John Bowe has driven everything under the sun at Mount Panorama, from Ford’s Mustang, Sierra and Falcon, to a Volvo, Holden Torana and even a Mazda.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
He knows his cars and after his wonderful career in Supercars and the Touring Car Masters, he for one is excited to see the Mustang come into the sport from 2019.
“I believe the new Mustang will bring more followers and fans into the sport than the Falcon ever did,” Bowe said.
“The Mustang is hugely recognisable. It is one of the most recognisable icons in the world and is really relevant for the sport.
“People come to the races to see relevance. With older cars on the grid at the moment, the Mustang is a shot in the arm for the sport.
“Given the demise of the industry, that is what makes the introduction of the Mustang fantastic.
“Racing an old car is not good for the sport. The people who turn up and come to watch car racing come to see relevance. The new Mustang is relevant today, and that is why the new car is a shot in the arm for the sport. It will bring fans in.”
The 2018 season was the last for the Ford Falcon, which bows out after Scott McLaughlin delivered the nameplate its 17th and final championship win in Newcastle late last month.
READ MORE: McLaughlin claims first Supercars title
There will be six new Mustangs on the grid next season being run by Dick Johnson Racing Team Penske and by Tickford Racing.
The Mustang will be replacing the FG-X Falcon, which first came into the sport in 2015. The Falcon itself as a production vehicle ended in 2016 when Ford Australia shut its doors.
Given the Nissan Altima road car exited Australia at the beginning of 2017 due to poor consumer demand, the only car in production currently racing in Supercars is the new imported Holden Commodore.
Bowe said that was a sad moment for the country.
“I am really sad that production in this country is finished, because we made some really good cars,” he said, adding that Australia’s car manufacturing industry had self destructed.
“In Ford land, some of the newer Falcon’s were great. They were world class. And it was the same for Holden too. We made some excellent cars in this country.”
Awarded a place in the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame this year, Bowe is known as a legend of the sport, having won the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1995 and won the Bathurst 1000 with Dick Johnson in 1989 and in 1994.
READ ALSO: John Bowe is a true Mount Panorama legend
Having won both titles, Bowe puts his Bathurst crowns above all else.
“I would definitely win another Bathurst over a championship, but that is really having won both of them,” Bowe said.
“Winning a Bathurst is very influencing because its a massive deal. The whole country watches that race.”
With a whole lot of moments to think of, Bowe ranked his 1994 Bathurst 1000 crown as the best.
“It has to be my victory with Dick Johnson in 1994, back when we were the Shell team; coincidentally it is still the Shell team now,” Bowe said.
The 1994 race was also significant given that Australia saw the birth of a future star, with Bowe and a young Craig Lowndes fought tooth and nail all the way to the flag.
“I always tell people that it was in fact me who created the Craig Lowndes legend, tongue in cheek of course,” Bowe said.