Famed Australian Driver Peter Brock Dies in Targa Crash

The 61-year-old Australian motor racing legend Peter Brock died instantly when he lost control of his car on a tight bend and crashed into trees during the Targa West Rally in Gidgegannup, east of Perth. His navigator Mick Hone was injured and remains in a stable condition in hospital.

There has been a good bit of confusion with the American Peter Brock. The American Peter Brock's wife Gayle Brock sheds some light of the similarities in the lives of these two great automotive icons.

From Gayle.....

It is with great sadness we have learned the Australian race driver, Peter Brock, was killed in a crash in the Australian Targa Rally today. We had just seen Peter last weekend in the UK at the Goodwood Revival, commenting on the ever-increasing confusion between the Australian Peter Brock and the American Peter Brock with the Australian’s latest foray of driving a replica Cobra Daytona Coupe in competition. Although the American Peter Brock is not associated with this Australian-built, Chevy-powered replicar, he is known, amongst other things, as the designer of the original Cobra Daytona Coupe in 1964 and the Superformance Cobra Daytona Coupe in 1999. At Goodwood last weekend, the Australian Brock drove a Corvette Stingray, a car the American Peter Brock designed while at GM in the late 1950s. Further confusion has occurred with news reports of the crash stating Peter Brock had just returned from Goodwood and was killed in a rally in WA (referring to Western Australia). The American Peter Brock had just returned from Goodwood to his US residence in WA (referring to WashingtonState).

The Australian Peter Brock was a racing icon in Australia and New Zealand winning the Bathurst touring car race a record 9 times. The American Peter Brock had great respect for the Australian driver and interviewed him almost 10 years ago for an article in Racer magazine entitled “Brock on Brock.” It is extremely sad to see the end of such an accomplished career although it is colored with the thought of how the Australian went out doing what he loved. Our sincerest condolences go out to his family.

Peter and I want to thank the hundreds of people who have contacted our offices today, due to the confusion, to check on the well-being of the American Peter Brock. We always feel very fortunate in life but maybe just a little more so today.

Sincerely,

Gayle Brock