Production Touring Car racing has a long and proud history in Australian Motorsport. No era is revered more than when Group C Touring Car racing was the pinnacle of all things motorsport. From 1973 to 1984 nothing else came close to Group C Touring Cars in terms of spectator involvement.
It has become the cornerstone of Australian motorsport and the actual cars of the period, when restored and reintroduced to the public, have become the mainstay of historic motorsport events across Australia.
Group C Touring Car racing heralded the birth of an Australian legend - the King of the Mountain, ‘Brockie’, ‘Peter Perfect’, the late Mr Peter Brock. In addition to Brock, greats such as Bartlett, Gricey, Moffat, Carter and Johnson all became household names. The rivalry of the HOLDEN (Red ) and FORD ( Blue ) was born.
The ‘Big Bangers’, as they are now affectionately known, referred not just to the might of the V8 but also to the fierce competition, the high regard for Bathurst, and the regular ‘race within a race’ which occurred between manufacturers in the smaller classes such as Toyota, Triumph, Alfa Romeo and Ford.
2007: The Inaugural Power From The Past
The inaugural Power From The Past was held in April 2007 at Symmons Plains, Tasmania to celebrate this wonderful era in Australian Motorsport, the Group C Touring Cars.
The idea for the event was thought up by Ian Cowie, a member of the Group C Touring Car Association from Melbourne. The concept was presented to Events Tasmania as an opportunity to provide Tasmania’s local motor racing enthusiasts with a special event based on historic racing cars and in particular, some cars that have a connection with Tasmania through their drivers, owners or corporate relationships.
Power From The Past provides mum and dad with the opportunity to take the kids along to see and hear the racing cars they experienced when they were young.
Legends such as Garth Wigston, John Goss, Phil (Splitpin) Brock, Fred Gibson and Christine, Murray Carter, Bob Holden and many more attended in 2007 and the list is even longer for 2008. These drivers are internationally recognised as world class and deservedly so. The exploits of these drivers are now legendary.
Power From The Past bridges the generation gap, allowing those who remember the original ‘Big Bangers’ to relive the past, while allowing their children and grand-children the opportunity to experience motorsport at its finest.