Larry Perkins: The Driver/Engineer who did it all.

Larry Perkins didn’t win Bathurst by magic—he won it with preparation, stubborn engineering, and a refusal to cut corners. From a Mallee farm shed and an early HDT apprenticeship under Harry Firth, to European F3 glory, a hard-won F1 stint, and the Castrol-green rise of Perkins Engineering, this is the definitive story of Australia’s quiet giant. We cover the polariser split, the DJR 1985 alliance, the HSV/HRT bridge years, and the three towering Bathurst wins as a team owner/driver—including that last-to-first epic in 1995. What’s inside • Early HDT years & “do it properly” ethos • Europe: Formula Ford → F2 → European F3 Champion (1975) • F1 lessons: making speed without budget • F5000 & Rallycross titles back home • HDT hat-trick at Bathurst (’82–’84) with Brock • Walking on principle: the Energy Polariser split (1985) • DJR Mustang enduros (’85) • Founding Perkins Engineering & building a reliability culture • HSV/HRT transition (’88–’89) and the Eastern Creek breakthrough (1990) • Bathurst triumphs: 1993, 1995 (last-to-first), 1997 • Legacy: why “precision + grit” beats hype If you enjoyed this video, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode of The Racing Chronicles. We’ve got plenty more stories coming your way, so stay tuned for the next chapter in racing history. Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you next time!