PIT LANE CLOTHING was commissioned to design a custom range of apparel for the return to track of Steve Willing's stunning 1979 March Engineering F2 car.
A story of 34 years in the making, the car is set to have its first run at the Phillip Island Classic on 10th March, where it will be seen alongside a contingent of 1970's and early 80's F1 cars that have come from Europe, including cars driven by F1 World champions, Hunt, Mansell and Allan Jones and with brands such as Benetton, Hesketh and Ferrari.
Owner driver Steve Willing said,
"I never thought that when I drove a Formula Ford at Peter Finlay's Drive School at Oran Park approximately 12 years ago that I would have this opportunity.
Five and a half years ago, I bought my March 793 from Dean Hosking in Adelaide, off the back of a post on Facebook and this event marks it debut race meeting following a complete rebuild.
It had not been on a race track since 1989, some 34 years ago.
I am lucky to be the custodian of such a significant car, being Mike Thackwell's factory car from the 1979 British F3 season, which was imported by Russell Norden into Australia in early 1980 to run in Australian Formula 2.
It will be extra special as my brother Todd has travelled here from America, to also debut his (even more special) ex Francois Cevert Elf Team Coombs March 722.
I'm looking forward to sharing this important moment with him.
PIT LANE CLOTHING management said:
"it was privilege to be able to work with Steve and to design a range for such an iconic car but that also brings challenges too.
Steve wanted the range to show the exact logos on the car and many of the companies that were associated with the car have gone out of business long ago.
So we literally had to remake all the logos, right down to the minute detail of the word 'Girling' for example on the Girlock logo. The detail is down to millimeters'.
The 2023 Phillip Island Classic – Festival of Motorsport will host a number of spectacular historic F1 cars from Europe along with nine international drivers competing at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on 10 – 12 March.
Regarded as the largest historic motor race in the Southern Hemisphere, the Phillip Island Classic ‘Festival of Motor Sport’ is renowned for attracting some of the finest historic race cars in the world.
On display and racing this weekend includes the 1974 SurteesTS16/02 which was designed and built by the legendary John Surtees, raced in Argentinian, British, South African, Spanish, Belgian, Swedish, Monaco and French Grand Prix’s over the 1974/ 1975 seasons.
Of particular Australian significance is the 1977 Shadow DN8 of James Constable, a Formula One car of the Shadow Team during the 1976, 1977 and 1978 Formula One season.
Driven by 1980 World Champion Alan Jones, Jones finished in the points in Monaco and Belgium and won the 1977 Austrian Grand Prix.
Racing at Phillip Island will also be the Tyrrell 012 in the original Benetton sponsored livery as driven by Michele Alboreto in 1983.
Let alone the stunning F1 Hesketh 308-1, the car that gave World Champion James Hunt, racing at Silverstone International Trophy in 1974, his first overall race victory in a Formula One car.
With some of the largest crowds expected, the Phillip Island Classic–‘Festival of Motorsport’ will be held at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit over the long weekend of 10 – 12 March 2023 with one, two and three day tickets available at the gate.
