Bathurst

[Pete McCluskey.]

The Holy Grail of motor sport in Australia is on this weekend. Boys stock up the bar, fire up the BBQ and the big screen and invite your mates around for the best race of the year. (in OZ).
Who do you think will win? My money is on Craig Lowndes.

The Official Website of V8 Supercars Australia

 

[Jac Mac]

I would like to see Lowndes do it this time, has fallen foul of some weird stuff in the past, although I suppose when you race against Holdens you should expect wheels to fall off them etc.

Jac Mac

 

[ChrisL]

My hope is on Craig Lowndes. The parity formula had the Fords and Holdens very even last year with the Holdens better at the top of the mountain and the Fords better in the horsepower. Unfortunately HRT seem to have made up the difference in HP so Craig will just have to weave his magic on the hill to make up for it.

 

[Dalton Veitch]

I would very much like to see Ford have a decisive win (say first and second) for a change. I use a Fairmont Ghia for ordinary duties, and for me the Ford quality (of standard cars) and reliability is better than Holden, but this is certainly not reflected at Bathurst. Each year I have to sit a little lower in the seat.

Dalton

 

I hope Lownesy wins too but what the heck, any ford across the line first will do for me

 

[Dave]

Lowndes for me too , Just to cap off the Eagles winning the premiership and
the Broncos comming home winners.

 

[Russ Noble]

I would very much like to see Ford have a decisive win (say first and second) for a change. I use a Fairmont Ghia for ordinary duties, and for me the Ford quality (of standard cars) and reliability is better than Holden, but this is certainly not reflected at Bathurst. Each year I have to sit a little lower in the seat.

Dalton

Sure, it's an entertaining spectacle hyped up by the marketing arms of both companies, but if anyone thinks the cars on the track bear anything other than a sheetmetal resemblence to the road cars they're supposed to represent or prove anything one brand against the other then they are totally naiive.

If it was a "production" class as it was years ago that would be true, but it is a parity formula (successfully) designed to promote close racing and to stop the manufacturers needing to produce batches of road legal race cars that anyone with a fat wallet and zero driving skills could buy off the showroom floor. eg the iconic Phase 3 GTHO's etc from days long gone.

Until the cars run the basic suspensions, drive trains and engines derived from the showroom models then the race proves nothing in the Ford/Holden everyday driver debate.

Not withstanding that, work on my '40 will be non existant this weekend as I will be glued to the TV set. Good, close, exiting racing? Yes! Proof that Holden is better than Ford or vice versa? Well, actually, Ford must be better, why else would the regs allow Holdens to run Ford diffs!

Just my jaundiced view. Looking forward to a good race, and I hope there are no more serious injuries we've had enough of those lately. All the PC do-gooders will be wanting to spoil and regulate our fun!

Cheers

 

[Jac Mac]

YES!!!!!

Jac Mac

 

[Dalton Veitch]

Good one, Craig. And Russ, I fully agree with you. As an oldie who used to go to Bathurst to see showroom standard cars battling it out, I am disappointed that we have moved so far from the original concept of standard cars, fitted with some safety gear. Who can forget the epic battles of the superb handling Alfas vs the all-power Fords? With everything else thrown in, you could see which cars were built with good brakes, handling, gearboxes, and tyres. Happy days.

Dalton

 

[ChrisL]

Well done Loundsy. As I’d hoped, he wove his magic at the top of the mountain to stave off those pesky Holdens down the straight.

Just one more thing. Production car racing is NOT a thing of the past here in Australia. It has been going on in some form or another all along. And you will be happy to know that a Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo has taken out the championship this year (see article below)... and that does have something to do with the cars you buy off the showroom floor. The word is that this category will see a Bathurst 12 Hour production race next year. It should raise the profile of the category quite significantly so if you really do love your production car racing, then it would pay to support it to save it from fading into the background again.

Production Car Association of Australia - FORD WINS CHAMPIONSHIP

 

[Paolo-LoveGT40 Modelworks]

In Italy they have programmed just yesterday half of the bathrust 500.
It was simply wonderful....is a place where I absolutely have to be one day in my life..

I've tried learn the track from rFactor game...to wellknow the circuit and to feel more "inside" the race.

Really a very very nice event)

Paolo

 

[Richard]

Ciao Paolo

Long time no speak. I've enjoyed the whole of the Australian V8 series, particularly Barbagallo which is my home track. What a great day.

I don't like rFactor much as the graphics are a bit sub-standard and I could never get my wheel set up as well as in GT Legends. But now that I have the new Logitech Momo G25 I'll give it another try. I got them to throw in GTR2 for free when I got the wheel, and there is an Aussie V8 mod about to be released which, of course, includes Bathurst. Maybe you should pick up GTR2 as well?

BTW, I've finally sorted out the firewall problem that stopped me going on line to race, but I need to do a fresh install of GT Legends as one of the many tracks or GT40s I recently downloaded has corrupted the works. But I can race you on line in GTR2 if you like (and we can sort out the time change).