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Quinn aims for two Highlands 101 victories with Tander

2 November, 2014

With this year’s Highlands 101 endurance race meeting being held this weekend, November 8–9, at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell, Tony Quinn has paired up with renowned V8 Supercars driver, and three-times Bathurst 1000 winner, Garth Tander, as he seeks both the Highlands 101 race win and the Australian GT Championship (AGT) title.

Tony Quinn (L) and Garth Tander will be pairing up for the Highlands 101 endurance race

Quinn, the Highlands Motorsport Park owner, is the only winner of the two 101-format races run to date, and will be driving the same six-litre V12 Aston Martin Vantage GT3. Tander is looking forward to Highlands 101, and parity afforded by the 101-format, saying, “When the ‘pro’ drivers like me compete, we can’t just come in and dominate, which is nice. It’s a bit like having a golf handicap.”

Tony Quinn and Fabian Coulthard winning a previous Highlands 101 

Quinn is also in a strong position to secure the AGT title, sitting a mere 32 points behind current leader Richard Muscat. With Muscat enlisting Craig Baird as his co-driver, the competition in this final round of this AGT series has really ramped up, ensuring the weekend’s going to be one to watch. Highlands 101 takes place at Highlands Motorsport Park over the weekend of November 8–9. Tickets are available online from TicketDirect, or at the gate during the race weekend. 

Lunch with Bill Leckie: An Imp’s tale

6 August, 2026

Seeking limelight is part of Bill Leckie’s DNA, but when I asked him if anyone had written about his career and the cars he created, he didn’t think so. Even so, I was delighted when he agreed to sit down with me over a pie and coffee to reminisce. I started by asking how it is that someone who is so fanatical about F1 only ever raced saloon cars? Well, we’ll get to that, but where did things start? “I went to Cornwall Park Primary School and then to Remuera Intermediate where I became good mates with Geoff Perry, son of the legendary motorcycle racing legend Len.” Geoff Perry was 23 and on the edge of stardom when he was killed in a mystery air disaster over the Pacific in 1973. “We used to race around his backyard on a cutdown motorbike. It was friendly competition that I suppose helped hone our racing instincts. There was never much between us and so, by 11 or 12, I had a definite leaning towards speed.”

Mitsubishi’s secret weapon

31 July, 2026

Ewen’s Starion is a little different and special. He saved this one – literally ‘found in a paddock’ — just in time, as he relates.
“Mine is a 1983 Starion. I’ve had it about five years. I first saw it in a paddock at Ryal Bush [north of Invercargill], and I went past it three times. The third time I went back and knocked at the door, but the owner didn’t want to sell. He rang up a year later, and put a price on it, which we accepted. Only thing wrong was the motor was totally dismantled.”
Ewen then set about getting the car back to its current state.
“It took me six months to find somebody suitable to refurbish it back then. Simon Bradley at Midas in Invercargill offered to do it and he did a great job on it. The head was badly damaged around the valves, and Simon said you could get generic cylinder heads now, so he installed one, and it cost $800. It’s made such a difference to the car. Mine is an intercooled, fuel-injected turbo model, fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox. It’s a great car to drive too.”
Except for a small patch of surface rust, Ewen’s car was in surprisingly good condition despite its paddock life.