Ford KB Laser: How Henry made Skaifey a Holden hero
Return to News

Ford KB Laser: How Henry made Skaifey a Holden hero

By MarkOastler - 03 April 2018
Right colour. Wrong brand. As far as we know, the only time Holden top gun Mark Skaife raced any car with a Ford badge was at the start of his career aboard this KB Laser, backed by his family’s tyre business on the NSW Central Coast.

Multiple ATCC/V8 Supercar champion and Bathurst winner Mark Skaife was one of Holden’s most successful racers. Ironically, he actually got his big break in racing while cutting his competitive teeth in a Ford – the KB Laser.

That was back in the mid-1980s when Fred Gibson, searching for young talent to ensure a long-term driver future for his burgeoning Group A Nissan touring car team, was tipped off about the emerging young star by Barry Seton whose talented son Glenn had also joined Gibson’s rookie roster.

Fortunately for Skaife, he displayed enough raw speed and race-craft in a Ford Laser racing series that Gibson offered him a place with the Nissan team.

Skaife was destined to be one of Australia’s top touring car drivers. The single-make Ford Laser series, designed to unearth future champions, allowed his raw talent to shine through.

His relentless climb to the top started by winning the 1987 2.0 litre touring car title in a works Gazelle, before claiming back-to-back Bathurst 1000s with Jim Richards and his first Australian Touring Car Championship in the awesome R32 Skyline GT-R during 1991-92.

Following the demise of Group A and Nissan’s withdrawal, Skaife enjoyed his greatest period of touring car success in Holden Commodores, winning four V8 Supercar championships and four Bathurst 1000s between 1994 and 2010.

However, it was the Ford Laser and a mid-1980s boom in one-make series racing that presented the perfect opportunity for Skaife to make his ‘mark’.

The Ford Laser series was guaranteed to provide close, action-packed racing given the (theoretically) identical performance of the cars. This first lap at Sydney's Amaroo Park looks busier than the host city’s peak hour!

1985 Goodyear Car Owners' Club Ford Laser Series

The inaugural Ford Laser racing series backed by US tyre giant Goodyear created enormous interest when it was announced, with sensibly-structured prize money, solid promotion and live TV coverage of several races. The nine-round series comprised five at Sydney’s Oran Park, three at Amaroo and one at Calder in Melbourne.

Goodyear was keen to not only provide close, entertaining and affordable racing but also unearth new racing talent; another reason why a one-make format was chosen, to give potential stars the best opportunity to shine in equal equipment (well, outwardly at least).

The popular KB Ford Laser Sport, the result of a successful platform-sharing arrangement with Mazda’s 323, proved an ideal choice. Its robust twin-carb 1.5 litre SOHC four delivered about 80bhp (59kW) through a five-speed gearbox to the front wheels.

Competitors were allowed to fit series-approved Wylie uprated suspension struts and lightweight Cheviot alloy wheels to sharpen handling, with mandatory fitment of Goodyear’s Grand Rally S tyres.

The sweet-handling three-door hatch, with its 2365mm wheelbase and relatively light 860kg kerb weight, was capable of 100+mph (160km/h) top speeds, which was just right for the new rookie-focused class.

Cream soon rises to the surface in one-make racing and the 1985 Goodyear Laser series was no exception. Three of the top contenders were Steve Williams, Ken Douglas and eventual winner Peter Dane, here battling it out at Amaroo Park where several of the rounds were held.

Although the series was designed to attract first-timers, more than a few experienced hands also signed up including David Brabham, Andrew Miedecke, Mark Gibbs, Ken Douglas, Peter Dane and Jim Zerefos along with racing veterans Gary Cooke, Frank Kleinig and Bernie Haehnle.

This was seen as both good and bad. Good because it would allow immediate and credible comparison of rookie driving skills, in the tradition of previous ‘Pro-Am’ one-make series for Triumph’s TR-7 and Alfa Romeo’s Alfasud. And bad because the experienced racers were expected to hog the top placings and therefore potential exposure of new talent.

The only other negative was that crash-related costs were destined to skyrocket, leading to the premature departure of several disgruntled competitors initially attracted to the concept of low-cost racing!

In the early rounds Skaife showed promise, but at that stage he was not quite fast enough to match the race-winning pace of Mark Gibbs, Peter Dane and Steve Williams, who each posted wins in the first three rounds. Even so, Skaife - with a strong background in karting - was learning fast.

The largely NSW-based 1985 Goodyear series included one interstate round at Victoria’s Calder Park. In 1986 Mark Skaife, here leading Shane Press at Sandown, also won the four-round Victorian state Laser series backed by Motorcraft.

Gibbs became the first repeat winner at Calder’s round four followed by Dane in Oran Park’s fifth round, where the forceful Gibbs was roundly criticised for triggering several incidents that resulted in him being punted off the track and demolishing his Laser against a huge gum tree!

However, the NSW driver bounced back with another victory in round six driving a replacement car before Dane won the next two, ensuring a nail-biting final at Amaroo Park in which Dane, Gibbs or the consistent Ken Douglas could win the series.

However, all the attention at Amaroo turned to the rookie Skaife, who stunned everyone with an amazing turn of speed and a runaway win. Gibbs finished second ahead of Dane, who did just enough to earn the points needed to seal the series. Skaife finished fourth overall and was a worthy recipient of a $2000 encouragement award.

Not surprisingly, for months after there were loud grumblings about who was and who wasn’t running legal (the curse of all one-make racing), but CAMS vowed to increase the sophistication and frequency of technical checks in an attempt to minimise such controversy.

The 1986 Goodyear series’ driver line-up saw some departures along with new arrivals including Andrew Harris, who made his presence felt from the first round. Here reigning champ Peter Dane leads the pack up Bitupave Hill at Amaroo Park.

1986 Goodyear Car Owners' Club Ford Laser Series

The inaugural largely NSW-based series had been such a commercial and sporting success that it was no surprise to see Goodyear return for the 1986 edition. Formula Ford series sponsor Motorcraft also backed state Laser series in Victoria and Queensland.

Prizemoney in the ‘main game’ Goodyear show was doubled and, in response to the largely avoidable carnage in 1985, penalty points would be deducted for what was deemed culpable driving. The KB Laser was still the only model eligible to compete in the series, with plans to introduce the then-current KC model shelved.

Reigning champ Peter Dane returned to defend his crown but seasoned observers tipped Skaife as a potential threat to Dane’s title hopes, following his final round performance in 1985.

As it turned out, these two drivers proved so dominant from the outset that the 1986 series was soon being referred to as the “Peter and Mark Show”. This paid homage to what US fans called the “Bruce and Denny Show” when McLaren and its two Kiwi stars Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme dominated the Can-Am series in the 1960s.

The so-called “Peter and Mark Show” held centre stage in the 1986 Goodyear Ford Laser series, as the respective Dane and Skaife staged a gripping two-car war for series supremacy that was not decided until the final round.

Proof of Skaife’s increased pace was evident from the first round won by Steve Williams, according to Auto Action’s Amaroo Park report.

Skaife and Dane were having a battle royal,” AA observed. “As they went through Winfield on lap four it was Skaife who found a bit of daylight as he and Dane came off the brakes. The only question was ‘what would Williams’ winning margin be?’ as he watched (in his mirrors) Dane and Skaife circulate side-by-side and bumper-to-bumper for the remainder of the race.” Skaife won by just 0.2 second from Dane. The battlelines were drawn. 

Round two saw another intense duel between them, this time for the race win. Skaife again emerged a narrow victor and took the series’ points lead while Dane set a new class lap record, showing that both drivers were pushing each other to the limits.

The hot pace and fierce rivalry increased as the series unfolded, with both drivers dominating the next few races in a tense battle for pole positions, fastest race laps, wins and points.

Skaife’s rapid progress in the Ford Laser series, from green rookie in 1985 to title contender in 1986, attracted the right kind of attention – most importantly a talent-spotting Fred Gibson.

At Oran Park’s penultimate round, Skaife set a new class lap record (56.4 secs) in the preliminary race, but as Auto Action observed the impressive rookie made a critical error in the point-scoring final:

“Dane again won the start in the final and had Skaife on his tail. The whole series has been a battle between these two and here it was, on again! The two were very close and coming out of Castrol Corner on the first lap, the front of Skaife’s car touched the rear of Dane’s Laser, the result of which saw Skaife spin to the inside of the track. Before he had time to recover Robertson, who was well back, ploughed into the rear end of the prone (Skaife) car, disabling both of them.”

Dane also lost some momentum in the touch, allowing Williams into a lead which he held to the flag from a fast recovering Dane. Unfortunately for Skaife, he lost both the series lead and his car in the Oran Park crash.

However, two weeks later Skaife bounced back for his final round showdown with Dane at Amaroo, armed with a new KB Laser. He was also the only driver with a mathematical chance of beating Dane for the title, but it would require the reigning champ to have a shocker for that to happen. Even so, Skaife did everything in his power to win, following early race leader Williams for a few laps before launching his attack at half distance:

Skaife gave his all in the final round of the 1986 Goodyear series, winning the race after running side-by-side with Steve Williams for almost a lap to take the lead. Controlled aggression was a signature of Skaife’s forceful but fair race-craft, in the mould of his legendary idol Peter Brock.

Skaife, unaccustomed to being led and wanting to grab all the series points he could, pulled alongside Williams and the war was on,Auto Action reported.

“For almost one lap the duo remained side-by-side and it was obvious that something had to give. It did! As they approached Honda Corner, Williams headed for the dirt and found himself in sixth place when he returned to the track.

“All was not peaches and cream for Skaife either as he also found himself on the grass, this time at the exit from Honda. Fortunately for him, the rest of the field was far enough back to allow him to re-join the race still in the lead.”

Skaife duly won the race but Dane, as he did the previous year, did just enough to earn the points needed to win the series again, this time by finishing fifth. Skaife was a close runner-up in the Goodyear series points and won the four-round Victorian state series.

However, his greatest achievement was impressing Fred Gibson enough to be offered his career-making opportunity. The rest, as they say, is history with his career breakthrough courtesy of Ford’s little Laser.

Laser The Amazer! Ford’s return to genuine ‘showroom stock’ series production racing at Mount Panorama in 1991 was rewarded with a giant-killing performance by its potent KF Laser TX3 Turbo 4WD model, in the inaugural James Hardie 12 Hour endurance race.

The Bathurst Connection: James Hardie 12 Hour

The first generation KA-KB (1981-1985) and second generation KC-KE (1985-1989) Lasers had come and gone by the time production car racing made a long-awaited return to Bathurst in 1991, with the first running of the James Hardie 12 Hour.

However, the third generation KF-KH series Laser was the star of Ford’s first factory-backed ‘series production’ appearance at Mount Panorama since the glory days of the Falcon GT-HO, which is worthy of mention in concluding the Laser’s local motor sport history.

This was all thanks to the hottest model in the KF Laser fleet – the TX3 Turbo 4WD. Released in early 1990, the TX3 was powered by Mazda’s BPT fuel injected and turbocharged 16-valve DOHC 1840cc engine, which pumped out a healthy 117kW (157bhp) at 6500rpm and 206Nm at 3000rpm.

With a five-speed gearbox, powerful four-wheel disc brakes and sophisticated viscous-coupling 4WD transmission, its relatively light 1180kg kerb weight ensured a potent power-to-weight ratio with Godzilla-grade traction in all conditions.

The TX3 Turbo 4WD was a menacing presence for more powerful outright contenders in the 1992 James Hardie 12 Hour and for more than eight hours was on track for another outstanding result. Dick Johnson described the Laser as “like driving a Sierra with stuffed tyres”.

The Laser stood as good a chance of outright victory as any other car (particularly if it rained) as a race this long had never been held at Bathurst. No one knew what to expect. Indeed, given that they were all stock standard road cars, no one knew if there’d be any still running after 12 hours!

The Laser TX3 Turbo 4WD, entered by Ford Motor Company of Australia, was driven by company employees and production car racers Ken Douglas and brothers Kent and Brett Youlden. The trio may not have been household names (and it didn’t rain as they would have hoped) but they didn’t put a wheel wrong all day to score a great result.

The little turbo all-wheel drive rocket proved to be reliable and consistently fast over 12 hours to finish an excellent second outright – beaten only by the larger and more powerful Grice/Fitzgerald/Arkell Toyota Supra Turbo.

Not surprisingly, Ford’s ‘giant killer’ Laser returned for the 1992 race, which this time attracted more entries than grid spots and a capacity 55-car field. The works-entered TX3 Turbo 4WD was again shared by the Youlden brothers, but Douglas had vacated his seat for Ford’s touring car top gun Dick Johnson.

Hero to zero. Dick Johnson’s much heralded entry of his own Laser TX3 Turbo 4WD in the 1993 Bathurst 12 Hour ended in disappointment, after it completed only one lap.

The Laser was again in outright winning contention for more than eight hours, before Kent Youlden pitted with what sounded like a drivetrain problem. The crew sent him back out again but he only made it half way up Mountain Straight before a CV joint broke. It was the second and last time Ford Australia backed a Laser in the event.

Johnson, however, was so impressed with the car’s performance that he entered his own TX3 Turbo 4WD in the 1993 race, this time sharing the drive with two young guns – his son Steven and newly crowned Formula Ford champ Cameron McConville.

Again the Laser was considered a potential winner, but the No.17 Ford retired after only one lap due to a blown turbocharger. The cause, which damaged several other turbo cars before engineers figured out what was going on, was that the ambient temperature at the top of the Mountain was eight degrees cooler than it was at the bottom. The cooler (and therefore denser) air had caused the turbo to over-boost and self-destruct.

Sadly, it was also the end of the Laser’s brief chapter as a potential outright Bathurst winner, but it sure was exciting while it lasted.