I admit I wasn’t deeply touched by the early death of TV entertainer and zoo owner Steve Irwin—of course, I feel sorry for the Irwin family, but I didn’t fall into the same sense of deep mourning that Australia seems to be going through. I was not an Irwin critic, but I was not an Irwin fan, either. I just never warmed to his show, though I did see his movie when it was aired on TV. But as Australia loses another international name—Peter Brock—I do feel great sadness.
   Brock was my motor racing hero was a boy, and I watched for his Commodore crossing the line at Bathurst each year. He may have won the event more than any other driver. His Holden Dealer Team sold souped-up cars with huge success, and the guy made a mint as a businessman. I followed his first controversy, when doubts were cast over his Energy Polarizer, which led to his split with Holden (Holden eventually formed Holden Special Vehicles, or HSV, to fill HDT’s old niche). Brock, a New Ager, supposedly tried to bring those values to his company with the Polarizer, but this was labelled as quackery at the time.
   The man was a motor racing genius and a legend—a suitable tag for him, and I would have said that even if he were still alive. Americans might equate Australians’ affection for him to that for Texan Carroll Shelby. Brock’s death today, at age 61, during a rally, is a loss to the Australian motoring community, to Australian sport, and to the Australian nation. Farewell, Peter Perfect.

Del.icio.us tags: Peter Brock Posted by Jack Yan, 05:46  permalink

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