steer, and a powerful turbo 2.6-litre six-cylinder engine producing around , the RWD Sierras and Commodores simply could not equal or compensate for the Skyline's superior handling and power output. In an attempt to achieve parity between the makes weight penalties (140 kg) and turbo restricting pop-off valves were applied to the Nissan. With the pop-off valves in place, the Nissans were reported to now be only producing around , though team boss Fred Gibson would (in later years) confess that the Winfield sponsored cars were actually producing around after his team had managed to fool CAMS officials during the year. The Skyline's 1992 victory was particularly controversial. The parochial Bathurst crowd, and touring car fans in general, had been conditioned to view the Bathurst 1000 as a perpetual struggle between Holden and Ford. Although the Group A racing Commodores and Sierras were far removed from road going examples, the Nissans were seen as being unfairly advantaged and received considerable negative comment in the build-up to the race. Late in the 1992 race, severe rainstorms swept the track, causing several accidents as dry weather tyres caused extreme aquaplaning. During the ensuing mayhem the leading Skyline of Jim Richards and Mark Skaife slid into two wrecked cars. Simultaneously officials red flagged the race due to the perilous condition of the wet track. The surviving cars were marshalled in single file on Pit Straight. Regulation decreed that, as the leaders had completed more than 75% of race distance, the race was not to be restarted. Under these regulations red flag race results were based on positions held at the end of the last completed lap as there were no official record of the lap not completed. As Richards had been leading the race on that lap his team was declared the winner. This was an unpopular decision with some race fans, many of whom could not understand how a wrecked Nissan could beat a perfectly healthy Sierra that had passed it on the track. As the rain clouds dissipated many unhappy campers loudly voiced their opinions. Race winners Mark Skaife and Jim Richards were challenged by a rowdy, confused and alcohol-fuelled crowd. On the winners' podium the normally affable Richards responded to the boos of the crowd with, "this is bloody disgraceful" and "you're a pack of arseholes" during the nationally televised trophy presentation. Group 3A and Super Touring Group A as