Australia enjoys a brief, but successful history in the British Touring Car Championship highlighted by Frank Gardner’s three titles and numerous drivers including David Brabham racing in the series as Holden did likewise during the late 1980s.
Australian ex-pat Alan Docking former his race team in 1975 and it quickly developed into a successful Formula 3 operation. Later, it was involved in European Formula Two and fielded Australia’s A1 GP entry through the existence of the class.
However, in 1987 Alan Docking Racing entered the British Touring Car Championship with a Roadways-built VK Commodore Group A for Mike O’Brien. Driven by Alan Grice through his European Touring Car Championship campaign to some impressive, if not unlucky results.
Competing against the likes of Andy Rouse’s Ford Sierra RS500s, numerous privateer Rover Vitesses, Dave Brodie in a Mitsubishi Starion among others, O’Brien finished 14th in the title after missing a couple of rounds.
However, O’Brien did take one victory at Snetterton in the VK Commodore as the Rover Vitesse challenge faltered to give Holden its only victory of the year ironically after it had gone winless in the Australian Touring Car Championship. Add in two pole positions as it marked a solid year of competition with limited budget and testing.
O’Brien and Docking elected to upgrade to an ex-Holden Racing Team VL Commodore for 1988 as the increased presence of the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworths became a force not to be ignored.
It was an auspicious start when O’Brien crashed out at the opening turn of the season at Silverstone, but second at Oulton Park was followed by fourth at Thruxton. Not even an upgrade to the latest HSV specification mid-season was able to increase its competitiveness and it was soon sold to race in the British Thundersaloons.
A smattering of Commodores during this era did find a way to Europe, including eventually as rallycross entries!
See below the season review of the 1987 BTCC and skip to 56m 31s to watch the Commodore’s successful trip to Snetterton.