David ‘Skippy’ Parsons is one of those underrated drivers from the 1980s and 1990s era to never get a consistent chance at competing full-time in the Australian Touring Car Championship.
Parsons is known primarily for being one-third of the team to win the controversial 1987 Bathurst 1000, but the association with his co-driver Peter Brock and the Holden Dealer Team occurred some five years earlier.
Son of Tasmanian racing legend Graham, ‘Skippy’ was successful on two-wheels rather than four early in his career winning nine state titles in a row between 1976 and 1985.
The dairy farmer’s first taste of four-wheels came by driving his father’s (who had retired) Holden Torana SL/R 5000 in club days.
A major step forward came for Parsons when he purchased an ex-ReCar Holden VC Commodore and began his touring car journey at Symmons Plains in 1982.
On the search for a new engine, Parsons came into contact with John Harvey and purchased a second hand unit to finish fifth at Symmons Plains.
Further top five finishes at Lakeside, Adelaide and Surfers Paradise led to Rookie of the Year honours, but more importantly caught the eye of ‘The Captain’ Peter Janson.
Janson was one of the top privateers of the day, so it proved the perfect apprenticeship for the 1982 endurance events at Sandown and Bathurst, finishing fourth in the latter.
A previous co-driver of Janson’s in Larry Perkins was team manager for the HDT during this time and further strong performances in 1983 by Parsons led to being picked up by the factory squad for 1984.
Racing for Janson at the first two ATCC rounds, but a lack of funds left him on the sidelines until the Sandown 500 where he finished third alongside Harvey, then went one better at Bathurst when it was the HDT’s time to complete a form finish in the revered dayglo VK Commodore.
These programs of Janson and HDT set-up Parsons to become one of the leading co-driver options for 15-years highlighted by victory at Bathurst alongside Brock and Peter McLeod.
Stints at Perkins Engineering, Glenn Seton Racing, Gibson Motorsport and Romano Racing followed until his final start in 2000.