The Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame may be new, having just started up in 2016, but should they not have called it the Australian Motor Sport Garage of Fame?
An Australian Racing Hall of Fame already exists to honour the great thoroughbreds, jockeys and trainers. Should it not be the Barn of Fame, or the Stable of Fame?
Musing aside, the Hall of Fame devoted to motor sports recently announced that John Bowe would be inducted as part of the class of 2018.
Bowe will go into the hall alongside Mark Webber and the ceremony will be held in Melbourne on March 23, on the eve of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
Bowe is deserving, if for no other reason than he looks well under his claimed 63 years of age.
“To be honest, I am slightly overwhelmed,” Bowe said.“When you are 35 (years old) awards mean nothing, but to be recognised by the industry and your peers at this stage of my career is really very humbling.It has certainly been a great journey since I started racing a Formula Vee at Baskerville in Tasmania at the age of 15.”
Bowe was already in the Supercars Hall of Fame, but that is a rather limited accolade, restricted to just the one category of racing, while the Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame encompasses car racing, motorcycle racing, speedway cars, speedway motorcycles, rallying, motocross, karting, drag racing, off-road and even land speed.
Sixteen other will join Bowe and Webber for the black tie gala event.
Bowe is best known for his driving in sports cars and touring cars, having won the Bathurst 100 twice to go along with multiple wins in the Bathurst 12 Hour. He also did a considerable amount of racing in open-wheel cars, where he won the Australian Drivers Championship in 1984 – 85, beating F1 stars in process.
He retired from Supercars in 2007 and has become a champion of those dealing with mental health issues.
