The family owns and tends a collection of almost 90 classic race cars and road cars at its base on the Sunshine Coast. Patriach David Bowden will watch from the sidelines as his two sons, Chris and Dan, take part in the SunCoast next July, with both choosing classic machines in which to compete.
Chris Bowden will drive a Falcon Sprint coupe, the car that Ford built to tackle the famous Monte Carlo Rally in the early 1960s. “I chose the Sprint because it was the car that Ford really built to win the Monte Carlo - it is a true classic tarmac rally car with plenty of grunt from its 289 cubic inch Ford V8 motor and it has all the right bits to make it a both competitive and fun to drive,” Chris said.
“The other good thing is there aren’t too many Falcon Sprints in Australia so it really stands out.” Brother Dan is yet to choose a classic car from the family collection but will likely contest the touring category.
According to Chris Bowden, the SunCoast Classic will be a fantastic event and the perfect opportunity to use some of the classic cars from the collection in the manner they were intended to be used. “I’m eagerly awaiting the SunCoast Classic; I have been in love with the concept since I heard that Silverstone Events was going to run it,” said Chris.
The entry of brother Dan underlines the broad spectrum of entries the SunCoast Classic will attract including many who want to drive their classic and valuable performance cars without having to risk them in out and out competition or having to fit roll cages and other modifications.
“Dan will probably run a later model Porsche road car in the Thoroughbred Touring category where the emphasis is on average speed and enjoying the camaraderie and social aspects as much as anything,” said Chris.
“It means you can enjoy the event without taking too many risks with your expensive car whether that be a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, Porsche or even a valuable Falcon GT,” he added.
Chris believes events like the SunCoast Classic enable great old cars to be used and enjoyed not just by the owners but the spectators as well.
“We are really looking forward to tackling the SunCoast and we have been waiting for a tarmac rally in Queensland for so long it will be absolutely sensational to have the chance to compete on these fantastic roads virtually on our door step,” Chris concluded.
The SunCoast Classic is an all new tarmac rally which is set to inject more than $3million a year into the Queensland economy with a field of up to 250 exotic and classic cars expected to line up for the five day event. It will be held on closed tarmac roads in the Sunshine Coast hinterland from July 4 – 8 and will give Queensland its first real taste of classic tarmac rallying following three years of hard work and negotiations with government and local authorities.
The SunCoast Classic will be similar in format to other highly successful classic tarmac events such as the Targa Tasmania and Classic Adelaide.
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