A sign honoring racing legend Larry Perkins was stolen from Cowangie, a small town in far north-west Victoria. The theft occurred sometime between Wednesday and Friday of last week. The sign, which has welcomed visitors since the early 1990s, was a source of pride for the community.

Jack Perkins, Larry Perkins' son and a racing driver himself, expressed disappointment over the incident. He emphasized the significance of the sign, stating, "[The sign] is a really cool thing for the community and obviously in the motor racing world. That's the thing that really annoys you; when community go to this effort to put something up, they're proud of their town and proud of that particular sign [and then someone steals it]."

Larry Perkins, who retired from racing in 2003, is a celebrated figure in Australian motorsport, having won the Bathurst 1000 race six times. He is fondly remembered as the "Cowangie kid." Mildura councillor Glenn Milne expressed shock at the theft, noting that the sign is well-known in the district. "This isn't just any street sign. It's an iconic sign and it's a piece of Australia's history really … this is something different and it's a pretty low act," he said.

The Cowangie Country Women's Association first installed the sign in 1993. It has been replaced twice since then, with previous signs auctioned off to raise funds for local facilities, including the Kow Plains Homestead and an old nursing station. These auctions generated approximately $18,000, which has been vital for maintaining community resources. Milne remarked, "That money goes towards looking after those and maintaining those facilities for the people of our community. That’s now taken away an opportunity to raise $6,000 or $8,000."

Jack Perkins noted that the damage to the sign's metal poles would increase the cost of replacing it. "We'd have to replace the posts. Last time we changed the sign, we only had to change the visual sign. The post and everything was still there ... it becomes a bigger job and again it's community driven," he explained.

He urged the thieves to return the sign, suggesting that it could be dropped off anonymously. "It doesn't matter if it's a couple of weeks away. If someone gets a conscience and just drops it back on the side of the highway at night, it's just easy. We would be able to weld it back together and it would live to see another day," Perkins said. He also encouraged the community to keep an eye out for the sign, as he believes it would be difficult for the thief to sell it without being reported.