Commodore Future Tourer - Brock Bathurst Winner

Offered for sale after an extensive ownership period is James Brock’s Bathurst Tourer 300-winning Commodore.

Originally a VP Commodore race body shell, this car was first built as an AUSCAR by Melbourne-based business owner Greg Stevenson to race as part of the Australian Super Speedway Championship. It made its race debut at the Thunderdome in December 1991 and was raced as the #03 Goodyear Commodore by the late Peter Fitzgerald. In Fitzgerald’s hands this car finished third to Brad Jones and John Faulkner in the October 1993 event at the Thunderdome and finished runner-up to Jones in the December 1993 event.

The arrival of the new Bathurst Tourer category in 1999 – originally dubbed Junior Touring and also called New Millennium AUSCAR before the term ‘Future Touring’ was settled on in 2000 – provided the platform for this car to be returned to the track. Converted to road racing specification, including opening doors (as opposed to the sealed doors required under AUSCAR rules), the car – by-then a VS model – made a triumphant return in 1999.

Prepared at the Brock family farm on the outskirts of Melbourne, the blue #7 Commodore was returned to action at the Bob Jane T-Marts Bathurst event in October with backing from Biante Model Cars, Champion Mining and a range of smaller partners and sponsors. The traditional event had been split into a 500-kilometre race for Super Tourers and a 300km race for the new Bathurst Tourers after a permit for the two to race together was denied in the lead-up to the event.

Driver James Brock had spent the previous year working as a mechanic on the Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra Super Tourers in the British Touring Car Championship and – just 12 months later - he was behind the wheel of the #7 Commodore at the famous Mount Panorama circuit. He qualified third among the field of 23 that was made up by AUSCARs and new Bathurst Tourers, and the rookie was able to splash his way to a popular victory on the Sunday as inclement weather made the race tricky for the entire field. It was a win not without a hurdle though, as Brock had to take a stop-go penalty on lap 26 having been push started at his previous pit stop under the safety car. He re-joined the race in ninth place and had worked his way back up to fourth when Marshall Brewer crashed at McPhillamy Park. The three cars in front of him pitted and that moved Brock into the lead under the safety car, a lead he did not give up. With bad weather continuing to force officials to keep the field behind the safety car, the race was declared with 38 of the scheduled 48 laps completed, awarding Brock the win over the similar Holden of Jason Wylie and the third-placed Commodore of Ray Sidebottom and Andrew McInnes.

Peter Brock, part of the Channel 7 TV commentary team, was on hand in pit lane post-race to present the winner’s trophy to James, creating a very special moment for the Brock family.

Unfortunately, this Bob Jane T-Marts Bathurst Tourer 300-winning Commodore did not compete again in the Future Tourer series. Having said this, James did continue driving in the short-lived category, though at the wheel of other cars, and his Bathurst-winning Commodore was later used for hot lap rides as part of Mal Rose’s Supercar Experience in New South Wales.

Restored to its 1999 Bathurst-winning livery by its current owner (a former member of James Brock’s race crew from the period) this Commodore is a unique piece of Bathurst and Brock family racing history, and the perfect car for a collector or for on-track use.

Technical specifications:

• Genuine Future Tourer Holden 5.0L V8 engine (sourced from the Cromer Exhaust VX Commodore Future Tourer)
• Steel crank
• Lunati rods
• Forged pistons
• Alloy heads
• Torker manifold
• Roller rockers
• Holley 750 quick fuel carburettor
• Steel flywheel
• Tilton twin plate clutch
• Hydraulic throw out bearing
• Fully rebuilt alloy case Super T10 gearbox
• Hurst shifter
• HM Ferris type exhaust
• Custom race muffler and side exhaust
• Two-piece tail shaft
• Borg Warner spool
• Fuel cell in place

These cars of the era were packed with quality Aussie-made Harrop Engineering components and this one is no exception; Harrop full floating negative camber diff, 4 piston calipers and rotors, Harrop front end with radius rods and lower control arms with modified coil over struts, Harrop big bearing front hubs, balance bar, adjustable front sway bar and Bilstein rear dampers.

The Commodore car comes with its original AUSCAR Racing logbook (the Bathurst ’99 raced was sanctioned by AUSCAR rather than CAMS) as well as a set of genuine Future Tourer 17 x 9 wheels. This car is expected to be eligible in future in Historic competition to compete alongside Group C, Group A, early V8 Supercars and Super Tourers in the Heritage Touring Cars category. It will also be eligible for any further Heritage Revival events, as was held as a support category at the 2024 Repco Bathurst 1000.

Please feel free to get in touch should you have any questions.