Champion race driver Colin Bond got reacquainted with the car that was part of Australian motorsport’s most famous moment at the Armor All Gold Coast 600 at Surfers Paradise today. For only the second time since 1977, Bond drove the #2 Ford Falcon XC that finished second in the Bathurst 1000 33 years ago behind team-mate Allan Moffat – a moment that will be re-enacted on Sunday.

Bond, along with 10 other Australian motor racing heroes, drove at the Surfers Paradise circuit in the first of three demonstration race sessions for the popular Pirtek Australian Legends category.

“The car went extremely well, the only thing I noticed was it has no power steering so it was reasonably heavy,” said Bond.

“It’s been 33 years since we won the race at Bathurst in the same car – obviously I was 33 years younger but the car still feels fantastic.

“You can’t compare a car that’s 33 years old with the modern technology inside the Supercars of today but it has the same amount of power.

“To me, it sounds like the best car out there.”

The XC Falcon is among a priceless list of cars including Moffat’s almost unbeatable Coca-Cola Mustang, an original Tony Longhurst Sierra, Kevin Bartlett’s legendary Channel 9 Camaro, Jim Richards’ Bathurst-winning Nissan GT-R, Glenn Seton’s title-winning Ford Credit Falcon and Dick Johnson’s 1981 Tru Blu XD Falcon.

The line-up of Legend drivers includes former Bathurst and national champion Allan Moffat, six-time Bathurst winner and multiple national champion Jim Richards, 1970s guru Kevin Bartlett, and Bathurst winners Tony Longhurst, Bo Seton and Bob Morris. James Brock will also be a part of the show driving one of the Bathurst-winning cars of his late father, Peter.

A highlight of the weekend will be on Sunday with the recreation of one of the greatest moments in Australian sporting history when motorsport heroes Moffat and Bond get behind the wheel of their original #1 and #2 XC Ford Falcons.

Queensland Minister for Sport Phil Reeves, who announced earlier this month that the Pirtek Australian Legends would return to the Gold Coast, said it was all part of three days of entertainment producing one hell of a show.

The Legends will be on-track tomorrow (Saturday) at 12.40pm and Sunday at 11.40am.

The Pirtek Australian Legends category is part of a full entertainment line up for the Armor All Gold Cast 600, which kicked off today on the streets of the Gold Coast and will continue through to Sunday October 24. The event will feature 18 international drivers alongside the V8 Supercar stars by day, and 16 International and Australian acts by night, in a continuance of V8 Supercars’ highly successful Rock ‘n’ Race format.