Holden VK Commodore 1986 Bathurst Winner

In 1986 Allan Grice and Graeme Bailey, privateers with no factory backing, started from the number two grid position.The flag dropped and with Grice in the driver’s seat he easily won the start to the first corner and stormed up the mountain, maintaining his lead over the top of the mountain and bellowing across the line in the lead at the end of the first lap. By lap four Grice had a 7.5 second lead over Peter Brock.
Grice had his first pit stop on lap 36.After taking on three churns of fuel and four newYokohamas, Grice was back out again in third place chasing the Brock Commodore. Grice’s 25 second lead was not enough to keep first place after his pit stop. On lap 41 Brock pitted to hand over the car to Moffat and Grice regained the lead.
There were signs that the Chickadee car could be in trouble, however an oil leak visible from the rear bumper and rising diff temperatures would now be carefully monitored for the entire race. By lap 64 Grice had built his lead to 65 seconds over the Brock/Moffat car.Then after two hours and forty-five minutes Grice handed over the wheel to Bailey who was able to rejoin the race still in the lead.The pressure was eased when Moffat came charging into the pits, bouncing over the speed humps and splitting the oil cooler on the car. Brock was to rejoin the race in seventh place after a long pit stop.
On lap 96 it was almost all over as Bailey spun the Chickadee car at Hell’s Corner. It was time to hand back to Grice.After an unusually long pit stop, two minutes and six seconds, Grice rejoined the race just ahead of the Harvey MHDT car only to get nudged and passed by Harvey at The Cutting. Grice was relentless in his hunt for Harvey and eventually regained the lead on lap 104.
Grice pitted for the final time to take on three churns of fuel and a fresh set of Yokohamas. It was only now that the Chickadee crew started to grasp the enormity that “the best driver never to win Bathurst” was about to indeed win Bathurst in just over an hours time.
Allan Grice with his arm out the window, victory waving through The Cutting and across the mountain
finished on lap 163, one minute nineteen seconds ahead of the second placed Harvey MHDT Commodore. Grice had finally achieved his dream after fifteen attempts. He had known that as long as he kept going back to Bathurst and being competitive, then one day he was going to win!
On the podium the Holden crowd chanted….“Grice-ee…Grice-ee”. Holden were back on top with
another win!

Item includes certificate with individual production number.