Why Bathurst is The Great Race

"DannyCatSteve" (dannycatsteve) 10/01/2013 at 21:46 • Filed to: V8 Supercars

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(Photo Credit: Adam Taylor/News Limited/foxsports.com.au)

It is dangerous, filled with twists and turns, features massive elevation changes, and high speeds. For half a century, the best drivers in Australia and from around the world have come to Mount Panorama, attempting to last 1000 grueling kilometers. Legends like Brock, Moffat, Johnson, Richards, Perkins, Skaife, Lowndes and Murphy have succeeded, but names such as Seton, Larkham, Crompton, and Jones have come up short. Hundreds have tried, but most have failed to attain success at Bathurst, Australia’s most prestigious race.

Mount Panorama, located near the town of Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia, is one of the greatest race tracks in the world. Every section of the track leaves the fans in awe and wanting more. It starts with the left handed Hell Corner, followed by the climb up Mountain Straight, where drivers take Griffin’s bend, then run to “The Cutting.” Meticulously maneuvering through the tight “Cutting”, drivers continue to climb to the fast, blind right-left hander at Reid Park, and then meander to the top of the mountain, knowing very well that the slightest error will send them hard into the wall. The drivers reach Skyline and plunge back down hill through the “esses” before taking the corkscrew known as “the Dipper,” then taking Forrest’s Elbow, where precision is needed to maximize speed down Conrod Straight. The mile long Conrod Straight is a roller coaster ride that provides the drivers an opportunity to rest for a bit, before risking it all at the fastest corner in Touring Car racing. “The Chase” terrifies, with the 300 km/h right-hand kink that could send the cars into violent, end-over-end barrel rolls. If they’ve survived the kink, they slam hard on the breaks for the chicane at the end of The Chase, then race to Murray’s, the last corner. As you hit pit straight, you read the time: 2:08, 2:10, or if you are Greg Murphy, 2:06.8. Now you must do it another 160 times.

The first great race at Bathurst was held in 1963, and was a 500-mile contest. In the early years, it became clear that two manufacturers would stand above the rest; Ford and Holden. The rivalry continued to grow; over the years, Moffat, Johnson, Perkins, Richards, and the greatest of them all, Peter Brock, driving for the two major manufacturers fought for victory. As the rivalry grew, so did the race, attracting more and more manufacturers and drivers from around the world, and in 1973 the race became a 1000 kilometer marathon.

In 1985, a new era began. Group A regulations saw the dominance of the Ford Sierra, while Holden still fought for victory with its trademark Commodore. In the final years of Group A, Nissan with their Skyline GT-R, nicknamed “Godzilla” conquered the mountain with its four-wheel drive technology. The more and more races the GT-R won, the more and more unpopular it became, and following a controversial finish in 1992, the crowd jeered winning drivers Mark Skaife and Jim Richards on the podium. Richards, upset with the poor sportsmanship displayed by the crowd, responded by labeling them “a pack of ass holes” on live television. Thus ended the Group A era.

In 1993, new regulations introduced 5.0L V8 engines, a formula that would later become known as V8 Supercars. Soon, it became exclusively Ford versus Holden and the rivalry became as intense as ever. A new group of warriors with the names Russell Ingall, Greg Murphy, and Craig Lowndes, mentored by Peter Brock, tamed the mountain. Under the V8 Supercar formula, the race has grown to be as popular as it has ever been, with exciting, down to the wire racing every year.

In 2006, The King of the Mountain was killed in a rallying crash, and the race organizers decided to create a new trophy for the winner of The Great Race in his honor. Fittingly, Craig Lowndes won the first Peter Brock trophy in one of the most emotional moments in Bathurst history. Now drivers such as Whincup, Tander, Winterbottom, Davison, and Kelly fight to win the race in honor of the mountain’s greatest hero, with Nissan, Mercedes, and Volvo joining the fray.

Bathurst is breathtaking, heart-stopping, and jaw dropping. Each year, thousands flock to Mount Panorama to see drivers follow in the footsteps of Brock, Moffat, and Johnson, in an attempt to achieve greatness and to cheer on Ford and Holden. From the first lap, to the checkered flag, there’s never a dull moment. To win the 1000 kilometer-race is such a difficult task, that it makes grown men come to tears year-after-year. That’s why Bathurst is The Great Race.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > DannyCatSteve 10/01/2013 at 22:58

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nice write up.. though if you're going to quote Jim Richards it was most definitely "a pack of arseholes"

desertdog5051 > DannyCatSteve 10/02/2013 at 02:39

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Excellent piece. Have a fun, short video of a NASCAR driver freaking. He thought it was going to be a low speed tour of the track.

magman007 > desertdog5051 10/03/2013 at 14:20

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I love how much you can tell Ricky Bobby's character was based off of Waltrip in this video.