Shannons Legends of Motorsport
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting, Motorsport |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Neil Crompton (host and executive producer, 2014), Bill Woods (host, 2015), Aaron Noonan (co-host, 2014–15), Mark Oastler (reporter, 2014–15) |
| Products | Motor racing television program |
| Website | www |
Shannons Legends of Motorsport was an Australian motor racing television program broadcast on 7mate. Premiering in 2014, the series explored significant themes from Australian motor racing history, with a particular focus on touring cars. It featured a blend of interviews, expert commentary, and archival video material.
The show maintained a continuous sponsorship arrangement with Shannons Insurance, marking their second collaboration in motorsport television following the earlier series Shannons Supercar Showdown (2011–2013).
History
Introduced in July 2014 to complement the Seven Network's V8 Supercars coverage, the show aired on Saturdays during non-championship weekends. Hosted and executive produced by former driver and commentator Neil Crompton, it utilized Seven Network's rich archive of motor racing footage—rights that were held intermittently between 1963 and 1996 for major events such as the Australian Touring Car Championship and Bathurst 1000. The inaugural season concentrated on legendary drivers, teams, and defining periods within Australian motorsport.
By late 2014, Crompton left to follow V8 Supercars broadcast rights as they shifted to Foxtel and Network Ten. Journalist Bill Woods, known for hosting Ten's RPM and authoring works on Australian racing icons, took over hosting duties for Season 2 in 2015. Co-host Aaron Noonan expanded his involvement during this season. Season 2 widened its narrative scope by including documentary-style episodes covering three separate Bathurst 1000 races and an installment dedicated to Seven Network's history in motor racing broadcasts, highlighting technical advancements such as RaceCam. These episodes were subsequently re-aired on 7mate during early morning time slots.
In 2017, additional episodes were made available exclusively online through the Shannons website.
Production
Produced by Crompton’s company AirTime Media, each episode was filmed before a live studio audience and incorporated interviews with prominent figures from the motor racing community. These segments were interspersed with archival footage and pre-recorded commentary from former drivers and team principals. Episodes focused on the Bathurst 1000 deviated from this format by excluding studio guests entirely, instead relying solely on pre-recorded interviews paired with extended race highlights. Apart from the host, two regular contributors appeared on camera: Aaron Noonan, who introduced archival clips from the Seven Network vault, and Mark Oastler, who provided expert analysis of historic racing vehicles within the studio setting. Oastler’s appearances were limited to selected episodes during Season 2.
The first season’s episodes were shot across three Australian venues showcasing relevant automobiles: the National Motor Racing Museum in Bathurst, Bowden's Own Car Collection located in Buderim, Sunshine Coast, and the Shannons National Auction Centre in Cheltenham. For Season 2, filming locations were reduced to Bowden’s Own Car Collection along with a Seven Network studio in Melbourne that featured a video screen backdrop instead of displaying historic cars.
Hosts
- Neil Crompton – 2014
- Bill Woods – 2015
Co-host
- Aaron Noonan – 2014–15
Reporter
- Mark Oastler – 2014–15
Season 1 (2014)
| Ep # | Airdate | Theme[1] | Guest(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 July 2014 | Allan Moffat | Allan Moffat alongside John French | Bowden's Own Car Collection |
| 2 | 26 July 2014 | Larry Perkins | Larry Perkins | National Motor Racing Museum |
| 3 | 9 August 2014 | Dick Johnson and John Bowe | Dick Johnson and John Bowe | Bowden's Own Car Collection |
| 4 | 16 August 2014 | Nissan Motorsport | Fred Gibson, Jim Richards, and Mark Skaife | Shannons National Auction Centre |
| 5 | 30 August 2014 | Allan Grice | Allan Grice | National Motor Racing Museum |
| 6 | 6 September 2014 | '1980s' | Kevin Bartlett, Tony Longhurst, and Tomas Mezera | Bowden's Own Car Collection |
| 7 | 20 September 2014 | Jim Richards | Jim Richards | Shannons National Auction Centre |
| 8 | 4 October 2014 | Allan Moffat | Allan Moffat | National Motor Racing Museum |
| 9 | 18 October 2014 | '1987 Australian Touring Car season' | "John Bowe and Glenn Seton" | "Bowden's Own Car Collection" |
Season 2 (2015)
| Ep # | Airdate | Theme | Guest(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 September 2015 | Dick Johnson | Dick Johnson, John French, and John Bowe | Bowden's Own Car Collection |
| 2 | 26 September 2015 | Seven Motorsport | Mike Raymond, Garry Wilkinson, and Mark Oastler | Studio |
| 3 | 10 October 2015 | Bathurst 1972 | No studio guests | Bowden's Own Car Collection |
| 4 | 17 October 2015 | Bob Morris | Bob Morris | Bowden's Own Car Collection |
| 5 | 24 October 2015 | Kevin Bartlett and Brad Jones | Kevin Bartlett and Brad Jones | Studio |
| 6 | 31 October 2015 | John Bowe | John Bowe and Dick Johnson | Bowden's Own Car Collection |
| 7 | November 2015
1973 Bathurst 1000 No studio guests Bowden's Own Car Collection - 8 {{start date [2015] [11] [14] df=yes }} George Fury George Fury, Fred Gibson (racing driver) and Christine Gibson Studio - 9 {{start date [2015] [11] [21] df=yes }} Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Bowden's Own Car Collection - 10 {{start date [2015] [11] [28] df=yes }} 'The Originals' Kevin Bartlett, Fred Gibson, John Harvey (racing driver) and Brad Jones Studio - 11 {{start date [2015] [12] [5] df=yes}} 1990 Bathurst 1000 No studio guests Bowden's Own Car Collection - 12 {{start date [2015] [12] [12] df=yes}} Mount Panorama Circuit – The Legend of Bathurst No studio guests Studio |
- Notes
- The episode titled The Originals showcased five trailblazing Australian touring car competitors: Norm Beechey, Harry Firth, Ian Geoghegan, Leo Geoghegan, and Bob Jane.
Recognition
In 2014, Shannons Legends of Motorsport received accolades from both the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport and the V8 Media Association.
Home video
The complete first season, consisting of twelve episodes, was made available on DVD through Chevron Marketing Services in August 2015. Subsequently, the second season was issued as a DVD box set in July 2016.
See also
External links
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- Articles with short description
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- 7mate original programming
- 2014 Australian television series debuts
- 2015 Australian television series endings
- Automotive television series
- Australian sports television series
- Motorsport in Australia
- Australian English-language television shows
- Pages with script errors