Mark Larkham by Press Release

Three years after he started racing Formula Ford, Mark Larkham took the honours in the NSW Coca-Cola series and then the national championship (1989).

He tried unsuccessfully the next year to secure a Formula Three drive in England but returned to pull on the gloves in Formula Holden and in 1991 took third place in the championship.

For the next two years he was runner-up in the series to Mark Skaife but set lap records at Winton and Oran Park that were still valid as of last year (2001). He also took second in class at the Bathurst 12-Hour endurance race.

Then, in 1995, he moved into V8 Supercars with his own Mitre 10 Racing Team. He competed in every race over the next two seasons but was dogged by bad luck and failed to make the podium. He finished third in the 1997 Primus 1000 Classic at Bathurst and dominated the Honda Indy races on the Gold Coast in 1998, scoring his first V8 Supercar victories there.

1999 was a solid year, with one major highlight being his pole lap at Bathurst.

2000 was a year of mixed blessings. Larkham took race wins at Calder Park and Hidden Valley and was third overall at Round Seven (Queensland Raceway). He had 22 top 10 finishes during the year, including 17 finishes in the top six.

Oran Park, however, was not a highlight - Larkham and Paul Morris were lucky to escape a fiery inferno after crashing into a stalled Larry Perkins. That made the Calder Park victory even sweeter - it was the next event after Oran Park and Larkham wore a kidney belt, still suffering the after-effects of the smash.

At Bathurst, sharing the Mitre 10 car with Alain Menu, Larkham finished 18th after qualifying fourth. The pairing was at one stage sitting as high as fourth before repairs on several problems forced them back down the order.

2001 was a character building year with results not going the way of Larkham. At different points in the year Larkham was outstanding in qualifying, but endured dramas in the race. While other times he drove the wheels of his Falcon after qualifying down the order. He even thought he had a win in New Zealand when he led during a wild rainstorm. He crashed off the road and in the confusion he was awarded a race win. It was overturned two hours after the race had ended, but not before being receiving plenty of media converge for his efforts.

Career Highlights

2001

- 11th place Canberra 400

2000

- First place race two Calder Park (V8 Supercars)

1999

- Pole Position winner Bathurst 1000 Classic

1998

- Fourth place Bathurst 1000 Classic
- 11th place Australian Touring Car Championship
- 11th place Sandown 500 (V8 Supercars)
- First place Honda Indy support race (V8 Supercars)

1997

- Third place Bathurst 1000 Classic

1993

- Second place Australian Drivers Championship
- First place Indonesian Grand Prix

1992

- Second place Australian Drivers Championship

1991

- Third place Australian Drivers Championship

1989

- First place Australian Formula Ford Championship

JAN05

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