Gibson sells-up, while K-Mart steps in
28/1/2000 12:22 (Jason Whittaker) - A motorsport era has come to an end this week, with Australian motor racing icon Fred Gibson announcing the sale of his V8 super team, Gibson Motorsport, last week.
Last Monday Fred Gibson relinquished the reigns of one of the most successful Australian touring car teams in history, selling his racing empire to motorsport entrepreneur Garry Drumbrell.
While Gibson will remain with the team he has nurtured from day one as a consultant, the elder-statesman of Australian circuit racing conceded, "the time had come."
"The last few years have been pretty lean for us," the 58 year-old admitted. "But in 1999 we've had a good year and Garry came up with a good offer."
The Gibson name has been synonymous with Australian motorsport for almost four decades, with hoards of fans following Gibson from his Ford Bathurst win in 1967 to his management of the dominant Winfield Nissan "Godzilla" and Commodore teams in the 90's.
Fighting against adversity and the loss of the lucrative tobacco dollar, Gibson, forever the battler, fought back from the lowest of lows in the mid 90's to rebuild his motorsport empire in the last few years, culminating in Bathurst glory last month.
Now back on the summit following the long climb up the Mountain, Gibson bows out of the sport as one of the most successful owner/managers in Australian touring car history.
New owner, Garry Dumbrell, responsible for bringing the Wynns sponsorship to the operation in 1998, has no plans on altering the running of the workshop, only hoping to continue the successful Gibson legacy.
"Everything remains as is regarding staffing and race programs," Dumbrell said. "The V8 category is growing into substantial business, and the opportunity to buy into Gibson's is a significant commercial investment for us."
While the Gibson name will remain on the garage door, the Bathurst-winning team is set for a brand-new look with retail giant K-Mart announcing it's new position of principal, naming-rights sponsor after oil company Wynn's pulled the plug on their financial support.
Rival oil company Castrol Australia will fill much of the void left by Wynns, with the K-Mart-Castrol partnership extending from the track into the business world.
The team will continue to run two VT Commodores in the Shell Series, with the possibility a third Commodore could also find a place in the outer-Melbourne garage, rumoured to be in Wynns livery.
The team has already announced they have secured the services of Bathurst champs Steven Richards and Greg Murphy for their assault on the 2000 season.
K-Mart/Castrol/Gibson entries are also expected to be seen on the grids of Formula Ford, Formula Holden and the GT Production Car category.
Meanwhile Alan Heaphy, track-side manager of the Gibson operation for the past few seasons, has also departed the team and will head north to the garages of Paul Romano to head-up their 2000 SCS campaign.
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