Fan favourite Larkham Falcon to return to Adelaide 500
V8 Sleuth
31 Oct 2024
SUPERCARS pit lane TV analyst Mark Larkham, a fan-favourite of the category’s TV broadcasts, is set to be reunited with one of his former Orrcon Racing AU Falcons that is set to feature as part of a display at this year’s event to mark the 25th anniversary of the Adelaide 500.
The car, raced by Larkham in the 2002 Clipsal 500 in Adelaide and raced by teammate Jason Bargwanna the following year in Adelaide, is being brought to the event to form part of a special display of former Adelaide 500 cars to celebrate 25 years of the Hall of Fame event.
It joins an ex-Bargwanna Garry Rogers Valvoline Commodore and an ex-Wayne Gardner Coca-Cola Commodore as being confirmed cars for the display that will be the centre piece of the new ‘Pub in the Park’.
Situated directly opposite the concert site, Pub in the Park allows enthusiasts to get up close to the history making cars behind the grandstand on the main straight.
The Orrcon Falcon is owned by a private collector who has worked over the last few years to return it to running condition.
The car features an ex-Larkham engine and retains most of its original paintwork and period signage, ex-Larkham signwriter Gary Frampton integral in assisting with supplying the required artwork files for replicating decals on the repainted panels.
The Falcon started its life in 2001 and debuted at that year’s V8 Supercar 1000 at Bathurst with Larkham and Wayne Gardner behind the wheel. It became Larkham’s Orrcon Steel car in 2002 and was co-driven by future Indy 500 winner Will Power at that year’s Queensland 500 and Bathurst 1000. Used by Jason Bargwanna for the first half of 2003, it reverted to team owner Larkham’s hands from Oran Park onwards and ran through to the end of that season.
Its last period race came in the final round of 2003 at Eastern Creek with Larkham at the wheel. That event also marked his last appearance as a full-time V8 Supercar driver.
Later used as a pitstop practice car, it was sold as part of Larkham’s sale of hardware when his team merged with WPS Racing and sat with a collector for more than a decade before the current owner purchased it in 2021.
