By Supercheap Auto Racing 12:00 PM Thu 14 October, 2010
Source: V8 Supercars Australia
Fifteen years after the Perkins/Ingall combination claimed a sensational last-to-first victory at Bathurst, the names will be reunited at the Armor All Gold Coast 600 on the streets of Surfers Paradise next week.
This time the ‘Perkins’ is not six-time Bathurst winner Larry, but his son, third-generation racer Jack Perkins who will be saddling up alongside Russell Ingall in the Supercheap Auto Racing Commodore.
Ingall, who is a former Gold Coaster event winner, said he is excited to be to teaming up with the son of the man who kick-started his standout V8 Supercar career with their thrilling Bathurst win – a victory they repeated two years later.
“I owe a lot to Larry; he was the one who gave me my real start in V8 Supercars after I came back from Europe, so I’m excited to be able to have the Perkins/Ingall combo on the car for the Gold Coast,” said Ingall.
“I’ve known Jack since he was this pesky little kid running around Larry’s workshop, so I never thought that one day we’d be sharing a drive in a V8 Supercar.
“But he has done a terrific job with the limited racing opportunities he’s had to date and I’m hoping I can give his career a similar kick along as the one that his dad gave me.
“The Supercheap Auto Commodore is a car capable of winning the Armor All Gold Coast 600, so like I did with Larry Jack will be able to show just how talented he is.”
Understandably Perkins, who works as a signwriter at the Gold Coast-based Paul Morris Motorsports, home of Supercheap Auto Racing, was equally as enthusiastic.
“As with any kid, you always dream of someday going to work with your Dad and my dream was to race together with LP,” said Perkins.
“Unfortunately that didn’t happen, but I grew up watching Dad and Russell race and I’ve got fantastic memories of them winning Bathurst together.
“The opportunity to race alongside Russell in the Supercheap Auto Commodore at such a significant event as the Armor All Gold Coast 600 is a pretty cool alternative – I’m very happy.”
As a tribute to his father’s role in the famous 1995 Bathurst win, Perkins will wear a helmet with an identical paint scheme to the famous green and gold won by Larry in that race.
Practice for the Armor All Gold Coast 600 kicks off on Friday, 22 October.
