1990 Nissan Sydney 500 2

015 sees Sydney Motorsport Park reach a major milestone – the venue’s 25th anniversary. The first big event was the end-ofseason Nissan Sydney 500 held on November 10, 1990 at was then a very dusty Eastern Creek Raceway.

The event underlined that the VL Commodore model’s win in the Tooheys 1000 six weeks earlier was no fluke. This time, however, it wasn’t the factory-backed Holden Racing Team that greeted the chequered flag first, but the plain Jane privateer VL of Larry Perkins and Tomas Mezera. Etching his name in the new venue’s record book provided some consolation for Perkins, who fell short at Bathurst.

“Bathurst is a very hard race to win, and it slipped through our fingers. This win is compensation,” Perkins enthused post-race. The fact he had set a cracking pace in his final stint to outrun and outlast the Shell Sierra driven by John Bowe only added to a satisfying day’s work. The Bowe/Dick Johnson machine was hot on his tail, until the engine failed on the second last lap.

Two other Sierras filled out the podium: the blue Glenn Seton/Colin Bond-driven example and the Peter Brock/Andrew Miedecke #05 Mobil-backed Ford. Seton’s effort was enough for him to clinch the Australian Endurance Championship.

David and Gary Brabham (B&H Sierra) led home another three turbo Fords.

The Nissan GT-R set the pace in qualifying and led the race early – until a wheel fell off.

AMC favourite Johnny Goss won his class in Phil Ward’s Mercedes-Benz 190, while the works Corollas won the tiddler class.

Interestingly, the Nissan Sydney 500 was telecast on the Nine Network.