Peter Brock was born at the Epworth Hospital, Richmond, Victoria, the son of Geoff and Ruth Brock (née Laidlay). The family lived in Hurstbridge, Victoria, and he remained a resident there throughout his life. He attended Eltham High School in Eltham, Victoria. His first car was an Austin 7 purchased for £5 (A$10), and he claimed his driving skill improved because the car lacked brakes—and a body, which his mother removed with an axe.
Brock was drafted into the Australian Army in 1965 and served two years of National Service stationed at Blamey Barracks near Wagga Wagga in New South Wales. While in the army, Brock opposed the federal government’s plan to send conscripts to Vietnam. He served in the Medical Corps, often as an ambulance driver, and his brother Lewis recalled that Brock and his mates raced the ambulances around the base. Dick Johnson, a future rival, was stationed at the same barracks from 1965 to 1967.
In 1966, while on leave from the army, Brock first visited Bathurst to watch the 500-mile production car race that would become the Bathurst 1000. After watching the race, he decided to become a race driver upon leaving the army. His brother Phil also became a racing driver, co-driving with Peter at Bathurst on two occasions.
Brock rose to public attention in touring car racing, initially driving some "wild and woolly" creations including a blue 6-cylinder Holden-powered Austin A30. He made his debut at Bathurst in the 1969 Hardie-Ferodo 500 in a Holden HT Monaro GTS 350 alongside Des West, finishing third behind Colin Bond and Tony Roberts.
Brock won the Bathurst 500 for the first time in 1972, the last year the race was run over 500 miles and the last year in which solo driving was permitted. He would win the event a total of nine times between 1972 and 1987, a feat that remains unequalled. His 1979 win with Jim Richards was remarkable, claiming victory by six laps—a record that, due to changes in race regulations including the introduction of the Safety Car in 1987, may never be broken. He also broke the circuit lap record for touring cars on the 163rd and final lap of that race, a record that stood until he broke it again in 1982. In the 1978 race, Brock attempted to set a lap record on the final lap but was inadvertently blocked by Ray Gulson’s Alfa Romeo through The Dipper.
In 32 starts at Bathurst, Brock claimed pole position a record six times (1974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1983 and 1989), with all but his 1989 pole in a Ford Sierra RS500 being for Holden. He also secured pole for the 1997 V8 Supercars race, set by his co-driver Mark Skaife.
Alongside his Bathurst success, Brock also claimed victory in the traditional lead-up race, the Sandown 500, nine times, including seven consecutive wins from 1975 to 1981. He won a total of 37 races during his career in the Australian Touring Car/V8 Supercar championships, a record only equalled by Mark Skaife in 2006 and surpassed in 2007.
Brock’s partnership with the Holden Dealer Team (HDT) produced a number of high-performance modifications to the Commodores under existing CAMS Group C regulations from 1980 to 1987, including "homologation specials". After a split with Holden in 1987, he campaigned a BMW M3 in 1988, achieving one win in the 1988 Pepsi 250 at Oran Park, before driving a Ford Sierra RS500 in 1989 and 1990. He briefly raced a V8 Ford XF Falcon in the Calder Park Thunderdome-based AUSCAR series in 1988, but his foray into superspeedway racing was brief. He returned to driving a Holden in 1991, teaming with Larry Perkins, but the association lasted only one year.
Brock briefly entered Open wheel racing in 1973, racing a Ford-powered Birrana 273 to 8th place in the Australian Formula 2 Championship. He also tested a Ralt RT4 in early 1984 with a view to competing in the Australian Drivers' Championship and the Australian Grand Prix, but ultimately decided against it due to conflicting commitments. In 1994, he raced a Volvo 850 in the Eastern Creek 12-Hour, and competed in the Australian Super Touring Championship in 1996, finishing 6th with a best finish of second at Lakeside.
Brock's first international race was in 1971 at the Macau Grand Prix, where he finished second in an HDT Torana GTR XU-1 behind Dieter Glemser. He attempted the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times, first in 1976 with a BMW 3.0CSL, then in 1981 with Colin Bond and Jim Richards in a Porsche 924 Carrera GTR, and finally in 1984 with Larry Perkins in a Porsche 956B. The 1984 Le Mans attempt ended with Perkins crashing in the Esses, resulting in retirement. He also drove a Vauxhall Magnum with Gerry Marshall to second place in the 1977 Spa 24 Hours.
On 8 September 2006, while competing in the Targa West '06 rally, Brock crashed his 2001 Daytona Sportscar into a tree near Gidgegannup, Western Australia. He died within minutes of the impact. His co-driver, Mick Hone, was seriously injured. Western Australian police determined the crash was caused by high speed, and no coronial inquest was held.
In honour of his achievements, the Bathurst 1000 winner's trophy was renamed the Peter Brock Trophy in 2006. A memorial statue was erected at Mount Panorama, featuring Brock standing on his 1984 Bathurst-winning Holden VK Commodore. Roads named Peter Brock Drive exist in Sydney. The Skyline section at Mount Panorama was renamed Brock’s Skyline in 1997. A two-part television miniseries entitled Brock aired in 2016, though it received criticism for its portrayal of his life.
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