Peter Brock overrated?

[ehast13]

I don't know if this is the right forum but I was listening to some nonsense media claptrap this morning and the Journo spoke of Peter Brock and said "he was acknowledged as the best touring car driver of all time - in the world"

I hate to speak ill of the dead but, while brocky was fast, I can't see too many times when he had that much competition! Allow me to explain....

He won three championships

His first was against Moffat in an outgunned xa/xb. Moffat didn't even turn up to the last two rounds.

His second was in the new factory A9X. The moffat Cobras were out gunned and HDT was the only factory team. The follwing year, Bob Morris beat the 'shifty' HDT team in a privateer car.

In 1980, the biggest threat he faced was Bartletts Camaro. There was no real competition.

Yes he won a lot of enduros but he had the luck of being in the best car for the day (1972? 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984) or having the best team tactics or having the best luck (1980, 1987). When he went to BMW in 1988 with Jim Richards, richo spanked him. At some tracks richo was over a second quicker in qualifying! There's only about 20 months between them in age.

Brock was fast, naturally gifted but his last v8 supercar appearance saw him 4 or 5 seconds of the pace (struggling to qualify HRT 05 in 2.12 at Bathurst with Plato).

I won't go into his personal life as it has nothing to do with his racing. I will make one comment tho, for someone so inspitational he contradicted himself way too much. He was the ultimate snake oil salesman. The world is a poorer place since his death but to deify him as the 'best driver ever' is pushing it a bit far