Ok its that time of year again, time to head to "The Mountain" for "The Great Race" which is one of the greatest motorsport events in the country and some would argue the world. V8 racing has been the staple of automotive enthusiasts in Australia since the dawn of time... well, 1963.
Mount Panorama is a well known road circuit which is closed off for the race, if you watch the extremities of the screen which watching the televised race you can see the rural houses which pepper the track. what makes the ciruit challenge is the range of corners both high and low speed and everything in between, but what Mount Panorama is renowned for is the dramatic shift in elevation.... i have been on this circuit and i can tell you that what you see on the screen is nothing near what its like being on the track.
Ford and Holden have been long time rivals of the super cars series, much like the Ford Vs. Chevrolet seen in the states. However the rivalry has not always been has not always been based in a dichotomy. there was a time when there were other manufacturers in the game... Most prominent being the rise of the Nissan R32 Skyline GTR, there is even a corner named after there skyline across the top of the mountain.
In the early 90s the format of the racing changed and many of the manufacturers were culled leaving only Ford and Holden to fight for positions in the races. In 2014 there were some changes made to the format to allow other manufacturers to step in to the category which saw a number of new manufacturers in the field and also some old rivals returned to the category in the V8 Supercars field.
back to the race , there are a number of support categories taking to the track over the weekend , SuperUte Series, Toyota 86 Race Series, Touring Car Masters, Porsche Carrera Cup, etc. all providing non stop racing action over the weekend. If we are being honest the whole "weekend" starts on Wednesday when the trucks start rolling in to Bathurst for teh race on Mount Panorama.
As im writing this post, the support series is having a lot of rubbing and biffo between the cars. There is always lots of thrills and spill when it comes to racing, but because the status of this race, what it means to the racers, spectators (live and those watching at home), the tension is high and the egos are big... the races are fast and furious. Its a recipe for some great racing, adrenaline pumping moments and edge of your seat action..... i cant keep writing i have to watch....
If you are interested in watching the race here is a link to a few options to get your eyeballs on the prize...
https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2018/10/how-to-watch-the-bathurst-1000-live-and-free-in-australia/
race shorts on the official broadcast channel