South African Tony Greig was used to ducking bouncers during the 1970s for the English cricket team, but in the 1980s thanks to his association with Kerry Packer he entered the world of motorsport.
Regarded as one of England’s best allrounders in history, Greig soon traded his bat for a microphone as part of Channel 9’s cricket coverage following a stint in World Series Cricket where his friendship with Packer began.
Packer had a large collection of exotic cars and rented out Sydney’s circuits regularly to experience each at top performance.
Searching for a person to service the collection and provide driver coaching, Formula 5000 ace Kevin Bartlett was just the guy for the job.
Bartlett was coaxed by Packer to get out of the dangerous and soon to be obsolete Formula 5000s to field a touring car entry.
The famous Channel 9 Chevrolet Camaro was born.
Fast forward six years, Bartlett was heavily involved in Mitsubishi’s touring and production or programs using the turbocharged Starion.
After previously scoring pole position in the first Australian Grand Prix race in Adelaide, Greig was hooked.
Greig joined Bartlett in a Starion running in the Stallions Stables Series based at Amaroo Park from 1986 and made steady progress to be inside the top 10 drivers on a consistent basis.
Racing in the high money production car series at circuits across the country, Greig joined the likes of Bartlett, Brad Jones, Peter Fitzgerald, Brian Sampson, Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan and many more.
Greig even racing in the second James Hardie Bathurst 12 Hour in 1992 sharing a Nissan Pulsar SSS with Damon Beck and Brian Wilshire.
Racing petered out for Greig during the early-1990s due to time constraints amid an expanded commentary schedule.
Greig wasn’t the only cricketer to compete in a car race, but David Boon had a crack in a HQ event in his native Tasmania in the early-1990s.