Bowe takes on Skaife in classic encounter.
OzEmail Racing's John Bowe will challenge Mark Skaife for the championship at Perth's Barbagallo Raceway next weekend in what is tipped to be one of the hottest contests of the 2004 V8 Supercar season.
The two former Australian Touring Car Champions will fight it out for the illustrious honour of being crowned winner of the "Champions Challenge" which will see Bowe drive a legendary XY GT Falcon and Skaife, a GTR XU1 LJ Torana.
OzEmail Racing's John Bowe will challenge Mark Skaife for the championship at Perth's Barbagallo Raceway next weekend in what is tipped to be one of the hottest contests of the 2004 V8 Supercar season.
The two former Australian Touring Car Champions will fight it out for the illustrious honour of being crowned winner of the "Champions Challenge" which will see Bowe drive a legendary XY GT Falcon and Skaife, a GTR XU1 LJ Torana.
The Champions Challenge has been set up as special treat for spectators at round 5 of the 2004 V8 Supercar Championship, with the drivers competing in three races over the three days at Barbagallo Raceway. It will be a cut-throat affair with each race just three laps of the 2.4km circuit.
"I can't wait to take on Skaifey, especially knowing I've got a few more cubic inches under the bonnet than him. He'll be quick around tight bits but the look on his face when we get to the straights will be priceless," said John Bowe.
"It's important to remember that not only are Mark [Skaife] and I previous champions but so are these cars. The GT that I'm driving is virtually the same car that Allan Moffat won Bathurst in 1971 and the XU1 was Peter Brock's choice for his first win the following year," Bowe added.
"These were great cars of their time and both were built for the prime reason of winning Bathurst. I'm sure I speak for Mark when I say that it's quite an honour to have the chance to drive these cars on a race track."
"Things haven't changed that much when it comes to the battle between the two manufacturers. Just like we have today with the V8 Supercar category, the Champions Challenge will be a true Ford versus Holden battle. It's the rivalry between the two makes that has made motorsport in this country so popular," he said.
When questioned on whether he will be out to win, Bowe quickly replied "Of course ! My allegiance to Ford is too big to allow a Holden and Skaifey beat me. I'll be out there to win every race and show people why the XY GT was such a fantastic car," Bowe concluded.
