Peter Geoffrey Brock AM (1945 - 2006)

Born 25 Feb 1945 in Hurstbridge, Victoria, Australia [uncertain]

Ancestors

Died 8 Sep 2006 at age 61 in Gidgegannup, Western Australia, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Trace Allison [send private message]

Biography

Peter Brock AM is Notable.

Peter Geoffrey Brock was born in Hurstbridge, country Victoria, the second son of Geoffrey Lewis Clark Brock) and Enid Ruth (Laidley) Brock. Sibling of Elizabeth, Neil, Lewis and Philip. Parent of James, Robert and Alexandra. Grandfather of Oliver. Former long term partner of 28 years Bev (split 2005) and current partner of Julie.

Professional Motor Racing Driver since 1969, nine times winner of Sandown Endurance; A record nine times winner in Australian Motor Sport's best known event winner Bathurst 1000, won him the nickname 'King of the Mountain' his first Bathurst win was in 1972 and over the next decade more wins in a succession of Holden Toranas & Commodores; Founder Peter Brock Foundation 1997 a project that supported underprivileged youth.^[1][2][3][4]

Peter Brock AM is buried in Arthurs Creek Cemetery ^[1].

This profile is a collaborative work-in-progress. Can you contribute information or sources?

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1}
   Memorial Inscription

   Arthurs Creek Cemetery, Victoria, Australia

2. ↑
   Published in Herald Sun on 13/09/2006 • Retrieved 25 Apr 2016

   Event Obituary • BROCK - On Friday, September 8, 2006, Mr Peter Geoffrey Brock, AM, Professional Motor Racing Driver since 1969, nine times winner Sandown Endurance and nine times winner Bathurst 1000. Founder Peter Brock Foundation 1997. Dearly loved second son of Ruth and Geoffrey Brock (both deceased). Much loved brother of Elizabeth (deceased), Neil, Lewis and Philip. Loved and loving father of James, Robert and Alexandra. Grandfather of Oliver. Former long term partner Bev. Current partner of Julie.

3. ↑
   Published in Herald Sun on 31/07/2008 • Retrieved 25 Apr 2016

   Event Obituary • PETER Brock was a household name Even to those Australians who knew or cared little about motor racing. A record nine wins in Australian motor sport's best-known event, the Bathurst 1000, won him the moniker King Of The Mountain and a status far beyond that of any of his contemporaries. Brock, who died today in a rally crash near Perth aged 61, forged his reputation as a driving force in the golden era of Australian touring car racing - the 1970s and 1980s. He won his first Bathurst race in 1972 and went on to dominate Mt Panorama throughout the next two decades in a succession of Holden Toranas and Commodores. His on-track battles with Ford stars Allan Moffat and later Dick Johnson were the stuff of legend, and they also cemented one of Australia's greatest and most enduring sporting rivalries: Holden versus Ford. Brock, with his boyish good looks and fan-friendly charm, was Holden's poster boy, and he remained synonymous with the marque right up until his death. Born in Hurstbridge, country Victoria in 1945, Brock grew up in a family passionate about cars. His father owned and ran a garage and the duo combined to launch Brock's racing career with an Austin A30 - built in a old henhouse and using a Holden engine - in 1967. Brock's racing potential was first noticed by the manager of the fledgling Holden Dealer Team, Harry Firth, who offered the 24 year old a drive in a Monaro at Bathurst in 1969. Three years later, Brock won the first of his nine Bathursts in a Torana XU-1. Brock was at the height of his powers by the late 1970s - arguably his greatest Bathurst triumph coming alongside co-driver Jim Richards in 1979. The duo crushed their rivals in a Torana A9-X in a victory that earned Brock the nickname Peter Perfect. Brock took pole position by close to two seconds, flew the grid and was never headed, winning by six laps and cutting an unheard of five minutes off his own race record. He also won three Australian touring car championships and secured more pole positions than any other driver in the sport's history. Yet Brock's glittering career had its controversy - reaching its nadir with an acrimonious split from Holden in 1986 after he publicly supported a car performance-enhancing device called the energy polariser. The device was claimed to contain magnets to improve vehicle handling and performance, but there was no scientific evidence to back the claims and it was widely panned by a sceptical motoring press. Brock returned to the Holden factory team in 1994 before retiring from full-time driving in 1997. Yet even after his retirement, Brock couldn't stay away from the sport he loved, returning to Bathurst to race in 2002 and 2004, and competing regularly in Targa Tasmania and other motorsport events. His outside interests included being an athlete liaison officer for Australia's team at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games in Sydney and Athens, as well as being a board member of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation since 1998 and a former director of AFL club Collingwood. Brock was also instrumental in spreading the road safety message, for many years carrying the number 05 on his race cars and winning an Order of Australia Medal in 1980 for his services to the cause. He also set up the Peter Brock Foundation, a project that supported underprivileged youth. Nearly 10 years after he retired from regular touring car racing, Brock's appeal among fans remained undiminished. When Brock turned up at autograph signing sessions at V8 Supercar events, the queues would snake longer and stronger than for any current driver - a testimony to his enduring popularity. Brock split from his second wife Beverly last year after 28 years together. He is survived by his three children James, Robert and Alexandra.

4. ↑
   Comment via Margaret (Davis) Silva on Peter Brock • Posted 25 Jun 2021

   Event Birth • "Peter Brock was not Born in Hurstbridge, Victoria. He was Born at the Epworth Hospital, which is in Richmond, Victoria. Richmond is many suburbs away from Hurstbridge. I grew up in Richmond, Victoria and Through my Father I am 24 Degrees from Peter Brock" posted 4 days ago by Margaret (Davis) Silva ~ Source requested by PM

• Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Accessed 4 Feb 2023. Peter Brock