Happy Birthday Neil Crompton!

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- I wrote this the other day when I had a spare ten minute, intending to post it on his Birthday (30th/07). I wasn’t intending it to be this long, so sorry about that! -

44 years ago to this day in Ballarat, Victoria, Mr and Mrs Crompton unleashed a young man into this world like we had never seen before. They called him Neil.

He has always been and will probably always be obsessed by motorsport, racing motocross bikes from a young age and coming oh so close to winning Bathurst on a few occasions, where mechanical dramas and his co-drivers mistakes have cost him so dearly. I (as do many others) believe that he would have won the race in 92 had it not been stopped, as Dick Johnson wouldn’t have stood a chance in the pouring rain against the might of Crompton and his GTR. Never-the-less some of his drives on the mountain will never be forgotten, such as his amazing effort in the 98 race to drag the #5 Ford Credit Falcon up from multiple laps down right up into 5th and nearly on the lead lap by flag fall. And you never know, at just 44, there is a good chance he will be back again to give it another shot.

Neil has raced so many cars over the years, including Falcon and Commodore V8Supercars, a Honda Accord and Peugeot 406 Super Tourers, a BMW M3 GTR V8, a Reynard Formula Brabham, Reynard F3000s at Brands Hatch in England and various touring cars for team such as Peter Brock’s Advantage Racing and the Holden Racing Team. Neil also came so close to a test drive in a Champ Car in 1992, when sadly the team folded just prior to Neil getting in the car!

When the category was at its best during the 90s, Neil spoke of Champ Car racing with the kind of enthusiasm a child has for Christmas. He told MRA in 1993: “I know that Bernie tells us there are 14 squillion people watching F1in Ethiopia and all the rest of it, but the fact of the matter is that the Americans have got ESPN and they’re on every other weekend and it’s big-time- real big-time in the markets that count.” It would have been fantastic seeing our own Neil Crompton battling Rahal, Tracy, de Ferran, Unser Jnr, Zanardi and company around the streets of Surfers Paradise!

Neil has of course also done a fair bit of commentating over the years. This side of his motorsport career began in 1984 when he broke his ankle after falling off his motocross bike and was asked to do a “riders viewpoint” on a small televised motocross series (which he would have competed in had he not been injured). Despite the fact he knew nothing about television; he gave it a go and directly after was given a cheque for $300. He couldn’t believe it! Neil always said he does television for three reasons: He enjoys it, the exposure is good (to fund his racing) and he likes money!

Even long after his retirement (which should be many years away yet), Neil should always be remembered as a racer who could talk, rather than the commentator who could drive a bit!

Cheers Neil, and Happy Birthday!


I am not really good at remembering quotes, but here is a couple. If anyone else wants to add any, please do so by all means………..

“Remember, I’m not biased here folks. I couldn’t care less whether it is Ronald McDonald versus the Paddle Pop lion.” – Winton 2003

“That is one of the worst if not the worst stewards decision I have ever seen.” – Winton 2003

“Bright and Ambrose, side by side in the grass, what is going on here?” – Phillip Island 2003

“Mike (Raymond), we have a highly technical problem here, we’re out of gas!” – Bathurst 1991

And my favourite Cromley quote, said in an interview in 93 discussing the future of touring car racing in Australia……..

“International Touring Car racing (2 Litre) is all about cars of the world, it’s about engines that are high- tech, and light, and breathe well and rev, and I think that will ultimately take over as our form of national touring car racing.”