Nearly 20,000 spectators are estimated to flock to Canberra to see millions of dollars worth of historic cars and motorcycles.
Australia's only Formula One World Champion Alan Jones' 1985 F1 car, and the 1997 Bathurst 1000-winning Holden Commodore V8 Supercar of Larry Perkins and Russell Ingall, will star at the Canberra Festival of Speed on January 31 and February 1.
The event, now in its third year, aims to attract close to 20,000 spectators, viewing tens of millions of dollars' worth of ultra-rare cars, racing icons, European supercars, open-wheelers, and exotic motorbikes on display and conducting demonstration runs.
Event organisers say that 49 per cent of last year's attendees came from outside the ACT, and that it is a huge tourism boost for the nation's capital, similar to the annual Summernats car festival held earlier this month.
Alan Jones was the last Australian driver to win the F1 world championship in 1980, but the Lola-Hart THL1 on display raced in 1985.
Martin Tanti, one of the event's directors, said in a press release: “To be able to see a car like this in motion is so special, and as attendees have learned over the past two years, you’re closer to the action than any other event.”
Numerous iconic Australian touring cars have been entered, headlined by the Perkins/Ingall 1997 Bathurst 1000-winner but joined by cars driven by the likes of John Bowe, Glenn Seton, Wayne Gardner, Neil Crompton and Brad Jones.
V8 Supercars that raced on the streets of the capital during the Canberra 400 from 2000 to 2002 will participate in demonstration laps of the event's exhibition circuit, including two 2001 Ford AU Falcons, one driven by Festival ambassador John Bowe in Caterpillar livery, and the other driven by Brad Jones that wore OzEmail colours.
Thoroughbred Park in Lyneham, ACT, will host the event again, with gates opening from 2:00pm on Saturday and 9:00am on Sunday, with cars in their respective groups on track every 15 minutes.
