Group A Holden Commodores in Europe

[anthony81901]

Originally Posted by rogered

they built some customer cars early on (eg goldcorp car etc)
did they do any later on, say VL era?

I am almost certain they did not. Brock's team would only build 2 further cars before closing at the end of 93, a Ford Sierra in 89 and a VP Commodore in 93, the other cars being purchased from other constructers.

[William Dale Jr]

Originally Posted by anthony81901

I don’t know why HDT borrowed Farrell’s car, its not as if any of its cars, aside from the Moffat Bathurst shunt, received any damage. Perhaps they were planning on using it as a test car as they needed to keep the race cars in VK spec for New Zealand and the new VL was not finished yet?

I think you're right about needing to keep the other cars in VK trim as the VL was not yet homologated, but I think that racer69 hit the nail on the head. The reason was that the HDT needed to get their VL promo shots, and they didn't have a complete, painted VL yet.

The Farrell car was in the right livery, but needed the VL panelwork at the front and rear, so they did a deal to convert that to VL specs for him and used it for the Brock and Harvey promo shots. The Harvey photo surfaced on a forum (this forum?) some time ago, and it's the only place I've ever seen it:



I think the story might be outlined in Bill Tuckey's book, "The Rise and Fall of Peter Brock," but I don't have my copy with me ATM to check.

[racer69]

Yes, i'd only ever seen the Brock promo pic, never this one. One wonders if there wasn't the split, would the original VL have appeared in this livery at Calder in 1987, as it seems to suit the VL better than the VK? (also, Harvey would not have been #3 in 1987 ATCC one assumes)

[anthony81901]

I presume that this was the intended livery for the 87 cars, doubt they would have taken promo shots only to release a new livery. This was also the livery in which chassis 15 was painted in when delivered to Moffat.

Post #389 on this forum shows the same car painted up as 05: http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...=64266&page=26

Guess if HDT had entered 3 cars in the ATCC they would have been 05, 6 & 7.

[Nivola]

Isnt the promo car the Rothmans Car that Moffat "used" to take on the world.

Note the Red Sparco seat and the VK style rollcage.

[racer69]

The Moffat/Harvey Rothmans car was what Brock was originally going to race at the opening ATCC round of 1987 (originally earmarked for his own WTCC campaign)

I guess it depends when that car was finished, as these shots would likely have been late-1986.

anthony - its funny re-reading what i've obviously forgotten over the last 4 years

[QuarterRik]

Al those nice memories here,the Holden was one of the wierdest cars for rallycross,but it was fantastic to see and hear.

This is the Mandes circuit in Ingelmunster (Belguim)
The year is 1989 and the cat is driven by Eddy Guffens,driving for the Carglass-team of Paul Kumpen.
Paul Kumpens son is now driving in the FIA GT championchip with an Corvette.

This is the first race of the Belgian championship










Here Guffens finisht 6st in the B-final of the European race at the Mandes circuit in 1989.

[QuarterRik]

In 1990 the same team was back again,but the Carglass colours had changed over the winter.
But it was still Eddy Guffens who drove the car.


This is the Mandes-circuit again,the first round of the Belgian championship.









In 1990 the Car Glass team was a big team for those days.
With their big truck and bus.





The Holden,better nown as the "Cossie eater",but most of the time it was eaten by the Cosworth´s



Later this car was sold to Jaques Fransen.

[rogered]

i have seen this car before
where did it come from?
interesting that it has a vl dash , so i would assume that it is a VL which in 1989 makes this a fairly new car

[KA]

Roger- the Car Glass Commodore appears a few times in the thread- I posted some later pics (1991/2-ish) of it a few pages back, including a couple of it in VL, rather than 'Walkinshaw' form



I don't think we've ever worked out the origins of the car though

[QuarterRik]

The Holden in a Belgian race at Maasmechelen in 1988.
It din´t had the big bodykit then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoovmW5o_og


Here you see Eddy Guffens with the Holden at the Internations cup 1990 at Croft.
That noise was amazing.Bring back these cars in rallycross!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAV5CxLfc1k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_P3UMYIhr4

[rdmdog]

Originally Posted by QuarterRik

The Holden in a Belgian race at Maasmechelen in 1988.
It din´t had the big bodykit then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoovmW5o_og


Here you see Eddy Guffens with the Holden at the Internations cup 1990 at Croft.
That noise was amazing.Bring back these cars in rallycross!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAV5CxLfc1k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_P3UMYIhr4

That was awesome Rik, thanks for showing us where it was!

I do have two questions, what tyres were they using, and what filters were they using?

Awesome!!

[KA]

Over on the Atlas/Autosport Nostalgia Forum, there's currently a thread running about the GM Dealer Sport Thundersaloons, particularly the original Senator/ex Brock Group C Commodore.

Andrew Duerden from the Vauxhall Heritage Centre (and GMDS at the time I think?) turned up on it recently, with some shots of the '86 Silverstone TT GMDS Commodore entry, presumably from their archives...

a 'team photo' of the car, drivers and crew...
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...ADD/xv5773.jpg

on the grid...
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...D/xv5774-1.jpg

leading the eventual race-winner
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...ADD/xv5778.jpg

a pitlane scene
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...ADD/xv5775.jpg

...and as a bonus, the Mike O'Brien BTCC VL a couple of years later
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...ADD/xv5780.jpg

[Camaroz]

Originally Posted by KA

Over on the Atlas/Autosport Nostalgia Forum, there's currently a thread running about the GM Dealer Sport Thundersaloons, particularly the original Senator/ex Brock Group C Commodore.

Andrew Duerden from the Vauxhall Heritage Centre (and GMDS at the time I think?) turned up on it recently, with some shots of the '86 Silverstone TT GMDS Commodore entry, presumably from their archives...

a 'team photo' of the car, drivers and crew...
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...ADD/xv5773.jpg

on the grid...
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...D/xv5774-1.jpg

leading the eventual race-winner
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...ADD/xv5778.jpg

a pitlane scene
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...ADD/xv5775.jpg

...and as a bonus, the Mike O'Brien BTCC VL a couple of years later
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...ADD/xv5780.jpg

Thanx KA

[GTRMagic]

Look familiar? Even the wheel rims are the same as it ran in Mr Grice's hands at Spa in 1986....
Caption says "Not Sure" Oulton Park 1991

[Amaroo Park]

there is a picture in the 1987 great race year book of the 86 VK Bathurst winner with those same wheels on it. So you would guess they were a Roadways spec rim

[KA]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Look familiar? Even the wheel rims are the same as it ran in Mr Grice's hands at Spa in 1986....
Caption says "Not Sure" Oulton Park 1991

Now that's a good find! AFAIK, from what's been posted earlier in this thread and elsewhere, subsequent owners included Chris Maries, Ric Wood and Peter Barnes, so could well be one of these?

[rogered]

Originally Posted by Amaroo Park

there is a picture in the 1987 great race year book of the 86 VK Bathurst winner with those same wheels on it. So you would guess they were a Roadways spec rim

Roadways spec was BBS centerlock
These are Gotti (i think) but only as far as i know seen on this chassis
It also ran BBS at times
These were run at spa
possibly these brought in europe because they were easy to source??
They were kept with the car though later owners

[Camaroz]

Originally Posted by rogered

Roadways spec was BBS centerlock
These are Gotti (i think) but only as far as i know seen on this chassis
It also ran BBS at times
These were run at spa
possibly these brought in europe because they were easy to source??
They were kept with the car though later owners

The wheels are Gotti and Les at Roadways still has one set.

[KA]

A pic of the Grice VK at the Silverstone TT, on a mixture of Gotti and BBS wheels:
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...07SSTT-106.jpg

[ian beckett]

I could be wrong and I have not the time to confirm ,but I always thought that SAAS were the makers of the front wheels ,this backed up by the sticker on the arch? I have never seen Gotti wheels of this pattern but as ever one of you guys will have the answer!! Ian.

[rdmdog]

SAAS are (or were ?) an Aussie seat and other automotive aftermarket item supplier that sponsored Roadways cars for years.

I don't think they made wheels though?

[chunterer]

Quick thought, could the Oulton car be the Les Small car that got badly pranged at Hockenheim in 1986? Did that car get repaired in Europe or did it go back to Australia?

[KA]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Quick thought, could the Oulton car be the Les Small car that got badly pranged at Hockenheim in 1986? Did that car get repaired in Europe or did it go back to Australia?

I'm assuming so- I thought Grice only used one car for his European season, and that it was repaired after the Hockenheim shunt (Where was his car based while it was in Europe?)

[anthony81901]

Originally Posted by anthony81901

The Ric Wood VS Commodore was built by Gibson Motorsport as chassis GMS005 and raced by Mark Skaife in 96 and 97, with John Cleland co-driving at Bathurst in 96, and Darren Hossack in 98.

Correcting my earlier post the Ric Wood Commodore was actually GMS004, debuted at round 1 of the 95 ATCC by Jim Richards before becoming Skaife's car. Kept as backup car in 96 and raced at Sandown, Melbourne, Indy, Oran Park and Sandown 500 races and at Bathurst by Gary Walden & Mark Noske. Used in the limited races the team contested in 97 before Skaife left and was replaced by Darren Hossack. Driven by Hossack throughout 98 except for rounds 8-10 where Tomas Mezera drove. Sold to Wood after Bathurst.