Larry Perkins went his own way in 1986 after splitting with Peter Brock the previous year and immediately found success, becoming one of Holden’s key contenders.
Perkins went onto take victory at Bathurst three times, was a leading Holden team for 30 years and supplied crucial componentry to privateers during this time.
However, he experienced a mixed relationship with the manufacturer during this period as initially Perkins had more success than the marquee Holden Racing Team.
“I had good cooperation at some levels of Holden, certainly the upper management,” Perkins explained. “The motor sport guys I never really got along with and I’m not remotely unhappy about that though. They were putting all their eggs in the Holden Racing Team basket.
“I remember over five Bathursts, I won three of them and the Holden Racing Team had won one. Holden management were reminded of that sometimes, I might add!”
The first Bathurst he won within his own team was in 1993 partnering Gregg Hansford and in doing so took the final victory for a Holden engine as the transition to Chev units began.
“The 1993 race when I ran the Holden engine and every other team ran Chevs, they were all principally supported by the Holden Motorsport except for me,” Perkins said.
“When I made my one phone call a year to the managing director to get some special blocks made, which I could under those rules, the bloke said ‘yeah, go for it. You’ve got my blessing. Just get out there and win.’
“The management of the factory and all the people behind the scenes were tremendously helpful to me and I’ll never forget that.
“The level of support I had was fantastic.”
Perkins enjoyed two more race wins during the 1990s as teammate Russell Ingall emerged as a key title contender heading into the new millennium.