When the Group 3A 5.0-litre regulations were introduced at the start of 1993 season, there was plenty of chaos immediately and some of fiery off-track moments like at Symmons Plains.
The racing was tough and in response the fans lapped it up, so when the heat was on in Tasmania, it further proved the decision to implement the Group 3A regulations was the right one.
Reigning champion Mark Skaife was on course to score Holden’s first win of the season after dominating the early stages of the opening race at Symmons Plains, but Alan Jones had other ideas.
Driving the Peter Jackson Ford Falcon, Jones was putting pressure on Skaife and it went awry very quickly.
At the famous Symmons Plains hairpin, Jones hit the rear of Skaife’s Commodore and aggressively spun it exiting the corner.
Expert commentator Allan Moffat called it a ‘savage one’, with Skaife rolling up the incline of the infield and ripping off his front bumper in the process.
This slowed Jones and the two Holden Racing Team Commodores decided to attack the Peter Jackson Falcon on the back straight, This ended in tears too when Wayne Gardner was spun at the final corner to be buried into the bunker.
Jones won the race and was interviewed by Mike Raymond afterwards.
“I’d like to be the guy that owns the franchise for doing the front spoilers and headlights on these things, he’ll make a fortune this year,” Jones said.
“He (Skaife) was a while lot sideways in front of me and I didn’t want to come off the throttle like I did in the Dash because you lose all your revs. In the Dash he gathered it up and kept going, and that on he didn’t.”
Skaife wasn’t obviously happy with that reasoning and went up to Jones after the race to remonstrate.
Let’s just say, none of the ‘conversation’ was able to be broadcast.
This incident set the tone for the rest of the season as the panel beaters were big winners for the rest of it.