Motorsport: The tea has now gone cold

It's wet and windy. All around are containers, car parts and men in overalls rushing around doing important things to powerful cars.

But the centre of attention on the Wellington waterfront is sitting casually sipping a cup of tea.

A queue of autograph hunters snakes around the containers and he seems content to sign for them all.

Peter Brock was a legend on this side of the Tasman before he came to Wellington to race in the street races. The fans always got their money's worth from "Peter Perfect".

The tea was a trademark, with the 05 on his Holden, which briefly became a Ford when the Europeans infiltrated the great Aussie tintop wars. In Wellington for the first street race he used his mana on television to quash doubts about the track.

Brock raced here with success in V8s, touring cars and TraNZams. When he retired he came back for the Targa and he was due to drive the Daytona Coupe in the event next month.

Several New Zealand drivers drove with him. Jim Richards partnered him in a hat-trick of Bathurst wins from 1978. David Oxton and Greg Murphy teamed with him for the Holden Racing Team. When Brock formed a team to race in the Supercar championship, his teammate was Craig Baird.

In semi-retirement he was on TV in a variety of roles and did promotional work. Now the tea has gone cold.