Aussie legend Peter Brock killed in crash!

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Australian motor sport legend Peter Brock has been killed in a rally crash in Western Australia.

WA police have confirmed that a car competing in the Targa West rally crashed into a tree near Gidgegannup, east of Perth, killing Brock and injuring his co-driver Mick Hone.

Although ambulances were reportedly not called to the accident, which occurred just before midday about 40km out of Perth, police investigators have travelled to the scene.

Brock appeared to lose control of his vehicle on a tight hairpin bend before slamming into a tree, a witness to the fatal crash says.

A rally spectator, identified only as Jock, told Macquarie Radio that he was standing just metres from the site of the accident.

"The back end just slid out and that was it, it was all over," he said.

"The car didn't roll, the back end just slid out from behind him and slammed straight into a tree and it got him right in the driver's door."

In the meantime, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) said it was working with evet officials and police to investigate the crash.

"On behalf of the motor sport community, CAMS offers its sincere sympathy to Peter's family and many friends," a CAMS statement said.

The Targa West rally began in Perth yesterday, with Brock and Hone racing in a 2001 Daytona Coupe.

Glorious career

Brock is a nine-time winner of Australia's most prestigious racing event, the Bathurst 1000.

The 61-year-old father of three rose to national fame for his racing victories in the 70s and 80s, becoming known as "Peter Perfect" and evolving into a full-blown television personality.

After officially retiring in 1997, Brock made two return visits to Bathurst in 2002 and 2004 and returned to top-level touring car racing as a team owner of "Team Brock" in 2002 in the V8 Supercar category.

Before his last outing at Bathurst, the vegetarian Brock said he felt as though he had lived a 'blessed' life, but that things for a race driver could be tough also.

"Motor racing is a roller coaster, it can be very, very cruel and very, very kind," he said.

'King of the Mountain'

Editor of Wheels magazine Jed Bulmer says Brock was the consummate driving professional who won many accolades, but will best be remembered for his mastery of the race circuit at Bathurst.

"You know the great Australian touring car race and a race which is regarded as one of the most difficult touring car races in the world and Peter was the nine-times winner there at what is known these days as the Bathurst 1000," he told ABC radio.

"He had a long and very successful career there, he was the 'King of the Mountain' as he came to be known."

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Bathurst is going to be a sad place next month.

He'll be missed