Touring cars taking on the backing at Calder Park is a rarity these days, but in the late-1980s it happened quite a few times including hosting the ninth round of the World Touring Car Championship.
Calder Park underwent a lot of work during the 1980s courtesy of circuit owner Bob Jane’s goal of bringing international motorsport to the venue as first Formula 1, then NASCAR through the construction of the Thunderdome.
Jane had held the Australian Grand Prix prior to the Formula 1 era from 1980 until 1984 using Formula Atlantics and the previous 1.6km layout.
Work begun in 1985 on an updated a road circuit, which was completed in time for the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship round where the extended 2.280km was put to the test.
Next to open was the high-banked Thunderdome in August 1987 as combined with the road course the track length was extended to 4.216km.
Before NASCAR and AUSCAR debuted on the Thunderdome, Group A touring cars ran on the combined course starting with The Super 300 Classic.
Allan Grice scored pole in the Roadways Holden VL Commodore on a 1m 45.74s ahead of Jim Richards for the JPS BMW squad.
Lining up third was Perkins Engineering customer Bill O’Brien driving one of Larry Perkins’ first VL Commodores. Perkins was to drive most of the race after an altercation with a lapped competitor bent the steering.
Another contender started fourth in the form of the Peter Jackson Nissan DR30 Skyline of the team’s new endurance drivers Terry Shiel and John Bowe.
Dramas began early for Grice when he spun out of the lead due to a broken steering bolt and resulted in retirement.
Perkins enjoyed an impressive debut aboard the Everlast-sponsored Commodore by leading the event once Grice retired until Richards made a decisive move prior to his pit stop.
It was a forced stop for Richards due to a puncture as he handed over to Tony Longhurst, while Perkins pitted and remained in the Commodore.
Bowe also pitted not long after to install Shiel behind the wheel to complete the stint until the end.
Perkins and Longhurst enjoyed an entertaining battle for the lead until the JPS BMW locked up approaching the transition from Thunderdome to road course leading to significant damage to the M3, with the Commodore continuing.
The Everlast Commodore was required to make another stop to make a driver change, which Perkins left until the penultimate lap giving O’Brien just a lap to hold off Shiel.
O’Brien was unable to do so as an ecstatic Bowe in the commentary box failed to hold his delight, with Shiel guiding the Skyline to take the win.
It was a delight for Shiel after a hard crash in an endurance at Amaroo Park the previous weekend.
This event proved the perfect warm up for the World Touring Car Championship round in October as the Eggenberger Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 of Steve Soper and Pierre Dieudonne won due to no protest being submitted unlike at Bathurst.