Bob Jane
Encyclopedia
Robert "Bob" Jane is an Australia
n former race car driver and prominent businessman. A four-time winner of the Armstrong 500, the race that became the prestigious Bathurst 1000
and a four-time Australian Touring Car Champion
, Jane is perhaps known best nowadays for his chain of tyre
retailers, Bob Jane T-Marts. Jane was inducted into the V8 Supercar Hall of Fame
in 2000.
, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne
. In the 1950s, he started Bob Jane Autoland, a company which distributed parts for Jaguar
and Alfa Romeo
. Through this venture, a love of cars and motorsport blossomed and he first entered competitive racing in Australia in 1956; by 1960, he was racing with some of Australia's top sedan drivers.
won the Armstrong 500
at Phillip Island
, Victoria, driving a Mercedes-Benz 220SE
. Jane and Firth won the race again the following year, the last before the event moved to Mount Panorama
at Bathurst
, New South Wales
, retaining the Armstrong 500 name. Jane, driving for the Ford works team
, won a further two Armstrong 500s at the new venue, the first with Firth in 1963 and the second in 1964 with George Reynolds as co-driver. Despite the change of venue, Jane is officially credited with winning Australia's most famous endurance race four times in a row, something no other driver has ever done.
Jane won the Australian Touring Car Championship
(now known as the V8 Supercar Championship Series) in 1962, 1963, 1971
and 1972. His 1971 ATCC win was in a Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 with a 427 cubic inch engine. Jane was forced by a rule change to replace the 427 engine with a 350 cubic inch engine for the 1972 championship but the Camaro still managed to beat the opposition, which included Allan Moffat
's famous Boss 302 Mustang
. Of the 38 races he started in the ATCC, he finished on the podium 21 times. Bob Jane also won the Marlboro Sports Sedan Series in 1974 and 1975 at his own Calder Park Raceway
driving a modified Holden Monaro
. He also won the 1963 Australian GT Championship
at the wheel of a Jaguar E-type
.
He retired from racing in 1986.
He had a particularly keen interest in tyres and his expertise made him well-known in racing circles. Through his parts business, Bob Jane Autoland, he imported high-performance tyres from Germany
. Not only were these tyres snapped up by his customers, but they gave him a competitive edge in Australia as racing tyres were not as heavily regulated as they are today.
In 1965, Jane opened the first Bob Jane T-Marts store in Melbourne. The company remains an independent, family-owned business to this day; Bob's son, Rodney Jane, is the current CEO. In 2011 82-year-old Jane resigned as chairman of T-Marts citing difficulties in the relationship with his son Rodney.
From 2002 to 2004, Bob Jane T-Marts held the naming rights
sponsorship for the Bathurst 1000
, the race Jane dominated early in his career. The company also holds the naming rights to Bob Jane Stadium, home of South Melbourne FC
.
was held at his Calder Park Raceway in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. Although from 1981 the races were run under Formula Mondiale
regulations, Jane succeeded in attracting many of the best Formula 1 drivers of the era; setting the stage for the first ever Australian Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix, which was held in Adelaide in 1985.
to Australia. Long resistant to oval racing (seeing it as dull and monotonous when compared to circuit racing), Australian motorsport fans finally had their own superspeedway when Jane spent A$
54 million building the Thunderdome on the grounds of Calder Park Raceway. Opened on 3 August 1987, the Thunderdome played host to the first NASCAR
event held outside North America on 28 February 1988. Several prominent drivers from the United States
came to Australia for this race including Bobby Allison
, Neil Bonnett
and others from the Winston West Series.
An article published by Fairfax on 22 May 2008 discussed an ongoing court case between Bob Jane and his estranged wife Laree Jane. Laree is accused of having over $1.5 million worth of credit card debts at one stage, and signing a mortgage on Bob's house in order to pay for them. While Bob believes the signature on the mortgage looks like his own, he has no recollection of signing the document:
The tyre tycoon Bob Jane admits the signature looks like his but yesterday he denied signing a mortgage to pay off $1.5 million of his former wife's credit card debts.
Laree owned more than 41 credit cards, and Bob has made it public that she often went over her yearly $800,000 limit imposed on her credit cards.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n former race car driver and prominent businessman. A four-time winner of the Armstrong 500, the race that became the prestigious Bathurst 1000
Bathurst 1000
The Bathurst 1000 is a touring car race held annually at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia...
and a four-time Australian Touring Car Champion
Australian Touring Car Championship
The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...
, Jane is perhaps known best nowadays for his chain of tyre
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
retailers, Bob Jane T-Marts. Jane was inducted into the V8 Supercar Hall of Fame
V8 Supercar Hall of Fame
The V8 Supercar Hall of Fame was instituted in 1999 with the first running of the V8 Supercars Championship Series, initially known as the Shell Championship Series. It was established to recognise the efforts of past champions and prominent figures within the sport. The initial inductees were...
in 2000.
Early life
Jane grew up in BrunswickBrunswick, Victoria
Brunswick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland...
, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. In the 1950s, he started Bob Jane Autoland, a company which distributed parts for Jaguar
Jaguar (car)
Jaguar Cars Ltd, known simply as Jaguar , is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover business, a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors....
and Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
. Through this venture, a love of cars and motorsport blossomed and he first entered competitive racing in Australia in 1956; by 1960, he was racing with some of Australia's top sedan drivers.
Racing career
In 1961, Jane and co-driver Harry FirthHarry Firth
Harry L. Firth is an Australian former racing driver and team manager. Firth was a leading race and rally driver during the 1950s and 1960s and continued as an influential team manager well into the 1970s...
won the Armstrong 500
Bathurst 1000
The Bathurst 1000 is a touring car race held annually at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia...
at Phillip Island
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is a motor racing racing circuit on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. The circuit was opened in 1956.-Road circuit:...
, Victoria, driving a Mercedes-Benz 220SE
Mercedes-Benz W111
The Mercedes-Benz W111 was a chassis code given to its top-range vehicles, including 4-door sedans, produced from 1959 to 1968, and 2-door coupes and cabriolets from 1961 to 1971. The W111, was initially attributed only to 6-cylinder cars with 2.2 litre engines. The luxury version with big-block 3...
. Jane and Firth won the race again the following year, the last before the event moved to Mount Panorama
Mount Panorama Circuit
Mount Panorama Circuit is a motor racing track located in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home of the Bathurst 12 Hour motor race, held each February, and the Bathurst 1000 motor race, held each October...
at Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, retaining the Armstrong 500 name. Jane, driving for the Ford works team
Ford Works Team (Australia)
The Ford Works Team was a former Australian motor racing team that was supported by the Ford Motor Company of Australia. The team was formed in 1962 and was wound up when Ford withdrew from motor racing at the end of 1973...
, won a further two Armstrong 500s at the new venue, the first with Firth in 1963 and the second in 1964 with George Reynolds as co-driver. Despite the change of venue, Jane is officially credited with winning Australia's most famous endurance race four times in a row, something no other driver has ever done.
Jane won the Australian Touring Car Championship
Australian Touring Car Championship
The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...
(now known as the V8 Supercar Championship Series) in 1962, 1963, 1971
1971 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1971 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Group C Improved Production Touring Cars and Group E Series Production Touring Cars...
and 1972. His 1971 ATCC win was in a Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 with a 427 cubic inch engine. Jane was forced by a rule change to replace the 427 engine with a 350 cubic inch engine for the 1972 championship but the Camaro still managed to beat the opposition, which included Allan Moffat
Allan Moffat
Allan George Moffat, OBE is an Australian racing driver known for his four wins in the Australian Touring Car Championship, six wins in the Sandown 500 and his four wins in the Bathurst 1000...
's famous Boss 302 Mustang
Boss 302 Mustang
The Boss 302 Mustang is a high performance variant of the Ford Mustang originally produced in 1969 and 1970, but revived in the 2012 model year. It was produced for the Trans Am racing series, while the Mustang Boss 429 which was produced the same years was built around a larger engine.-First...
. Of the 38 races he started in the ATCC, he finished on the podium 21 times. Bob Jane also won the Marlboro Sports Sedan Series in 1974 and 1975 at his own Calder Park Raceway
Calder Park Raceway
Calder Park Raceway is a motor racing circuit in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The complex includes a drag strip, a road circuit with several possible configurations, and the "Thunderdome", a high-speed banked oval equipped to race either clockwise or counter-clockwise .-History:Calder Park...
driving a modified Holden Monaro
Holden Monaro
The Holden Monaro is an automobile that was produced by GM Holden Ltd, an Australian subsidiary of General Motors, between 1968 and 1977 and between 2001 and 2005...
. He also won the 1963 Australian GT Championship
1963 Australian GT Championship
The 1963 Australian GT Championship was a national motor racing title for drivers of Gran Turismo cars complying with CAMS Appendix K regulations....
at the wheel of a Jaguar E-type
Jaguar E-type
The Jaguar E-Type or XK-E is a British automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing established the marque as an icon of 1960s motoring...
.
He retired from racing in 1986.
Career results
| Season | Title | Position | Car | Entrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Australian Tourist Trophy Australian Tourist Trophy The Australian Tourist Trophy is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for sports car drivers. The title was awarded for the first time in 1956 and then annually from 1958 until the introduction by CAMS of an Australian Sports Car Championship for 1969... |
3rd | Maserati 300S Maserati 300S The Maserati 300S was a racing car produced by Maserati of Italy between 1955-58, which competed in the FIA's World Sportscar Championship. Twenty eight examples were produced.... |
|
| 1961 | Australian Tourist Trophy Australian Tourist Trophy The Australian Tourist Trophy is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for sports car drivers. The title was awarded for the first time in 1956 and then annually from 1958 until the introduction by CAMS of an Australian Sports Car Championship for 1969... |
3rd | Maserati 300S Maserati 300S The Maserati 300S was a racing car produced by Maserati of Italy between 1955-58, which competed in the FIA's World Sportscar Championship. Twenty eight examples were produced.... |
|
| 1961 1961 Australian GT Championship The 1961 Australian GT Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers Appendix K GT cars. The title, which was the second Australian GT Championship, was contested over a single 50 mile race held at the Warwick Farm circuit, in New South Wales, Australia on 30 July... |
Australian GT Championship Australian GT Championship The Australian GT Championship is a CAMS-sanctioned national title for drivers of GT cars, held annually from 1960 to 1963, from 1982 to 1985 and from 2005. Each championship up to and including the 1963 title was contested over a single race and those after that year over a series of races... |
4th | Maserati 300S Maserati 300S The Maserati 300S was a racing car produced by Maserati of Italy between 1955-58, which competed in the FIA's World Sportscar Championship. Twenty eight examples were produced.... |
Autoland Pty Ltd |
| 1962 | Australian Tourist Trophy Australian Tourist Trophy The Australian Tourist Trophy is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for sports car drivers. The title was awarded for the first time in 1956 and then annually from 1958 until the introduction by CAMS of an Australian Sports Car Championship for 1969... |
2nd | Maserati 300S Maserati 300S The Maserati 300S was a racing car produced by Maserati of Italy between 1955-58, which competed in the FIA's World Sportscar Championship. Twenty eight examples were produced.... |
|
| 1962 1962 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1962 Australian Touring Car Championship was the third running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It was contested over a single race staged at the Longford Circuit, Tasmania in March, 1962... |
Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The... |
1st | Jaguar Mark II | |
| 1963 1963 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1963 Australian Touring Car Championship was the fourth running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Appendix J Touring Cars, contested over a single 25 lap, 50 mile race at the Mallala Motor Sport Park in South Australia on 15... |
Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The... |
1st | Jaguar Mark II | R Jane |
| 1963 1963 Australian GT Championship The 1963 Australian GT Championship was a national motor racing title for drivers of Gran Turismo cars complying with CAMS Appendix K regulations.... |
Australian GT Championship Australian GT Championship The Australian GT Championship is a CAMS-sanctioned national title for drivers of GT cars, held annually from 1960 to 1963, from 1982 to 1985 and from 2005. Each championship up to and including the 1963 title was contested over a single race and those after that year over a series of races... |
1st | Jaguar E-type Jaguar E-type The Jaguar E-Type or XK-E is a British automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing established the marque as an icon of 1960s motoring... |
|
| 1964 | Australian Tourist Trophy Australian Tourist Trophy The Australian Tourist Trophy is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for sports car drivers. The title was awarded for the first time in 1956 and then annually from 1958 until the introduction by CAMS of an Australian Sports Car Championship for 1969... |
2nd | Jaguar E-type Jaguar E-type The Jaguar E-Type or XK-E is a British automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing established the marque as an icon of 1960s motoring... |
|
| 1964 1964 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1964 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Appendix J Touring Cars and Group E Series Production Touring Cars. The championship was contested over a single race staged at the Lakeside circuit in Queensland, Australia on 26 July 1964... |
Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The... |
3rd | Jaguar Mark II | |
| 1965 1965 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1965 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars conforming to Australian National Formula regulations. The title was contested over a six race series with the winner awarded the 1965 CAMS Gold Star.... |
Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula... |
13th | Elfin Mono Mk1 Ford | |
| 1965 | Australian Tourist Trophy Australian Tourist Trophy The Australian Tourist Trophy is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for sports car drivers. The title was awarded for the first time in 1956 and then annually from 1958 until the introduction by CAMS of an Australian Sports Car Championship for 1969... |
4th | Jaguar E-type Jaguar E-type The Jaguar E-Type or XK-E is a British automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing established the marque as an icon of 1960s motoring... |
|
| 1966 1966 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1966 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of racing cars complying with either the Australian National Formula or the Australian 1½ Litre Formula... |
Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula... |
17th | Elfin Mono Mk1 Ford | Bob Jane Racing |
| 1966 | Australian 1½ Litre Championship Australian 1½ Litre Championship The Australian 1½ Litre Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title contested annually from 1964 to 1968. It was open to drivers of cars complying with the Australian 1½ Litre Formula which specified open wheel racing cars fitted with unsupercharged engines using commercially... |
6th | Elfin Mono Mk1 Ford | Bob Jane Racing |
| 1969 1969 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1969 Australian Touring Car Championship was the 10th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the first to run over a series of races instead of a single race... |
Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The... |
4th | Ford Mustang Ford Mustang (first generation) The first-generation Ford Mustang is the original pony car, manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1964 until 1973.It was initially introduced as a hardtop and convertible with the fastback version put on sale the following year... |
|
| 1970 1970 Australian Sports Car Championship The 1970 Australian Sports Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Group A Sports Cars, Group B Improved Production Sports Cars and Group D Series Production Sports Cars... |
Australian Sports Car Championship Australian Sports Car Championship The Australian Sports Car Championship was the CAMS sanctioned national title for Sports Car drivers in the years from 1969 to 1988. Each championship was contested over a series of races with the exception of the 1975 title, which was awarded on the results of a single race held at the Phillip... |
8th | Ford Mustang Ford Mustang (first generation) The first-generation Ford Mustang is the original pony car, manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1964 until 1973.It was initially introduced as a hardtop and convertible with the fastback version put on sale the following year... |
Bob Jane Shell Racing Team |
| 1970 1970 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1970 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Group C Improved Production Touring Cars and Group E Series Production Touring Cars... |
Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The... |
3rd | Ford Mustang Ford Mustang (first generation) The first-generation Ford Mustang is the original pony car, manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1964 until 1973.It was initially introduced as a hardtop and convertible with the fastback version put on sale the following year... |
|
| 1971 1971 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1971 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Group C Improved Production Touring Cars and Group E Series Production Touring Cars... |
Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The... |
1st | Chevrolet Camaro | |
| 1972 1972 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1972 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title open to Group C Improved Production Touring Cars and Group E Series Production Touring Cars. The championship, which was the 13th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship, began at Symmons... |
Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The... |
1st | Chevrolet Camaro | |
| 1973 1973 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1973 Australian Touring Car Championship was the 14th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It began at Symmons Plains on 5 March 1973 and ended at Warwick Farm after eight rounds. The series was won by Allan Moffat in a Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III.-Teams and drivers:The following... |
Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The... |
23rd | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | |
| 1974 1974 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1974 Australian Touring Car Championship was the 15th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It began at Symmons Plains on 4 March 1974 and ended at Adelaide International Raceway on 9 June after eight rounds. The series was won by Peter Brock in a Holden Torana LJ XU1 and Holden... |
Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The... |
26th | Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 | |
| 1976 1976 Australian Sports Sedan Championship The 1976 Australian Sports Sedan Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Group B Sports Sedans. It was the inaugural Australian Sports Sedan Championship.-Calendar:... |
Australian Sports Sedan Championship Australian Sports Sedan Championship The Australian Sports Sedan Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars complying with Australian Sports Sedan regulations... |
9th | Holden HQ Monaro GTS350 | Bob Jane T Marts |
| 1977 1977 Australian Sports Sedan Championship The 1977 Australian Sports Sedan Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Sports Sedans complying with Group B regulations.The championship was contested over a seven round series.... |
Australian Sports Sedan Championship Australian Sports Sedan Championship The Australian Sports Sedan Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars complying with Australian Sports Sedan regulations... |
9th | Holden HQ Monaro GTS350 | Bob Jane 2UW Racing Team |
| 1980 1980 Australian Sports Sedan Championship The 1980 Australian Sports Sedan Championship was open to drivers of Sports Sedans complying with CAMS Group B regulations. The title was contested over an eleven round series*Round 1, Oran Park Raceway, New South Wales, 23 March... |
Australian Sports Sedan Championship Australian Sports Sedan Championship The Australian Sports Sedan Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars complying with Australian Sports Sedan regulations... |
19th | Chevrolet Monza Chevrolet Monza The Chevrolet Monza is a subcompact, four-passenger automobile produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1975–1980 model years. The Monza is based on the Chevrolet Vega, sharing its wheelbase, width and 140 CID inline-4 engine... |
|
| 1981 1981 Australian Sports Sedan Championship The 1981 Australian Sports Sedan Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Sports Sedans complying with CAMS Group B regulations.-Calendar:The championship was contested over an eleven round series.... |
Australian Sports Sedan Championship Australian Sports Sedan Championship The Australian Sports Sedan Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars complying with Australian Sports Sedan regulations... |
9th | Chevrolet Monza Chevrolet Monza The Chevrolet Monza is a subcompact, four-passenger automobile produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1975–1980 model years. The Monza is based on the Chevrolet Vega, sharing its wheelbase, width and 140 CID inline-4 engine... |
Bob Jane T Marts |
Bob Jane T-Marts
Jane's passion for motor racing also carried with it a vast knowledge for choosing the right equipment for his race cars.He had a particularly keen interest in tyres and his expertise made him well-known in racing circles. Through his parts business, Bob Jane Autoland, he imported high-performance tyres from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Not only were these tyres snapped up by his customers, but they gave him a competitive edge in Australia as racing tyres were not as heavily regulated as they are today.
In 1965, Jane opened the first Bob Jane T-Marts store in Melbourne. The company remains an independent, family-owned business to this day; Bob's son, Rodney Jane, is the current CEO. In 2011 82-year-old Jane resigned as chairman of T-Marts citing difficulties in the relationship with his son Rodney.
From 2002 to 2004, Bob Jane T-Marts held the naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
sponsorship for the Bathurst 1000
Bathurst 1000
The Bathurst 1000 is a touring car race held annually at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia...
, the race Jane dominated early in his career. The company also holds the naming rights to Bob Jane Stadium, home of South Melbourne FC
South Melbourne FC
South Melbourne FC is a football club based in South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Considered the most successful association football club in Australia, they have won four national championships, a string of Victorian State League titles, and represented Oceania in the 2000 FIFA Club World...
.
Australian Grand Prix
From 1980 to 1984, the Australian Grand PrixAustralian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has...
was held at his Calder Park Raceway in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. Although from 1981 the races were run under Formula Mondiale
Formula Atlantic
Formula Atlantic is a specification of open wheel racing car developed in the 1970s. It was used in professional racing through the IMSA Atlantic Championship until 2009 and is currently primarily used in amateur racing through Sports Car Club of America Formula Atlantic.-History:The history of...
regulations, Jane succeeded in attracting many of the best Formula 1 drivers of the era; setting the stage for the first ever Australian Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix, which was held in Adelaide in 1985.
NASCAR
Jane is credited with bringing stock car racingStock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
to Australia. Long resistant to oval racing (seeing it as dull and monotonous when compared to circuit racing), Australian motorsport fans finally had their own superspeedway when Jane spent A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
54 million building the Thunderdome on the grounds of Calder Park Raceway. Opened on 3 August 1987, the Thunderdome played host to the first NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
event held outside North America on 28 February 1988. Several prominent drivers from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
came to Australia for this race including Bobby Allison
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
, Neil Bonnett
Neil Bonnett
Lawrence Neil Bonnett was a NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career. The Alabama native currently ranks 35th in all-time NASCAR Cup victories. He appeared in the 1983 film Stroker Ace and the 1990 film Days of Thunder...
and others from the Winston West Series.
Personal life
On 23 February 2007, Bob Jane was granted a 12 month intervention order against his estranged wife, Laree Jane (born 1967). At the time, she was 39 and they had been married for 20 years. He accused her of threatening to shoot him and threatening him with a kitchen knife. In a Victorian County Court, on 22 January 2009, a jury found Laree Jane not guilty of five charges, including assault, related to the domestic dispute.An article published by Fairfax on 22 May 2008 discussed an ongoing court case between Bob Jane and his estranged wife Laree Jane. Laree is accused of having over $1.5 million worth of credit card debts at one stage, and signing a mortgage on Bob's house in order to pay for them. While Bob believes the signature on the mortgage looks like his own, he has no recollection of signing the document:
The tyre tycoon Bob Jane admits the signature looks like his but yesterday he denied signing a mortgage to pay off $1.5 million of his former wife's credit card debts.
Laree owned more than 41 credit cards, and Bob has made it public that she often went over her yearly $800,000 limit imposed on her credit cards.