Former driver and leading broadcaster latest inductee at Supercars Gala Awards …
STORY: Aaron Noonan
IMAGES: AN1 Images Archive (Graeme Neander/Coventry), Supplied
BROADCASTER and long-time racer Neil Crompton is the latest inductee in the Supercars Hall of Fame.
The long-time television voice of the sport was inducted at last night’s Supercars Gala Awards Dinner at The Westin Hotel in Sydney.
The Sydney-based lead Supercars commentator was inducted for his contribution to Supercars racing as both a top-line broadcaster but also for his career behind the wheel and service off-track in a number of roles.
Crompton competed in the Australian Touring Car Championship/V8 Supercars Championship between 1988 and 2002 and competed in the Bathurst 1000 in the same period, finishing third in 1992 and 1995.
He also played a major hand in the creation of the current Supercars company, playing a pivotal introductory role between IMG’s Tony Cochrane and then-TEGA head Bob Forbes in the mid 1990s.
Crompton drove for a range of top-line teams and, along with Win Percy, was a foundation driver of the Holden Racing Team when it was established in 1989.
He also drove for Peter Brock’s Mobil 1 Racing team (in BMWs in 1988 and a Commodore VN in 1992), Fred Gibson’s Winfield Nissan team (Bathurst 1992), Bob Forbes’ GIO and 00 Motorsport teams (1993 & 2001-2002), Wayne Gardner’s Coke team (1994-1997) and Glenn Seton’s Ford squad (1998-2000).
Crompton also spent time racing – and winning – in North America aboard a Honda Accord in the short-lived North American Touring Car Championship in 1997.
His broadcasting career began during a stint as an injured motocross rider, eventually taking him to appearances on ABC Sport’s coverage of motorsport in the 1980s and, from 1985 onwards, on the Seven Network.
He later joined Ten Motorsport with its V8 Supercar and Formula 1 coverage before spending 2007 to 2014 on the Seven Network spear-heading its V8 Supercar telecasts.
Since 2015 he has been the lead commentator of the Supercars Championship for Supercars Media and seen and heard on both FOX Sports and Ten.
His AirTime Media organisation produced the award-winning Shannons Legends of Motorsport TV series amid a range of other top quality productions and he heads AirTime Autosport, the organiser of the Toyota 86 Racing Series.
Crompton is the 21st inductee in the Supercars Hall of Fame, below are the list of those inducted and years of induction:
1999 – Allan Moffat and Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan
2000 – Bob Jane and Norm Beechey
2001 – Peter Brock and Dick Johnson
2002 – Colin Bond
2004 – Bob Morris and Fred Gibson
2005 – Clipsal 500 Adelaide
2006 – Jim Richards
2007 – Harry Firth
2008 – Larry Perkins
2009 – John Bowe and Glenn Seton
2012 – Tony Cochrane
2013 – Jason Richards
2014 – Mark Skaife
2015 – Garry Rogers
2016 – Ross and Jim Stone
2017 – Neil Crompton
