After spending a race weekend stalking V8 Supercar’s ‘elder statesman’ John Bowe, we reckon we’ve pinpointed why he’s wrapping up his 22-year touring car career – retiring from the demands of big time racing will give JB more time to talk.

Although no extrovert, the bearded one is a people person, a ‘have-a-chat’. That’s why he’s tickled pink punters have taken such an interest in ‘JB’s Final Bowe’ – his year-long farewell season.

"I’m a relatively low-key type of bloke," says Bowe. "So I’m not going to go around the track in the back of a ute at each round. But I just didn’t want to fade away, for the sake of those people who have supported me.

"I’m genuinely touched – and a little overwhelmed – by the interest people have shown since I’ve announced it’s my last year. It means so much to me. I’m the last of the old era, really."

Those were the 53-year-old’s thoughts days before leaving his adopted hometown, Melbourne, for Perth. What awaited him in Western Australia blew him away. The interest in him eclipsing Peter Brock’s record for the most Australian Touring Car Championship/V8 Supercar starts was extraordinary. Mind you, V8X thought as much. Hence, we asked JB if he minded if we tagged along.

Wanneroo was an appropriate venue for him to break Brocky’s record. It was there he scored his first championship pole, in 1986 in a Volvo, and won ATCC rounds in ’89 and ’92.

Round two was also the only chance this year for West Aussies to bid him farewell. What soon became apparent was the appreciation punters have for the way Bowe is, err, bowing out.

It’s rare that former V8 champions and multiple round winners – beyond the two icons Peter Brock and Dick Johnson – actually have farewell seasons. Glenn Seton, Jim Richards, Alan Jones, Allan Grice, Wayne Gardner and the great Allan Moffat all just quit or were cast aside with little fanfare.

So the ‘Bowe wave’ is hugely appreciated by long-time V8 fans who have missed out on saying bye-bye to the majority of their greats as, say, footy fans have.

JB is likely to be V8 Supercar’s last 50-something driver. While Russell Ingall, Paul Radisich and Brad Jones are in their 40s, none is likely to be racing when their odometer clicks over to 50. If the next most senior driver, Mark Skaife, 40 in April, is racing when he’s 45 we’ll eat our shirts. Which is just one more reason to document this history-making round.

Thursday, March 22

Media commitments begin before JB leaves Melbourne with a radio interview on Sydney’s 2KY Big Sports Breakfast. Upon arriving in Perth, JB is whisked to Affinity Windows and then Jason Windows to meet staff on behalf of sponsor Doric.

"The game has certainly changed," JB explains. "We do far more corporate activities these days than people might imagine."

Later that day JB joins his fellow drivers at an autograph session at the City of Wanneroo’s council chambers.

Even busier than JB this weekend is the team’s PR manager Marscelle Tully.

"It’s a big year and there’s lots of interest in it being JB’s final one," she says. "He’s fantastic; and very easy to work with. He’s a lovely man, and maybe a little eccentric."

Friday, March 23

Friday morning is media commitment central. First up are more radio spots, before recording an interview for the circuit’s big screens.

At 9.30am, TV crews rock up to Paul Cruickshank Racing’s garage to chat with the man of the moment. Then follows a V8 Supercars Australia media conference, in its Paddock Club, where his breaking of Brocky’s record is officially recognised. V8SA CEO and Bowe’s former team boss at DJR Wayne Cattach is an appropriate speech maker.

Next is a Blue Oval Club appearance, the first of a dozen hospitality suite appointments that weekend.

The afternoon, to JB’s relief, is spent in the race car. First, the two-hour-plus practice session which, encouragingly, sees him inside the top 10 for the majority, only to be bumped down to 19th when teams apply new rubber. Three guests of Glenfords and Doric then have the honour of featuring in JB’s historic weekend via hot laps.

A busy day ends with the driver’s briefing and a phone interview with 6PR.

Saturday, March 24

The smell of bacon and eggs accompanies the day-opening media breakfast in PCR’s catering tent. Newspaper and magazine journos break bread (well, toast and croissants, at least) with Bowe and his boss Paul Cruickshank.

David Segal – Tully’s boss and owner of PCR’s PR agents Media Communication Services – also attends. When Bowe exits the tent to speak on-air with Triple M’s Dead Set Legends, V8X grills Segal.

"He’s the most intellectual race driver I’ve worked with," says Segal. "I first met JB at Calder Park in 1979. Until then, I hadn’t met a race driver with a sense of humour!

"He can work a room beautifully. That’s the car salesman in him. John is fabulous at engaging people – whether he’s walking into a boardroom or a factory – and interacting with everyone. He walks out of that factory and everyone thinks, ‘What a great guy’.

"Having worked with him for 10 years at Dick Johnson Racing, it’s nice to be involved with him again in his final year."

When Bowe returns he’s excited to have chatted on-air with the co-hosts, basketball and AFL legends Andrew Gaze and Jason Dunstall.

JB is upbeat entering qualifying, but far less so upon exiting with a lowly 27th to his name.

"Clinical depression has set in. It’s really disappointing not to get past the first 15 minutes," Bowe offers. "With green tyres on the car it felt quite different and I think we’ve had one half day of testing. And then we had dramas at Adelaide. So part of it is lack of familiarity."

Then he grins: "I’ve sold cars to a few doctors and I’ve watched Dr Phil, so I’ve learnt a bit about medicine. Hence I’ve diagnosed clinical depression!".

Before the race, he must fit in two more suite appearances – Dunlop and Glenfords/Doric/Wilson Security – and a pre-race briefing with his engineers.

Race one doesn’t go at all to plan and he’s punted twice – by Steven Richards and Max Wilson – the latter leaving him stranded in the sand at the final turn for a big fat DNF.

JB goes missing in action for 30 minutes after the race and resurfaces when it’s time for a suite appearance with Lane Ford, the WA agent for John Bowe Performance products. Then it’s off to the merchandise truck where punters have been waiting patiently.

Sunday, March 25

Sunday, the main race day, begins with a SEN radio interview, before another trek up to merchandise alley.

V8X – and JB – is amazed at just what fans get him to autograph. Clothing, posters, beer stubbies, hats, beanies, scrapbooks, sketches, you name it. He’s presented with photos taken the day before and one even taken during his open-wheel days at Wanneroo more than 20 years ago.

JB charms everyone, especially the little ladies who are chuffed at receiving his attention. He asks Monique, aged nine, if she’s French, given her name, and she responds that she’s "African".

Monique is delighted when JB responds, "Oh, you’re a French African", and his partner Alice raises her eyes at his silliness.

Most autograph hunters end their exchange with something along the lines of "thanks for the memories" or "I’ve enjoyed watching you race". Again, Bowe is blown away with the sentiments.

The hour before each race is dedicated to race prep – refining race plans with his crew and receiving a massage from Alice. A massage therapist and naturopath by trade, she gives her man a thorough going over and assists with his cool suit.

V8X joins Tully and the PCR crew in pit lane for race two, where he progresses to 20th. Not great, but far more palatable than race one.

"Walking back to the garage after the race, a bloke came up to me and said, ‘Thanks for 25 years of memories’. To which I replied, ‘Thanks mate, but I’d trade the whole lot of them for a better performance in that race’."

Sunday’s races are punctuated by trips to the Blue Oval Club and to PCR’s corporate facility.

Race three and Bowe scores the team’s first points of the year with a 14th. It’s also PCR’s best-ever race finish. Not earth-shattering, but scoring points is a big deal to the team (see separate panel) and it shifts the team’s mood.

"I was quite encouraged by the car in the last two races," says Bowe. "In race three I was racing some pretty credentialed cars and people. It gives me a bit of pep.

"If it wasn’t for those two dopey arseholes that punted me – and you can quote me – we might have finished a bit further up for the weekend."

And what of the record?

"You can’t help but be touched by the fact that people – in both red and blue shirts – were interested in you. I was flattered and honoured."

"When I drove for Dick (Johnson) all those years, he was the hero and I was happy for him to be the frontman. Because people are interested in me, I’m genuinely enjoying getting out and talking to them."

The Cruickshank redemption John Bowe’s marriage to Paul Cruickshank Racing is a paradox. That his 22nd season is with a second-year outfit is indeed a contradiction, but it says much about Bowe that he chose to join a former teammate’s fledgling squad. So says Paul Cruickshank himself. Cruickshank says JB'a vast experience is vital in helping PCR grow to the next level. "Last year was our first in the category and it was quite turbulent, with lots of accidents. We lacked experience and I felt we needed to stabilise things. John is an excellent team builder and you can see the effect he’s having week-by-week; the chemistry in the team is getting better and better. "We’ve always had a good work culture, but John will take that to the next level. He’ll help us be regular midfield runners and from there we can try to sprout something." While Bowe’s experience, speed and technical skills are invaluable, Cruickshank says there are other pluses of having JB onboard. "Even the publicity his retirement and the record have generated for our team and sponsors (is a big boost). We got more before we’d turned a wheel in Adelaide than we did all last year, I reckon. "It’s good for business. I had a fair job convincing some of our major backers JB was the man for the job. Over the (Barbagallo) weekend, some of them said, ‘Thanks mate, you made the right decision – we’re very happy’." The Barbagallo weekend proved a typical motorsport rollercoaster ride for Bowe and his team boss. "As of Saturday night we hadn’t finished a race for the year," Cruickshank continued. "So I was a bit distraught, to tell you the truth, thinking ‘Jeez, maybe I’m not good enough for this game’. But we regrouped Saturday night and on Sunday I learnt that we can run in that midfield bunch and be competitive."