Grey weather couldn’t dampen spirits at the Burson Auto Parts Burnie store, as lucky customers, racing enthusiasts and locals had the chance to chat with the winner of the 1987 Bathurst 1000 and 1993 Sandown 500 races.

Born and raised in Tasmania, David Parsons made his debut as an endurance driver in the 1982 Australian Touring Car Championship, located at his home track of Symmons Plains.

As he progressed through his career, Parsons would participate in both the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 endurance races, stretching 500km and 1,000 km respectively, and raced for teams such as Cadbury Schweppes and Holden Dealer Team. During this time, Parsons would also rub shoulders with co-drivers who would become legends in their own right, including renowned socialite Peter Janson and “The King of the Mountain” Peter Brock.

Parsons achieved his greatest triumph in 1987 when Holder Dealer Team won the Bathurst 1000. Mechanical issues in the form of engine failure with their Holden Commodores initially led the team to finish in third place. However, four months after the race, a formal review disqualified the Ford Sierras who had finished in second and first place, raising Parsons and his team to first place.

Another success would come around the corner, when Parsons and co-driver Geoff Brabham, under the team Peter Jackson Racing, won the 1993 Sandown 500.

Misfortune would foil Parsons’ chance of winning a second Bathurst 1000 in 1995, when a dropped valve forced his Ford Falcon to retire, leading his team to finish in second place.

After competing at the national level for nearly two decades, David Parsons would retire in 2000, leaving behind a formidable career, despite never being a full-time driver!

Special thanks to the team at Burson Auto Parts Burnie for hosting this legend.

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