1992 Tooheys 1000 - Race

Race

"I'm just really stunned for words, I can't believe the reception. I thought Australian race fans had a lot more to go than this, this is bloody disgraceful. I'll keep racing but I tell you what, this is gonna remain with me for a long time, you're a pack of arseholes." (Richards continued to talk on, but his microphone audio feed was cut off and commentated over)

This race was notable for the winning car being crashed and undrivable at the race's conclusion. Due to heavy rain a large number of crashes occurred towards the end of the race leading to the race being stopped during the leader's 145th lap, requiring a windback to the completed 144th lap. However, many cars had crashed prior to the leader's completion of the 144th lap so the race was woundback an additional lap to allow them to be placed. Due to this windback, Richards' car which had hit the wall once suffering extensive damage—drivable but barely so—and had then slid off the track to join several other cars that had crashed at Forrest's Elbow, was the winner since it was the lead car. Due to high concentrations of Ford and Holden fans and spectators generally upset that a crashed car had won race winner Jim Richards, who drove a Nissan, was vociferously booed as he took the podium. Distressed over his friend's death (see below) and the crowd's reaction, in his very brief, international live feed broadcast victory speech he told the spectators, "You're a pack of arseholes." (see right for full comment)

The race was also the last in which turbo powered cars such as the Nissan Skyline and Ford Sierra would be permitted to compete. As of 1 January 1993 the turbo's were banned in favor of the previously mentioned V8 formula which would later evolve into V8 Supercars.

The 1992 Tooheys 1000 was also a sad occasion as popular veteran driver and former Formula One world champion Denny Hulme, 56 years old from New Zealand and that country's only World Drivers' Champion, died of a heart attack suffered during lap 33. Hulme, driving the second Tony Longhurst Racing BMW M3 with young driver Paul Morris, started the race in 18th position. On lap 33 when the race was under heavy rain, Hulme radioed into his team coming through Forrest's Elbow that he could not see. Coming down Conrod Straight, the #20 BMW went off the track and glanced the wall on the left hand side before continuing across the track to the outside wall where the car came to a stop, Channel 7 cameras capturing the incident. Most concern was with the driver. While the race continued under the safety car, Hulme was removed from the BMW and taken by ambulance to nearby Bathurst Hospital where he was later pronounced dead from heart failure.