GARDNER AGAIN

A very enlightening piece by Glen Torrens on one of our leading motorsports people. Although describing a period past, much of that content would be news to many of us; (motoring journos excepted). The less than cordial relations amongst competing Holden groups of the day reveals the uglier side of corporate business practice.

Mark Skaife once said when talking about the Bathurst 1000, that “we all play the game”; and that reference is applicable across a wide field. Still on the subject of ‘the great race’, one sees this mindset played out even with the race marshals. Twenty laps from home and a car so far off the track at ‘the Chase’ as to be almost in Lithgow causes a safety car call. Conversely, we see a car trackside two laps from home and no safety car is called because the order of the race must be engineered so as not to finish under ‘yellows’. We all know why this game is played but that f lawed decision so often denies the front runner and promotes a place getter.

Wayne Gardner went okay, and from memory he earned a respectable third place at the mountain one year in his own car. And the UC story reveals that his road cars were the real deal. Eric Waples Albion Park, NSW.

ED: Eric, like many, I am glad you enjoyed GTs story on Wayne Gardner. I’d take a punt the less than cordial relations among the Holden teams had a lot to do with the sheer number of them and how much each was getting from the General. All were looking for a bigger slice of the pie and to hell with the rest.

There’s no doubt it can be frustrating watching a race peppered with safety cars, but it’s an accepted pratice around the world and I for one I wouldn’t want the race marshalls job for all the tea in the world.

They call a safety car and one team or driver always gets caught out; something about not being able to please all the people all the time. Without ‘em though, there’d be no racing at all. Nobody would disagree that WG was a pretty handy steerer on four wheels and a world beater on two, like Gregg Hansford and Graeme Crosby.

Gardner’s 11 Bathurst starts netted him a podium spot on two occasions before embarking on a successful Grand Touring career in Japan.

He also had a start at the LeMans 24 hour enduro.