The Big Red winning 70 Camaro of last year has become The Big Yellow 68 Camaro this year for Bathurst as Ashley racing car driver Rob Lewis prepares to head back to Bathurst to defend his Trans-Tasman Touring Car Masters title of 2025.

Last year Rob had his own dream come true when he took his car – fondly known as Big Red- a 1970 Chevrolet Camaro - to race for the first time at the world-famous Bathurst Circuit.

This year he's heading back to Australia to drive The Big Yellow 68 Camaro, a similar Chev Camaro to Big Red but more advanced and developed, owned by Brian Scott of Dunedin.

"Brian's a very passionate racer and motorsport man of many years and has always dreamed of being at Bathurst. This opportunity to return to the mountain is his chance to be there, and he asked me if I would drive his car for him on this world-famous mountain circuit and of course. I leapt at the chance.

"Brian's car is a very special Camaro. It was originally built back in the 80s by the Pinepac group for the then Super GT series.

” As the years have gone by, the car has been developed into the race car it is today, which competes in different Muscle Car series around NZ and is a truly iconic well-developed car."

Rob says he can't wait to return to Bathurst in early October to take on the Aussies again.

"The racing over there is fierce and super competitive with no quarter given which I enjoy a lot.

"We won the Bathurst round last year on points which was very unexpected but very satisfying all the same.

"To also take out the NZ Touring Car Masters round that weekend as well was the icing on the cake.”

He says it is going to be a real challenge to take them on again on the daunting mountain that the Bathurst circuit is, but they are up for the challenge, as it is such an exciting circuit to drive on.

“It was awesome last year, a dream come true, I loved every moment it and have been bitten by the Bathurst Bug.’’

Rob says thanks to last years' experience, he and other kiwi drivers now have a better understanding of what is needed to win races there, and he's sure all the kiwi drivers competing this year will again give a good showing against the very competitive Aussie drivers in the master's class.

"Bathurst is very fast in most places, tight in others and a very steep circuit both climbing the mountain, up through the Cutting and down the other side through the dipper, on your way to the famous Conrod Straight where these big muscle cars will reach speeds of 290+ kph.

"You have to make sure you place your car in certain parts of the track and hit your markers at each corner to get a fast safe high-speed lap in.

"A mistake on one corner bites you back over the next two corners later. If you don’t get the esses right coming down off the top of the mountain you can lose so much time, get it wrong and the walls become very unforgiving.’’