ALMOST two decades on from winning the Bathurst 1000 and some six years after his final championship start, David ‘Skippy’ Parsons turned his final laps in a V8 Supercar in a quiet test session.
Or did he?
It’s a mystery that popped up during the research for V8 Sleuth Magazine Issue 2.
Our second issue is now available to buy in the V8 Sleuth Superstore or at newsagents around Australia.
One of the feature stories focuses on the history of Garry Rogers Motorsport’s infamous X-bar car, chassis GRM VY06.
The unique car, which took the ‘Larry’ bar theory and doubled down, led a busy life with GRM from its debut in mid-2003 through to it being superseded by VE Commodores for 2007.
Part of our research took us into GRM’s internal records, which showed that VY06 was used during a team test day at Winton in late May 2006.
Its regular pilot Lee Holdsworth was listed as driving that day, but so too was ‘Skippy’.
This wasn’t reported in any of the dedicated motorsport media at the time, leading us to think it was a short, sharp blast of a few laps while Holdsworth was taking a break.
However, we haven’t been able to corroborate whether or not the 1987 Bathurst 1000 winner’s track time actually happened.
How it may have came about is also a mystery – albeit one we think we have a bead on.
Parsons (back row, third from left) and Rogers (front row, right) both took part in the V8 Ute Legends Challenge a few weeks prior to the recorded test. Pic: an1images.com / Dirk Klynsmith
Parsons was one of a range of legends that competed in a unique, two drivers-per-car V8 Ute Legends Challenge that Easter at the Bathurst International Motor Festival, sharing a Ford with Marcus Zukanovic.
Sharing a Commodore that weekend in the same event with James Brock was none other than GRM owner Garry Rogers.
Perhaps the two got chatting and Rogers offered Parsons a chance to have a taste of one of the team’s Valvoline Commodores a month later?
Sadly Rogers himself is no longer around to confirm, we haven’t been able to contact Parsons, and GRM staff who were there – including Holdsworth – don’t remember.
If you have any info, let us know via our Contact Form HERE.
The X-bar car feature is one of several in the latest bumper issue of V8 Sleuth Magazine.
The cover story for Issue 2 looks at the restoration of car that Larry Perkins and Gregg Hansford drove to victory in the 1993 Bathurst 1000.
It was a true labour of love by Jack Perkins who, with the help of his dad, other ex-Perkins Engineering staff, industry friends and helpful fans on social media, put chassis PE 017 back to its original VP Commodore trim as it was on raceday in 1993.
Perkins dug into his files to share with us some spectacular photos from during the restoration, along all the inside info on how it was done.
Elsewhere in Issue 2, we pay homage to the late Allan Moffat by looking at the greatest decade of his career, tell the remarkable story of the rescue of the first NASCAR stock car brought to Australia by Bob Jane, and look at AVESCO’s original plan to hold a year-long 37-race championship in 1997 that paid points to the enduros, F1 and Indycar support races, and featured multiple events overseas.
Click HERE to purchase V8 Sleuth Magazine Issue 2.
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