113-490: Brockie may refer to: "Brockie", a nickname for Peter Brock Bob Brockie Dave Brockie, a performer who plays the character of Oderus Urungus in the heavy metal band GWAR Dave Brockie Experience Jenny Brockie , an Australian journalist and documentary-maker. Jeremy Brockie , a New Zealand football (soccer) player. Vince Brockie , Scottish footballer [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with
226-586: A 10-day state visit to the US . President Eisenhower pledged his continued support, and a parade was held in Diệm's honor. But Secretary of State Dulles privately conceded Diệm had to be backed because they could find no better alternative. Between 1954 and 1957, the Diệm government succeeded in preventing large-scale organized unrest in the countryside. In April 1957, insurgents launched an assassination campaign, referred to as "extermination of traitors". 17 people were killed in
339-648: A Marxist–Leninist political organization which operated primarily in Hong Kong and the Soviet Union . The party aimed to overthrow French rule and establish an independent communist state in Vietnam. In September 1940, Japan invaded French Indochina, following France's capitulation to Nazi Germany . French influence was suppressed by the Japanese, and in 1941 Cung, now known as Ho Chi Minh , returned to Vietnam to establish
452-607: A Military Assistance and Advisory Group (MAAG) to screen French requests for aid, advise on strategy, and train Vietnamese soldiers. By 1954, the US had spent $ 1 billion in support of the French military effort, shouldering 80% of the cost of the war. During the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, US carriers sailed to the Gulf of Tonkin and the US conducted reconnaissance flights. France and
565-554: A psychological warfare campaign which exaggerated anti-Catholic sentiment among the Viet Minh and distributed propaganda attributed to Viet Minh threatening an American attack on Hanoi with atomic bombs. During the 300-day period, up to one million northerners, mainly minority Catholics, moved south, fearing persecution by the Communists. The exodus was coordinated by a U.S.-funded $ 93 million relocation program, which involved
678-497: A vegan . Eventually he returned to being a vegetarian. On 8 September 2006, while driving in the Targa West '06 rally, Brock was 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the finish of the second stage of the race at Gidgegannup , about 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Perth, Western Australia , when he skidded off a downhill left-hand bend on Clenton Road for over 50 metres (160 ft; 55 yd) in his 2001 Daytona Sportscar and hit
791-570: A 2nd Monaro built and run by GRM in the Australian Nations Cup Championship , a GT-type championship for highly modified and exotic road cars in 2003 before setting up his own team for himself and stepson James in 2004 (with Monaros supplied by GRM). He achieved a tenth Bathurst endurance win in 2003 at the Bathurst 24 Hour , when he won, with Greg Murphy , Jason Bright and Todd Kelly in his GRM Monaro, controversially powered by
904-540: A 7.0L 427 cui V8 engine rather than the 5.7L Gen III as used by the production Monaro CV8 (the controversy came from no other car in Nations Cup being able to run a different size engine from the production model it was based on. Triple Nations Cup champion Jim Richards labelled the Monaro as a "Better V8 Supercar" when it first appeared at the 2002 Bathurst 24 Hour ). In 2002, he returned to top-level touring car racing as
1017-464: A ceasefire with the Viet Minh, and independence was granted to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. At the 1954 Geneva Conference, Vietnam was temporarily partitioned at the 17th parallel . Ho Chi Minh wished to continue war in the south, but was restrained by Chinese allies who convinced him he could win control by electoral means. Under the Geneva Accords, civilians were allowed to move freely between
1130-484: A chance meeting outside the Peter Brock Foundation's office. Brock, who lived hard in his early years, changed his lifestyle considerably after the failed 1984 Le Mans attempt left him physically and emotionally drained. After his return from Le Mans, Brock began to consult Melbourne-based chiropractor Eric Dowker. He gave up alcohol and cigarettes and became a vegetarian , 5 years after that he became
1243-457: A circuit racer and seemed forgot about his extensive Rally and Rallycross experience with the Dealer Team in the early 1970s. The press saw his inclusion merely as a publicity stunt by Holden and the race organisers in order to generate interest in the race. The Repco was a long-distance endurance rally that drove clockwise around Australia featuring some dirt road sections completely different to
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#17328698136151356-630: A coordinated uprising in South Vietnam against the government and a third of the population was soon living in areas of communist control. In December 1960, North Vietnam formally created the Viet Cong (VC) with the intent of uniting all anti-GVN insurgents, including non-communists. It was formed in Memot, Cambodia , and directed through COSVN. The VC "placed heavy emphasis on the withdrawal of American advisors and influence, on land reform and liberalization of
1469-531: A feat that has not been equalled. His 1979 win was remarkable in that he and co-driver Jim Richards claimed victory by six laps, a record that, due to changes in race regulations introduced in the mid- to late 1980s, most notably the introduction of the Safety Car in 1987 , may never be broken, and broke the circuit lap record for touring cars on the 163rd and final lap of the race (the record would stand until Brock himself broke it in 1982 ). Brock had tried to set
1582-582: A full-time racing career outside Australia. He did attempt the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times in privateer vehicles, firstly in 1976 in the Team Brock BMW 3.0CSL which was bought in South Africa in late 1975 and shipped to Melbourne, where it was completely stripped and rebuilt. His co-driver was former Aussie and UK resident Brian Muir with the BMW lasting 17 hours before a head gasket blew. He then returned for
1695-511: A good start by Perkins in the hot conditions, Team Australia were running as high as 5th at one stage of the race before retiring after Perkins crashed in the Esses on lap 145 while trying to make up for lost time, which included a lost wheel while Brock was in the car, and a broken rear bolt which caused Perkins to almost spin the Porsche at close to 350 km/h (217 mph) while racing flat out through
1808-472: A household name that transcended motor racing as he emerged to be one of the best-known modern Australia and New Zealand racing drivers, spoken of with the same reverence as Formula One World Champions Jack Brabham , Alan Jones and Denny Hulme . In 1986, Brock was crowned King of Moomba by the Melbourne-based festival committee. His public standing was dented by controversy over his promotion of
1921-575: A late decision to enter the HDT in the Guia touring car Race at the Macau Grand Prix . Driving one of the team's old Series Production LC Torana GTR XU-1s, Brock finished second behind 1971 European Touring Car Champion Dieter Glemser , who according to Brock in his regular "Auto Action" column, drove a full works Ford Capri 2600. Ford rival Allan Moffat also raced in his GTHO Falcon , but struggled throughout
2034-512: A more "modest" winning margin of "60 to 70 percent." Diệm, however, viewed the election as a test of authority. He declared South Vietnam to be an independent state under the name Republic of Vietnam (ROV), with him as president. Likewise, Ho Chi Minh and other communists won at least 99% of the vote in North Vietnamese "elections". The domino theory , which argued that if a country fell to communism, all surrounding countries would follow,
2147-446: A number of occasions, and forced her to have an abortion. Brock next entered into a relationship with Beverly "Bev" McIntosh, the wife of a member of his motor racing team. After two failed marriages Brock was hesitant to marry McIntosh and although the couple never married, Peter always called Bev his "wife", and she changed her surname to Brock by deed poll . They had two children together, Robert and Alexandra. Her oldest, James ,
2260-649: A packed race track he was forming 'The Peter Brock Foundation', a philanthropic organisation funded by corporate sponsors and donations from the public. Aimed at disadvantaged youth and others experiencing difficulties in Australia. As of 2021 the Foundation still continues operating and has financed many activities and people. As the lead driver for the Holden Dealer Team in a succession of both 6 and 8 cylinder Holden Toranas and later, V8 Commodores Brock became
2373-425: A pair of hat trick wins from 1978 to 1980 (with Jim Richards ) and 1982 to '84 (with Larry Perkins and John Harvey ), including his record-breaking six-lap victory in the 1979 event. While Brock was always typecast in a Holden, he did have 'brief flirtations' with other makes in touring car racing. After his 1987 Holden split, he campaigned a BMW M3 in 1988 , becoming the official BMW Australia backed team for
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#17328698136152486-542: A person knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs who did not agree that had elections been held as of the time of the fighting, possibly 80% of the population would have voted for the Communist Ho Chi Minh as their leader rather than Chief of State Bảo Đại. Indeed, the lack of leadership and drive on the part of Bảo Đại was a factor in the feeling prevalent among Vietnamese that they had nothing to fight for. According to
2599-463: A policy of " Vietnamization " from 1969, which saw the conflict fought by an expanded ARVN, while US forces withdrew. A 1970 coup in Cambodia resulted in a PAVN invasion and a US–ARVN counter-invasion , escalating its civil war. US troops had mostly withdrawn from Vietnam by 1972, and the 1973 Paris Peace Accords saw the rest leave. The accords were broken almost immediately and fighting continued until
2712-436: A state funeral at Melbourne 's St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral , on 19 September 2006. A permanent memorial was placed at Peter Brock's "home" raceway, Sandown Raceway , on 22 September. Brock left three wills and a complex estate. The court battle between his family members was protracted and took over three years to complete. In honour of his achievements and in recognition of his contribution to Australian motorsport,
2825-468: A team patron with Rod Nash Racing in V8 Supercar Commodore and drove in that year's Bathurst 1000 with the team was renamed 'Team Brock' as a branding exercise. The 'Team Brock' branding exercise was revived for 2003 this time with Paul Weel Racing but this time Brock's role was as a mentor rather than a driver. Frustrated with the lack of control he held over a team bearing his name, Brock and
2938-469: A tree sideways, in the driver's door. The 61-year-old Brock died within a couple of minutes of the impact. His co-driver, Mick Hone, was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition. Video footage of the crash (provided by a fan and the in-car camera) was reviewed by Western Australian police to help determine the cause of the crash. Coroner Alastair Hope decided that his death was caused by high speed and that no coronial inquest would be held. The video
3051-422: A view to possibly driving one in the 1984 Australian Drivers' Championship and the end of year Australian Grand Prix (which at the time were run to Formula Mondial rules), and put in some competitive lap times at Calder Park. However, he later decided that with the road car business, touring car commitments and the planned Sports Car races at Silverstone and Le Mans , he simply could not devote enough time to
3164-662: Is Bev's son from a previous marriage. Bev wrote Peter's biography herself in 2004 after finding most potential authors had incorrect preconceived notions about him. She also expressed a desire to show his human side, to encourage others that they, too, can achieve their goals. "Even Allan Moffat said it's okay for him—it's us mortals that have the problem," she said. Bev described Brock as an imperfect but never violent man. Brock split with Bev in May 2005 after 28 years together. Alexandra gave birth to their grandson Oliver on 28 June 2006, two months before Brock's death. According to Bev, Brock
3277-501: Is being sold once more in an official HDT, Brock tribute upgrade pack. The overwhelming majority of the Australian motoring community regarded the device as pseudoscience , and Brock's promotion of it drove away HDT drivers like John Harvey, Allan Moffat and Larry Perkins . Brock also recommended tyre pressures of 22 psi (150 kPa ) for his polariser-equipped vehicles, a level which many regarded as near-dangerously low. Holden, fearing
3390-509: Is different from Wikidata All set index articles Peter Brock Peter Geoffrey Brock AM (26 February 1945 – 8 September 2006), known as " Peter Perfect ", " The King of the Mountain ", or simply " Brocky ", was an Australian motor racing driver. Brock was most often associated with Holden for almost 40 years, although he raced vehicles of other manufacturers including BMW , Ford , Volvo , Porsche and Peugeot . He won
3503-634: Is the most commonly used title in English . It has been called the Second Indochina War since it spread to Laos and Cambodia , the Vietnam Conflict , and Nam (colloquially 'Nam). In Vietnam it is commonly known as Kháng chiến chống Mỹ ( lit. ' Resistance War against America ' ). The Government of Vietnam officially refers to it as the Resistance War against America to Save
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3616-420: The 1000 km of Silverstone after spending time in the pits fixing a broken rear suspension. The pair then drove in the 24 Hours of Le Mans . Perkins qualified the car 15th with a time of 3:35.340 which was 18.29 seconds slower than the pole winning works Lancia LC2 of Bob Wollek (Brock was 2 seconds slower than Perkins, though his times were set on race tyres while Perkins was given a set of qualifiers). After
3729-505: The 1969 Hardie-Ferodo 500 in a Holden HT Monaro GTS 350 alongside Des West, with the pair finishing third behind their winning HDT teammates Colin Bond and Tony Roberts . He won the Bathurst 500 for the first time in 1972 (the last year the race was run over 500 miles and the last year in which driving solo was permitted). Brock would win the event a total of nine times between 1972 and 1987,
3842-562: The 1973 Australian Formula 2 Championship . Although he had some minor, non-championship wins in the car, his best placing in the national championship series was second behind series champion Leo Geoghegan in Round 2 or Oran Park in Sydney. Brock's HDT boss Harry Firth later told that he let Brock race the Birrana to get formula racing "out of his system". Later in early 1984, Brock tested a Ralt RT4 with
3955-516: The 1975 spring offensive and fall of Saigon to the PAVN, marking the war's end. North and South Vietnam were reunified in 1976. The war exacted enormous human cost : estimates of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed range from 970,000 to 3 million. Some 275,000–310,000 Cambodians , 20,000–62,000 Laotians , and 58,220 US service members died. Its end would precipitate the Vietnamese boat people and
4068-519: The 1981 race teamed with former HDT teammate Colin Bond and Bathurst co-driver Jim Richards in the Porsche Cars Australia #74 Porsche 924 Carrera GTR but while the team practiced, they were only named as a reserve, not participating in the race itself. While at the 1983 Australian Grand Prix meeting at Calder Park , sports car racer and 1976 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 winner John Fitzpatrick challenged Brock, that having won everything there
4181-629: The 2004 Bathurst 1000 , teaming with Jason Plato in a Commodore VY . The pair failed to finish after Plato was involved in a spectacular accident coming out of Caltex Chase with the Brad Jones Racing Falcon of John Cleland while Cleland was lapping the Commodore (which was limping to the pits with a blown tyre) on lap 29. The clash caused the Falcon to roll and enough damage to the HRT car to be out on
4294-627: The Bathurst 1000 endurance race nine times, the Sandown 500 touring car race nine times, the Australian Touring Car Championship three times, the Bathurst 24 Hour once and was inducted into the V8 Supercars Hall of Fame in 2001. Brock's business activities included the Holden Dealer Team (HDT) that produced Brock's racing machines as well as a number of modified high-performance road versions of his racing cars. Peter Brock
4407-411: The Bathurst 1000 winner's trophy now carries his name. The Peter Brock Trophy was first incorporated for the 2006 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 . The race was won by Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup driving a Ford BA Falcon . Lowndes had long been regarded as Brock's protégé , and was a teammate of Brock in 1996 . Lowndes and Whincup would go on to win three Bathurst 1000s in succession, matching
4520-597: The Châu Đốc massacre at a bar in July, and in September a district chief was killed with his family. By early 1959, Diệm had come to regard the violence as an organized campaign and implemented Law 10/59, which made political violence punishable by death and property confiscation. There had been division among former Viet Minh, whose main goal was to hold elections promised in the Geneva Accords, leading to " wildcat " activities separate from
4633-645: The Cold War between the Soviet Union and US. Direct US military involvement greatly escalated from 1965 until its withdrawal in 1973. The fighting spilled over into the Laotian and Cambodian Civil Wars , which ended with all three countries becoming communist in 1975. After the defeat of French Indochina in the First Indochina War that began in 1946, Vietnam gained independence in the 1954 Geneva Conference but
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4746-777: The Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962) played out on television worldwide. It was the closest the Cold War came to nuclear war . The Kennedy administration remained committed to the Cold War foreign policy inherited from the Truman and Eisenhower administrations. In 1961, the US had 50,000 troops based in South Korea, and Kennedy faced four crisis situations: the failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion he had approved in April, settlement negotiations between
4859-555: The French Navy and the US Seventh Fleet to ferry refugees. The northern refugees gave the later Ngô Đình Diệm regime a strong anti-communist constituency. Over 100,000 Viet Minh fighters went to the north for "regroupment", expecting to return south within two years. The Viet Minh left roughly 5,000 to 10,000 cadres in the south as a base for future insurgency. The last French soldiers left South Vietnam in April 1956 and
4972-651: The Ho Chi Minh trail to supply and reinforce the VC. By 1963, the north had covertly sent 40,000 soldiers of its own People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), armed with Soviet and Chinese weapons, to fight in the insurgency in the south. President John F. Kennedy increased US involvement from 900 military advisors in 1960 to 16,300 in 1963 and sent more aid to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), which failed to produce results. In 1963, Diem
5085-638: The Korean War in June convinced Washington policymakers that the war in Indochina was another example of communist expansionism, directed by the Soviet Union. Military advisors from China began assisting the Viet Minh in July 1950. Chinese weapons, expertise, and laborers transformed the Viet Minh from a guerrilla force into a regular army. In September 1950, the US further enforced the Truman Doctrine by creating
5198-608: The Pentagon Papers , which commented on Eisenhower's observation, Diệm would have been a more popular candidate than Bảo Đại against Hồ, stating that "It is almost certain that by 1956 the proportion which might have voted for Ho - in a free election against Diem - would have been much smaller than 80%." In 1957, independent observers from India, Poland, and Canada representing the International Control Commission (ICC) stated that fair elections were impossible, with
5311-587: The Viet Minh , an anti-Japanese resistance movement that advocated for independence. The Viet Minh received aid from the Allies , namely the US, Soviet Union, and Republic of China . Beginning in 1944, the US Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) provided the Viet Minh with weapons, ammunition, and training to fight the occupying Japanese and Vichy French forces. Throughout the war, Vietnamese guerrilla resistance against
5424-411: The surname Brockie . If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name (s) to the link. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brockie&oldid=1080889570 " Category : Surnames Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description
5537-543: The "Energy Polariser" and domestic violence allegations levelled by an ex-wife, with calls to keep him out of the Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame. Brock married Heather Russell in 1967. The marriage ended in divorce two years later. Several years later, Brock met 1973 Miss Australia pageant winner and Channel Seven weather presenter Michelle Downes. They married in April 1974 and divorced after only one year. In 2006, Downes said Brock assaulted her on
5650-427: The 'Euro media' because no one knew who he was!" Brock also drove a Vauxhall Magnum with British driver Gerry Marshall to a surprise second place in the 1977 Spa 24 Hours . He also shocked many when he won the 1979 Repco Round Australia Trial driving for the HDT in a 6cyl Holden VB Commodore along with co-drivers Noel Richards and Matthew Philip. The shock came as many in the motoring press regarded Brock as
5763-668: The ATCC driving in Commodores. A further flirtation away from Holden was in 1994 when he raced a Volvo 850 in the one-off Eastern Creek 12-Hour . He also competed for the same Volvo Dealer Racing team in the Australian Super Touring Championship in 1996 , finishing 6th in the championship with a best finish of second in Round 7 at Lakeside in Brisbane . Brock's first international race came in 1971 when Harry Firth made
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#17328698136155876-511: The British were opposed. Eisenhower, wary of involving the US in an Asian land war, decided against intervention. Throughout the conflict, US intelligence estimates remained skeptical of France's chance of success. On 7 May 1954, the French garrison at Dien Bien Phu surrendered. The defeat marked the end of French military involvement in Indochina. At the Geneva Conference , they negotiated
5989-452: The GVN, on coalition government and the neutralization of Vietnam." The identities of the leaders of the organization were often kept secret. Support for the VC was driven by resentment of Diem's reversal of Viet Minh land reforms in the countryside. The Viet Minh had confiscated large private landholdings, reduced rents and debts, and leased communal lands, mostly to poorer peasants. Diem brought
6102-576: The ICC reporting that neither South nor North Vietnam had honored the armistice agreement. From April to June 1955, Diệm eliminated political opposition in the south by launching operations against religious groups: the Cao Đài and Hòa Hảo of Ba Cụt . The campaign also attacked the Bình Xuyên organized crime group, which was allied with members of the communist party secret police and had military elements. The group
6215-405: The Japanese grew dramatically, and by the end of 1944 the Viet Minh had grown to over 500,000 members. US President Franklin D. Roosevelt was an ardent supporter of Vietnamese resistance, and proposed that Vietnam's independence be granted under an international trusteeship following the war. Following the surrender of Japan in 1945, the Viet Minh launched the August Revolution , overthrowing
6328-423: The Japanese-backed Empire of Vietnam and seizing weapons from the surrendering Japanese forces. On September 2, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the Declaration of independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV). However, on September 23, French forces overthrew the DRV and reinstated French rule. American support for the Viet Minh promptly ended, and O.S.S. forces left as the French sought to reassert control of
6441-403: The Nation. It is sometimes called the American War . Vietnam had been under French control as part of French Indochina since the mid-19th century. Under French rule, Vietnamese nationalism was suppressed, so revolutionary groups conducted their activities abroad, particularly in France and China. One such nationalist, Nguyen Sinh Cung , established the Indochinese Communist Party in 1930,
6554-409: The PRC also completed its withdrawal from North Vietnam. Between 1953 and 1956, the North Vietnamese government instituted agrarian reforms, including "rent reduction" and "land reform", which resulted in political oppression. During land reform, North Vietnamese witnesses suggested a ratio of one execution for every 160 village residents, which extrapolates to 100,000 executions. Because the campaign
6667-654: The Skyline section at the top of the Mount Panorama race track was renamed Brock’s Skyline in his honor. Vietnam War ≈860,000 (1967) ≈1,420,000 (1968) Total military dead/missing: ≈1,100,000 Total military wounded: ≈604,200 (excluding GRUNK / Khmer Rouge and Pathet Lao ) Second Third American intervention 1965 1966 1967 Tet Offensive and aftermath Vietnamization 1969–1971 1972 Post- Paris Peace Accords (1973–1974) Spring 1975 Air operations Naval operations Lists of allied operations The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975)
6780-408: The State of Vietnam, with Bảo Đại as Emperor, and Ngô Đình Diệm as prime minister. Neither the US, nor Diệm's State of Vietnam, signed anything at the Geneva Conference. The non-communist Vietnamese delegation objected strenuously to any division of Vietnam, but lost when the French accepted the proposal of Viet Minh delegate Phạm Văn Đồng , who proposed Vietnam eventually be united by elections under
6893-453: The US discussed the use of tactical nuclear weapons , though reports of how seriously this was considered and by whom, are vague. According to then-Vice President Richard Nixon , the Joint Chiefs of Staff drew up plans to use nuclear weapons to support the French. Nixon, a so-called " hawk ", suggested the US might have to "put American boys in". President Dwight D. Eisenhower made American participation contingent on British support, but
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#17328698136157006-473: The Vienna summit with Khrushchev, "Now we have a problem making our power credible and Vietnam looks like the place." Kennedy's policy toward South Vietnam assumed Diệm and his forces had to defeat the guerrillas on their own. He was against the deployment of American combat troops and observed "to introduce U.S. forces in large numbers there today, while it might have an initially favorable military impact, would almost certainly lead to adverse political and, in
7119-399: The ambulances around the base. Although they did not know each other at the time, also stationed at the Barracks from 1965 to 1967 was a young Dick Johnson who from the 1980s would go on to be one of Brock's chief touring car rivals. It was while on leave from the army in 1966 that Brock first visited Bathurst to watch the 500-mile production car race that was to become the Bathurst 1000. It
7232-743: The border. About 500 of the "regroupees" of 1954 were sent south on the trail during its first year of operation. The first arms delivery via the trail was completed in August 1959. In April 1960, North Vietnam imposed universal military conscription for men. About 40,000 communist soldiers infiltrated the south from 1961 to 1963. In the 1960 U.S. presidential election , Senator John F. Kennedy defeated incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon. Although Eisenhower warned Kennedy about Laos and Vietnam, Europe and Latin America "loomed larger than Asia on his sights." In June 1961, he bitterly disagreed with Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev when they met in Vienna to discuss key U.S.–Soviet issues. Only 16 months later,
7345-511: The car did not have brakes (or a body, which was removed with his mother's axe). Brock was drafted into the Australian Army in 1965 and spent his two years of National Service stationed at the Blamey Barracks near Wagga Wagga in New South Wales . During his time in the army, Brock was against the Federal Government 's plan to send conscripts to Vietnam . Brock was in the Medical Corps where he often served as an ambulance driver. According to his brother Lewis, Brock and his mates used to race
7458-412: The car in which he died. Brock began publicly supporting and, eventually, began to fit to all Holden Dealer Team specials a device called the "Energy Polariser" containing crystals and magnets in an epoxy resin that, it was claimed, improved the performance and handling of vehicles through "aligning the molecules". The device was based on the principles of orgone energy pseudoscience . The "Polariser"
7571-511: The circuit racing where he made his name. The Round Australia Trial was revived in 1995 (sponsored by Brock's long time backer Mobil ) with Brock again racing for Holden in a Holden Racing Team prepared VR Commodore . Brock finished 3rd in the trial which was won by teammate (and former Australian Rally Champion ) Ed Ordynski . After 1991 when teamed with Perkins Engineering , Brock continued to race in his own privately supported Advantage Racing Commodores in 1992 and 1993 , before joining
7684-400: The consequences of being associated with the device and a resulting breakdown in communications over Brock's plans for new models, cut ties with Brock and set up an alternative racing/modification operation, Holden Special Vehicles . During this period, Brock also became involved in the importation and even the modification of the Lada Samara , a cheap Soviet -built hatchback a world away from
7797-437: The controversy of the Energy Polariser had been largely forgotten. Brock worked with the Victorian authorities promoting the campaign against drink-driving . The most obvious sign of this association was the race car number 05 which related to the 0.05% blood alcohol limit in Victoria, which he utilised constantly from the mid-1970s. Most cars he raced in, regardless of the motor racing division, bore this number, including
7910-438: The country . Tensions between the Viet Minh and French authorities had erupted into full-scale war by 1946, a conflict which soon became entwined with the wider Cold War . On March 12, 1947, US President Harry S. Truman announced the Truman Doctrine , an anticommunist foreign policy which pledged US support to nations resisting "attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures". In Indochina, this doctrine
8023-438: The country to the Virgin Mary . In the summer of 1955, Diệm launched the "Denounce the Communists" campaign, during which suspected communists and other anti-government elements were arrested, imprisoned, tortured, or executed. He instituted the death penalty in August 1956 against activity deemed communist. The North Vietnamese government claimed that, by November 1957, over 65,000 individuals were imprisoned and 2,148 killed in
8136-572: The demilitarized zone, between North and South Vietnam. The North Vietnamese Communist Party approved a "people's war" on the South at a session in January 1959, and, in May, Group 559 was established to maintain and upgrade the Ho Chi Minh trail , at this time a six-month mountain trek through Laos. On 28 July, North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao forces invaded Laos, fighting the Royal Lao Army all along
8249-470: The end of 1965, and to 536,000 by the end of 1968. US forces relied on air supremacy and overwhelming firepower to conduct search and destroy operations in rural areas. In 1968, North Vietnam launched the Tet Offensive , which was a tactical defeat but convinced many in the US that the war could not be won. The PAVN began engaging in more conventional warfare . Johnson's successor, Richard Nixon , began
8362-479: The factory Holden Racing Team in 1994 . Brock retired from full-time driving following the 1997 Australian Touring Car season . After his nominal 'retirement' he made two returns to Bathurst. In 2002 he paired with Team Brock lead driver Craig Baird to a 23rd-place finish in the teams Commodore VX , Brock finished 25 laps down due to engine temperature problems. He then returned to the Holden Racing team for
8475-745: The feat that Brock achieved twice. Next to the site of his most famous motor racing achievements at Mount Panorama, a memorial statue was built adjacent to the National Motor Racing Museum in Bathurst. Unveiled in 2008, the statue features Brock standing on his 1984 Bathurst-winning Holden VK Commodore . Two roads in Sydney have been named Peter Brock Drive: in Oran Park as part of the housing development that replaced Oran Park Raceway , and in Eastern Creek , near Sydney Motorsport Park . In 1997
8588-480: The high-performance V8-powered Commodores he was famous for. The Lada deal came at the right time for the Brock organisation as it saved the struggling outfit from potential bankruptcy. After his work with Lada , Brock, during the period 1988–1990 sold around 200 personally modified EA-series Ford Falcons, Fairmont Ghias, Fairlanes and Mavericks through Austech Automotive Developments. Due to his extraordinary success on
8701-711: The insurgency entitled "The Road to the South" to the Politburo in Hanoi. However, as China and the Soviets opposed confrontation, his plan was rejected. Despite this, the North Vietnamese leadership approved tentative measures to revive southern insurgency in December 1956. Communist forces were under a single command structure set up in 1958. In May 1958, North Vietnamese forces seized the transportation hub at Tchepone in Southern Laos near
8814-526: The kink on the famous Mulsanne Straight . The Team Australia assault on the race, and the fortunes of the other Aussies including 1983 winner Vern Schuppan , 1980 Formula One World Champion Alan Jones and Allan Grice , was covered extensively in the Peter Mckay/Barry Naismith book "LeMans The Australian Assault". While in Europe in 1984, Brock was in the unusual situation (for him) of being
8927-497: The landlords back, people who had been farming land for years had to return it to landlords and pay years of back rent. Marilyn B. Young wrote that "The divisions within villages reproduced those that had existed against the French: 75% support for the NLF, 20% trying to remain neutral and 5% firmly pro-government". In March 1956, southern communist leader Lê Duẩn presented a plan to revive
9040-524: The lap record on the final lap of the 1978 race , but he was inadvertently baulked by the Alfa Romeo of Ray Gulson through The Dipper. In 32 starts at Bathurst he claimed pole position a record six times ( 1974 , 1977 , 1978, 1979, 1983 and 1989 ), with all bar his 1989 pole in a Ford Sierra RS500 being for Holden. Brock also sat on pole for the 1997 V8 Supercars race but the time was set by his co-driver Mark Skaife . His record at this race earned him
9153-467: The larger Indochina refugee crisis , which saw millions leave Indochina, an estimated 250,000 perished at sea. The US destroyed 20% of South Vietnam's jungle and 20–50% of the mangrove forests, by spraying over 20 million U.S. gallons (75 million liters) of toxic herbicides; a notable example of ecocide . The Khmer Rouge carried out the Cambodian genocide , while conflict between them and
9266-526: The long run, adverse military consequences." The quality of the South Vietnamese military, however, remained poor. Poor leadership, corruption, and political promotions weakened the ARVN. The frequency of guerrilla attacks rose as the insurgency gathered steam. While Hanoi's support for the VC played a role, South Vietnamese governmental incompetence was at the core of the crisis. One major issue Kennedy raised
9379-597: The meeting with tyre troubles and wasn't a factor in the race being some 20 seconds per lap slower than the Torana. Brock claimed that scrutineering was almost non-existent at Macau, while Firth would describe Glemser's Capri and the Alfa Romeo GTA of third placed Hong Kong driver Albert Poon as "pretty damned rude" for not being strictly production cars as they were supposed to be. Unlike several other Australian drivers, including Alan Jones and Larry Perkins, Brock did not seek
9492-446: The other communists and anti-GVN activists. Douglas Pike estimated that insurgents carried out 2,000 abductions, and 1,700 assassinations of government officials, village chiefs, hospital workers and teachers from 1957 to 1960. Violence between insurgents and government forces increased drastically from 180 clashes in January 1960, to 545 clashes in September. In September 1960, COSVN , North Vietnam's southern headquarters, ordered
9605-406: The popular nickname King of the Mountain . Peter Brock also won the second (and last) Bathurst 24 Hour race in 2003 driving a 7.0L V8 -powered Holden Monaro 427C for Garry Rogers Motorsport . Brock won the race, which although not the Bathurst 1000, he regarded as his tenth Bathurst win driving alongside V8 Supercar drivers Greg Murphy , Jason Bright and Todd Kelly . The #05 Monaro won
9718-682: The pro-Western government of Laos and the Pathet Lao communist movement in May, construction of the Berlin Wall in August, and the Cuban Missile Crisis in October. Kennedy believed another failure to stop communist expansion would irreparably damage US credibility. He was determined to "draw a line in the sand" and prevent a communist victory in Vietnam. He told James Reston of The New York Times after
9831-412: The process. According to Gabriel Kolko , 40,000 political prisoners had been jailed by the end of 1958. In October 1956, Diệm launched a land reform program limiting the size of rice farms per owner. 1.8m acres of farm land became available for purchase by landless people. By 1960, the process had stalled because many of Diem's biggest supporters were large landowners. In May 1957, Diệm undertook
9944-507: The project to make it worth doing. Brock and the Holden Dealer Team worked in partnership, with full factory approval and assistance, to produce a number of high-performance modifications to the Commodores under existing CAMS Group C regulations from 1980 to 1987. Some of these were HDT " homologation specials", one step away from race cars. It was around this time that Brock began his run of six Bathurst 1000 wins in seven years with
10057-400: The race by less than half a second from the 2002 race winning GRM Monaro 427C driven by Nathan Pretty , Garth Tander , Steven Richards and Cameron McConville . The two Monaros finished 12 laps in front of the third-placed Porsche 996 GT3 RC of Peter Fitzgerald , Paul Morris , John Teulan and Scott Shearman . Along with his record at the Bathurst race, Brock also claimed victory in
10170-407: The racing track Brock became the Australian racing driver with the highest-profile as he undertook several media commitments. When not racing he often appeared on New Zealand television screens as a presenter; hosting motoring shows such as TV3's Police Stop (1996–1998) and TVNZ's Love That Car (2000). In Australia, Brock hosted a show similar to Police Stop known as Police Camera Action which
10283-483: The second billing in his driver pairing with Perkins. From 1974 until 1977 Larry Perkins had made 11 starts in F1 and, to the large number of European motoring press covering the two World Endurance Championship races, ex-F1 driver Larry 'Larrikins' Perkins was the star driver with Brock seen as nothing more than a saloon car driver. According to Perkins, "The Porsche exercise at Le Mans was great although PB (Brock) struggled with
10396-465: The spot with Brock failing to get a drive in his last Bathurst race after Plato had started the car and was due to hand over to Brock a few laps after the crash. Brock also drove a Holden Monaro 427C for Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM), winning four from four races in what was thought to be a one-off appearance in the support races for the 2003 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. This led to him driving
10509-873: The supervision of "local commissions". The US countered with what became known as the "American Plan", with the support of South Vietnam and the UK. It provided for unification elections under the supervision of the UN, but was rejected by the Soviet delegation. The US said, "With respect to the statement made by the representative of the State of Vietnam, the United States reiterates its traditional position that peoples are entitled to determine their own future and that it will not join in any arrangement which would hinder this". US President Eisenhower wrote in 1954: I have never talked or corresponded with
10622-527: The team parted company at the end of the season. He occasionally competed in various enthusiast-level motorsport events such as the Targa Tasmania with the Monaros he drove actually constructed by Holden Special Vehicles. His smooth on-camera persona and familiarity to older Australians continued to sell products, including Mobil (including a 2000 United States television commercial) and Bridgestone tyres, as
10735-501: The traditional lead up race to Bathurst, the Sandown 500 , nine times, including a string of seven consecutive wins from 1975 until 1981. He won a total of 37 races during his career in the Australian Touring Car / V8 Supercar championships, a record only eventually equalled by Mark Skaife in 2006 and beaten in 2007. Brock had a brief foray into Open wheel racing when he raced a Ford powered Birrana 273 to 8th place in
10848-511: The two provisional states for a 300-day period. Elections throughout the country were to be held in 1956 to establish a unified government. However, the US, represented at the conference by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles , objected to the resolution; Dulles' objection was supported only by the representative of Bảo Đại. John Foster's brother, Allen Dulles , who was director of the Central Intelligence Agency , then initiated
10961-587: The unified Vietnam escalated into the Cambodian–Vietnamese War . In response, China invaded Vietnam , with border conflicts lasting until 1991. Within the US, the war gave rise to Vietnam syndrome , a public aversion to American overseas military involvement, which, with the Watergate scandal , contributed to the crisis of confidence that affected America throughout the 1970s. Various names have been applied and have shifted over time, though Vietnam War
11074-640: The year (his only win in the BMW would be in the 1988 Pepsi 250 at Oran Park), before driving a Ford Sierra RS500 in 1989 and 1990 . As the turbo-charged Sierras were the Group A cars to have at the time it was seen as a logical move to return to the front end of the field. During 1988 Brock also campaigned a V8 Ford XF Falcon in the Calder Park Thunderdome -based AUSCAR series, though unlike touring car rivals such as Jim Richards, Allan Grice and Brad Jones , Brock's foray into Superspeedway racing
11187-500: Was after watching the race that he decided that he wanted to become a race driver when he left the army. His brother Phil also became a racing driver, and co-drove with his brother in the Bathurst 1000 on two occasions. During his early career Brock raced some "wild and woolly" creations including the famous blue 6-cylinder Holden-powered Austin A30 . Brock rose to public attention in touring car racing . Brock made his debut at Bathurst in
11300-577: Was an armed conflict in Vietnam , Laos , and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union and China , while South Vietnam was supported by the United States and other anti-communist nations. The conflict was the second of the Indochina Wars and a major proxy war of
11413-559: Was born at the Epworth Hospital , Richmond, Victoria , the son of Geoff and Ruth Brock ( née Laidlay). The family lived in the country town of Hurstbridge (now an outer suburb of Melbourne) and Brock continued to live there throughout his life. He attended Eltham High School in Eltham, Victoria. His first car was an Austin 7 that he bought for £ 5 ( A$ 10). He claimed that his driving skill improved at this point of his life because
11526-517: Was brief. With the increasing costs of running two Sierras, and with the teams technical support from the UK-based Andy Rouse also stopping thanks to Rouse moving to drive for Toyota , Brock returned to driving a Holden in 1991, teaming with former HDT co-driver Perkins (who had left the HDT in mid-1985) to run a pair of VN SS Group A Commodores . The association with Perkins Engineering only lasted for one year, though Brock continued to run
11639-451: Was defeated in April following a battle in Saigon . As broad-based opposition to his harsh tactics mounted, Diệm increasingly sought to blame the communists. In a referendum on the future of the State of Vietnam in October 1955, Diệm rigged the poll supervised by his brother Ngô Đình Nhu and was credited with 98% of the vote, including 133% in Saigon. His American advisors had recommended
11752-433: Was divided into two parts at the 17th parallel : the Viet Minh , led by Ho Chi Minh , took control of North Vietnam, while the US assumed financial and military support for South Vietnam, led by Ngo Dinh Diem . The North Vietnamese began supplying and directing the Viet Cong (VC), a common front of dissidents in the south, which intensified a guerrilla war from 1957. In 1958, North Vietnam invaded Laos , establishing
11865-863: Was first proposed by the Eisenhower administration . John F. Kennedy , then a senator , said in a speech to the American Friends of Vietnam : "Burma, Thailand, India, Japan, the Philippines and obviously Laos and Cambodia are among those whose security would be threatened if the Red Tide of Communism overflowed into Vietnam." A devout Roman Catholic, Diệm was fervently anti-communist, nationalist, and socially conservative. Historian Luu Doan Huynh notes "Diệm represented narrow and extremist nationalism coupled with autocracy and nepotism ." Most Vietnamese were Buddhist , and alarmed by Diệm's actions, like his dedication of
11978-656: Was first put into practice in February 1950, when the United States recognized the French-backed State of Vietnam in Saigon , led by former Emperor Bảo Đại, as the legitimate government of Vietnam, after the communist states of the Soviet Union and People's Republic of China recognized the Democratic Republic of Vietnam , led by Ho Chi Minh, as the legitimate Vietnamese government the previous month. The outbreak of
12091-468: Was killed in a US-backed military coup , which added to the south's instability. Following the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, the US Congress passed a resolution that gave President Lyndon B. Johnson authority to increase military presence without a declaration of war. Johnson launched a bombing campaign of the north and began sending combat troops, dramatically increasing deployment to 184,000 by
12204-464: Was mainly in the Red River Delta area, 50,000 executions became accepted by scholars. However, declassified documents from Vietnamese and Hungarian archives indicate executions were much lower, though likely greater than 13,500. In 1956, leaders in Hanoi admitted to "excesses" in implementing this program and restored much of the land to the original owners. The south, meanwhile, constituted
12317-433: Was not an entirely faithful partner. She has described in a book her eventual tiring in the early 1990s of his relationships with "one too many secretaries". After splitting with Bev, Peter began a relationship with Julie Bamford, whom he had met through his former partner Bev some 20 years previously. Subsequently, Bamford's estranged husband Ron McCurdy, who had once been a close friend of Brock's, assaulted Brock during
12430-411: Was not released to the public. Brock's children accepted the offer of a Victorian state funeral , with former partner Bev telling ABC Radio : The editor of Wheels Magazine , Ged Bulmer, said that Brock would be remembered for his nine victories at Bathurst , for "He had a long and very successful career there, he was the 'King of the Mountain' as he came to be known." Brock was farewelled with
12543-490: Was shown on the Seven Network (1996–98). Brock has been the subject of several DVD documentaries— The Legend (1997; updated 2004), Peter Brock - Nine Times a Champion , Holden First Around Australia (Repco Trial VB Commodore) , 25 Years of HDT Special Vehicles Collectors Edition (2006) and 35 Years on the Mountain (2005). He was also due to star in a racing film King of the Mountain in early 2007. He announced to
12656-471: Was to win in Australia he should try his hand overseas with the 'big boys', meaning Le Mans. After millionaire businessman and racer Bob Jane got involved with sponsorship through his Bob Jane T-Marts , a deal was completed to race a Porsche 956 B rented from John Fitzpatrick Racing in 1984. This car was a well-worn 956, chassis number 956-102 previously seen in J. David and Skoal Bandit colours. With regular HDT co-driver Larry Perkins, Brock finished 21st at
12769-518: Was whether the Soviet space and missile programs had surpassed those of the US. Although Kennedy stressed long-range missile parity with the Soviets, he was interested in using special forces for counterinsurgency warfare in Third World countries threatened by communist insurgencies. Although they were intended for use behind front lines after a conventional Soviet invasion of Europe, Kennedy believed guerrilla tactics employed by special forces, such as
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