Australia's biggest tire mogul, a recently born-again Christian after winning a battle against cancer, wants to bring religion to the center of his favorite pastime: auto racing.
Bob Jane has rescued an 80-year-old rustic church set for demolition and moved it to the Thunderdome NASCAR racing track in Melbourne. The church will be part of extended Christian activities at the first NASCAR track outside the United States.
The idea of having a church at the racing site came as a result of prayer. "This is a dangerous sport," says Jane, a self-made millionaire. "The drivers need all the help they can get to stay alive." The interdenominational church, to be completed next month, will be available for weddings, christenings, funerals, and other events.
In addition to opening races with prayers and eulogies, Jane plans to bring sports ministers from Charlotte, North Carolina, to join Australian evangelism teams during the summer racing season that starts in October.
Jane, a racing-car driver himself, built the track as part of a motor-racing complex that includes flat and drag racing.
Copyright © 1998 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.
Our digital archives are a work in progress. Let us know if corrections need to be made.
Annual & Monthly subscriptions available.
- Print & Digital Issues of CT magazine
- Complete access to every article on ChristianityToday.com
- Unlimited access to 65+ years of CT’s online archives
- Member-only special issues
- Learn more
More from this Issue
Read These Next
- TrendingAmerican Christians Should Stand with Israel under AttackWhile we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
- From the MagazineShould the Bible Sound Like the Language in the Streets?Controversy over Bibles in Jamaica, the Philippines, and Germany reveal the divide between the sacred and the relatable.
- Editor's PickA Theologian’s Vision of ‘Peasant’ Politics Is Surprisingly Lordly in ScopeEphraim Radner’s “narrow” concern for protecting the mundane goods of earthly life isn’t so narrow after all.