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Australia

Moffat and Bond to recreate history at Gold Coast

ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S GREATEST SPORTING MOMENTS RECREATED ON THE GOLD COAST One of the greatest moments in Australian sporting history will be recreated at next week's Armor All Gold Coast 600 on the streets of Surfers Paradise. Australian ...

ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S GREATEST SPORTING MOMENTS RECREATED ON THE GOLD COAST

One of the greatest moments in Australian sporting history will be recreated at next week's Armor All Gold Coast 600 on the streets of Surfers Paradise.

Australian motorsport heroes Allan Moffat and Colin Bond will get behind the wheel of their original #1 and #2 XC Ford Falcons, which teamed for the historic 1-2 form finish at the 1977 Bathurst 1000 at Mt Panorama.

Next week's recreation will be part of the second annual Pirtek Australian Legends category at the Gold Coast event which will bring together some of the greatest names and cars in touring car history.

The spectacular will come just two weeks after another memorable 1-2 form finish by Team Vodafone Holden teammates Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup in the Supercheap Bathurst 1000 at Mt Panorama on Sunday.

The only other 1-2 Bathurst finish came from Peter Brock and John Harvey in 1984, but on that occasion the second car was two laps down.

It will be the first time the XC Falcons have been on track together since a special tribute at Bathurst in 2002 and the first time that both have run at speed with their original drivers behind the wheel since that memorable day on October 2, 1977.

The 1977 1-2 is regarded by many as the most memorable moment in Australian touring car racing and next week's recreation has been made possible through the generous support of the National Motor Racing Museum at Bathurst and Sunshine Coast collector, David Bowden.

The #1 Falcon is on permanent display at the National Motor Racing Museum at Mt Panorama only a few hundred metres from the finishing line of the 1977 race, while the #2 Falcon is part of Bowden's extensive collection, of which nine cars will be in action on the Gold Coast next week.

Both cars will run individually in 20-minute sessions on the Friday and Saturday of the event and will then come together for a 1-2 form finish reenactment on the Sunday.

"That day in 1977 was something pretty special and it is fantastic that fans will have the chance to see it recreated on the streets of the Gold Coast thanks to the Bathurst City Council and David Bowden," said Moffat.

"Those two cars stir the emotions of Australian sports fans like no other and to think we will have them out on track together after 33 years is something you have to stop and think about for a minute.

"I think the fans at the Gold Coast are going to be in for a real treat. I think the whole Pirtek Australian Legends category is something that is going to bring the fans out in force."

Bond returns to the Gold Coast after being a part of last year's inaugural Legends event.

"Last year was something different to be a part of, but to have both the #1 and #2 Falcons on track again and firing a shot in anger is going to take the Pirtek Legends to a whole new level," said Bond.

"I am not too sure what you can to do top this. These two cars look great in the Bathurst and Bowden museums, but this may be something that race fans may never see again.

"It is ironic that this event will be happening just a couple of weeks after Craig (Lowndes) and Jamie (Whincup) pulled off their own piece of history at the weekend."

The list of legendary drivers a part of he Pirtek Australian Legends will include five-time Australian touring car champion Dick Johnson, Moffat, a former Bathurst and national champion, six-time Bathurst winner and multiple national champion Jim Richards, 1970s guru Kevin Bartlett, Bond, a former touring car and rally ace, Bathurst winners John French, two-time national champion Glenn Seton, Tony Longhurst, Bo Seton and Bob Morris and born and bred Gold Coast racer Charlie O'Brien. James Brock will also be a part of the show driving one of the Bathurst-winning cars of his late father, Peter.

The almost priceless list of cars will be also include Moffat's almost unbeatable Coca-Cola Mustang, Johnson's Bathurst-winning Tru-Blue Falcon, an original Longhurst Sierra, Bartlett's legendary Channel 9 Camaro, Richard's Bathurst-winning Nissan GT-R and Glenn Seton's title-winning Ford Credit Falcon.

Queensland Minister for Sport, Mr Phil Reeves said the confirmation of the #1 and #2 1977 Falcons was the "icing on the cake" for the Pirtek Australian Legends category and the Armor All Gold Coast 600 as a whole.

"It's all part of what's a fantastic three days of entertainment on the Gold Coast, great racing with the V8's, including the International drivers, the entertainment and now a walk down memory lane," Mr Reeves said.

"First of all we have to thank the Bathurst Regional Council and David Bowden for allowing use of these almost priceless cars and then we need to get seriously excited about what is about to happen on the streets of the Gold Coast.

"The inclusion of these two cars and their original drivers, Allan Moffat and Colin Bond, caps off what is going to be an amazing event.

"When you consider the field of V8 Supercars and their regular drivers, the injection of 18 of the world's best international drivers and a three-night program of entertainment including 16 bands, headed by no less than the Beach Boys, we have one hell of a show."

The Bathurst Regional Council believes that the appearance of Moffat's #1 XC Falcon will provide tremendous exposure for the National Motor Sport Museum.

"We are proud of the motorsport history at Bathurst's Mt Panorama and of the extensive collection we have at the National Motor Sport Museum," said Bathurst Mayor Paul Toole.

"1977 was obviously a tremendous day in the history of the "Great Race" and we are very fortunate to have ownership of Allan Moffat's #1 Falcon from that day and to now have the chance to share it with fans in a different part of the country at the Armor All Gold Coast 600.

"Any other time of the year fans can see the car and hundreds of other cars artifacts at our museum which is a valuable part of our community and open all-year round at Mt Panorama."

The Legend cars will be on track for 20 minutes sessions on each of the three days and the Legends themselves will take part in daily autograph sessions on the SEA-FM stage on MacIntosh Island.

The cars will also be on full-time display in their pit area at the northern end of pit lane

-source: goldcoast600.com.au

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Australia