CROMPO’S QUIET RETURN TO SUPERCARS COMMISSION

Crompo’s quiet return to Supercars commission – Photo: InSyde Media

Broadcast legend Neil Crompton has quietly returned to the Supercars Commission, taking over as chairman of the rule-making group.

By MARK FOGARTY

Crompton resigned last year after several seasons as the independent commissioner.

He is back as interim chairman, replacing former CART Indycar team owner Steve Horne, who stepped down early this year.

NZ-based Horne had signalled as far back as 2018 that he wanted to relinquish the position, but agreed to stay on until a replacement could be found.

A long search resulted in Crompton, who was inducted into the Supercars Hall Of Fame in 2017, being invited back at the start of this year.

Along with Todd Kelly, he quit the Commission last season, both citing heavy workloads.

Crompton’s place as the independent commissioner was taken by former Kelly Racing team manager Scott Sinclair.

‘Crompo’ agreed to return as non-voting chairman of the six-member panel, to help guide the on-going discussions about the evolution of the technical and sporting regulations.

The commissioners are Supercars chiefs Sean Seamer and Shane Howard, team bosses Brad Jones and Tim Edwards, Jamie Whincup and Sinclair, with Ryan Story and Adrian Burgess as alternates.

Crompton has presided over 10 Commission meetings since February in what has been its busiest and most taxing period as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

The group has formulated the raft of race format changes and cost-saving measures to get Supercars racing through the pandemic-disrupted season.

Crompton’s return was without fanfare and never officially announced by Supercars.

He was appointed as interim chairman until a permanent head can be found.

In a long TV commentary career, he has become the voice of V8s as the mainstay of the Supercars calling team since 2003.

He also figured prominently in the Mike Raymond Channel Seven era in the 1980s before concentrating on his driving career.

Crompton, 59, was a leading ATCC/V8 Supercars driver from the late ’80s to 2002, driving for Peter Brock, Bob Forbes, Wayne Gardner, HRT, Glenn Seton and 00 Motorsport.

Although he never won an ATCC/Supercars race, he scored victories in the 1997 North American Touring Car Championship in a Super Touring Honda Accord run by Horne’s Tasman Motorsports.

He was denied the NATCC title by a disqualification squabble that resulted in Tasman’s withdrawal from the series.

Crompton won the ’94 Bathurst 12 Hour, partnering the late Gregg Hansford in a factory backed Mazda RX-7

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