Colin Bond

Colin John Bond (born 24 February 1942) is an Australian former racing driver. Bond reached the highest levels in Australian motorsport in 1969 when he was recruited by Harry Firth to the newly formed Holden Dealer Team. He quickly found success, winning the 1969 Hardie-Ferodo 500 mile race (now the Bathurst 1000) at Bathurst, New South Wales in a Holden Monaro.

Bond was a particularly versatile driver, also finding success in the Australian Rally Championship, winning the title in 1971, 1972 and 1974 driving a Holden Torana. Bond also won the 1975 Australian Touring Car Championship in a Holden Torana and was inducted into the V8 Supercars Hall of Fame in 2002.

Early career Colin Bond in the Holden Dealer Team Monaro at Lakeside International Raceway in 1970. Bond initially made a reputation as a hillclimber with three NSW Hillclimb titles in 1965-67 driving a Lynx-Peugeot S/C. Also known as a rally driver he was relatively unknown in circuit racing circles apart from a few forays racing various Isuzu Belletts, when he was chosen to partner Tony Roberts in one of three Holden Dealer Team entered Holden Monaros for the 1969 Hardie-Ferodo 500 at Bathurst. On a day when the Fords crumbled with unsuitable tyres for the race, the HDT stood strong, putting all three Monaros (including one driven by Des West and Peter Brock which finished third) into the top six positions with Bond and Roberts winning.

Torana GTR XU-1 Bond and Shepheard in the Holden Dealer Team Torana GTR XU-1 on their way to another win in the Warana Rally, round four of the 1972 Australian Rally Championship.

The nimble 6-cylinder Torana GTR XU-1 debuted in late 1970, and in 1971, Bond began racking up an impressive list of race and rally titles in his Torana. He secured the Manufacturer's Championship for Holden by winning three out of five rounds, including the Sandown 250 enduro in his XU-1. He also won the Australian Rally Championship and the Southern Cross Rally, along with the South Pacific Touring Series that year.

Late in 1971, Bond had a couple of drives with Frank Matich's F5000 team. One was in the Australian Grand Prix at Warwick Farm and driving in a wet practice session Bond put in lap times seconds faster than his more experienced F5000 rivals. After his open-wheeler stint he opted to stay with the Holden Dealer Team.

The following year, Bond won the Australian Rally Championship for the second year in a row. Bond also won the Catalina Park rallycross series, while on the bitumen he won the Toby Lee Series and Sun-7 Gold Medal. In 1973, he again won the Sun-7 series at Amaroo Park.

1974 ARC winners Colin Bond and George Shepheard in the HDT Torana GTR XU-1 at the Warana Rally, round five of the 1974 Australian Rally Championship. In 1974, as well as winning his third national Rally Championship, Bond won his third consecutive Sun-7 Chesterfield Series against a strong challenge by Bob Morris.

Torana L34

In late 1974, driving the new Holden Torana SL/R 5000, he contributed to Holden's victory in the Australian Manufacturers' Championship, again winning three out of five rounds.

Peter Brock left the Holden Dealer Team at the end of 1974 so for the 1975 season Colin Bond was the team's No.1 driver. That year he won his only Australian Touring Car Championship in the new L34 version of the SL/R 5000 Torana, and also won his second South Pacific Touring Car Series. At Bathurst Bond claimed pole position from the Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop of Allan Moffat and led for much of the early part of the race until a broken axle at half distance put him too far back to challenge the similar Torana Peter Brock and Brian Sampson.

Reproduction of the 1976 Bathurst Bond/Harvey ToranaBond was involved in a dramatic finish in 1976 at the Bathurst 1000. Late in the race when it seemed Bond, in the Holden Dealer Team Torana L34, had the race sewn up he was forced to pull into the pits with fanbelt trouble allowing the Bob Morris Torana to take the lead. In the final laps Morris's co-driver, British touring car ace John Fitzpatrick, nursed home an ailing car trailing smoke ahead of Bond's Torana which finished about 40 seconds behind.

In 1987, motoring writer Bill Tuckey in his book The Rise and Fall of Peter Brock claimed that there had been a lap scoring error in the 1976 race and that Colin Bond's Torana was the first car to complete the distance. Tuckey claimed Holden declined to challenge the result because a privately entered Holden team had won in such a memorable, emotional finish, and because Bob Morris' major sponsor was Ron Hodgson Motors, one of Sydney's leading Holden dealerships at the time. It remains however a contested footnote, Bob Morris denies that this was the case, claiming most team lap scorers agreed that the results were correct. Despite this, Bond's co-driver John Harvey believes that he and Bond did indeed win the race (Bond himself has kept a dignified silence), despite the official result still showing Morris and Fitzpatrick as race winners.

1-2 Formation Finish at Bathurst

After seven years with the Holden Dealer Team, Bond shocked the establishment in 1977 when he left the HDT and joined Allan Moffat's Ford Dealers Team. Bond came close to becoming the first driver to achieve victories for both Holden and Ford Motor Company at the Bathurst 1000 (a feat which wouldn't be achieved until Steven Richards in 1999). He was driving the second of Moffat's Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop's, with Moffat driving the lead car which was experiencing mechanical problems in the closing laps of the race (Moffat's Falcon had run out of brakes after they were given a caning by his co-driver, ex-Formula One driver and multiple 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx). Although Bond had the opportunity to pass Moffat and take victory, he controversially chose to observe Moffat's team orders and allowed him to pass the line first in the now famous 1-2 formation finish.

Bond has stated in interviews since then that he regretted not taking victory from Moffat. Moffat himself later revealed that during the race he had offered Bond a drive in his Falcon which would have seen Bond not only win the race but finish second as well. Bond confirmed that he turned down Moffat's offer, preferring instead to stick to his own car which was co-driven by open wheel driver Alan Hamilton (Bond was to have driven with Gregg Hansford, but the Queenslander had to withdraw through injury suffered in a Motorcycle racing accident). Moffat also claimed that had the third placed Peter Janson / Larry Perkins Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback or the similar Torana of fourth placed Peter and Phil Brock been on the same lap (both Toranas were one lap down) and closing in on the pair that Bond would have been free to pass him for the win if it meant that the Moffat Ford Dealers team won the race.

From 1977 to 1980, Bond ran the Ford works rally team, with Greg Carr and Bond driving the very competitive BDA Escort. The highlight for the Ford team was Greg Carr winning the 1978 Australian Rally Championship.

The 1980s

During the 1980s, Bond was less prominent than he had been the previous decade, due mainly as others recognised his engineering ability and he was hired to front smaller operations like Steve Masterton's Capri team, Alfa Romeo's three-year factory effort and in the 1990s Toyota's short-lived foray into Supertouring. But he did register two more Bathurst 1000 placings, finishing third in 1983 with Allan Grice in a Roadways Racing Holden VH Commodore SS, and 1988; the latter occasion with Formula One World Champion Alan Jones as co-driver in a Ford Sierra RS500. And in 1985, Bond and former motorcycle racer Gregg Hansford won their class and finished seventh outright at Bathurst in an Alfa Romeo GTV. He was also third in the 1981 and 1988 Australian Touring Car Championships, 1981 in a Ford Capri Mk.II for the Masterton Homes team and 1988 in a Ford Sierra RS500 in what was his first ATCC in an outright car since 1978.

Bond drove a great variety of machinery during this period including the Ford Capri, Chevrolet Camaro Z28, Triumph TR8, Alfa Romeo GTV, Alfa Romeo 75, Ford Sierra RS500, Toyota Corolla, and Porsche (including a Porsche 944 Turbo for Allan Hamilton's Porsche Cars Australia team in the 1982 and 1983 Australian GT Championships).

Bond also teamed with then open wheel racer Andrew Miedecke to drive a John Fitzpatrick Racing Porsche 962 in the 1984 Sandown 1000. The race, which was the final round of the 1984 World Endurance Championship, was the first ever FIA world championship motor race held in Australia. Driving an unfamiliar car with (approximately more than either had driven previously), Bond and Miedecke acquitted themselves well against the likes of Sports car racing stars Stefan Bellof, Jacky Ickx, Jochen Mass, Derek Bell, and Aussie internationals Alan Jones and Vern Schuppan. Bond qualified the car in 11th place, 4.4 seconds slower than pole winner Bellof in his Rothmans Porsche 956B. Bondy and "Mad Andy" then drove a steady race, staying out of trouble, to record a 6th-place finish at Melbourne's Sandown Park. Bond would claim that racing the 962 was "A lot of fun".

Wins in the Caltex Sierra

Bond made an impact on the Touring Car Championship in 1990, winning two consecutive rounds of the championship at Lakeside and Mallala driving a Caltex sponsored Ford Sierra. Both these wins involved memorable drives where Bond came from behind to pass the leading cars one by one until taking the lead and holding off his rivals to win.

In 1994, Bond was lured back for one last tilt at the Bathurst 1000 by Fred Gibson, manager of the Winfield Racing Team. Driving a Holden VP Commodore with Swede Anders Olofsson, Bond briefly led the race early on when many cars were pitting to change tyres. He finished in sixth place on the same lap as the winning car.

Bond retired as a driver in 1994, but continued to contribute to the sport as a driving standards observer for V8 Supercar until he was replaced by Tomas Mezera after the 2006 season.

In the 1994 Queen's Birthday Honours, Bond was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to motor sport.

Career results

Complete Bathurst 500/1000 results Year Car# Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps 1965 32 John Rhodin Pty ltd Arthur Treloar Isuzu Bellett 1500 D 109 30th 6th 1966 40 John Rhodin Arthur Treloar Isuzu Bellett 1500 D 111 30th 8th 1969 44 Holden Dealer Team Tony Roberts Holden HT Monaro GTS350 D 130 1st 1st 1970 39 Holden Dealer Team Holden LC Torana GTR XU-1 C 119 16th 9th 1971 31 Holden Dealer Team Holden LC Torana GTR XU-1 D 129 4th 1st 1972 24 Holden Dealer Team Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 C 2 DNF DNF 1973 24 Holden Dealer Team Leo Geoghegan Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 D 163 3rd 3rd 1974 2 Holden Dealer Team Bob Skelton Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 3001 – 6000cc 156 4th 4th 1975 2 Holden Dealer Team Johnnie Walker Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 D 154 3rd 3rd 1976 1 Holden Dealer Team John Harvey Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 3001cc - 6000cc 163 2nd 2nd 1977 2 Moffat Ford Dealers Alan Hamilton Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop 3001cc - 6000cc 163 2nd 2nd 1978 2 Moffat Ford Dealers Fred Gibson Ford XC Falcon Cobra A 59 DNF DNF 1979 4 Thompson Ford John French Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop A 23 DNF DNF 1980 32 Masterton Homes Steve Masterton Ford Capri Mk.II 2001-3000cc 147 13th 2nd 1981 32 Masterton Homes Don Smith Ford Capri Mk.II 6 Cylinder & Rotary 113 8th 3rd 1982 9 Nine Network Racing Team Kevin Bartlett Chevrolet Camaro Z28 A 27 DNF DNF 1983 6 STP Roadways Racing Allan Grice Holden VH Commodore SS A 160 3rd 3rd 1984 70 Network Alfa Alfredo Costanzo Alfa Romeo GTV6 Group A 111 DNF DNF 1985 47 Network Alfa Gregg Hansford Alfa Romeo GTV6 B 158 8th 1st 1986 75 Network Alfa Peter Fitzgerald Alfa Romeo GTV6 B 111 DNF DNF 1987 57 Caltex CXT Racing Lucio Cesario Alfa Romeo 75 2 34 DNF DNF 1988 4 Caltex CXT Racing Team Alan Jones Ford Sierra RS500 A 158 3rd 3rd 1989 4 Caltex CXT Racing Team Bruce Stewart Ford Sierra RS500 A 131 26th 21st 1990 8 Caltex CXT Racing Team Graeme Crosby Ford Sierra RS500 1 44 DNF DNF 1991 8 Caltex CXT Racing Team Graeme Crosby Ford Sierra RS500 1 152 DNF DNF 1992 8 Caltex CXT Racing Team John Smith Ford Sierra RS500 A 7 DNF DNF 1993 8 Caltex CXT Racing Team Terry Bosnjak Toyota Corolla Seca B 64 DNF DNF 1994 6 Winfield Racing Anders Olofsson Holden VP Commodore A 161 6th 6th

Complete Sandown Endurance results Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps 1970 Holden Dealer Team Holden LC Torana GTR XU-1 C 129 2nd 1st 1971 Holden Dealer Team Holden LC Torana GTR XU-1 C 130 1st 1st 1972 Holden Dealer Team Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 C NA DNF DNF 1973 Holden Dealer Team Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 C 130 2nd 2nd 1974 Holden Dealer Team Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 D 98 DNF DNF 1975 Holden Dealer Team Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 A 128 7th 7th 1976 Holden Dealer Team Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 D NA DNF DNF 1977 Moffat Ford Dealers Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop A 125 5th 5th 1978 Moffat Ford Dealers Ford XC Falcon Cobra 6000cc NA DNF DNF 1979 Thomson Ford Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop A NA DNF DNF 1980 Masterton Homes Steve Masterton Ford Capri Mk.II B 89 17th 2nd 1981 Masterton Homes Pty Ltd Steve Masterton Ford Capri Mk.II B 112 9th 1st 1982 Nine Network Racing Team Kevin Bartlett Chevrolet Camaro Z28 D NA DNF DNF 1983 STP Roadways Racing Allan Grice Holden VH Commodore SS Over 3000cc NA DNF DNF 1984 Network Alfa Peter Fitzgerald Alfa Romeo GTV6 Group A 93 DNF DNF 1985 Network Alfa Gregg Hansford Alfa Romeo GTV6 B 126 4th 2nd 1986 Network Alfa Peter Fitzgerald Alfa Romeo GTV6 A 120 15th 1st 1988 Caltex CXT Race Team Alan Jones Ford Sierra RS500 A - DNS DNS 1989 Caltex CXT Race Team Garry Rogers Ken Matthews Ford Sierra RS500 A 2 DNF DNF 1993 Caltex CXT Racing Terry Bosnjak Toyota Corolla Seca 2 Litre 63 DNF DNF 1994 BP Mazda Motorsport Garry Waldon Mazda RX-7 Prod. 140 16th 2nd

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps 1981 Porsche Cars Australia Peter Brock Jim Richards Porsche 924 Carrera GTR GT - DNS DNS

Complete Australian Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 DC Points 1971 Holden Dealer Team Holden LC Torana GTR SYM CAL SAN SUR MAL LAK ORA 10th 2 1972 Holden Dealer Team Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 SYM CAL BAT SAN AIR WAR SUR ORA 26th 2 1973 Holden Dealer Team Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 SYM CAL SAN WAN SUR AIR ORA WAR 11th 9 1974 Holden Dealer Team Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 SYM CAL SAN SAN AMA ORA SUR AIR 13th 6 1975 Holden Dealer Team Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 SYM CAL AMA ORA SUR SAN AIR LAK 1st 601976 Holden Dealer Team Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 SYM CAL ORA ORA SAN AMA AMA AIR AIR LAK LAK SAN AIR SUR PHI 2nd 721977 Moffat Ford Dealers Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop SYM SYM CAL ORA AMA SAN AIR LAK SAN AIR SUR PHI 2nd 741978 Moffat Ford Dealers Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop SYM ORA AMA SAN WAN WAN CAL LAK AIR 5th 251980 Masterton Homes Ford Capri Mk II SYM CAL CAL LAK SAN SAN WAN WAN SUR AIR ORA 19th 61981 Masterton Homes Ford Capri Mk II SYM CAL CAL LAK SAN SAN WAN AIR AIR SUR LAK 3rd 631982 Masterton Homes Ford Capri Mk II SAN SAN CAL SYM ORA LAK WAN AIR SUR 17th 9 1985 Network Alfa Alfa Romeo GTV6 WIN SAN SYM WAN AIR CAL SUR LAK AMA ORA 6th 127 1986 Network Alfa Alfa Romeo GTV6 AMA SYM SAN AIR WAN SUR CAL LAK WIN ORA 9th 69 1987 Caltex CXT Racing Alfa Romeo GTV6 CAL SYM LAK WAN AIR SUR SAN AMA ORA 9th 36 1988 Caltex CXT Racing Ford Sierra RS Cosworth CAL SYM WIN WAN AIR LAK SAN AMA ORA 3rd 76 1989 Caltex CXT Racing Ford Sierra RS Cosworth AMA SYM LAK WAN MAL SAN WIN ORA 8th 23 1990 Caltex CXT Racing Ford Sierra RS Cosworth AMA SYM PHI WIN LAK MAL BAR ORA 4th 81 1991 Caltex CXT Racing Ford Sierra RS Cosworth SANR1 SYMR2 WANR3 LAKR4 WINR5 AMAR6 MALR7 LAKR8 ORAR9 10th 26 1992 Caltex CXT Racing Ford Sierra RS Cosworth AMAR1 AMAR2 SANR3 SANR4 SYMR5 SYMR6 WINR7 WINR8 LAKR9 LAKR10 EASR11 EASR12 MALR13 MALR14 BARR15 BARR16 ORAR17 ORAR18 12th 82 1993 Caltex CXT Racing Toyota Corolla Seca AE93 AMAR1 AMAR2 SYMR3 SYMR4 PHIR5 PHIR6 LAKR7 LAKR8 WINR9 WINR10 EASR11 EASR12 MALR13 MALR14 BARR15 BARR16 ORAR17 ORAR18 15th 32

Complete World Endurance Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 DC Points 1981 Porsche Cars Australia Porsche 924 Carrera GTR DAY SEB MUG MNZ RIV SIL NUR LMSDNS PUR DAY WAT SPA MOS RAM BRA NC 0 1984 Team Australia John Fitzpatrick Racing Porsche 962 MNZ SIL LeM NUR BRA MOS SPA IMO FJI KYA SAN6 62nd 6

Complete World Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 DC Points 1987 Caltex CXT Racing Alfa Romeo 75 MNZ JAR DIJ NUR SPA BNO SIL BATRet CLD WEL FJI NC 0 Not registered for series & points

Complete Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 DC Points 1988 Caltex CXT Racing Team Ford Sierra RS500 BAT3 WEL4 PUKRet FJI 2nd 49 1994 Hyundai Australia Hyundai Lantra FUJ1 FUJ2 MAC1 MAC2 SEN1 SEN2 WEL1 WEL2 CLD1 CLD2 CHE1 CHE2 NC 0