A VERY special Holden is featuring on track at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival this weekend.

The car, a 2008 HSV Clubsport R8 Tourer, was driven to an outright podium position in the 2010 Bathurst 12 Hour by three rather handy drivers; Cameron McConville, Andrew Jones and Nathan Pretty.

The car was run by Holden Motorsport and took part in both the 2009 and 2010 Bathurst 12 Hour races, finishing 15th in the hands of Russell Ingall, Pretty and Jones in 2009.

The following year McConville, Jones and Pretty started the race down in 12th position but worked their way up the leader board to finish the race in third.

The trio finished the race one lap behind race winners Paul Morris, John Bowe and Garry Holt in their BMW 335i.

The HSV Clubsport was owned by Holden Motorsport until Peter Altman bought the vehicle off them four years ago. Altman said that between 2010 and when he purchased the vehicle, the car had not visited a circuit.

Altman explained the car was sitting at Cameron McConville’s place in Melbourne.

“I asked where it was, what was going on with it and managed to get it from there.”

Altman drove the car at the event last year for the first time, but is a regular to the festival having driven at every event since the inaugural year.

His previous car was a Corvette Z06, which he has recently sold, but noted that it was time for a change.

“I want to be safe and fast, keep out of people’s way, and have some fun.” Altman said shortly before heading out for the first session of the weekend.

He said beating the Supercars that run in the same class as the mighty wagon wasn’t on the agenda.

“There are some seriously good cars here: that one there, the Besnard Stone Brothers Falcon is a very fast car and he’s a good driver, so we just want to be safe and have some fun.”

WORDS: Dan McCarthy
IMAGES: Adelaide Motorsport Festival