News In Briefs

It's Official

From ABC Sport Online

Australian motor sport legend Peter Brock has died after his car hit a tree during a rally in Western Australia today.
Brock was competing on the first day of the Targa West Rally when his vehicle hit a tree near the small community of Gidgegannup, about 40 kilometres east of Perth.
The Confederation of Australian Motorsport says the crash happened at about midday local time.
Brock's co-driver has been taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Brock was 61 years old. No other cars are believed to have been involved.
Reigning V8 Supercars champion Russell Ingall said the motor racing community had been shocked by the accident.
He said Brock was well-liked and respected by fellow drivers.
"I had a lot of battles with him on the racetrack and he was fair," he said.
"You could trust the bloke and that was the difference. I wish we could say it was like that now but unfortunately it's not. He was one driver when you were racing against him, you knew you could trust him."
Brock's former Holden Racing team public relations manager Peter Weissel said he was absolutely devastated.
"The guy is just an icon, it is just a dreadful week for Australia when you think of Steve Irwin and now someone like Brock who you always thought was invincible," he said.
"When I was working with the team he had the odd fairly large crash and he always seemed to jump up there with a smile on the face and you could hear him place a quick quote for the media all the time," Mr Weissel said.

'Peter Perfect'
Known as 'Peter Perfect' and the 'King of the Mountain', Brock won the Bathurst 1000 nine times in the 1970s and 80s.
Brought up with three brothers on the northern fringes of Melbourne, Brock developed an early affection for fast cars.
In 1969 the Holden Dealer Team gave Brock his first break to drive at the Bathurst 1000 - he placed third.
He became the team's lead driver and won the 1979 race by a record six laps.
Brock retired from full-time racing in 1997 and established his own charity to help disadvantaged children, but returned to Bathurst to win the 24-hour race in 2003.
The editor of Wheels magazine, Jed Bulmer, described Brock as a consummate driving professional who won many accolades, but would be best remembered for his mastery of the race circuit at Bathurst.
"The great Australian touring car race and a race which is regarded as one of the most difficult touring car races in the world, and Peter was the nine-times winner there at what is known these days as the Bathurst 1000," he said.
"He had a long and very successful career there."

posted by Steve @ Friday, September 08, 2006