Mark Larkham

Mark Andrew "Larko" Larkham (born 29 December 1963 in Griffith) is a retired Australian racing driver, former racing team owner and television commentator.

Open wheelers

Larkham's first impressions on the national racing spotlight was finishing fifth in the 1988 Motorcraft Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series. The following year with the support of the front running Coffey Ford team, Larkham won the 1989 series creating an early rivalry with Russell Ingall. This was highlighted by their first corner clash at Mallala where Larkham and Ingall collided.

Forming his own Larkham Motor Sport team, Larkham made a brief attempt at running a Ford EA Falcon in the 1991 Australian Production Car Championship and returned to open-wheelers at the wheel of a Ralt RT20 in Formula Brabham. In his first season Larkham finished third in the 1991 Australian Drivers' Championship and was the only driver to take a win away from Mark Skaife. The following year Larkham imported a Reynard 90D, the first driver to exploit the relaxation of Formula Brabham rules which had previously prevented cars constructed of carbon-fibre. It was not enough to defeat Skaife however and Larkham ended runner up.

In 1993, Larkham again raced head-to-head with Skaife, now also sporting a carbon-fibre car, and again Larkham lost the title to Skaife. Larkham did however claim Formula Brabham's first international event, the 1993 Indonesian Grand Prix.

Touring cars Larkham's first foray into touring car racing came at the 1989 Pepsi 300 at the Oran Park Raceway in Sydney where he was to co-drive a Ford Sierra RS500 with nine time Bathurst winner Peter Brock. Brock qualified the car on pole, but Larkham didn't get to drive as the car was retired with a suspected blown head gasket after only 13 of the 100 laps. Larkham stayed with the Mobil 1 Racing team for the 1989 .05 – 500 at Sandown where he was to drive the team's second Sierra alongside Brad Jones. After Brock's own car again failed to finish (after leading the first third of the race), the team boss joined Jones and Larkham in the #105 car, going on to finish 7th outright. Larkham missed a place in the team for that years Tooheys 1000 at Bathurst when the team was joined by British Sierra expert Andy Rouse. The Brock team had switched to Sierra's at the start of 1989 using car's purchased from Rouse with part of the deal being that the multiple BTCC winner would be Brock's co-driver at Bathurst. Co-driving with Jones in the car Larkham drove at Sandown was young Kiwi hotshot Paul Radisich who unlike Larkham had previous Bathurst experience. Larkham would not make his Bathurst debut for another 6 years.

Larkham spent the next four years driving Formula Holden/Brabham before spending 1994 out of the sport. Larkham's team then stepped into 5.0L Touring Cars in 1995 with a Ford EF Falcon using an innovative car design, bringing their open wheel experience and principles to touring car racing, though the team had a troubled season and failed to score a single point. Some of their innovations spread across the sport however. The team gradually improved, a highlight was third place at the 1997 Primus 1000 Classic at Bathurst, working themselves into a position where it could attract international quality co-drivers. By 1998 much of vehicle preparation was being handled by Stone Brothers Racing, promoting Larkham into a race winning combination, the win finally coming at the 1998 Surfers Paradise Indycar event. 1999 continued improved performances with Larkham taking pole position at the Bathurst 1000. During this time Larkham also first served on the board of TEGA.

In 2003, the team expanded to a second car with 2000 Bathurst 1000 winner Jason Bargwanna taking on lead driving role. Larkham scaled back his driving involvement with 2003 V8 Development Series winner Mark Winterbottom taking Larkham's place as full-time driver. Larkham's final racing drive was at the 2004 Bathurst 1000. After the 2005 season, Larkham Motor Sport was sold into the WPS Racing, with Larkham taking over team management role with WPS, however this did not last the season and Larkham retired from the sport.

Television

Larkham returned to the sport as part of Channel 7's television broadcast coverage of V8 Supercar. Larkham has been used as their on air technical guru, explaining to the wider audience V8 Supercar's intricacies. Larkham also acts as one of the pit reporters during the races. Larkham also acts as frequent guest and occasional co-host with Neil Crompton and Mark Skaife of V8 Xtra program.

For 2015, the television rights for V8 Supercars moved from Channel 7 to a split deal between Network Ten and Foxtel, and Larkham moved from Channel 7 to Network Ten. He remains involved with their V8 Supercars coverage along with Matt White, as well as being a specialist on the motorsports panel show RPM

Larkham also serves on the board of the Australian Institute for Motor Sport Safety.

Career results

Supercars Championship results (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Supercars results Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 Position Points 1995 Larkham Motor Sport Ford Falcon (EF) SANR1 SANR2 SYMR3 SYMR4 BATR5 BATR6 PHIR7 PHIR8 LAKR9 LAKR10 WINR11 WINR12 EASR13 EASR14 MALR15 MALR16 BARR17 BARR18 ORAR19 ORAR20 NC 0 1996 Larkham Motor Sport Ford Falcon (EF) EASR1 EASR2 EASR3 SANR4 SANR5 SANR6 BATR7 BATR8 BATR9 SYMR10 SYMR11 SYMR12 PHIR13 PHIR14 PHIR15 CALR16 CALR17 CALR18 LAKR19 LAKR20 LAKR21 BARR22 BARR23 BARR24 MALR25 MALR26 MALR27 ORAR28 ORAR29 ORAR30 NC 0 1997 Larkham Motor Sport Ford Falcon (EL) CALR1 CALR2 CALR3 PHIR4 PHIR5 PHIR6 SANR7 SANR8 SANR9 SYMR10 SYMR11 SYMR12 WINR13 WINR14 WINR15 EASR16 EASR17 EASR18 LAKR19 LAKR20 LAKR21 BARR22 BARR23 BARR24 MALR25 MALR26 MALR27 ORAR28 ORAR29 ORAR30 15th 134 1998 Larkham Motor Sport Ford Falcon (EL) SANR1 SANR2 SANR3 SYMR4 SYMR5 SYMR6 LAKR7 LAKR8 LAKR9 PHIR10 PHIR11 PHIR12 WINR13 WINR14 WINR15 MALR16 MALR17 MALR18 BARR19 BARR20 BARR21 CALR22 CALR23 CALR24 HIDR25 HIDR26 HIDR27 ORAR28 ORAR29 ORAR30 11th 474 1999 Larkham Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) EASR1 EASR2 EASR3 ADER4 BARR5 BARR6 BARR7 PHIR8 PHIR9 PHIR10 HIDR11 HIDR12 HIDR13 SANR14 SANR15 SANR16 QLDR17 QLDR18 QLDR19 CALR20 CALR21 CALR22 SYMR23 SYMR24 SYMR25 WINR26 WINR27 WINR28 ORAR29 ORAR30 ORAR31 QLDR32 BATR33 21st 619 2000 Larkham Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) PHIR1 PHIR2 BARR3 BARR4 BARR5 ADER6 ADER7 EASR8 EASR9 EASR10 HIDR11 HIDR12 HIDR13 CANR14 CANR15 CANR16 QLDR17 QLDR18 QLDR19 WINR20 WINR21 WINR22 ORAR23 ORAR24 ORAR25 CALR26 CALR27 CALR28 QLDR29 SANR30 SANR31 SANR32 BATR33 14th 718 2001 Larkham Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) PHIR1 PHIR2 ADER3 ADER4 EASR5 EASR6 HIDR7 HIDR8 HIDR9 CANR10 CANR11 CANR12 BARR13 BARR14 BARR15 CALR16 CALR17 CALR18 ORAR19 ORAR20 QLDR21 WINR22 WINR23 BATR24 PUKR25 PUKR26 PUKR27 SANR28 SANR29 SANR30 19th 1326 2002 Larkham Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) ADER1 ADER2 PHIR3 PHIR4 EASR5 EASR6 EASR7 HIDR8 HIDR9 HIDR10 CANR11 CANR12 CANR13 BARR14 BARR15 BARR16 ORAR17 ORAR18 WINR19 WINR20 QLDR21 BATR22 SURR23 SURR24 PUKR25 PUKR26 PUKR27 SANR28 SANR29 23rd 464 2003 Larkham Motor Sport Ford Falcon (BA) ADER1 ADER1 PHIR3 EASR4 WINR5 BARR6 BARR7 BARR8 HIDR9 HIDR10 HIDR11 QLDR12 ORAR13 SANR14 BATR15 SURR16 SURR17 PUKR18 PUKR19 PUKR20 EASR21 EASR22 25th 949 2004 Larkham Motor Sport Ford Falcon (BA) ADER1 ADER2 EASR3 PUKR4 PUKR5 PUKR6 HIDR7 HIDR8 HIDR9 BARR10 BARR11 BARR12 QLDR13 WINR14 ORAR15 ORAR16 SANR17 BATR18 SURR19 SURR20 SYMR21 SYMR22 SYMR23 EASR24 EASR25 EASR26 53rd 152

Complete Indonesian Grand Prix results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Car 1 2 Rank Points 1993 Reynard 91D Mugen-Honda SEN SEN 1st 40

Complete Bathurst 1000 results Year Team Car Co-driver Position Laps 1995 Larkham Motor Sport Ford EF Falcon Warwick Rooklyn DNF 22 1996 Larkham Motor Sport Ford EF Falcon Cameron McConville DNF 3 1997 Larkham Motor Sport Ford EL Falcon Andrew Miedecke 3rd 161 1998 Larkham Motor Sport Ford EL Falcon Brad Jones 4th 161 1999 Larkham Motor Sport Ford AU Falcon Brad Jones DNF 62 2000 Larkham Motor Sport Ford AU Falcon Alain Menu 18th 154 2001 Larkham Motor Sport Ford AU Falcon Wayne Gardner DNF 106 2002 Larkham Motor Sport Ford AU Falcon Will Power 18th 157 2003 Larkham Motor Sport Ford BA Falcon Jason Bargwanna DNF 118 2004 Larkham Motor Sport Ford BA Falcon Matthew Halliday 11th 160