Mark Petch Motorsport

Mark Petch Motorsport was a motor racing team that competed in Australian and New Zealand motorsport.

History

Mark Petch Motorsport was formed in 1985 by former New Zealand National Championship winner Mark Petch.^[1] A Volvo 240T was imported from Belgium and debuted at the 1985 Wellington 500 with Robbie Francevic and Michel Delcourt taking victory.^[2][3] Francevic then drove the car in the 1985 Australian Touring Car Championship recording wins at Symmons Plains and Oran Park before teaming with John Bowe at the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000.^[4][5][6][7]

Francevic drove the 240T to victories in the opening two rounds of the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship, with the team's Australian assets then sold to the Volvo Dealer Team.^[7] Mark Petch Motorsport purchased an ex Andy Rouse Ford XR4Ti, with Francevic driving the car at the 1986 Bathurst 1000.^[8]

In 1987, Mark Petch Motorsport purchased the Bigazzi BMW M3 raced by Olivier Grouillard, Altfrid Heger and Winni Vogt at the 1987 Bathurst 1000. In 1988, Mark Petch purchased a Wolf Racing Ford Sierra RS500 with Armin Hahne co-driving at the Bathurst 1000 and Wellington 500.^[9][10][11]

In 1989, Francevic competed in two rounds of the Australian Touring Car Championship before being joined by Gianfranco Brancatelli at Bathurst and Wellington.^[12][13] In 1990, the car was raced at Bathurst by Brancatelli and Robb Gravett.^[14]

In 1991, the Sierra was raced at Wellington by Brett Riley and Kayne Scott^[15] and in 1992 by Scott and Greg Murphy.^[16] A second Sierra was purchased from Dick Johnson Racing at the end of 1991.^[17]

Mark Petch Motorsport later became involved in New Zealand TraNZam racing and the New Zealand V8 Series winning the latter three times before being disbanded at the end of 2009.^[1]

References