Greens-Tuf XE Falcon is back and you can get a hot lap

By: Scott Murray, Photography by: Dishan Marikar

Date: 17.08.2015

Want the ride of your life in one of Australia’s most iconic race cars? Greens'-Tuf is back, and now you can get yourself inside the rollcage.

Greens-Tuf XE Falcon

Greens'-Tuf XE Falcon

BIG BANGING!

The 1983 Greens’-Tuf XE Falcon touring car has been re-built to race condition ready for hot laps with Aussie racing legends Dick Johnson and John Bowe.

In partnership with V8 Race, the ‘Big Banger Hot Laps’ experience will offer punters the chance to take passenger rides in the Ford 351 V8-powered, 500 horsepower Greens’-Tuf recreation at two of Australia’s most iconic racetracks – Sandown Raceway in December 2015 and Mount Panorama in February 2016.

The Big Banger Hot Lap experience will also make its way to Wakefield Park (NSW), Barbagello (WA), and Mallala (SA) later next year.

John Bowe says this one’s for the history books. "I’m really, really excited about giving this experience to people, he says. "It was an important piece of Australian racing history, the Greens’-Tuf car, and it’s important to both Dick and I. We’re looking forward to giving people a taste of what these cars were like to race."

Greg Evans, managing partner with V8 Race, says the way historic racing is headed he prompted the idea. "We were having a conversation with JB who said that retro racing is growing," says Evans, "and we thought the climate was right to get people behind the wheel of an iconic race car. If people want to see, hear and feel what it was like to race the big bangers back in the day, then this is the best way. We’ve built it with Dick Johnson’s input to deliver an authentic experience."

While it may only be day-one of the Greens’-Tuf re-birth albeit in ride day format, Evans says he’s open to the idea of more retro ride day race cars.

"There’s so much interest in historic racing that a Brock VK wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to join the XE, but we’ll see how well this first step goes. We might even be re-igniting the Holden V Ford rivalry here."

"We wanted to rekindle those days when as a kid you switched on the telly at 9am and watched Bathurst until 5pm," Evans says, "and we reckon we’ve nailed it."

For more updates, an in-depth look, and how to get your backside in the legendary Greens’-Tuf Dick Johnson XE Falcon, keep your eyes peeled and your fingers locked on an upcoming issue of Unique Cars magazine.

Visit www.v8race.com/BigBangerHotLaps/  for prices.

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