Crompton joins Supercars Hall of Fame

The voice of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, Neil Crompton, has been inducted into the category’s Hall of Fame.

Crompton, 57, from Ballarat in Victoria has been a crucial link between the cars on the track and the fans on the couch for more than three decades.

For much of that time he juggled stints in the broadcast box with efforts behind the wheel - his driving career boasting 185 ATCC/Supercars race starts from 1988-2002.

Crompton excelled behind the wheel and the camera

Crompton’s intimate knowledge of the sport has combined with an analytical, articulate and passionate commentary style that has made him Australia’s premiere motorsport voice.

Engaging both the hardcode fan and casual viewer, Crompton’s commentary is forever entwined with many of Supercars’ greatest moments.

He started his media career in motocross, which he also raced for nine years, before first appearing on Australian Touring Car broadcasts during the early 1980s.

Crompton interviewing good friend Brad Jones in 1986

Crompton’s driving and media careers grew side-by-side over the decades that followed as he raced both domestically and abroad.

In the ATCC/Supercars Championship, he drove for Holden, Ford and Nissan factory teams, as well as for legends such as Peter Brock and Wayne Gardner.

He made 16 Bathurst 1000 starts between 1988 and 2002, scoring podiums with Gibson Motorsport (1992) and Wayne Gardner Racing ('95), alongside a series of near-misses.

Crompton on the way to his second Bathurst 1000 podium

Crompton did score a Bathurst crown, however, winning the 12 Hour event in 1994 as part of Mazda’s factory RX-7 operation.

International exploits came in an array of machinery, including Formula 3000 cars in England, and a season of Super Touring in a Honda in the United States.

His time in the US featured a test of an IndyCar in 1996 as he tried to break into the open-wheel class during its heyday.

Crompton testing a Tasman Motorsports IndyCar

Crompton’s contribution to Australian Touring Car racing has extended beyond driving and commentary, playing an unheralded role in the formation of Supercars.

In 1996 he brought together Tony Cochrane and the then-head of the touring car teams' association, Bob Forbes, to set the category on the path to what it is today.

Since 2013 Crompton has sat on the Supercars Commission, providing input into the rules and administration of the championship through the panel’s independent seat.

Crompton in his final season as a Supercars driver, 2002

Crompton's business, AirTime Autosport, is the category administrator for the Australian Toyota 86 Racing Series, as well as producing one-off television programs, such as the Team Penske documentary aired earlier this year.

Highly respected by both the industry and fan base, Crompton now sits alongside a host of the Supercars’ greatest drivers, team owners and administrators in the Hall of Fame.