General Motors will begin its farewell to Holden in racing at The Bend SuperSprint this weekend.
The celebration of Holden’s 53 years of ‘official’ involvement will culminate in a special event at the Bathurst 1000 in October.
Called ‘The Final Roar’, it begins at The Bend Motorsport Park on Saturday with more than 150 classic Holdens driving to the track from the National Motor Museum at Birdwood in the Adelaide Hills.
They will arrive at track outside Tailem Bend mid-morning and will be on display during the two-day Supercars event.
A highlight will be the first public appearance of the new mid-engine C8 Chevrolet Corvette, which will be on sale at the end of the year.
The left-hand drive Corvette evaluation car is expected to do demonstration laps, broadcast on Fox Sport’s coverage at around 3.45 pm ASDT (3.15 pm SA time) on Saturday.
The C8, the first factory produced right-hand drive Corvette, will headline the GM Speciality Vehicles range replacing Holden, which was killed this year.
It will be a cut-price Ferrari/Lamborghini/Porsche competitor, with pricing starting at $145,000.
There is a small chance the ‘Final Roar’ crescendo at the Bathurst 1000 will include demonstration laps by a Le Mans GTE Corvette C8.R racer.
The fleet of hot Holdens heading for The Bend will be flagged away from Birdwood at 8 am Saturday by GM Australia New Zealand boss Marc Ebolo.
GMSV chief Joanne Stogiannis is also expected to attend.
GMSV is supporting the switch from the ZB Commodore to the two-door Chev Camaro under Supercars’ new Gen3 regulations, due to start next year.
Holden’s ‘Final Roar’ tribute will peak at the Bathurst 1000.
GMANZ is keen to use racing to emphasise that the company will retain a long-term presence to support 1.6 million Holden owners with service and parts support.
There are more than 200 GM-authorised outlets in Australia and over 50 in NZ, plus AC Delco aftermarket parts retailers.
This year is the final season of Holden’s factory backing of Triple Eight, although its Holden Racing Team status has been removed.
Holden was unofficially directly involved in motor sport from 1968 with the creation of the Holden Dealer Racing Team, which contested the Bathurst 500 and London to Sydney marathon with Monaro GTS327s.
It was replaced in ’69 by the Holden Dealer Team, which eventually morphed into HRT in 1990.
HRT was run by the Walkinshaw organisation until 2017, when Holden factory team status was taken over by Triple Eight.
GMANZ is claiming 70 years of success in racing, dating back to an unofficial FJ entry in the 1953 Monte Carlo Rally.
The first Holden homologation special for racing was the 1964 EH S4. The ’68 GTS327 was followed by the GTS350, which also won Bathurst in ’69, and then race-dedicated Torana GTR XU-1 and L34 and A9X.
Commodores VC to ZB have represented Holden in racing since 1980 – although the Commodore’s first big success was Peter Brock’s victory in the ’79 Repco Reliability Trial.
The Commodore is officially dead, but races on.
Red Bull Ampol Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen is headed for Holden’s final racing title.
Tripe Eight is developing the replacement Chev Camaro for Gen3, due next year.
Holden’s racing and performance car pedigree is so extensive and influential that the ‘Final Roar’ will be a fitting tribute.
array (
0 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 11,
'name' => 'Latest News',
'slug' => 'latest-news',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 11,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 0,
'count' => 15597,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 11,
'category_count' => 15597,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'Latest News',
'category_nicename' => 'latest-news',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
1 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 659,
'name' => 'National',
'slug' => 'national',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 659,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 0,
'count' => 4594,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 659,
'category_count' => 4594,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'National',
'category_nicename' => 'national',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
2 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 38,
'name' => 'Supercars',
'slug' => 'supercars',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 38,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => 'The Supercars Championship, currently known as the Repco Supercars Championship, is the premier motorsport category in Australasia and one of Australia\'s biggest sports. It originated from the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC), which held its first race in 1960 at Gnoo-Blas in Orange, New South Wales. The ATCC evolved over the years, and in 1997, it was rebranded as the V8 Supercars Championship, eventually becoming the Supercars Championship we know today.
Some of the leading drivers in the history of the Supercars Championship include Peter Brock, who is often referred to as the "King of the Mountain" for his nine victories at the Bathurst 1000, a race that is considered one of the biggest in the series. Other notable drivers include Dick Johnson, Marcos Ambrose, Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, Jamie Whincup, who holds the record for the most championship titles, and Mark Skaife, who has also been a dominant force in the series.
The Bathurst 1000, held at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, is arguably the most famous race in the Supercars calendar. Other significant races include the Sandown 500 and the Adelaide 500, which are known for their challenging circuits and thrilling competitions.
The Supercars Championship has grown to become a globally recognized series, known for its competitive racing and passionate fan base. It continues to be a major part of Australia\'s motorsport culture, attracting top drivers and teams from around the world.',
'parent' => 0,
'count' => 5268,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 38,
'category_count' => 5268,
'category_description' => 'The Supercars Championship, currently known as the Repco Supercars Championship, is the premier motorsport category in Australasia and one of Australia\'s biggest sports. It originated from the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC), which held its first race in 1960 at Gnoo-Blas in Orange, New South Wales. The ATCC evolved over the years, and in 1997, it was rebranded as the V8 Supercars Championship, eventually becoming the Supercars Championship we know today.
Some of the leading drivers in the history of the Supercars Championship include Peter Brock, who is often referred to as the "King of the Mountain" for his nine victories at the Bathurst 1000, a race that is considered one of the biggest in the series. Other notable drivers include Dick Johnson, Marcos Ambrose, Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, Jamie Whincup, who holds the record for the most championship titles, and Mark Skaife, who has also been a dominant force in the series.
The Bathurst 1000, held at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, is arguably the most famous race in the Supercars calendar. Other significant races include the Sandown 500 and the Adelaide 500, which are known for their challenging circuits and thrilling competitions.
The Supercars Championship has grown to become a globally recognized series, known for its competitive racing and passionate fan base. It continues to be a major part of Australia\'s motorsport culture, attracting top drivers and teams from around the world.',
'cat_name' => 'Supercars',
'category_nicename' => 'supercars',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
)
