#18 Bathurst

[Rob 18]

Who was the first driver to qualify DJR #18 for a top ten run off at the Bathurst 1000?
*What year?
*What car?
*What position did #18 qualify?
*Where did #18 finish in this particular race?

 

[Henry]

1985, Ford Mustang. Larry Perkins drove the car during the Hardies Heroes shootout. Its final qualifying position... well I can't get to the archives at the moment. Car 18 was scratcehed on the Saturday afternoon. While it was only entered as a backup/test car, it very nearly made it to the grid, although not with the drivers originally listed on its entry. Who were the drivers involved, on what grounds was the entry finally scratched, and by whom?

 

[J.C.]

The drivers that were connected to the 18 mustang back in 85 were: Michelle Delcour and Allan Moffat.
Allan drove the Mustang during pratice for a filer during the 85 Bathurst coverage.
Michelle Delcor was trying to qualify a Starion with Grame Moore with no luck.
Questions were asked if it would be possible for Mr Delecor and Mr Moffat could race the Mustang It was planed that the car would be "a camera car" for channel 7
The car was scratched after Hardies Heroes. Larry Perkins stating that the car was running "Test" heads or exhaust(Sorry memory a bit hazy)
It was asked by some quarters if these "test" items were legal or not and if not legal why was the 18 car allow to run in the top 10 shoot out.
Any way the car was scratched and Mr Moffat never raced the 3rd most popular Mustang seen on Australian race tracks.

 

[Henry]

JC, you'ev got it in one. I thought it a shame that Moff didn't drive the car (it would've been quite nostalgic for some, I imagine), but realistically DJR didn't need the added workload... the next day brought enough drama as it was. The items which LP cited as being non-conforming were the exhaust headers.

 

[Rob 18]

Too easy 4 Henry & JC, I thought that might be a tricky one that. Should have known better. Well done.
Also noteworthy was Perkins was almost two seconds slower than DJ in the Palmer Mustang &, if i remember correctly, Moff absolutly loved the Mustang when he did the TV test earlier in the Bathurst week 4 Channel 7. Would have been great to see Moff in a DJR Ford round Mt Panorama but it never happened.

 

[Doug]

Guys, as a self confessed DJR phile, your knowledge is just amazing, and I am learning everytime I log in - just terrific.[8D]

 

[Henry]

Moffat thought that the Mustang was the most complete package in the 1985 Bathurst field... the race turned into a long day, and by the time 1986 rolled around, the homolgation freedoms the little 'stang had received had been surpassed by the VK Group A Commodore package, and the arrival of the Skylines

 

[TRU BLU]

As a long time Dick Johnson fanatic since 1979 i thought i knew all about Dick his cars the team and his career. But you guys blow me away. Good on you guys i too learn alot when i read the trivia section.