PRIVATEERS: PETER JANSON – THE TRAILBLAZER

Privateers: Peter Janson – the Trailblazer

Auto Action’s latest Privateer feature is focused on ‘The Captain’ Peter Janson, a driver who accumulated multiple Bathurst podiums, wins on the dirt and continues to be known for his flamboyant personality.

Janson’s most successful era at The Mountain was partnering with recent European returnee Larry Perkins, who recalls his vivid memories of working alongside ‘The Captain’.

It’s an enduring friendship that has clocked up more than 40 years, but for Larry Perkins it’s much more than that.

“Janson had great faith in the people he believed in,” Perkins emphasised.

“He was a generous guy, a unique guy, you can’t compare him to anyone because he’s unique.”

To outsiders, the partnership was tagged The Odd Couple as Janson’s flamboyance contrasted the seriousness portrayed by Perkins but this worked perfectly, explained the six-time Bathurst 1000 winner.

“He would never hog the seat, we’d get to Bathurst and he’d say ‘you qualify or you start the race or whatever’ and I said ‘no, no it’s your show, you do it’,” Perkins said.

“None of the results of our race were remotely hindered by the speed of Peter as a driver, I mean he never ever put a foot wrong.

“He knew the race, 500km or 1000km, you had to do it and you couldn’t have wanted a better co-driver. I don’t mean I was his co-driver, not the other way round, and I emphasise that because there was nothing wrong by the way he drove.

“I’ve said this for many, many years, he’s the most underrated driver ever, probably because he didn’t fit the bill of what a proper driver was supposed to be. But he was right up there and I loved every minute of working with him.

“You’d hear the little comments that we wouldn’t get along and I’m pleased to say, what 40-years later, he’s still fantastic, he’s just a great guy.

“For a guy that lived on Gin and Tonic, and I never saw him have a meal in his life, he did a fantastic job.”

This extended off the track through his battles with officialdom, which benefitted not just himself or his sponsors, but the entire competitor-base.

“He’s not been credited for so much stuff,” Perkins said.

“He was the one that was cracking the CAMS system of advertising in Australia. It may have started earlier with Jack Brabham and REDEX, but Peter did his bit of fighting CAMS, for example the ban on running anything but your name on the windscreen.”

It also gave Perkins his first real taste of touring car racing, which then led to Brock, and ultimately running his own successful team later on.

“It was a great opener for me to get into the touring cars with Brock, then hence on my own,” said Perkins. “When I was done with Brock, I was right into the touring car scene in Australia and I thought that was the direction that I’ll go and really owing it all to Janson.”

To read the rest of our feature on ‘The Captain’, pick up Auto Action #1797, out now.

Also make sure you follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or our weekly email newsletter for all the latest updates between issues.