Controversial Nissan 'Godzilla' to return to Bathurst

The car at the centre of the most volatile post-race reception in Bathurst 1000 history is returning to the track at this year’s Repco Bathurst 1000.

The 1992 Tooheys 1000-winning Nissan GT-R, driven to victory by Mark Skaife and Jim Richards 32 years ago, will be part of the 55-strong field for the V8 Sleuth Heritage Revival that will support this year’s ‘Great Race’.

The car famously crashed out of the lead during a late race rainstorm with Richards at the wheel, though was awarded victory due to the rules surrounding red flags and the results being backdated to the last completed lap.

The 1992 winners were met with boos and jeers on the podium post-race, prompting Richards to famously declare the crowd below a “pack of assholes”.

The 1992 Bathurst-winning Winfield car never raced in period again, its crash in the rain at the top of Conrod Straight – as Richards attempted to limp back to the pits on slick tyres after he’d crashed earlier in the lap – its last act in Group A touring car racing.

It has, however, appeared at Historic events in subsequent years, even lapping Bathurst at the inaugural Bathurst 24 Hour in 2002, 10 years after its famous ‘Great Race’ win.

Tony Alford will be behind the wheel of the #1 Nissan in the V8 Sleuth Heritage Revival. The category features a full 55-car grid of Heritage Touring Cars representing the Group C, Group A, Group 3A five-litre V8 and two-litre Super Touring eras.

The GT-R that will appear at Bathurst this year is one of five built by Gibson Motorsport during the Group A period of Australian touring car racing and is one of four that have survived.

One car was written-off by Skaife in a crash at the Adelaide Grand Prix event in 1990.

Another, built by GMS for Bob Forbes’ privateer GIO team and raced by Mark Gibbs and Rohan Onslow, recently was sold and became part of the Chrome Temple investment portfolio.

The six-cylinder, 2.6-litre, twin-turbo, four-wheel-drive cars proved the zenith of the Group A era of touring car racing.

The Nissan GT-R clinched three consecutive Australian Touring Car Championships in 1990, 1991 and 1992, won the Bathurst 1000 twice in 1991 and 1992 and also won the 1991 Sandown 500 via the privateer GIO car.

The V8 Sleuth Heritage Revival will run at this year’s Repco Bathurst 1000, which will be held at Mount Panorama across October 10-13.

A range of other cars and drivers competing in the event will be confirmed in upcoming weeks ahead of a full field taking to the famous circuit.