Neil Crompton

Neil Crompton
Neil Crompton
Born	July 30, 1960 (age 66); Australia
Occupation(s)	Racing driver, motorsport presenter and commentator
Years active	1972–present
Known for	V8 Supercars racing and commentary

Neil Crompton (born 30 July 1960) is a retired Australian racing driver who currently serves as a presenter and commentator for the Supercars series.

Key Achievements

The official V8 Supercars website records that Crompton participated in 357 motor racing events, securing 58 podium placements. Among these, 230 were Australian Touring Car Championship (now known as the Supercar Championship Series) races, where he attained three second-place finishes and ten third-place results.

Since his debut in 1988 with Peter Brock's Mobil BMW Team, Crompton has competed at Mount Panorama in Bathurst, New South Wales more than 20 times. His best outcomes include two third-place finishes: one at the rain-affected 1992 race alongside Anders Olofsson driving a Gibson Motorsport Nissan GT-R, and another in the 1995 event paired with Wayne Gardner in a Wayne Gardner Racing Holden Commodore VR. Additionally, he claimed victory in the 1994 12 Hour endurance race co-driving a factory-supported Mazda RX-7 with Gregg Hansford.

Early Career

Crompton's motorsport journey began in 1972 when he started riding a Honda minibike at age eleven. He later transitioned to motocross, achieving modest success. His switch to car racing occurred in 1985, focusing mainly on sedan-based classes, initially competing in a Mitsubishi Cordia configured to Series Production standards. His diverse racing experience encompasses categories such as V8 Supercars, Super Touring Cars, Group A Touring Cars, the Sports Sedans, as well as open-wheel competitions including Formula Holden and Formula 3000.

A significant career milestone was reached in 1987 when Crompton was chosen by Peter Brock to pilot the second Group A VL Commodore for endurance events under the Holden Dealer Team banner. Highlights from this period include a fourth-place finish at the 1987 Sandown 500 alongside Jon Crooke and participation in the 1987 World Touring Car Championship held at Calder Park. Unfortunately, a technical issue related to FIA licensing prevented him from making his Bathurst 1000 debut that year—a lost chance considering the vehicle he was assigned went on to win the race.

In 1988, Crompton remained with Brock’s squad as they transitioned to competing with BMW M3 cars. He made his Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) debut, achieving top-ten finishes at Amaroo Park and Oran Park circuits. Despite showing promise during early endurance races that season, he did not complete events such as Sandown and Bathurst.

Between 1989 and 1991, Crompton raced for the Holden Racing Team, co-driving their secondary Commodore entry during endurance competitions but without significant success. Simultaneously, he competed in Formula Holden, securing third place in the 1989 Australian Drivers' Championship with victories at Amaroo Park and Sandown. He also recorded a pole position time close to existing circuit records and took part in support races for the Australian Grand Prix.

Continuing in Formula Holden during 1990 with Peter Boylan’s Ralt RT20, Crompton finished fourth overall and earned the Thalgo Trophy at the Australian Grand Prix. In 1991, he achieved a Class C win and fourth overall driving a Holden VN Commodore S at the inaugural Bathurst 12 Hour but missed much of that year's Formula Holden campaign due to team obligations.

Crompton rejoined Brock's team for early rounds of the 1992 ATCC but departed mid-season owing to financial limitations. He resumed his commentary role while selectively competing in certain races. That year, he drove for Gibson Motorsport at the Bathurst 1000 in a Nissan GT-R, finishing third under demanding circumstances.

In 1993, Crompton contested a full ATCC season with Bob Forbes Racing behind the wheel of a Holden VP Commodore powered by a Holden V8 engine—an uncommon choice compared to most rivals using Chevrolet V8s—ending up thirteenth overall. At Bathurst that year, he qualified tenth but encountered an oil spill incident during qualifying laps.

He signed with Wayne Gardner Racing in 1994 before relocating to the United States in 1997 to compete in the North American Touring Car Championship with Tasman Motorsports driving a Honda Accord. Throughout that season, Crompton remained competitive, winning multiple races and challenging for the championship until a controversial disqualification halted his title pursuit. He also conducted testing for Tasman's Champ Car program at Gingerman Raceway.

Later years

In 1998, Crompton achieved a runner-up finish in the 1998 Century Batteries Three Hour Bathurst Showroom Showdown. That same year, he became part of Glenn Seton Racing, continuing with the squad as Ford Tickford Racing in 1999. By 2001, he had transferred to Gibson Motorsport (which later became 00 Motorsport), where he teamed up with Craig Lowndes before leaving at the conclusion of 2002.

Although his main focus shifted to television commentary, Crompton has maintained participation in endurance racing events. A notable performance includes finishing 17th in the 2009 Bathurst 12 Hour, completing 222 laps behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X alongside Glenn Seton. He also occasionally competes in the Aussie Racing Cars series and has taken part in the Australian Rally Championship.

In 2003, Crompton raced in the Bathurst 24 Hour representing Prancing Horse Racing, piloting a BMW M3 GTR equipped with a 5.0 L V8 engine. The vehicle secured third position in qualifying but was forced to retire following a collision on lap 131.

Additionally, Crompton plays a role in V8 Supercar regulatory matters through TEGA's Parity Board, which works to maintain fair competition among different manufacturers.

Media career

Crompton's commentary career began with motocross coverage for Network Ten (then known as 0/10 Network) before moving to the ABC around 1980. There, he reported on major motorsport competitions such as the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) and the Sandown 500. When broadcasting rights for the ATCC transferred to Channel Seven in 1985, Crompton followed suit, stepping into the position previously held by Evan Green and joining fellow commentators Mike Raymond and Garry Wilkinson. His responsibilities encompassed both pit reporting and race commentary until he began scaling back his involvement around 1995 due to his racing commitments. During this period, he also appeared on The Great Outdoors and contributed to Triple M radio broadcasts.

In 1996, Crompton returned to Network Ten as a motorsport analyst covering the CART Series and Australian Super Touring Championship, later expanding his role to include Formula One. He was a regular presenter on Ten's automotive show RPM. Following his retirement from full-time racing in 2002, he served as expert commentator for Ten’s V8 Supercars broadcasts until 2006.

When Seven acquired the V8 Supercars broadcasting rights starting in 2007, Crompton transitioned along with the production crew. His deep technical knowledge and firsthand racing experience made him an invaluable contributor to Seven’s coverage.

Crompton co-hosted "The Panelbeaters," a web-based show with Brad Jones that aired before and after V8 Supercar events. Originating as a radio program on SEN 1116 in 2003, it later evolved into a video format on Telstra Bigpond before being discontinued after 2008.

He subsequently returned to radio alongside former champion Mark Skaife on The Stick Shift, which aired on Triple M during Saturday mornings.

In 2014, Crompton took on hosting and executive producing duties for Shannons Legends of Motorsport on 7mate, conducting interviews with prominent figures from Australian touring car history. For its second season in 2015, he stepped back from on-camera work.

Following the shift of V8 Supercars broadcast rights in 2015 to a shared agreement between Foxtel and Network Ten, Crompton moved away from hosting duties to focus primarily on commentary roles under the new arrangement.

Personal life

In March 2008, Crompton wed his longtime partner Sarah Mathewson. Together, they have a daughter named Sienna.

In April 2021, Crompton received a diagnosis of prostate cancer but was anticipated to fully recover after undergoing surgery.

Career results

Data obtained from Driver Database.

Season	Series	Position	Car	Team
1988	Australian Touring Car Championship	20th	BMW M3	Mobil 1 Racing
1988	James Hardie Building Products AMSCAR Series	6th	BMW M3	Mobil 1 Racing
1988	Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship	8th	BMW M3	Mobil 1 Racing
1989	Australian Drivers' Championship	3rd	Ralt RT20 Holden	Boylan Racing
1990	Australian Drivers' Championship	4th	Ralt RT20 Holden	Boylan Racing
1990	Australian Touring Car Championship	15th	Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV	Holden Racing Team
1990	Australian Endurance Championship	20th	Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV	Holden Racing Team
1992	Australian Touring Car Championship	15th	Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV	Advantage Racing
1992	Australian Drivers' Championship	10th	Ralt RT20 Holden	Boylan Racing
1993	Australian Touring Car Championship	13th	Holden VP Commodore	Bob Forbes Racing
1993	Aurora AFX AMSCAR Series	4th	Holden VP Commodore	Bob Forbes Racing
1994	Australian Touring Car Championship	10th	Holden VP Commodore	Wayne Gardner Racing
1995	Australian Touring Car Championship	10th	Holden VR Commodore	Wayne Gardner Racing
1996	Mobil New Zealand Sprints	6th	Holden VR Commodore	Wayne Gardner Racing
1996	Australian Touring Car Championship	13th	Holden VR Commodore	Wayne Gardner Racing
1997	North American Touring Car Championship	align="center" style="background:#ffdf9f;" \| 3rd	Honda Accord	Tasman Motorsports
1998	Australian GT Production Car Championship	align="center" \| 9th	Ferrari F355 Challenge	Ross Palmer Motorsport
1998	Australian Touring Car Championship	align="center" \| 24th	Ford EL Falcon	Glenn Seton Racing
1999	Shell Championship Series	align="center" \|12th	Ford EL Falcon / Ford AU Falcon	Glenn Seton Racing
2000	Shell Championship Series	align="center"\|12th	Ford AU Falcon	Glenn Seton Racing
2001	Shell Championship Series	align="center"\|54th	Ford AU Falcon	Gibson Motorsport
2002	V8 Supercar Championship Series	align="center"\|17th	Ford AU Falcon	Gibson Motorsport / 00 Motorsport
2007	Aussie Racing Cars Super Series	align="center"\|43rd	AU Falcon	ARC Team
2008	Aussie Racing Cars Super Series	align="center"\|51st	Aurion	TRD Racing
2009	Aussie Racing Cars Super Series	align="center"\|16th	Aurion	Toyota Stars
2015	Touring Car Masters (Pro Masters Class)	align="center"\|11th	Ford Mustang	Dunlop Super Dealers / Wilson Security

Complete Australian Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Bolded races denote pole positions) (Italicized races denote fastest laps)

Year	Team	Vehicle	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	26	27	Championship position (DC)	Points scored
1988	Mobil 1 Racing	BMW M3	CAL	SYM	WIN	WAN	AIR	LAK	SAN	AMA 8	ORA 11			20th place	3 points
1990	Holden Racing Team	Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV	AMA	SYM	PHI	WIN	LAK	MAL 6	WAN	ORA				Finished 15th overall	Accumulated 6 points
1992	Advantage Racing	Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV	AMA R1 Retired	AMA R2 Withdrew	SAN R3 11th	SAN R4 6th	SYM R5 8th	SYM R6 7th	WIN R7 Retired	WIN R8 Withdrew ... (remaining races omitted for brevity) ...		Ranked 18th in championship	Total of 28 points

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Bold text indicates pole position) (Italic text indicates fastest lap)

Year	Team Name	Vehicle Model	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Race 4	Race 5	Race 6	Race 7	Race 8	Race 9	Race 10	Race 11	Championship position (DC)	Points earned

|-

! 1987 
! Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Holden Dealer Team 
! Holden VL Commodore SS Group A 
| MNZ 
| JAR 
| DIJ 
| NUR 
| SPA 
| BNO 
| SIL 
| BAT 
|style="background:#cfcfff;" |CLD
overall:11
class:7 
|style="background:#efcfff;" |WEL
Retired 
| FJI 
! Not Classified (NC) 
! 0

|} † Not entered for points or series classification

Full Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship Results

(legend) (Bolded race numbers signify pole position) (Italicized race numbers denote fastest lap)

Year	Team	Vehicle	1	2	3	4	Championship Standing	Points Accumulated
1988	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Mobil 1 Racing	BMW M3	BAT Retired	WEL Retired	PUK 4th	FJI	8th overall	25 points

Bathurst 1000 Complete Results

Year	Car Number	Team Name	Co-Drivers	Vehicle Model	Class Category	Completed Laps	Pos.	Class pos.
1988	56	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Mobil 1 Racing	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Peter Brock Template:Country data NZL Template:Namespace detect showall Jim Richards	BMW M3	B class	89 laps completed	DNF (Did Not Finish)	DNF (Did Not Finish)
1989	7	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Holden Racing Team	Template:Country data GBR Template:Namespace detect showall Win Percy	Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV	A class	158 laps completed	7th place overall	7th place in class
1990	7	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Holden Racing Team	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Brad Jones	Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV	Class 1	159 laps completed	Finished fifth overall	Fifth in class ranking
1991	7	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Holden Racing Team	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Brad Jones	Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV	Class 1	Completed 100 laps	DNF (Did Not Finish)	DNF (Did Not Finish)
1992	2	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Gibson Motorsport	Template:Country data SWE Template:Namespace detect showall Anders Olofsson	Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R	Class A	143 laps completed	3rd place overall	3rd place in class
1993 Bathurst 1000#1993	7	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Bob Forbes Racing	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Mark Gibbs (racing driver)	Holden VP Commodore	Class A	125 laps completed	DNF (Did Not Finish)	DNF (Did Not Finish)
1994 Bathurst 1000#1994	4	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner Racing	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner	Holden VP Commodore	Class A	99 laps completed	DNF (Did Not Finish)	DNF (Did Not Finish)
1995 Bathurst 1000#1995	7	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner Racing	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner	Holden VR Commodore	161 laps completed	3rd place finish	3rd place in class
1996 AMP Bathurst 1000#1996	7	align = "left" \| Template:Country data "AUS"Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner Racing	align = "left" \| Template:Country data "AUS"Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner	align = "left" \| Holden VR Commodore	160 laps completed	4th place overall	4th place in class
1997 AMP Bathurst 1000#1997*	26	align = "left" \| Template:Country data "GBR"Template:Namespace detect showallEsso Ultron Team Peugeot	align = "left" \| Template:Country data "GBR"Template:Namespace detect showall Patrick Watts	align = "left" \| Peugeot 406	112 laps completed	DNF (Did Not Finish)	DNF (Did Not Finish)
1997 Primus 1000 Classic#1997	7	align = "left" \| Template:Country data "AUS"Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner Racing	align = "left" \| Template:Country data "AUS"Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner	align = "left" \| Holden VS Commodore	89 laps completed	DNF (Did Not Finish)	DNF (Did Not Finish)
1998 FAI 1000#1998	5	align = "left" \| Template:Country data "AUS"Template:Namespace detect showall Glenn Seton Racing	align = "left" \| Template:Country data "AUS"Template:Namespace detect showall Glenn Seton	align = "left"\| Ford EL Falcon	Outright Class (OC)	160 laps completed	5th position overall	5th position in class
1999 Bathurst 1000#1999	5	align = "left"\| Template:Country data "AUS"Template:Namespace detect showall Glenn Seton Racing	align = "left"\| Template:Country data "AUS"Template:Namespace detect showall Glenn Seton	align = "left"\| Ford AU Falcon	161 laps completed	5th overall	5th in class
2000 Bathurst 1000#2000	5	align = "left"\| Template:Country data "AUS"Template:Namespace detect showall Glenn Seton Racing	align = "left"\| Template:Country data "AUS"Template:Namespace detect showall Glenn Seton	align = "left"\| Ford AU Falcon	158 laps completed	13th place overall	13th in class
2001 V8 Supercar 1000#2001	00	align = "left"\| Template:Country data "AUS"Template:Namespace detect showall Gibson Motorsport	align = "left"\| Template:Country data "AUS"Template:Namespace detect showall Craig Lowndes	align = "left"\| Ford AU Falcon	156 laps completed	17th overall	17th in class
2002 Bob Jane T-Marts 1000#2002	00	align = "left"\| Template:Country data "AUS"Template:Namespace detect showall (00) Motorsport	align = "left"\| Template:Country data "AUS"Template:Namespace detect showall Craig Lowndes	align = "left"\| Ford AU Falcon	127 laps completed	DNF (Did Not Finish)	DNF (Did Not Finish)

* Indicates a Super Touring category event.

Full Sandown 500 Outcomes

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Vehicle	Category	Completed Laps	Pos.	Class pos.
1987	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Holden Dealer Team	Template:Country data NZL Template:Namespace detect showall Jon Crooke	Holden VL Commodore SS Group A	A	126	4th	3rd
1988	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Mobil 1 Racing	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall David Parsons Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Peter Brock	BMW M3	B	58	DNF	DNF
1989	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Holden Racing Team	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Steve Harrington	Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV	A	155	6th	6th
1990	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Holden Racing Team	Template:Country data GBR Template:Namespace detect showall Win Percy	Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV	Div.1	32	DNF	DNF
1991	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Holden Racing Team	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Brad Jones	Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV	A	103	DNF	DNF
1993	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Bob Forbes Racing	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Mark Gibbs	Holden VP Commodore	V8	61	DNF	DNF
1994	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner Racing	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner	Holden VP Commodore	V8	27	DNF	DNF
1995	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner Racing	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner	Holden VR Commodore		139	DNF	DNF
1996	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner Racing	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner	Holden VR Commodore		159	7th	7th
1997	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner Racing	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Wayne Gardner	Holden VS Commodore		155	6th	6th
1998	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Glenn Seton Racing	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Glenn Seton	Ford EL Falcon	OC	145	4th	4th

Complete Bathurst/Eastern Creek 12 Hour Standings

Year

Team Name

Co-drivers

Automobile

Division

Laps Completed

Overall Result

Class Result

1991

Peter Brock
Peter McKay

Holden VN Commodore S

C

235

4th

'1st'

1992

Peugeot Concessionaires Australia

Peter Brock  
Paul Gover

Peugeot 405 Mi16

235

14th

style= "background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd

1994

BP Mazda Motorsport

Gregg Hansford

Mazda RX-7

262

style= "background:#ffffbf;"| 1st

2007

Subaru Australia

Chris Alajajian  
Grant Denyer

Subaru Impreza WRX Sti Spec C

248

5th

style= "background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd

2009

Pro-Duct Motorsport

Glenn Seton

Mitsubishi Lancer RS Evo X

222

17th

7th

2010

Pro-Duct Motorsport

Glenn Seton  
Mark King (racing driver)

Mitsubishi Lancer RS Evo X

201

style= "background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd

style= "background:#ffffbf;"| 1st

}

Bathurst 24 Hour Complete Results

Year	Team	Drivers	Vehicle	Category	Number of Laps	Pos.	Class pos.
2003	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Prancing Horse Racing Scuderia	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall John Bowe Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Greg Crick Indonesia Maher Algadrie	BMW M3 GTR	A	131	DNF	DNF

External links