THE first entries for the Holden Bathurst Revival at Mount Panorama at November’s Bathurst International have been lodged.
Over a dozen entries have already been received by event organiser, the Australian Racing Group, including a mix of Holdens from the V8 Supercar and Group A eras.
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The first V8 Supercar confirmed for the Holden Bathurst Revival is the ex-Armor All privateer Commodore VS now owned by Darren Freeman.
Originally built by Perkins Engineering for Perth privateer Ian Love in 1993, the car lives on in the colours it raced at Bathurst in 1999 in the hands of Mike Imrie and the late Rodney Crick.
Freeman is using the Holden Bathurst Revival to fulfil a lifelong dream of driving a V8 Supercar around the famous mountain in anger.
“I’ve been to Bathurst before, but not in a V8 Supercar, and this is going to be a bucket list moment for me,” he says.
“I’ve driven around the mountain in my Clubman Birkin, but this will be something completely different.
“Bathurst is an iconic circuit. I’m one of those guys who’d get up early to watch the Bathurst 1000, sitting there all day with my dad and watch the whole race. Since I was five years old, I’ve loved the place.
“To drive any car there is awesome, but to drive a Supercar in anger is going to be something again. And to have the chance to do it in a period correct, legitimate V8 Supercar is bucket list stuff for anyone who loves motorsport.”
Also confirmed to enter the Holden Bathurst Revival is the Group A Commodore VK, formerly raced by Gerald Kay in the late 80s, now in the hands of Richard Wells.
Kay and Geoff Munday finished eighth in the car in the 1988 Bathurst 1000.
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Wells bought the car in 2015 and has used it on track and club days, and this will mark his first experience at Mount Panorama.
“I’ve been to Bathurst plenty of times before, but I’ve never driven a race car around there, so I’m really looking forward to it,” said Wells.
“I’ve used the car a few times at track days, but it’s always been a dream to drive at Bathurst. I wouldn’t be confident racing it in the heritage touring cars. I don’t have the experience, but something like this is perfect for me.”
The Holden Bathurst Revival will pay tribute to all eras of the ‘The General’s’ motorsport history, from competition variants of the first ever Holden model – the 48-215 – through to modern V8 touring cars.
Eligibility extends to Holdens from almost every circuit racing category that the marque has been represented in, including grass roots categories Group N and Improved Production/Club Cars, as well as series no longer contested such as V8 Utes, Commodore Cup and Future Tourers.
The Holden Bathurst Revival will be one of many classes competing at the Bathurst International, including TCR Australia, S5000, Touring Car Masters and the production cars, competing for the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour.
The four-day event will run on November 12-15, 2020.
For information on how to enter your Holden racer in the Holden Bathurst revival, email events@australianracinggroup.com for more details.
