Holden Commodore VL Group-A - Peter Brock - 1987
A bit better prepared this week for #mocaroundgang #mocaround57 for 80's touring cars.
This period covered my life ages 7 - 17, so a primetime interest in cars. It helps that I also live in Australia, home to the legendary Bathurst 1000 km Touring car race, held in October.
The 80's started off in Australia running Group-C regulations, with a switch to International Group-A in 1985.
Holden’s VL Commodore holds the unique distinction of winning two Bathurst 1000s during the Group A era.
The first win came in 1987 for the VL SS Group A - the last Commodore designed and built with input from Peter Brock and his HDT special vehicles operation. The VL’s second Bathurst win came three years later for another iteration called the VL SS Group A SV, developed in partnership with UK-based Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR).
When Holden and HDT launched the VL Commodore SS Group A in October 1986, it was more a case of evolution than revolution. The previous VK SS Group A won the 1986 Bathurst 1000, thanks to a Les Small-prepared car driven by Allan Grice and Graeme ‘Chickadee’ Bailey.
The new VL SS Group A, of which Holden/HDT had to build a minimum 500 identical road cars to meet FIA homologation rules, featured numerous refinements. The tough A9L-spec V8 had new cylinder head castings to eliminate hot spots and head gasket failures which had haunted the VK.
In Group A race trim, the VL produced more than 400bhp, with a Getrag five-speed competition gearbox, custom-made nine-inch rear axle assembly, fully adjustable suspension and big Harrop brakes.
However, by February 1987 the deteriorating relationship between Brock and his long-time employer GM-H had reached a crisis point. Brock’s resolute belief in the attributes of his Energy Polarizer (based on a new-age science of ‘molecular alignment’ to improve a car’s performance.
The team fronted with a two-car team at the Mountain, with a new car (No.05) for Brock and David Parsons and a second (No.10) for experienced Bathurst hand Peter McLeod and promising F2 driver John Crooke, who unfortunately would miss out on a drive in the race.
With his right elbow casually resting on the driver’s door, Brock went from one magnificent high speed power-slide to another for lap after lap with such graceful mastery that all who witnessed it, friend or foe, could not help but be in awe of his skill.
To finish third behind the two Texaco-backed works Ford Sierra RS500s which had dominated the race was the best Brock and his army of supporters could have hoped for – or so they thought. Official protests lodged by Aussie teams over irregularities in the Texaco cars’ front wheel arches were upheld and on November 13, 1987 (about six weeks after the race) the two works Fords were officially excluded from the results and the third-placed Mobil Commodore declared the winner!
This mocaround challenge is hosted on instagram by @illuminated_mocs
Holden Commodore VL Group-A - Peter Brock - 1987
A bit better prepared this week for #mocaroundgang #mocaround57 for 80's touring cars.
This period covered my life ages 7 - 17, so a primetime interest in cars. It helps that I also live in Australia, home to the legendary Bathurst 1000 km Touring car race, held in October.
The 80's started off in Australia running Group-C regulations, with a switch to International Group-A in 1985.
Holden’s VL Commodore holds the unique distinction of winning two Bathurst 1000s during the Group A era.
The first win came in 1987 for the VL SS Group A - the last Commodore designed and built with input from Peter Brock and his HDT special vehicles operation. The VL’s second Bathurst win came three years later for another iteration called the VL SS Group A SV, developed in partnership with UK-based Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR).
When Holden and HDT launched the VL Commodore SS Group A in October 1986, it was more a case of evolution than revolution. The previous VK SS Group A won the 1986 Bathurst 1000, thanks to a Les Small-prepared car driven by Allan Grice and Graeme ‘Chickadee’ Bailey.
The new VL SS Group A, of which Holden/HDT had to build a minimum 500 identical road cars to meet FIA homologation rules, featured numerous refinements. The tough A9L-spec V8 had new cylinder head castings to eliminate hot spots and head gasket failures which had haunted the VK.
In Group A race trim, the VL produced more than 400bhp, with a Getrag five-speed competition gearbox, custom-made nine-inch rear axle assembly, fully adjustable suspension and big Harrop brakes.
However, by February 1987 the deteriorating relationship between Brock and his long-time employer GM-H had reached a crisis point. Brock’s resolute belief in the attributes of his Energy Polarizer (based on a new-age science of ‘molecular alignment’ to improve a car’s performance.
The team fronted with a two-car team at the Mountain, with a new car (No.05) for Brock and David Parsons and a second (No.10) for experienced Bathurst hand Peter McLeod and promising F2 driver John Crooke, who unfortunately would miss out on a drive in the race.
With his right elbow casually resting on the driver’s door, Brock went from one magnificent high speed power-slide to another for lap after lap with such graceful mastery that all who witnessed it, friend or foe, could not help but be in awe of his skill.
To finish third behind the two Texaco-backed works Ford Sierra RS500s which had dominated the race was the best Brock and his army of supporters could have hoped for – or so they thought. Official protests lodged by Aussie teams over irregularities in the Texaco cars’ front wheel arches were upheld and on November 13, 1987 (about six weeks after the race) the two works Fords were officially excluded from the results and the third-placed Mobil Commodore declared the winner!
This mocaround challenge is hosted on instagram by @illuminated_mocs