Crompton makes Supercars comeback
Neil Crompton drove a Walkinshaw Andretti United Supercar at Sandown Raceway today.
The former racer-turned-series commentator spent the day behind the wheel of a third WAU Holden taking passengers for rides around the Melbourne circuit.
The team's regular drivers Chaz Mostert and Bryce Fullwood were also in action with their Bathurst co-drivers Lee Holdsworth and Warren Luff, while Kurt Kostecki also helped the team get through a packed programme of rides.
"[WAU media manager] Andrew Wiles and [team principal] Bruce Stewart called me a month or so back and Andrew said 'don't swear, don't laugh, but do you want to have a run? Because we've got a huge number of passengers to process and we're going to bring a third racing car," Crompton told Motorsport.com.
"It's been a really intense, busy start to the year across all the different things in my business and I thought, 'you know what, instead of standing behind a computer all day long this might be something nice to do'.
"It was great. I wouldn't describe it as driving, it's probably more functioning the car than driving it. There's a big difference.
"But I revel in the fact that so many people get to experience something they wouldn't normally get to experience. You can't do that in AFL or NRL or cricket or tennis. You can't experience what it's like. It's one of the beautiful things about our business."
Crompton, who retired from full-time Supercars racing at the end of the 2002 season, said power and stability were the noticeable features of the WAU racer.
"You notice the grunt," he said. "A little bit of that is just sticker shock because I'm used to driving around the suburbs at 60 km/h. So as soon as you drive something where the air speed is up it grabs your attention.
"I was really impressed with the general stability and not just over the kerbs. I wasn't anywhere near keeping the rolling speed up or turning in early enough. But I was really impressed at both ends of the straight, there was much more stability at the end of the chute. It's probably a little bit of aero and a little bit of ride control.
"I was quite surprised, I thought 'wow these things ride well'.
"And it's interesting to see the finite brake bias control and the way the front anti-roll bars work. That's good for my job.
"It's a ridiculous privilege. I know I've done a trillion miles in the things, but I'm an older guy and it was a long time ago now. It's not far away from the day where I won't be able to physically or mentally do it. But I felt 100 per cent, it felt like I belonged.
"[Garth] Tander told me that I was wobbling, that was his full and frank assessment."
Crompton had a long, successful career as a driver, working with teams such as the Holden Racing Team, Wayne Gardner Racing, Ford Tickford Racing and Gibson Motorsport along the way.
Neil Crompton and Chad Neylon
Photo by: Chad Neylon
Related video
Van Gisbergen turned to bike stars for help
Uncertainty over Supercars engine supply
Why Courtney and Tickford are a dream match
James Courtney has been around the block in his motorsport career it's fair to say. After a single-seater career cut short, he's won everything there is to win in Supercars. Following a rocky ride recently in the Australian category, he's found a happy hunting ground with Tickford Racing.
How taming his temper shaped Supercars' slow-burn star
His decision to leave Brad Jones Racing was the biggest shock of the Australian Supercars silly season so far. But for Nick Percat, it comes as the culmination of a personal journey that has made him into one of the most rounded drivers in the series, now in search of a seat that can make him a champion
Why replacing Supercars' GOAT with a teenager is worth the risk for T8
On the face of it, picking an 18-year-old rookie to replace arguably the greatest Supercars driver of all time is a risky move. But as Jamie Whincup takes up a team principal role and hands his car to Broc Feeney, it's one that he is confident will be rewarded in the fullness of time - time which wasn't afforded to Whincup in his early days
How Randle went from fighting cancer to battling for Supercars contention
After his fledgling career was paused by a battle with testicular cancer, Thomas Randle then had to wrestle with finding a drive in Supercars after he got the all-clear. It's been a long road for the Melbourne native but, after two lengthy battles, he's finally got a full-time drive to look forward to
How crisis talks over Supercars’ Gen3 future could leave it without a paddle
With Supercars’ Gen3 era on the horizon, a shift is set to take place – in more ways than one – but, as has become clear in recent weeks, the plan to bin the stick and use paddles with electronic assisted shift has been met with fierce opposition
Can DJR still be a Supercars powerhouse after Penske?
Roger Penske's whirlwind Australian Supercars sojourn is over. After six seasons, three drivers' titles, three teams' championships and a Bathurst 1000 crown, The Captain has sold his controlling stake in Dick Johnson Racing back to the squad and walked away from the category.
Can Whincup be Triple Eight's ruthless leader?
Supercars' most successful team of the past 15 years is set for a radical shakeup next year when Jamie Whincup retires from driving and takes over the reins at Triple Eight. But does he have what it takes to be the new Roland Dane?
How a lifetime Supercars deal broke down in one year
David Reynolds inked what was effectively a lifetime deal with Erebus in 2019 – only to walk out a year later. What went wrong?