CLASSIC RACING IS ON COURSE
A MOTORSPORT enthusiast is patting herself on the back after four years of campaigning to bring retro racing cars to Townsville.
The Touring Car Masters is heading to North Queensland for the first time in 2018 as part of the 10th anniversary of Watpac Townsville 400.
Bernadette Cooper created the Bring Touring Car Masters to Townsville campaign in 2014.
“I’ve always been a bit of a car enthusiast,” Mrs Cooper said. “My husband and I have got a mechanic’s ( business) – we live and breathe this sort of thing.”
As one of the most popular and spectacular V8 Supercars support classes, Touring Car Masters is one of Australia’s premier racing categories.
The series is for retro touring cars from the classic period of muscle car competition between 1964 and 1979.
Mrs Cooper said the past four years had been challenging and in 2017 she almost threw in the towel.
“I stamped my feet at the Townsville ( 400) last year,” she said. “I took a big poster and started walking down pit lane with it that said ‘ We want TCM in Townsville next year’ – then I started gaining more attention.”
The passionate racing fan said she was overwhelmed when TCM announced they’d be heading north in November last year.
The series will bring some of the most iconic brands and models from muscle car history including Ford, Holden, Mustang, Valiant, Chrysler and Porsche.
“It’s very good for the region, you’ll have people that will come from out of town and surrounding areas just to see these guys race,” Mrs Cooper said.