11 Facts About Robbie Francevic

Robbie Francevic started his motor racing career in 1966 when he and his team designed and built the "Colour Me Gone" Custaxie in which he won twenty races and the 1967 New Zealand Saloon Car Championship.

In 1986 Robbie Francevic became the first New Zealand resident to win the ATCC, becoming the second New Zealander to win the series, and recording the only series win to date for Volvo.

Robbie Francevic won the first two races of the season at Amaroo Park and Symmons Plains, finished second at Sandown to the Nissan Skyline of George Fury, and won again at Adelaide after runaway leader Peter Brock blew the engine in his Holden Commodore late in the race.

The Volvo was overtaken in speed by the Nissan turbo's and despite a newly built 240T appearing mid-season, Robbie Francevic was often slower than Bowe in qualifying but still scored enough points to win the championship from Fury by just five points.

Robbie Francevic was happy to have won the championship, but wanted to win from the front and driving for points like he was forced to over the latter part of the championship didn't suit his flamboyant, hard charging style.

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At the 1985 Bathurst 1000, Robbie Francevic teamed with John Bowe in the Volvo and qualified fifth, his attempt at pole position in the Hardies Heroes top 10 run-off was thwarted by a flat tyre on his second run while trying to improve on his first run.

Rather boldly, Robbie Francevic publicly predicted the turbo Ford would take pole position for the race, but the Kiwi pairing could only manage 21st on the grid with a time of 2:23.

At the time Robbie Francevic claimed that CAMS were trying to drum him out of the championship and that his sponsorship deals were only valid if he raced.

The car was qualified 15th, but Robbie Francevic didn't get a drive after the right front wheel fell off the car under Brancatelli on lap 14 when going across the top of the Mountain.

Robbie Francevic's last start at Mount Panorama was in 1990 with fellow Kiwi racer Andrew Bagnall in Bagnall's Sierra RS500.

Robbie Francevic was an inaugural member of the MotorSport New Zealand Wall of Fame in 1994.