, 19:42 (Ref:1946657) | #36 | ||
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He told me it was an ex-Brock car. I do remember the other Holden beore the Vauxhall now you mention it. I had a good look at Peter's car, it was nothing too outragous, Muncie 4 speed I think. I do remember it had a very thick fabricated adjustable front anti-roll bar and aluminium front uprights or hubs both of which contravene the regs but we let it run for better or worse after a consultation with the other guys. Oh it was fitted with 16inch rims, I know that because I bought the Falken tyres off of it for my IROC. It was fitted with the Holden motor not a chevy
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25 Jun 2007, 19:53 (Ref:1946664) | #37 | ||
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I'd love to see a pic of the Peter Barnes car if anyone could find one.... |
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25 Jun 2007, 20:00 (Ref:1946672) | #38 | ||
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What puzzles me though is the mention of VKs- if they were building new cars from Holden Motorsport shells in the winter of 86/7, then why bother to build VKs and not go straight to VLs.... The only thing I can think of is that a couple of VKs were bought in from outside TWR for initial testing and assessment prior to building the actual race cars, or for some reason when the first test car was built it was easier to build it as a VK- maybe in late 86, before the VL was homologated? |
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25 Jun 2007, 21:47 (Ref:1946792) | #39 | |||
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26 Jun 2007, 00:17 (Ref:1946867) | #40 | |||
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26 Jun 2007, 02:13 (Ref:1946891) | #41 | |||
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Victoria That's it! |
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26 Jun 2007, 02:52 (Ref:1946901) | #42 | |||
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If there were VK's in the TWR garage, they would likely have come from Roadways, Mr Small's equipe. I will ask next time I see him... |
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26 Jun 2007, 02:57 (Ref:1946902) | #43 | ||
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26 Jun 2007, 08:12 (Ref:1947017) | #44 | |||
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Did TWR keep any cars for testing and development for the '88 spec car? (It's been mentioned before that Roadways supplied a car for this as well to TWR) |
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26 Jun 2007, 08:17 (Ref:1947021) | #45 | |||
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26 Jun 2007, 17:10 (Ref:1947429) | #46 | ||
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I'll try and find the guy I know who works for GLPK, what used to be Peka Racing (Mr. Kumpen). They were really the ones running the cars.
He should know who built them and where they came from. I think 1 car still is somewhere in Belgium, but obviously I could be so very wrong. |
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30 Jun 2007, 10:05 (Ref:1950351) | #47 | |
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Gregor Marshall |
30 Jun 2007, 10:43 (Ref:1950386) | #48 | ||
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Yeah that's the ex Grice VK Mike O Brien pedalled in 1987 BTCC. Was entered by Clive Faine's Linden Racing but was actually prep'd by Alan Docking I think, who had looked after the car for Gricey the year before in ETC.
Looks stunning doesn't it?! Still remember getting excited about the car entering, begging my dad to take me to see it. Running this car was probably a good bit of PR by Mike (always a good sponsor magnate I understand?) The series was a bit low on 'big' entrants and he probably thought that car might clean up and at least provide a good show for fans and tv! Had hoped it would be a 2 car team but alas it wasn't to be! However the Rover's seemed pretty competitive in there last days and the Sierras had only just come out so the series was more competitive than anyone imagined. Last edited by chunterer; 13 Jan 2010 at 17:51. |
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30 Jun 2007, 13:38 (Ref:1950496) | #49 | ||
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Gregor, This is probably a bit of a long shot, but I don't suppose you remember whether your dad's friend did buy the Commodore, and if so, where it ended up? If he did, then your pics might have just raised an interesting question, particularly if the date might be as late as 1989.... If the car was sold on still in VK form, then the VL Mike O'Brien ran in 1988 might have been a different chassis, and not the ex-Grice VK updated, as I'd always thought.... |
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30 Jun 2007, 13:44 (Ref:1950502) | #50 | ||
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Great photos!
Judging by the Shell Oils logos on the bridge, I'd say the photos are from 1987 or 1988, maybe early '89. Also, the photos show that the car is definitely the ex-Grice ETCC car and not an ex-HDT car as suggested elsewhere (the Roadways build plate is there on the glovebox). However, O'Brien's later VL had a VL dashboard, no Roadways build plate (not put onto the new dash, or not the Roadways VK at all?) and had a great, big 'HDT' logo on the steering wheel. Don't quite know how to explain that... EDIT: Agreed KA, agreed. Last edited by William Dale Jr; 30 Jun 2007 at 13:48. |
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alan docking racing, btcc, etcc, group a, holden commodore, mike o brien |
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