It’s been three decades since Adelaide hosted its final Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, but leading the support card was the Group 3A 5.0-Litre V8s where Australian Touring Car Champion John Bowe dominated proceedings.
Bowe secured his maiden ATCC title following a season-long battle between Glenn Seton and Peter Brock, but there were still the endurance races to go in addition to a couple of special events to cap off the year.
One of these events was the traditional support event in Adelaide as part of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend.
Bowe’s team owner Dick Johnson had won the first touring car support event in 1985, which proved the sole race victory for his Palmer Tube Mills Ford Mustang.
Big Darrell Eastlake was on commentary alongside a young Craig Lowndes and 500cc ace Kevin Schwantz.
In a clear display of how the category had progressed so quickly, Bowe was 1.5s faster than the previous year to score pole to share the front-row alongside his title protagonist Seton.
Behind was an all-Holden second-row led by Wayne Gardner and Larry Perkins, while Peter Brock was up next to line up beside Tony Longhurst in the Castrol Ford.
Rounding out the top 10 were Johnson, Tomas Mezera, Neil Crompton and Mark Larkham.
Using the longer Adelaide layout, the races were 15 laps covering a distance of 57km.
Gardner made the best of the Race 1 start, but was squeezed between the two Falcons on the front-row. The Coca-Cola Commodore did find a way through to second as Seton took the lead and Bowe dropped to third.
A mistake by Seton entering the Turn 11 hairpin at the end of the Brabham Straight gave Gardner the advantage, but a lap later Bowe took the lead back. Seton replicated the same move on lap 3 and Perkins was now placing pressure on Gardner.
Brock was in fifth behind Perkins until a spin at Turn 5 elevated Longhurst to the position.
It was a dominating performance By Bowe to hold off Seton as Gardner did likewise to Perkins to round out the podium. Longhurst was fifth ahead of Crompton, a recovering Brock, Mezera and Alan Jones.
The positions from the opening race decided the grid for the second, with Bowe leading Seton, Gardner and Perkins.
Gardner was unable to repeat his fast start from the opener leaving Bowe to lead Seton into the opening chicane.
The second Coca-Cola Commodore of Crompton managed to make a great start to sit behind the team boss in fourth.
It was soon to third at the expense of Gardner when contact between he and Seton sent his Commodore into the outside tyre wall at Turn 11, causing severe damage.
Bowe streaked away from the chasing pack led by Crompton as Perkins was in close company behind holding back Johnson and a Seton after dropping position as a result of the contact.
Perkins finally passed Crompton along the Brabham Straight, with Johnson aiming to repeat the move a lap later resulting in a lock-up and the veteran having to reconsider his attack.
The Queenslander successfully did when he completed the pass at Turn 4 leaving Crompton having to fight off Seton, Brock and Longhurst.
Lapped drivers did interrupt the battle, though Crompton was able to hold onto fourth behind Bowe, Perkins and Johnson.
Seton was finished fifth ahead of Longhurst, Brock, Jones, Mezera and South Australian privateer Mark Poole.
Although the V8s return to Adelaide four years later for the two 250km races, it was on a shorter version using Bartels Road instead of extending further north on Hutt Street.
This year marks 40 years since the first Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, which was held in Australia and 30 since the last.