NZ Classic Car

Big Red and beyond

For more than a decade, Invercargill racing driver and businessman Brendan Mason has turned out for motor race meetings a lot less often than he would have liked with the 1970 Chevrolet Camaro known as ‘Big Red’.

“In total, I have only done 37 race meetings in 12 years, which isn’t a lot due to the logistics and costs, but I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute I’ve worked and raced the car, and the friends I have made during the journey will be everlasting.” Brendan recently decided to quit motor racing and said those words soon after selling Big Red to Rob Lewis.

He says it’s been an entertaining 12 years with the ex–Wayne Anderson Pinepac Racing Camaro; it’s also been a rewarding time, with forays over the ditch to Eastern Creek (now Sydney Motorsport Park) in 2012 with the Central Muscle Cars (CMC) and again in 2016, on a CMC expedition to Bathurst.

BATHURST FIRST

“Bathurst has to be the pinnacle of race tracks to race on,” Brendan reckons.

“Bathurst most definitely was the most memorable. Second would be Eastern Creek.”

The car has been to Australia twice and that was the highlight. Bathurst is probably the best track in the Southern Hemisphere. Angus Fogg showed the Touring Car Masters invitation team from New Zealand how to drive it. “A bloody good driver,” is Brendan’s verdict.

In February 2018, during the

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