V8Supercars have posted an excellent piece on Jim Richards. Neil Cromption interviews Jim, looking back at an iconic, massively successful career in Australian motorsport. Great interview, great bloke. Recommended viewing, at V8Supercars on Bigpond.


It was an absolute honour to ride passenger with gentleman Jim Richards for hotlaps around Bathurst in his Porsche GT2.

posted by Pete Walsh @ 3:26 AM   0 comments

I guess it all started with us owning a Holden Kingswood, but I can't be sure - however it happened I caught the motor racing bug early on, during the Brock vs Moffat era in the mid-late 1970's. Moffat as it turns out is a genuinely nice guy, but back then he didn't come across that well compared to ultra smooth Brock. I guess unless you were a diehard Ford fan, the choice was easy as it was clearly good vs evil, the aussie, personable, and naturally fast larrakin Brock vs removed and always seriously toiling away Moffat.

I remember one of my buddies at school, Bradley, whose father ran the local Ford dealership. After Moffat's/Ford's 1-2 victory at Bathurst in 1977 he gave me a pair of make-your-own cardboard Falcons that Ford were giving out to celebrate the win. The cardboard Falcons were cool, but I remember wishing they were the MHDT Toranas instead - maybe it's just because I've always like the color red :)

Brock and the MHDT steamrolled Bathurst in the years that followed, it was an easy time to be a Brock/Holden fan. The Ford kids at school despaired. The 'Brock First, Daylight Second' victory in 1979 where Brock won Bathurst by six laps, setting the lap record on the final lap of the race - and the last of the Group C big bangers Bathurst victory - the 1984 MHDT 1-2 victory, erasing the memory of Ford's 1-2 in 77 - really defined Brock's dominance at Bathurst, and touring car racing in Australia. Brock and Bathurst became one and the same, almost.

It was surreal to finally meet Brock, at a round of the Touring Car Championship at Winton, which to be honest probably isn't much of a circuit when it comes to racing, but is a GREAT place for spectators. Back then everything was also a lot more relaxed, especially when it came to access, safety and public liability - as long as you weren't on the track or immediately in harms way you could pretty much wander around. Motor racing was still fairly rough and ready.


Brock at Winton, 1992-ish I guess. I jumped the safety fence and watched the race from a dirt mound beside some signage. No-one bothered me, it was great!

So I met Brockie, I guess in some ways breaking the spell that his TV persona had cast over all those years. He seemed to be a great guy, but 'only' a normal guy who happened to be a bit of a lad in a race car.

Touring Car racing had its ups and downs following the change to Group A after 1984, but Bathurst never lost its magic, always dishing up a great race. One highlight in the years that followed was the 1992 race which ended in dramatic weather conditions. It's not unusual for weather to play a significant role at the mountain, but what made 92 memorable was 'Gentleman Jim Richards' famous 'You're a pack of Arseholes' speech on the victory podium, flanked by a young Mark Skaife who looked like he was going to take the crowd on himself. Richards had also co-driven with Brock to numerous Bathurst wins, and Skaife went on to drive with Brock and later replaced Brock to become the new face of Holden in Australian motorsport - it's a small world.


Skaife at Winton, 2006 (almost same piece of track!)

In something of a full circle I found myself back at Winton years later, in 2006, shooting pics of Skaife and others in the V8 Supercars, from close to the same position as I'd been years earlier, watching and photographing Brock, but no longer able to jump the fence - V8 Supercars had hit the big time in Australia, for better or worse.


Brock, Bathurst and Holden

In retrospect I wish I'd somehow made it to Bathurst to see Brockie in his heyday. Motor racing like most sport seems to have changed over the years since then. What was once a bunch of lads, rough around the edges, fanging around on four wheels is now slickly packaged entertainment, primarily focussed on returning maximum revenue, presented as X vs Y sport.

Fortunately though Bathurst hasn't changed. In part that's why I jumped on the opportunity the first DriveBathurst event provided: to experience Bathurst as I'd imagined it might be for all those years - not just as spectator at the circuit, not watching on TV, not sim racing, but as it really is meant to be experienced - in car going shit scarey fast! :)

posted by Pete Walsh @ 12:34 AM   0 comments

Here is a small selection of pics I took while at DriveBathurst. There was no shortage of great cars to enjoy, especially many flavors or Porsche.

posted by Pete Walsh @ 4:47 PM   2 comments

'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

There are always a few things you dream of doing but never think they'll be possible.

Having followed motorsport in Australia since the mid 1970's - especially the annual long distance race at Mount Panorama, Bathurst - I got to do one of those things in December, 2007: Hotlap Mount Panorama with champion drivers Jim Richards and Alex Davison as a part of the DriveBathurst event. Without doubt it was an immensely thrilling and personally satisfying experience.


Jim Richards Racing GT3RS & GT2 in Pitlane

Over the coming weeks I'll post more on the Bathurst experience, including images and video. I've always wanted a place to rant about motorsport so will do most likely end up doing that here too.

posted by Pete Walsh @ 7:48 PM   3 comments