Gowans Toyota : Gowans Motorsport

EAGLE ONE RACING

Gowans MotorSport Stats:

Evolving from a passion of motoring, Gowans Motor Group bestows North West Tasmanians with unprecedented motoring support, providing the best vehicle servicing of all makes & models (including class leading Aussie Racing Car servicing) and vehicle sales. Gowans Motor Group tests these primary attributes against the National Stage taking on all comers in the ultra competitive Aussie Racing Car Super Series.

This is made possible through the wonderful support of our local sponsors, brand sponsors, and primary sponsorship partners with whom we thank very much and share our success. After debuting in 2007, the team claimed the overall 2009 Series Championship in only their second full year of competition.

2010 turned out to be a very competitive year, dominating race wins taking 12 from a possible 28.   The team suffered mechanical fail in the opening round starting the season on the back foot.  A mid season resurgence saw the team entering the final round in a position to take back-to-back championships.  A dramatic scene unfolded with Adam having to take a win to seal the championship.  Having led the final 4 laps of the race, with 5 corners to go, the car suffered an unpreventable mechanical failure and did not finish the race.  The 12 race wins throughout the year was sufficient to claim 2^nd overall in the championship.

David Fidler, Gowans Toyota Service Manager, is the key secret in keeping the racing car in peak condition. With over 35 years experience on Toyota motor vehicles and race-preparation knowledge gained crewing for Adam’s father Bruce back in the 70’s, David has all the pitlane cunning needed to produce a truly competitive car. Ably supported by Shane Armstrong, who takes after his name, the two are the backbone of the Aussie Racing Car team.

POWER OF THE PAST (excerpt taken from Motorsport Legend Card)

Bruce Gowans is often referred to as one of the most successful drivers - who raced purely as a hobby - to come out of Tasmania. Known as ‘Motorsport’s Gentleman Driver’, Gowans started racing in 1967 when he bought an old Triumph Hilman and raced it from pole in his first outing.

Six months later, Alan Ling – who was later to become Gowans’ business partner – approached him about driving a Lotus 23 which happened to be the ex-Pete Geoghegan/Greg Cusack car. Over the next three years, Gowans and the Lotus won the Tasmanian Sports Car Championship and a successful partnership was formed. At the same time, Gowans and Ling went into business together opening a Toyota Dealerships in Devonport. This was always the priority for Gowans, with racing as a much-loved hobby.

In 1970 Gowans purchased the ex-Glyn Scott Lotus 23B FVA and raced this for the next three years across Australia. They held lap records for the under 1600cc category at Adelaide, Calder, Phillip Island, Baskerville and Symmons Plains. In what Gowans describes as a racing career highlight, he also ran third in a heat of the Australian Sports Car Championships at Symmons Plains behind John Harvey’s McLaren M6 Repco and Phil Moore’s Elfin 360 Repco V8.

The Lotus was sold in 1973 and Gowans took a few years away from racing returning in 1977 in a John McCormack built Celica Repco V8 Sports Sedan. This car ran successfully in the ’78 Sports Sedan Series coming third behind Alan Grice and Jim Richards. That same year, Gowans drove the Roadways Gown/Hindaugh A9X Torana on two occasions; once in a touring car round at Calder achieving seventh place and also co-driving with Garth Wigston in the Rothmans 500 where they finished second. Unfortunately, the politics of motorsport prevented Gowans from fulfilling his racing dream of driving at Bathurst that year as had been planned.

Gowans continued to race the Celica Sports Sedan successfully until he sold it in 1980. Interestingly, Gowans purchased the car again in October last year as a restoration project. Known as a quick, smooth driver, Gowans enjoyed success in a sport he loved that was simply a weekend hobby for him. Bruce Gowans is still involved in motorsport today through his son Adam’s participation and success in Aussie Racing Cars.