Bathurst

OK, I'll confess that I used to love Bathurst - even remember watching it on B&W TV - remember a mini winning (Hopkirk?), done a few trips to watch (via the Bell road,which will probably be crawling with white commodores on Sunday), a good mate crashed a Lancia there in the '60s, friends have run historics there recently, a school buddy was a regular competitor and class winner (Masterton) and our family solicitor has run there many times. But, the current 2 horse race leaves me cold, although granted, it's good racing.

I well remember the '85 race - I had a few Jag owning friends around that day to watch - beer, BBQ prawns, boys day out. That a Jag won was great - when we went to the pub after, I never paid for a drink....

By coincidence, Gossie is a client and never short of war stories..

 

A lot of quality time with fathers and mates back then.
That aspect has fallen away with the modern show. A pity that.

 

Guess so.

I wasn't really speaking of the camping out thing. More, TV at home, with a dad explaining to his boy the relative merits of front wheel drive Cooper S versus a rear wheel drive Lotus Cortina TC or a heavier bigger bodied V8 Ford. I had some good times with my dad argueing the various approaches to winning that race, time in pits balanced against track speed etc. All resulting in understanding directly relevant to everyday motoring.
A bit hard for you and your boy to do that with todays falcadore contest.

 

I was about a decade after you, but the same applies, M3's v Serria Cosworth v Falcons and Commodores, and amongst the field was the occasional other car also. That's where the debate came from, and a good debate it was too. Some of my fondest memories as a child are based on this day, even as a child the world stopped for the day, even mum knew not to nag. It was a fine thing.

Unfortunately the magic has gone, it left for me in 1992, we all know what happened.

Perhaps a new series could be developed, to cater for us who want to see the different makes out there, a new group A. I bet a major sponsor would not be hard to find, and the ratings would be through the roof!!


"The old bathurst is back"!!

Got to be a viable venture.

 

Yes, fond memories indeed.

 

tell the Goose to put his Jag back to its correct period specs/colours ie either as the Citi Bank '86 car or as the Group C monster of '84.
Of the period always my fav driver either in F5000 matich (was their the day he won the AGP) his driving of the O'neill Porker,the S/S Falcon ect ect.

 

i don't get why that was the turning point for you.

 

It was a turning point for the sport, the majority of the public made it very clear that "other" brands were not liked and that it should become a 2 horse race, exclusively. So from that point on it became "controlled" in a way that, for me at least, took away some of the competitive nature I enjoyed about the racing.

Holden and Fords are not my cup of tea, I respect them for what they are, and I think it is fantastic that they have such a passionate following, but for me, I would prefer to see a more open class of racing, let the teams bring to the table the car they would like to run, have regulations regarding the limitation of modifications and leave them to it. I would also like to see a class within the group for cars that are factory with only safety enhancements allowed, ie roll cage, seat, brake pads etc. Imagine a 599 hurtling around the mountain.

 

Good stuff

 

the greatest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_78NrSGBudI


and with music


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FruFn6iMUuE&eurl=http://aussieexotics.com/forum/events-and-racing/bathurst-then-vs-now-t629.0.html;msg16459

 

Same story here - my father was a great fan of the police Studebakers - driven by once a year warriors - they were pretty competitive, too.

 

Will do - does he still own the actual car, or is it a "similar" one? Yep, he was a great driver to watch - and underrated in open wheelers, I reckon. He helped talk me into buying a F-car - his argument was quite compelling " well, yer dead a long time..."

 

yes his green TWR car is his long suffering group C/A car.
his main problem was he tried to do everything himself at the last miniute.
His 1st Bathurst win was via luck,at the time he was many laps behind the leading L34,which blew up.
His AGP win was well done and he was a winner in Tasman rounds pre '76.
Pity he was never taken on by a factory team or a O/seas team.
he was either a very good driver or a very lucky one.
as a kid I loved yelling out "Gossy"

 

I believe he didn't mind a chat too?

 

still doesn't, he was talking to everyone at Tweed on Speed a couple of years ago

 

just his Bathurst speach was enough for me.
love him or hate him (wrong word) he was his own man.

 

I like Wayne's first word.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=equkli4KkwA&NR=1

lol

 

did you get fined when you flipped the BB?
did RP pay the fine?

 

wot the?

 

all the pills keeping you up?
drug addict!

 

don't be ridiculous! it's bladder control problems!

 

Oh dear,like when you were a child,with those plastic sheets.
how many private schools?