From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
Jack Perkins |
|
| V8 Supercar
Record |
| Nationality |
Australian |
| Car # |
11 |
| Current team |
Kelly
Racing |
| Series Championships |
0 |
| Races |
34 |
| Wins |
0 |
| Podium finishes |
0 |
| Pole positions |
0 |
| 2009 Championship position |
26th (993 pts) |
Jack 'Perko' Perkins (born August 22, 1986) is
an Australian V8 Supercar driver for
Kelly Racing[1].
He is the son of Australian motor racing legend Larry Perkins, in
whose team Perkins Engineering, he drove
between 2006 and 2008. Initially as an endurance race only driver
in 2006, in 2007 Jack graduated to the full time drive in the #11
Perkins
Engineering car, the number made famous in Australian racing by his
father.
Career
Perkins
Engineering
The Perkins Engineering team run by his
father Larry,
ran a two-car Fujitsu Development Series racing program in 2006,
leading to Jack getting the drive in the second #78 car, with Shane Price getting the
lead drive in #77[2].
The cars were largely unsponsored, though had a clear association
with the main series Jack Daniel's-sponsored Perkins Engineering
cars. Perkins and Price were also immediately earmarked to drive
the #11 Perkins Engineering car in the 2006 endurance races.
Price was generally faster than Perkins during the Fujitsu
series, but Perkins managed to finish third in the championship
standings[3],
just behind Price, who was narrowly defeated by Adam Macrow for the
title.
In the Sandown 500, Perkins - together with Price - brought the
#11 Jack Daniel's Commodore home in 24th position[4],
after Perkins qualified the car in 20th position[5].
Come the SuperCheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Price took
over the qualifying duties, and placed the car in 27th position for
the race[6].
Perkins started the race, which ended at the end of the first lap,
when race favourite Mark
Skaife suffered a slipping clutch off the start line which was a
consequence of attempting to start the race in third gear, and
caused his #2 Holden Racing Team Commodore to
fall to the tail of the field. Perkins, arriving blind over the
hump in Mountain Straight ploughed into the back of Skaife's ailing
car, putting it out on the spot. Perkins limped around to the pits
missing a front left wheel, and with an hydraulic brake line on
fire. It did not continue in the race[6].
After the late and sudden departure of both Steven Richards
and Paul
Dumbrell from the team at the end of 2006, Perkins and Price
were elevated to the full time championship drives for Perkins
Engineering in 2007[7].
While it was not ideal for the inexperienced Perkins and Price to
suddenly find themselves racing in the main series, while
developing new cars, the timing of Richards and Dumbrell's
departure left the team without an opportunity to sign an
experienced "name" driver, all of whom had committed contracts for
2007.
Perkins had a mixed season in 2007, with some outstanding
results such as qualifying in the Top 10 at Winton Raceway, coupled with many
disappointing race exits whilst running in strong positions.
Although he was keeping pace with generally keeping pace with the
more highly rated Shane
Price, Jack's performances behind the wheel were suffering
towards the end of long stints behind the wheel. It was later found
that Perkins was suffering from Type One Diabetes, as described
further down in this article.
Perkins returned to the team in 2008 for the endurance races,
partnered with Nathan Pretty - finishing 8th at Phillip Island[8],
and 8th at Bathurst[9]
- and eventually to the full-time drive from the Indy Grand Prix
round of the season onwards, after the slide of form and eventual
dumping of Shane Price from the team[10].
Price, who had already been dropped to the position of number two
driver, following the arrival of Todd Kelly at the beginning of 2008, was
left without a drive. Perkins had already returned to competition
in the 2008 Fujitsu Development Series, running a Mack-sponsored Commodore for
Independent Race Cars Australia[11].
Independent Race Cars
Australia
After bringing his medical condition under control, Jack
competed in the Fujitsu V8 Development Series in a Perkins
Engineering built car, but run by Independent Race Cars
Australia in 2008, with a view to a return to a full-time drive in
the main championship series in 2009.
Although starting the series strongly in Adelaide[12],
a mid-season slump saw his title chances slide. Seeking an
improvement for the end of the season, the car was brought back
into the Perkins Engineering workshops from the Bathurst round
onwards. With better knowledge of the car, the engineers were able
to help Jack to some better results, culminating in a race[13]
and round win at the final round at Oran Park[14].
The end result was a fifth placing in the championship[15].
Kelly
Racing
Jack has been confirmed as the driver of the #11 Kelly Racing
entry for 2009, with sponsorship from Dodo Internet[1].
This car will use one of the licences owned by Jack's father, Larry Perkins, and
will continue to carry the #11 racing number, as made famous by
Larry and his team. Jack's #11 car for 2009 is the car previously
run by Todd Kelly at Perkins Engineering in 2008,
chassis number PE047[16],
while Barry Jones has been named as Jack's engineer for the 2009
season[17].
Jack's first track appearance in the Dodo Commodore was
at the V8
Supercars Official Category Test Day, at Winton Raceway on 9 March 2009, where he
was joined by the other three Kelly Racing entries, and all other
Victorian based V8 Supercar teams[18][19].
Type 1
Diabetes
Shortly before the penultimate round of the 2007 V8 Supercar
Championship Series, Jack was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes[20],
which forced him to step down from the full-time drive of the #11
Perkins
Engineering Commodore. His place was taken by Marcus Marshall
for the final two rounds, as Marshall had had a stint with the team
in the 2007 endurance races and was familiar with the team and
cars[21].
At the beginning of 2008, after gaining control of his
condition, and passing tests for his fitness to regain his racing
licence from the governing body of motor sports in Australia, CAMS, he returned to the track in the V8 Supercar
Development Series. He drove a Mack-sponsored Perkins Engineering
Commodore for Independent Race Cars Australia, operated by Marty
Brant - a former member of the Holden Dealer Team, famous for
kicking the rear window from Peter Brock's car in the closing stages of
the 1985 James Hardie 1000.
He started his comeback strongly with a second place showing at
the opening round of the championship, a Clipsal 500 support
event. He eventually finished the championship in fifth
position[22],
after winning the final round at Oran Park[23].
He also returned to the main championship series with Perkins
Engineering[24],
initially as an endurance race driver, but later regaining the
full-time seat after the dumping of Shane Price from the team[10].
Perkins has become a spokesperson for Diabetes
Australia, and has held several events to raise money for
DA[25],
and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation[26].
He maintains personal sponsorship from Accu-Chek, manufacturers of
blood sugar test equipment.
Career
results
External
links
References
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