THE driver who became Craig Lowndes’ first Ford Supercars teammate is emerging from an 11-year racing hiatus this weekend.
Rodney Forbes will compete in the Australian Production Sports category as part of the April 19-20 Hi-Tec Oils Super Series event at Sydney Motorsport Park.
The 56-year-old will steer a Porsche 997 in what he assures is a one-off.
“It’s just for fun,” Forbes told V8 Sleuth.
“A mate of mine who used to prepare my car with me when I was racing the old Porsche in GT production, he is actually racing himself, Andy Hall.
“So I just thought I’d come and we could have a race against each other, rather than him working on my car.”
Forbes was a Supercars regular from 1998 to 2003, accumulating 132 championship race starts.
His career ended when 00 Motorsport (owned by Rodney’s father, Bob) closed its doors midway through ’03, after which time he competed in one-make Porsche racing and then spent the years 2009-13 overseas.
He has not raced since 2013, only partaking in against-the-clock styled events thereafter.
“I was just racing my BMW in supersprints for a while and then eventually I just decided that I wanted to get back into an actual race car rather than a road car, so I bought myself a Cup car,” said Forbes.
Among other familiar names racing at SMP this weekend will be Todd Hazelwood, in the TA2 Muscle Car Series.
