Supercars to roar around the Island again
By Thomas Miles
Date posted: 10 February 2024
Supercars may not be racing at Phillip Island this year, but some famous touring cars from yesteryear will still roar around the seaside circuit at the upcoming Island Classic.
More than 40 fan favourites from the Group C, Group A, 5 litre, Supercars and SuperToruing eras will all create a blast of nostalgia at the March 8-10 event.
The event is run by the Victorian Historic Racing Register and president Ian Tate said a record field of touring cars is expected.
Peter Brock and Larry Perkins’ 1982 Holden VH Commodore SS is coming to Phillip Island.
“We’ve got a record entry of over 40 entries at the moment,” he told AUTO ACTION.
“We’ve got group ‘C’ and ‘A’ which are Touring cars from the past. These include Group C A9X Toranas and Ford Falcons, Commodores, and plenty of small class cars that raced at Bathurst.
“Same for Group A which will include BMW’s, Ford Sierra’s, Group A Commodores, again cars that raced in our Touring Car Championship and at Bathurst.
“We have five coming from New Zealand. Peter Sturgeon is helping us immensely on that. He’s bringing a couple of his Super Tourers, which are two very fast cars.”
Supercars legend Greg Murphy will return to the Island Classic. Image: Motorsport Images
Leading the way will be the pair that won the 1998 Bathurst 1000 together in Greg Murphy and Steven Richards.
Murphy will drive a Nissan Primera SuperTourer, while Steven will fittingly drive the HR31 Skyline his father Jim steered to the 1990 Australian Touring Car Championship title.
Tate also revealed Peter Xiberras will bring two of the most famous cars to ever take on the Mountain.
“Peter Xiberras is bringing two very special cars down. Two of the only three to win Bathurst twice,” Tate said.
“One is the HDT Peter Brock/Larry Perkins Group C Commodore that won in 1982 and again in 1983 with the combination of Brock/Perkins and John Harvey.
“The second win came after the #05 HDT Commodore failed early in the race and Brock/Perkins swapped to the #25 HDT car that Harvey had started the race in.
The last Holden to win the Bathurst 1000 driven by Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander in 2022 will be doing a starring role at the Island Classic. Image: Peter Norton Epic Sports Photography
“This car has recently had a full restoration, and this will be one of the first public outings for the car.
“The other significant car is Shane van Gisbergen’s 2020 and 2022 Bathurst-winning Triple Eight Race Engineering ZB Commodore he shared with Garth Tander.
“It was also the last Holden Commodore to win the Bathurst 1000.
“We are also hoping for two or three Ford Sierras, so in combination with all the other historic touring cars it will be a spectacular show.”
Further details can be found on the VHRR website. www.vhrr.com.au
Main Photo by Dirk Klynsmith / LAT Images
Don’t forget the latest issue of Auto Action available via subscription here – the only place you’ll get to read the full story. For more of the latest motorsport news, subscribe to AUTO ACTION magazine.
Recent Stories
array (
0 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 1839,
'name' => 'Historic',
'slug' => 'historics',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 1839,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 0,
'count' => 120,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 1839,
'category_count' => 120,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'Historic',
'category_nicename' => 'historics',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
1 =>
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' => 16553,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 11,
'category_count' => 16553,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'Latest News',
'category_nicename' => 'latest-news',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
2 =>
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' => 4663,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 659,
'category_count' => 4663,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'National',
'category_nicename' => 'national',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
3 =>
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' => 5534,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 38,
'category_count' => 5534,
'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,
)),
4 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 2029,
'name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
'slug' => 'email',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 2029,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 2031,
'count' => 7111,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 2029,
'category_count' => 7111,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
'category_nicename' => 'email',
'category_parent' => 2031,
)),
5 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 2031,
'name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
'slug' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 2031,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 0,
'count' => 6466,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 2031,
'category_count' => 6466,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
'category_nicename' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
)
