Neil Crompton’s New Supercars Role at BJR After TV Exit

Sydney Motorsport Park is witnessing a unique scene this weekend: Neil Crompton, the longtime voice of Australian Supercars, is trading the commentary box for a hands-on role with Brad Jones Racing (BJR). The shift comes after Crompton was removed from the television broadcast team as part of a broader shake-up that also saw Mark Skaife depart.

While officially overseeing the management of the GR Cup season opener – a role his company has held for some time – Crompton is deeply involved with BJR, having recently taken on a consulting position with the team. The move represents a return to team duties for Crompton, who previously held similar roles earlier in his career.

“It’s good. It’s a restoration of something that I did a couple of moons back,” Crompton said, describing his return to a team environment. “It’s different and it’s exciting. We’re old friends, you know, we started racing together a long time ago on dirt bikes, and we’ve been in parallel for a long period of time. Obviously I know all the people here very well. It’s a very different world for me, but one that I’m looking forward to.”

The consulting role isn’t confined to high-level strategy. Crompton’s involvement is decidedly practical, a point he humorously illustrated. “Last night at one o’clock in the morning I’m washing driver race suits and jocks, so things have gone downhill!” he quipped.

This weekend is particularly significant as BJR debuts its new Toyota Supra, alongside Walkinshaw TWG. Crompton’s connection to Toyota runs deep; he’s been a brand ambassador for 18 years and played a key role in orchestrating the company’s long-awaited entry into Supercars. He described the realization of Toyota’s Supercars program as a “long-term dream come to life.”

Crompton revealed the journey to bring Toyota into the Supercars Championship wasn’t a straightforward one. “This is the third time lucky. This conversation’s come up a couple of times,” he said, recalling years of discussions. He even recounted discovering an old document outlining a similar proposal from 10 to 15 years prior, highlighting the persistence required to make the partnership a reality.

The arrival of Toyota expands the company’s Australian motorsport presence, complementing its existing commitments to the GR Cup series and the Australian Rally Championship. Crompton emphasized the importance of the driver pathway now established, linking the GR Cup to the Supercars Championship. He noted that between BJR and Walkinshaw TWG, approximately 10 or 11 drivers in the Supercars field have graduated from the GR Cup category.

Crompton credited former Toyota marketing VP Sean Hanley with championing this driver development pipeline. Hanley, who previously spearheaded Toyota’s V8 entry efforts, is also present at Sydney Motorsport Park for the event. “One of the things that aggravated Sean was effectively training drivers and handing high quality operators off to other OEMs,” Crompton explained. “Well, we’re gonna put a stop to that!”

Brad Jones, the owner of BJR, expressed his enthusiasm for Crompton’s involvement, stating, “Neil and I have worked together in a number of different teams and have been friends since we were kids. He has a lot to offer to the sport and he’s just doing a bit of consulting for us at the moment behind the scenes. I think it’s an asset that Supercars has lost and in some ways I’ve gained. He thinks like me in a lot of instances and I think he can help me improve BJR.”

Crompton’s role extends to both the BJR and Walkinshaw TWG garages this weekend, as both teams navigate the debut of their new Toyota Supras. The Sydney 500 marks not only a new chapter for these teams but also the culmination of years of effort by Crompton to bring Toyota into the Supercars landscape.