Perkins' privilege in restored Holden's Bathurst return
1993 Bathurst winner returned to the track in Bathurst
Larry Perkins drove the car in special demonstration runs
Restoration project led by Perkins' son Jack
Getting behind the wheel of his 1993 Bathurst-winning Commodore proved a great privilege for Larry Perkins following a painstaking restoration project.
The Castrol Holden VP Commodore, raced to victory by Perkins and the late Gregg Hansford in 1993, was one of six special cars to hit the track last weekend.
The old cars were part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Great Race at Mount Panorama, with Perkins a six-time winner of the Bathurst 1000.
The 73-year-old had the honour of lapping the Commodore around the Mountain, 30 years after he won from pole position.
The car, Perkins Engineering chassis 017, was restored to its former glory in a project led by Perkins’ son Jack.
The Castrol Commodore was the last Holden to win Bathurst with a Holden V8 engine, with fabricator and ex-Perkins Engineering employee Travis Langman also playing a major role in the restoration effort.
“It’s fantastic, to think I sat there 30 years ago on pole position and won the race,” Supercars Hall of Fame Larry said before his first demo run.
“Jack then got hold of the car and did a fantastic job… Dave Gardner had the engine and donated it to us, a tremendous gesture.
“Jack did the work, Travis did the work. I feel pretty privileged to sit in it after all that work."
Key to the demonstration runs was seeing the cars put to the test, rather than paraded around the Mountain.
Onboard vision of Larry’s laps have since been posted to the Perkins Engineering YouTube account, with the former Formula One driver giving the car a good go down the circuit’s long straights.
When asked about what he was most looking forward to about the laps, Perkins replied: “Probably the fact I can!
“I thought I was in my original driving suit, then someone pointed out it’s got Jack’s name on it. I was kidding myself.
“It’s great to be here, because I don't come to races all the time now.
“To see a tremendous crowd of people here, all the enthusiasts, in an industry that I love, it’s great to see."
