John Bowe’s Touring Car Masters Torana will wear the #1000 this weekend in celebration of a career milestone for the veteran.
The second Touring Car Masters heat of the weekend at the Muscle Car Masters is being touted as Bowe’s 1000th national or international level race across a career that has spanned five decades.
Derived from an open online database, the statistic does not include the likes of the four Group Nc races that Bowe will also run at the MCN.
As was the case last year, Bowe is driving the Wall family’s ex-Bob Jane Holden Monaro in the Group Nc races, joining Glenn Seton in doing double duties throughout the weekend.
The evergreen 61-year-old continues to prove a winning force in the TCM, seamlessly switching from his own Ford Mustang to Garry O’Brien’s Torana earlier in the season.
“A thousand races is quite a scary stat,” Bowe told Speedcafe.com ahead of the weekend.
“When you think about it 100 races is a lot races but a 1000 is an enormous amount.
“I think If I can win the 1000th race it is my 200th win too, which would be something special.
“It’s great that it’s all happening at the Muscle Car Masters, which is a terrific event.
“It’s all very retro and that’s why it’s appealing. I’ve been a motorsport person all my life so I remember all this stuff and it brings me back to my youth.”
Bowe will again race against his own Mustang in the TCM, which is this weekend being campaigned by Neil Crompton.
The Mustang’s former driver Steven Johnson will meanwhile be on the sidelines after the Tony Karanfilovski-owned Ford Falcon he was due to steer was not completed in time.
The withdrawal leaves a 23-car field for the TCM races, including an ‘invitational’ entry for David Falvey.
The New South Welshman is running a 1975 Holden Torana SS hatchback which, although not currently on the category’s eligibility list, is expected to be welcomed full-time next season.
Competing in club level circuit racing and tarmac rallies, Falvey’s Torana is prepared alongside Seton’s Mustang at Savy Motorsport.