TeamVodafone has revealed the Peter Brock tribute livery that Craig Lowndes and Warren Luff will carry in this weekend’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, flying the #888 Holden onto the Bathurst circuit via helicopter.
One of several one-off liveries to be run as part of the 50th year of Bathurst celebrations, the Triple Eight car pays tribute to the Marlboro scheme used by the Holden Dealer Team in the 1982 James Hardie 1000.
CLICK HERE for Speedcafe.com’s gallery from today’s launch.
CLICK HERE for more with Craig Lowndes following the launch
Brock teamed with Larry Perkins in a HDT Commodore VH to win that year’s race, which was the sixth of Brock’s eventual nine Bathurst victories.
The reincarnation of the look naturally sees the iconic Marlboro branding replaced with that of current sponsor Vodafone, while the ‘Marlboro hill’ on the bonnet has been inverted in order to comply with anti-cigarette advertising laws.
The team’s crew are also sporting period-themed shirts for this weekend’s race, with Lowndes donning a similarly striking race suit.
Lowndes, who took on the role of Brock’s protégé at the Holden Racing Team in the mid-1990s, greeted his new-look car at Skyline after its helicopter ride, from where he drove it down to waiting media in the pitlane.
Brock’s former long-time partner Bev sat in the passenger’s seat for the journey.
Lowndes will be shooting for his sixth Bathurst 1000 crown on Sunday, with TeamVodafone looking to win the race for the fifth time in just seven years.
As previously reported, the sister Jamie Whincup/Paul Dumbrell entry will run in its regular Vodafone colour scheme.
The Lowndes/Luff Holden will be one of several ‘retro’ cars in this year’s race.
Ford Performance Racing’s entries will mimic the look of the Moffat Ford Dealers entries that took a one-two in the 1977 classic, while its third entry pays tribute to the 1967 Fred Gibson/Harry Firth winner.
CLICK HERE to view the FPR schemes
Dick Johnson Racing is also in on the action, harking back to its 1981 victory with a ‘Tru-Blu’ look on its #17 Norton Ford. The car will run in James Moffat’s regular Norton colours until Sunday’s morning warm-up.
CLICK HERE to view the DJR entry
See below for Speedcafe.com’s video of the launch
