Neil Crompton will take time out from his V8 Supercars television and Toyota 86 Series management duties to make a one-off start in the Touring Car Masters next month.
Crompton is set to line up in John Bowe’s Ford Mustang at Sydney Motorsport Park’s famed Muscle Car Masters meeting on September 5-6.
The Mustang has been driven by Steven Johnson at recent events following Bowe’s move into Garry O’Brien’s Holden Torana.
The now 55-year-old Crompton has made few racing appearances since switching from full-time V8 Supercars competition to commentary duties at the end of 2002.
While the Ballarat native has cemented his place as one of the world’s finest motorsport broadcasters, Crompton admits he would like the opportunity to compete more regularly.
“I’ve basically done one meeting each year to keep my (CAMS) licence alive,” Crompton told Speedcafe.com.
“I renewed the licence again this year for the Toyota project, because I just need to be able to get in a car from time to time to have a drive. It’s a pleasure you never tire of. You just get old.
“It’s all fine and dandy quacking on about motorsport but it’s a lot harder to do than to talk about.
“When I look at friends and colleagues out there still going and doing a great job, in other circumstances it’d be lovely to be able to do some more racing.
“But 99 percent of the places where I can do it I’m already bought and paid for (committed to V8TV duties).”
Crompton says it will be a privilege driving for Bowe, with whom he diced with throughout his Australian touring car career.
“We have both always enjoyed the technical side of the business,” said Crompton, a former winner of the Bathurst 12 Hour and podium finisher in the Bathurst 1000.
“In the really old days we used to talk all the time and share information, but I never thought I’d end up driving for him.
“It’ll be a lot of fun to be out there with a lot of my friends like John, Andrew Miedecke, Glenn Seton and those guys.”
Crompton’s company AirTime Autosport earlier this year won the tender to manage the new-for-2016 86 series on behalf of Toyota.
He has subsequently been working closely with Toyota Australia and technical partner Neal Bates Motorsport on bedding down the technical and sporting details for the series.
The category will run six rounds next year on the V8 Supercars bill, with the field featuring five ‘pro’ entries – which will be steered by different drivers during the year – and up to 27 amateurs.
Crompton says he does not envisage racing in the series regularly, but could make an appearance as part of innovative plans to have key drivers patched into the television broadcasts during races.
“There’s certainly no plan for me to race, but we might have someone that pulls out or it’s deemed a good idea that I jump in for some other reason,” Crompton said.
“We might put (Greg) Murphy in one or (Mark) Skaife or (Russell) Ingall and I’ll drive around on their rear bumper and give them a bit of cheek.”
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