'The first time I came to Bathurst, in 1969, they took me for a drive up a winding country road to a hill called Skyline. The view was spectacular but I was eager to get down to business so I said:
"O.K., now where's the race circuit"?
Bathurst is a bloody scarey place.'
Allan Moffat, 1974

One thing is for sure: TV coverage masks the true nature of the Mount Panorama circuit. As the Moff says, in real life as a race circuit it's a bloody scarey place! Even meandering around the circuit at 60km/h--the two way scenic road speed limit--you get a sense of the scarey.

The mountain is big. The 174m vertical difference between Pit Straight and Skyline (which is dramatic in itself) doesn't give any hint of the many rises and falls in the track--there is hardly a level section of track to be found anywhere in the 6.213km. Sections of the climb and descent are insanely steep. Walking and driving the circuit in both directions is a real eye opener.


Looking down from Reid Park to the Chase

In addition to the many changes in elevation, the wide parts of the circuit are narrow by modern standards, the narrow parts of the track are insanely narrow, blind, unforgiving and lined in concrete. Out of the 23 turns, only two IMO--Murray's and Hell--could be described as anything like run-of-the-mill race circuit corners.

Mount Panorama is a genuine temporary circuit operating as a public road/scenic drive the remainder of the year, complete with many bumps, water drains, grates, powerlines, public parks, businesses, residences, and police keeping a look out for wannabe racers :)

Amazingly even though the Mount Panorama track was created in the 1930's, its essential nature--especially across the top of the mountain--remains unchanged. Fortunately the Chase deviation added to Conrod Straight in 1987 (because the straight was too long according to FIA to run WTCC events) was in keeping with the dramatic nature of the circuit, with the Chase including the world's fastest corner for Touring Cars.

I wonder if Mayor Griffins and those others involved in the creation of the track in the 1930's had any idea that their mountain's mix of 'sharp hills, hairpin bends and fast downhill straight' would define Australian motorsport. Bathurst is a legendary circuit and in real life a bloody scarey place!

posted by Pete Walsh @ 9:34 PM   2 comments