Bowe to make change in 2004.

After two years racing with OzEmail Racing in the #888 Falcon, John Bowe will start 2004 with a new identity.

For the 2004 V8 Supercar Championship, Bowe's OzEmail Falcon will sport the number 12, a mirror reverse of team mate and owner, Brad Jones' number 21.

"I've had [the car number] 888 since I've started at BJR and it was a number that I had also used when I was driving Ferrari's in Nations Cup. In Asia, 888 is the ultimate lucky number, so I was always hoping that it would show me some good fortune," he added.

"But in the end, it was just as unlucky as any other I have had in the past. Although it was nice to have number 1 on my car in 1996," joked Bowe who won the 1995 Australian Touring Car Championship.

Bowe's 888 number was handed to newly established V8 Supercar team 888 Race Engineering, who had requested the digits for obvious reasons.

They [888 Race Engineering] approached us towards the end of last year to see if we would part with the number. Being a fellow Ford team, we came to an amicable arrangement so they could use 888 this year,' said team boss, Brad Jones.

"We already had the number 12, which Andrew [Jones] used last year in the Konica Minolta series. Having 12 and 21 is a nice match for us and gives our two OzEmail Falcons some association," Jones added.

BJR's Konica Minolta series star, Andrew Jones, who has just signed major sponsors BOC, Sime Tyres and Parker for the entire 2004 season, will run in car 19.

Brad Jones and John Bowe will get their first chance to get behind the wheel of their V8 Supercars next weekend for the unofficial start to the 2004 season. Whilst just competing as a support category, the full V8 Supercar team line-up will take to Melbourne's Albert Park circuit during next weeks Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix.

"The Grand Prix is always a little bit of fun and a good opportunity to iron out some of the development that has gone into the cars during the off season. We won't be going there to win races, it's more about getting things right before the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide," Jones concluded.