Legend hits back as Bathurst controversy escalates

Former champion John Bowe has called for Erebus boss Barry Ryan to move on from the controversy that overshadowed last year's Bathurst 1000.

The DJR Team Penske pair of Scott McLaughlin and Alex Premat won the race, but Ryan this week re-opened old wounds by suggesting they should have been stripped of the title, after teammate Fabian Coulthard slowed the field behind a safety car to allow McLaughlin to make a pitstop without being passed for position.

DJR Team Penske was fined $250,000 and stripped of 300 points for the move, but the drivers were allowed to keep the victory.

Debate raged for weeks after the race over the actions of DJR Team Penske, with many rival drivers and owners vocal in their condemnation of the team.

Ryan has put the issue firmly back into the spotlight just days out from this year's race, but Bowe, who partnered Dick Johnson to victory in both 1989 and 1994, says it's time to forget what happened last year.

"Barry Ryan is renowned for throwing out controversial comments," Bowe told Wide World of Sports.

"There's a system in place for rules, there's stewards and driving standards people. There's a whole system to make decisions.

"If you don't believe in the system, you shouldn't be racing."

Bowe, who also won the Touring Car Championship for Johnson's team in 1995, says the drama of 12 months ago will have the team extra keen to win again this year, and put to rest any doubts about 2019.

"They won the race last year but there was the controversy, and when things like that happen you can't help but be affected by it," he explained.

"Everyone in that team would have been affected by it.

"Would they have won anyway? Possibly. But I think a sporting contest should be without all of that rubbish."

Bowe believes Bathurst changed significantly a decade ago when organisers decreed that a team had to split its full-time drivers, placing extra emphasis on the co-drivers.

McLaughlin's co-driver, Tim Slade, will no doubt be relieved McLaughlin has already wrapped up his third straight Supercars championship, leaving the pair to focus purely on the Bathurst 1000.

"Tim's a really good operator, and I've got him and Scott as the favourites, but only just," Bowe said.

"Right behind them will be the other teams with former full-time drivers as co-drivers, like Garth Tander (driving alongside Shane van Gisbergen), Craig Lowndes (with Jamie Whincup) and Will Davison (with Cam Waters). Those guys are very capable of winning the race.

"They're the five-star combinations."

Like so many other sports in 2020, this will be a very different Bathurst race, with no crowds across the top of the mountain. Just 4000 spectators per day will be allowed, and only in the reserved-seating areas at the bottom of the track.

"I don't reckon it will make any difference to the drivers, maybe on the TV, but not in the car," Bowe explained.

"Part of the Bathurst folklore is the atmosphere, and that won't be the same, there's no question.

"But when you're driving you're looking at the road. You're aware of the crowd, but you're not scanning the crowd to see if your Uncle is there!"

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