1990 Bathurst 1000: A Strong Run to Third for the Perkins/Mezera VL Commodore

The 1990 Tooheys Bathurst 1000, held on September 30 at the legendary Mount Panorama Circuit, marked the 31st running of the Great Race. Open to Group A Touring Cars under CAMS Group 3A regulations, the event delivered high drama and fierce competition.

After missing out in 1989, the Holden V8s were back in form. The Perkins Engineering and Holden Racing Team VL Commodores showed major improvements—qualifying over four seconds quicker than they had the year before.

Larry Perkins and co-driver Tomas Mezera piloted the No.11 Holden VL Commodore with impressive pace. After setting a lap time of 2:14.82 in qualifying, they advanced to the Tooheys Top Ten Shootout, securing 7th on the starting grid with a 2:17.03 lap.

As the race unfolded, the Perkins/Mezera entry became a genuine contender. With many turbocharged cars suffering tyre issues and making extra pit stops, the naturally aspirated Commodore capitalised. Perkins briefly held the lead before handing over to Mezera, who kept the car at the front as the race neared its final stages.

By lap 134, Mezera had built a 40-second lead—but a crash by another car triggered the deployment of the then-used dual Safety Car system. Timing was crucial, and unfortunately for the team, they pitted just as the pit exit was closed. Despite a fast and efficient 50-second stop for fuel, tyres, brakes, and the final driver change, they were forced to wait, ultimately losing their lead.

After 161 gruelling laps and a total race time of 6 hours, 40 minutes, and 52 seconds, the No.11 Commodore crossed the line in third place. It was a bittersweet result for Perkins and Mezera—proof of their speed and strategy, hindered only by misfortune in the closing laps.

The race was ultimately won by Win Percy and Allan Grice in the Holden Racing Team’s VL Commodore, marking the team’s first Bathurst 1000 victory and a memorable day for Holden fans.