Pro Sport 3000 on display at Historic Sandown

Historic Sandown brought some exclusive cars and characters to the track.

Graeme Hughes was one of the owners and drivers in attendance, his Pro Sport 3000 on display.

The car was originally built in 1993 and raced for the first time in the same year.

The Pro Sport is made up of a space frame chassis and powered by a 3.5 litre Ferrari V8 engine.

The chassis has changed significantly over the years in appearance, starting off white and transforming to blue, silver, yellow, red and white and now the green, red and white seen currently.

The car had a plethora of owners over its career and raced across continents.

The predecessor to Hughes, Robin Swift raced the car around the United Kingdom and Belgium, before shipping the car to Australia where Hughes purchased the #11 in January of 2020.

There are only three in the country, and 21 were built, a rare car that Hughes is proud to own.

When the car made it to Australia, Hughes received a call and decided to have a look on a Sunday morning, and by Sunday night the car was his.

“We did a deal and bought it, and we opened a bottle of Grange Hermitage to celebrate”

The cars first outing under Hughes ownership was in February of 2020 as a demonstration at the 12-hour race at Bathurst, with Tim Macrow driving.

The car got out at Historic Sandown on Saturday afternoon, Hughes qualifying P9 for his class, a difficult grid with fast open wheelers starting in front of the #11.

The car was entered for endurance specification according to Hughes, the main objective being to see the Pro Sport out on track.

“But far as I’m concerned just want to get out there, give the car a run, let people see it because it does get lots of comments”

Hughes background is in rallying, but he’s always loved circuit racing.

He got into a Mk1 RS2000 Escort back in in year 2000 then worked his way up through the ranks.

He then got into a category in historic racing known as Sports 2000, in which he raced an open-top fibreglass body two litre sports car.

Hughes got involved in 1984 with John Fitzpatrick’s Skoal Bandit Team, which is 40 years ago when the circuit racing bug bit Hughes.

There was even a souvenir in the garage, the pit board from the Skoal Bandit Team which they gave to Hughes, and he’s had it ever since.

Hughes had also mentioned his dream was going to Le Mans.

He got to Le Mans in 2012 after 30 years, and how he’s been four times and planning his fifth visit in 2025.

He is very glad to be able to say that he’s been there and could now even be considered a frequent flyer.

What sets this car apart from the rest, is the logo above the right headlight.

‘Barbie’ is the nickname given to the #11, Hughes explained is a nod to his wife, an avid Barbie doll collector with a collection of thousands of the iconic doll.

“I said well look, to put my wife in the picture we will put Barbie on the car and will call the car Barbie”

The connection to the infamous brand is not the only point of interest to this car, inside the driver’s side door there is a signature from newly anointed Formula One driver Liam Lawson.

The New Zealander signed the car during the Adelaide Motorsport Festival earlier this year, acknowledging the unique name for the car in his mark.

Hughes had the opportunity to race against the emerging talent as well Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas in Adelaide, which he spoke of as a highlight.

“He [Valtteri] does not take any prisoners, he scared the hell out of me”

The weekend was about more than racing for Hughes and many like him, a chance to catch up and chat to old friends of the racing fraternity.

“In some ways it’s like a big reunion”

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