Two sides to every story

On the track in the ATCC in 1979 it was Bob Morris vs Peter Brock. But back in the pits the battle between their respective car preparers/team managers was arguably even more intense - and definitely more personal. There was certainly no love lost between the then HDT boss John Sheppard, and his opposite number in the Ron Hodgson Motors camp, Peter Molloy.

Story: Steve Normoyle

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John Sheppard: The one that got away

For John Sheppard, the 1979 ATCC will forever be the one that got away. Here the former HDT boss provides his recollections of a turbulent championship season and the battle against the privateer Hogdson Torana team.

There was plenty of aggro around touring car racing in 1979. And with Allan Moffat and his Falcon losing their competitiveness, most of that aggro centred on the two main Holden teams – the factory-backed Marlboro Holden Dealer Team and leading privateer Ron Hodgson Racing.

MHDT team chief John Sheppard had briefly worked for Hodgson in the late-1960s and had no time for the man, who took his own life in 1990 at the age of 60. In an interview for this article, Sheppo described the Sydney car dealer and team owner as ‘an evil bastard’ who would be more than capable of underhand tactics. He even suspected Hodgson was behind the disappearance during that bitter 1979 campaign of some very specific MHDT components – a radiator, crankshaft, cylinder heads and camshaft.