THERE is not much that John Bowe has not achieved in his racing career, but when looking an an S5000 car parked in Pit Lane he admitted he'd love to 'turn back the speedo' and drive one at the inaugural Bathurst International.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Since Bowe contested his first race 49 years ago, amongst his many career highlights have been a pair of Bathurst 1000 wins and Bathurst 12 Hour success.
He holds the Mount Panorama circuit in high esteem, so was delighted when he learned the Touring Car Masters series he is currently a part of would be included as part of the 2020 Bathurst International.
"Bathurst, it's my second home," Bowe laughed.
"Honestly, I've said this a thousand times, this is one of the best three race tracks in the world and you know, to have the opportunity to create a new event that will have international status is just awesome."
To be staged by the Australian Racing Group in November or December next year, the Bathurst International will be the fifth major event at Mount Panorama.
The Touring Car Masters will contest a non-championship round at the event, which will be headlined by a 500 kilometre TCR international race.
The TA2 muscle cars, LMP3 sportscars and open-wheeler S5000s - the five-litre V8 engined single seaters Bowe was attracted to - form the rest of the card.
"I will compete in it in Touring Car Masters, which people love, but to have the S5000s, the TCR cars and a lot of drivers from overseas, it will be awesome and it's at the best time of year because it will be warm, it won't be snowing," Bowe said.
"I think because of the make up of the cars, there are lots of different categories which will make it interesting. Yes they are fast, but they are also interesting which will make for good racing.
"The TCR is a world category, so we'll get cars here from all across the world. They've started TCR in America now, so that will be good. We'll probably have 40-50 cars here for that.
"The TA2s, I've never driven one of those but I'm going to and the S5000s, these cars they actually echo what was here in the 70s, big engines, big tyres, fast, noisy - fantastic.
"I wish I could wind my speedo back and race one of those. I know where I fit, I'm a realist, but I'd love to be a young man again and drive one of those things. That's what that series is, a young man or women's game.
"I feel that the S5000s are going to produce some unbelievable racing and lap times.
"Those cars will be very fast and there's no doubt that their power and handling will see the lap record be broken. The S5000s is a true driver's class.
"A lot of the categories that are here for other events are because they have the numbers and pay the entry fees, but this, this will be a serious race meeting and I'm really pleased I have an involvement."
While the date has yet to be locked in as the initially slated weekend of December 4-6 clashed with the Supercars finale, it will be late November or early December.
