Photos / Supplied
THE GOOD OIL POWERED, BY CASTROL EDGE
Castrol and the Supercars Championship are almost synonymous, and their association dates back many, many decades – almost to the start of motorsport sponsorships.
Look at the iconic JPS BMW of Jim Richards, there’s Castrol on the front. Thomas Randle is the current Castrol driver, in the 55 Ford Mustang, emblazoned with Castrol. And with the Bathurst 1000 looming, New Zealand gets to see the cars and series back on local soil for first time since Covid hit, and also the last blast at Pukekohe Park Raceway this weekend, for the ITM Auckland SuperSprint, Sept 9-11.
With Castrol partnering with The Good Oil, we thought we’d look back at the most iconic Castrol V8 Supercar team, and we arrive deeply in the 1990s with Larry Perkins Commodores. In 1993, the dawn of the V8-only formula, Perkins was on full Castrol livery, scored pole position won the 1993 event with the late Gregg Hansford. That set up what would be a glorious decade for the team.
Perkins would go on to win the Bathurst event two more times in 1995 and 1997 with Russell Ingall, including their famous last-to-first drive in 1995. Perkins contacted Craig Lowndes off the start that ripped the tyre valve out, forcing him to pit and return in last place.
That exact car was repainted for the Castrol Cougars. A name that hasn’t aged well, this was an all-female crew, with scratch mark livery to differentiate it from the other Castrol cars. Driven by Melinda Price and Kerryn Brewer, finishing 12th in the 1997 event. Back in 1998, the pair alternated championship rounds and returned to Bathurst for 1998, finishing 11th outright, while Perkins/Ingall finished second.
In fact, so successful was Perkins that his lowest Bathurst 1000 finish was seventh in 1999! It was certainly the decade for Perkins and Castrol in V8 Supercars.
Keyword: The Good Oil: The story of V8 Supercars and the Castrol Cougars