It's been 50 years since the late Peter Brock took his first step towards being 'King of the Mount'

Race fans didn't know it at the time, but that was the first of what would be nine Bathurst success stories for the man who would earn the 'King of the Mount' moniker.

When the 2022 edition of the Bathurst 1000 gets the green light this Sunday morning, it will mark 50 years since Brock claimed his first Great Race triumph.

Even though Brock died on September 8, 2006, after crashing in the Targa West rally, his memory has lived on with countless tributes.

Today a life-sized statue of 'Brocky' stands in the grounds of the National Motor Racing Museum, located at the entrance to Mount Panorama, and still draws fans.

According to the late driving stars long-time partner Bev Brock, his enduring popularity is not solely due to his success on the track. It's because the king was devoted to his followers.

Born in Richmond, Victoria, on February 26, 1945, the man who would become one of Australias best drivers quickly developed a passion for sport.

He won his first trophy for running when he was 12 and showed a talent for Australian rules, but Brock also enjoyed motor sport and in 1966 visited Bathurst for the first time to watch the 500-mile production car race.

It was a race that evolved into the Bathurst 1000 and made up Brocks mind that he wanted to be a race car driver.

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Brock made his debut at Bathurst in the 1969 Hardie-Ferodo 500, placing third in a Monaro alongside Des West.

Brock won his first Great Race in 1972 and went on the claim the chequered flag on eight more occasions - in 1975, 1978-80, 1983-84 and 1987.

His last Bathurst 1000 was in 2004 alongside Jason Plato.

Along the way he signed countless autographs and interacted with fans on a personal level.

In Peters time theres no doubt that personalities played a big part in the promotion of the event and the personalities were there. Im not saying there arent any today, its just a different approach from the sport in general, Bev Brock told the Western Advocate.

Peter was, and I think will remain, an exception because the people that supported him, the fans in general, meant so much to him. He developed a very engaging, personal link with everyone he came across.

Nowadays the guys are really busy. They might have autograph signing sessions but its still a touch on the impersonal side. Theres a queue and you get them through, but it didnt work like that with Peter. Peter would engage with everybody who he signed for. He did make himself so available and thats a lasting legacy, people dont forget that.

After Brock died in 2006, there was a huge outpouring of emotions from fans, many of whom wrote messages on the wall at Brock's Skyline.

He was given a Victorian state funeral while in October that same year the Peter Brock Trophy was presented to the winners of the Bathurst 1000 for the first time.

Bev Brock says he still has strong presence in her life.

He was such a large, imposing presence that its like in many ways he hasnt gone away, she said.

Because of the media and the fan attention, he is always there around the surface. There is never a time when he doesnt exist in our lives it is a daily thing for us, the annual celebration at Bathurst is more for fans and media.

I look at the young guys coming through, those who are out the front there leading and it sort of seems like they have been there for a hell of a long time. But then when you stop and think, it hasnt been that long in the overall scheme of things.

Dick Johnson, a man who's team will mark its 1000^th race start at Mount Panorama this Sunday, said he enjoyed racing against Brock.

"We had some fantastic battles over the years, both at Bathurst and every other race track in the country," Johnson said.

"Bathurst will always be special though, to be able to go there and have a day-long battle between the two of us was always good fun."

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