He did look profoundly good for a 61 year-old, though. Just can’t picture him in an SS uniform hacking VWs around Mount Panorama.

Philippe Cousteau, grandson of Jacques Cousteau, was working with Irwin and says that ironically stingrays were not planned to be part of the show.

One of my thoughts about Steve Irwin’s death is that he was personally very familiar crocs and reptiles, but may not have had the same expertise with stingrays. You can’t imagine Irwin ever letting himself be caught within the strike zone of the jaws of a crocodile.

The information from Cousteau suggests that it was a chance encounter for which Irwin was not prepared.

This CNN interview gives some idea of Cousteau’s regard for Irwin.

I understand the final message of the film is that man is the biggest menace in the ocean environment.

He started fitting the HDT “specials” (modified road cars made with Holden factory approval) with a gadget called the “Energy Polariser”, which was basically some strong magnets. It was claimed to “align the molecules” in the vehicle to make it work better. Unsurprisingly, everybody else, most importantly Holden themselves, thought this was rubbish.

Brock also started recommending that the tyre pressures in the Polariser-equipped HDT cars should be set to dangerously low levels.

GMH were frightened they were going to get sued, not only because the Polariser didn’t do what it claimed to do, but because they were worried about the risk of tyre failure through people listening to Brock’s tyre pressure recommendations.

In the end, they cut all ties with him, and brought in Tom Walkinshaw to set up Holden Special Vehicles to run the race team and build hotted-up factory-approved Holdens.

If anybody wants to go visit the library and dig some motor magazines of the era, there were reams written about it.

He was an over-the-top vegetarian. Not sure what his diet beliefs were, but they certain didn’t include meat.

He was equally as fanatical about drink driving and driver safety. (His racing car always bore the number “05″)

He always had time to sign autographs & be kind to fans, especially younger ones. He was very conscious that the impression he gave, in what was a few moments to him, was to the fan a once-in-a-lifetime experience of meeting a sporting idol.

OK that’s enough paranoia for one day.

I think he was a health food nut, possibly vego (?) and yoga exponent etc too. dont think it went down too well with his racing fans at first…but it’s always v.good when someone goes totally outside their public persona and embraces whacko ideas!

Vale Peter Perfect. I’ve been driving Falcons for past 8/9 years (parts are cheap as chips) and still feel like I’m voting for the other side.

Tig – the Ashes are coming up – do not even think about Warnie and bizarre accidents…then again I’d bet on a super-resistant-STD strain and things dropping off, as a more likely fate in this case.