Before Craig Lowndes, there was Peter Brock – a hero, a legend, a nine-time Bathurst champion and a good bloke to boot.
If there were one man to transcend Australian motorsport and win a spot in the hearts and minds of Australians everywhere before Lowndes, it was Brocky.
Tragically taken too soon while doing what he did best – racing – in 2006, Brock’s memory lives on today as if he’s still wagging the tail of his Torana up Mt Panorama.
And in this Thursday’s edition of V8X Magazine our modern day hero, Lowndes, and his mentor share the front page for the first time in a very long time – possibly ever.
In a touching, in-depth interview, Lowndesy opens up on his father-son relationship with Brock and how his memories of Brock inspire him to this day.
The issue will be in-store on Thursday and available for download on all tablet and computer devices.
And courtesy of our friends at V8X Magazine, we’ve managed to get hold of a sneak peek below. Why? Because we couldn’t wait either and, we love you. Told you it was emotional…
The King and I
“One of the biggest things I got from him was being able to get out of the car, then go on smiling and do my day-to-day chores and keep smiling,” Lowndes said.
“Everyone is happy when they’re winning but, for me, it’s when you’re not winning that is the true indication of a person.
“I see myself a lot like Brock, in the sense of the driving ability. He could drive anything. He could put up with things that other drivers couldn’t and I’m much the same. He built his own car and I’m a qualified mechanic.
“The downside for me, and maybe part of the qualifying scenario, is that I’m too relaxed in the sense of car set-up. My ability to drive around things is pretty good, and I do tend to do that. There is a lot of similarity between Brock and myself.
“I try to portray myself in and out of the sport as I would normally live. I try to carry myself the same way. That was pretty well drummed into me, at the beginning, not to be a robot but to be myself. That was the HRT era.
“They wanted to keep the person, but polish the presentation. They were very mindful of not being a robot. In combination with Brock, it helped me be who I am.”
Click here to download the full article.
