Allan Grice

Allan Maxwell Grice OAM (born 21 October 1942), known to motor-racing fans as "Gricey", is an Australian former racing driver and politician, most famous for twice winning the prestigious Bathurst 1000 (1986 and 1990), and as a privateer driver of a Holden in the Australian Touring Car Championship.

Grice also had a successful second career as a politician and Member for Broadwater in the Queensland Parliament from 1992 to 2001. He currently operates an LPG conversion and importing business - LPGricey Tanks.

Bathurst 1000 record

26 starts between 1968 and 2002 (equal 6th on the 'most starts' list).

Grice had seven podium finishes at Bathurst: two wins (1986 and 1990), four seconds (1978, 1982, 1991, 1995), a third (1983). These results put him equal fifth on the 'most podiums' list for drivers at Bathurst.

Thirteen top 10 finishes (50% of all his starts) (in addition to above, fourth in 1979, seventh in 1980 and 1981, tenth in 1989, fifth in 1992 and seventh in 1994). Grice holds the record for the most Bathurst 1000 drives (16) before first victory (of those who have won).

Bathurst 1986

Driving a Holden VK Commodore SSGroup A that was owned by his co-driver, Graeme Bailey, Grice posted the first 100mph average lap in a Group A car (backing up his feat of achieving the first 100mph average lap in a Group C car 4 years earlier.

Grice and Bailey led for all-but 12 laps and Grice drove for 137 of the 163 laps (before the track alterations in response to FIA request reduced the race to 161 laps).

When asked recently, which Bathurst win was more satisfying, Grice replied:

:"I think 1986, as we kicked the factory's arse. They didn't like that, but you get that."Fact|date=September 2008

Bathurst 1990

British Touring Car Championship legend Win Percy was given the task of reviving the fortunes of the Holden Team in the Australian Touring Car Championship by Tom Walkinshaw, and against Walkinshaw's wishes Percy chose Grice as his co-driver for Bathurst.

With Percy carrying a shoulder injury, Grice did the bulk of the testing and race driving for Bathurst. Competing against a field that included multiple turbo-charged Ford Sierras, Grice and Percy prevailed to record a famous victory in a Holden Commodore VL SS Group A SV.

Racing career

Though Grice did race, and win, for Holden factory teams in ATCC (most famously in the Bathurst 1000 in 1990), he spent much of his career as a privateer racing in a Holden against the Holden works teams (typically driven by Peter Brock).

Early in his career, Grice was the first racing driver to race the iconic LH model Holden Torana V8 (though he raced the road-version, L31, not the race-bred, Bathurst winning version, L34).

In 1974 Grice began driving for the Craven Mild Racing team and the following year he won a number of rounds in the Australian Touring Car Championship in his L34 Torana. 1978 saw Grice break through with a placing in the Bathurst 1000 when he came second behind Peter Brock in a Craven Mild Racing Torana A9X.

At Bathurst in 1982 Grice qualified fastest in the Re-Car Commodore and finished second with co-driver Alan Browne after a blisteringly fast duel with Peter Brock in the early laps. The following year Grice finished third at Bathurst in a Commodore shared with Colin Bond.

Though best remembered for his endurance race feats, Grice was a very fast driver. Driving as a privateer, he was the first driver to record a 100mph laps around Bathurst in both a Group C car 1982 and in a Group A car 1986 (that time on his way to winning Bathurst).

Grice ended his career having won 10 rounds in the Australian Touring Car Championship (equal 12th on list of round winners).

In addition to touring cars, Grice also won the Australian Sports Sedan Championship in 1978 and 1979, the 1984 Australian GT Championship, and won the 1991 James Hardie 12 Hour at Bathurst.

Career results

References

External links

* [http://www.conrod.com.au/stats/drprof.cgi?id=4 VESRIX, Drivers record - Allan Grice]
* [http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/bathurst_winners.htm Bathurst Winners]
* [http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/bathurst_1986.htm Bathurst 1986]
* [http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/bathurst_1990.htm Bathurst 1990]
* [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=887400&search_type=quick&showInd=true OAM Citation]
* [http://www.lpgriceytanks.com.au/ LPGricey Tanks]