Allan Grice

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Allan Maxwell Grice OAM (born 21 October 1942), known to motor-racing fans as Gricey, is an Australian former racing driver and politician, most famous for twice winning the prestigious Bathurst 1000 (1986 and 1990), and as a privateer driver of a Holden in the Australian Touring Car Championship.

Grice also had a successful second career as a politician and Member for Broadwater in the Queensland Parliament from 1992 to 2001.

He currently operates an LPG conversion and importing business - LPGricey Tanks.

Contents

[edit] Bathurst 1000 record

26 starts between 1968 and 2002 (equal 6th on the 'most starts' list).

Grice had seven podium finishes at Bathurst: two wins (1986 and 1990), four seconds (1978, 1982, 1991, 1995), a third (1983)

These results put him equal fifth on the 'most podiums' list for drivers at Bathurst.

Thirteen top 10 finishes (50% of all his starts) (in addition to above, 4th in 1979, 7th in 1980, 7th in 1981, 10th in 1989, 5th in 1992, 7th in 1994).

Grice holds the record for the most Bathurst 1000 drives (16) before first victory (of those who have won).

[edit] Bathurst 1986

Main article: 1986 James Hardie 1000

Driving a Holden VK Commodore SSGroup A that was owned by his co-driver, Graeme Bailey, Grice posted the first 100mph average lap in a Group A car (backing up his feat of achieving the first 100mph average lap in a Group C car 4 years earlier.

Grice and Bailey led for all-but 12 laps and Grice drove for 137 of the 163 laps (before the track alterations in response to FIA request reduced the race to 161 laps).

When asked recently, which Bathurst win was more satisfying, Grice replied:

"I think 1986, as we kicked the factory's arse. They didn't like that, but you get that."

[edit] Bathurst 1990

Main article: 1990 Tooheys 1000

British Touring Car Championship legend Win Percy was given the task of reviving the fortunes of the Holden Team in the Australian Touring Car Championship by Tom Walkinshaw, and against Walkinshaw's wishes Percy chose Grice as his co-driver for Bathurst.

With Percy carrying a shoulder injury, Grice did the bulk of the testing and race driving for Bathurst. Competing against a field that included multiple turbo-charged Ford Sierras, Grice and Percy prevailed to record a famous victory in a Holden Commodore VL SS Group A SV.

[edit] Racing career

Though Grice did race, and win, for Holden factory teams in ATCC (most famously in the Bathurst 1000 in 1990), he spent much of his career as a privateer racing in a Holden against the Holden works teams (typically driven by Peter Brock).

Early in his career, Grice was the first racing driver to race the iconic LH model Holden Torana V8 (though he raced the road-version, L31, not the race-bred, Bathurst winning version, L34).

In 1974 Grice began driving for the Craven Mild Racing team and the following year he won a number of rounds in the Australian Touring Car Championship in his L34 Torana. 1978 saw Grice break through with a placing in the Bathurst 1000 when he came second behind Peter Brock in a Craven Mild Racing Torana A9X.

At Bathurst in 1982 Grice qualified fastest in the Re-Car Commodore and finished second with co-driver Alan Browne after a blisteringly fast duel with Peter Brock in the early laps. The following year Grice finished third at Bathurst in a Commodore shared with Colin Bond.

Though best remembered for his endurance race feats, Grice was a very fast driver. Driving as a privateer, he was the first driver to record a 100mph laps around Bathurst in both a Group C car 1982 and in a Group A car 1986 (that time on his way to winning Bathurst.

Grice ended his career having won 10 rounds in the Australian Touring Car Championship (equal 12th on list of round winners).

In addition to touring cars, Grice also won the Australian Sports Sedan Championship in 1978 and 1979, the 1984 Australian GT Championship, and was 1st in the 1991 James Hardie 12 Hour Race at Bathurst.

[edit] Career results

Season Series Position Car Team
1975 Australian Touring Car Championship 3rd Holden Torana LH L34 Craven Mild Racing
1976 Australian Touring Car Championship 4th Holden Torana LH L34 Craven Mild Racing
1977 Australian Touring Car Championship 7th Holden Torana LH L34 Craven Mild Racing
1978 Australian Touring Car Championship 7th Holden Torana LX A9X Craven Mild Racing
1978 Australian Sports Sedan Championship 1st Chevrolet Corvair Craven Mild Racing
1979 Australian Touring Car Championship 7th Holden Torana LX A9X Craven Mild Racing
1979 Australian Sports Sedan Championship 1st Chevrolet Corvair Craven Mild Racing
1980 Australian Touring Car Championship 8th Holden Torana LX A9X Craven Mild Racing
1981 Australian Touring Car Championship 12th BMW 635 CSi JPS Team BMW
1982 Australian Touring Car Championship 5th Holden Commodore VH SS Re-Car Racing
1983 Australian Touring Car Championship 4th Holden Commodore VH SS STP Roadways
1984 Australian Touring Car Championship 5th Holden Commodore VH SS Roadways Pty Ltd
1984 Australian GT Championship 1st Chevrolet Monza Re-Car Racing
1987 Australian Touring Car Championship 8th Holden Commodore VK SS Group A
Holden Commodore VL SS Group A		 Bob Jane T-Marts
1989 Australian Touring Car Championship 14th Holden Commodore VL SS Group A SV
1991 Australian Touring Car Championship 15th Holden Commodore VN SS Group A SV Holden Racing Team
1995 Australian Touring Car Championship 13th Holden Commodore VR
Ford Falcon EF		 Pinnacle Motorsport
Glenn Seton Racing
2002 V8 BRutes Series 6th Ford Falcon AUII XR8 Ute Kerry Wilson
2003 V8 BRutes Series 10th Ford Falcon BA XR8 Ute Akubra/Wrangler

[edit] External links


Preceded by
John Goss
Armin Hahne		 Winner of the Bathurst 1000
1986
(with Graeme Bailey)		 Succeeded by
Peter Brock
David Parsons
Peter McLeod
Preceded by
Dick Johnson
John Bowe		 Winner of the Bathurst 1000
1990
(with Win Percy)		 Succeeded by
Jim Richards
Mark Skaife