Iconic cars to be showcased at Penrite Oil Sandown 500

To celebrate the Penrite Oil Sandown 500’s 60-year history this weekend, several legendary race cars that have left their mark on this storied circuit will be on display for fans.

Among the featured vehicles is a 1974 Allan Moffat winner tribute car. This meticulously crafted replica of Moffat’s Project B52 Falcon honours the car that won the Sandown 250 50 years ago, a fitting tribute to a racing legend and Hall of Fame inductee.

Colin Bond and Alan Jones' Alfa 80s favourite, the Alfa Romeo Ignis GTV6, will bring back memories from the Hall of Fame inductees' time behind the wheel of the famous yellow mini beast that finished a credible fourth in 1985 at the Sandown Castrol 500 and 15th in 1986.

Fans will also remember the #16 Craven Mild Holden Torana A9X as one of the standout muscle cars in the history of Australian touring car racing, driven by Allan Grice, one of the best drivers in the country to race the V8-powered Hatchbacks.

Christine Gibson’s pocket rocket Nissan Pulsar EXA that debuted at Sandown in the 1983 Castrol 400 will join the display, the same Pulsar that blew all other competitors away in opening practice.

Rusty French and Leo Leonard’s 1977 Falcon XC will be one for the Blue Oval fans to remember.

Also included are Rod and Russ McCrae’s Dustings Torana L34 of 1975, the Alfa Romeo of Ron Gillard and Graham Harrison, a Jaguar XJS made famous by Tom Walkinshaw in the 80s, Steve Ellery's 2000 Sandown Race 2-winning car, and the HRT Commodore that started it all for Craig Lowndes, where he sensationally claimed pole before spinning into the sand on the early laps.

Another must-see is the Ford Falcon driven by Neil Crompton and Glenn Seton in its debut at the 2000 Bathurst 1000. This car later competed in the 2001 season, including at Sandown, making it a significant piece of racing history.

Also on display will be the Caltex car famously driven by Russell Ingall. This vehicle is etched into Supercars lore, not just for Ingall's infamous clash with Mark Skaife at Eastern Creek, but also as the car in which Mark Winterbottom made his debut at the 2003 Sandown 500.

All these iconic cars will be on display together, creating a stunning showcase underneath the Grandstand towards the Paddock throughout this weekend’s Penrite Oil Sandown 500.

Tickets are available through Supercars.com for the opening endurance event of 2024.

Main image courtesy Bruce Thomas

Second image courtesy V8 Supercar Restorations - Ellery 31 - Seton 5