Bathurst - loud, proud and even more
Organizers of the Super Cheap Auto Bathurst 1000 predict that the huge crowd that gathered last year over the death of Peter Brock will be overtaken next week.
More than 193,000 spectators, nearly an increase from 30,000 to 2005, gathered in four days at Mt Panorama in 2006 as a wave of emotion following the untimely death of nine-time winner Brock a month earlier hit Australia's most sacred circuit.
“We are on our way to the biggest Bathurst 1000 ever,” said V8 Supercars Australia Chairman Tony Cochrane.
“A lot of people thought that after the death of Peter Brock last year, these crowds would never happen again.
“Before Sandown 80,000 last month, over 500 tickets were sold in advance.
"We've moved further in the grandstand sales than we did last year."
In honor of Bathurst's 45th run, special festivities were organized, during which a parade of former champions and their cars will take place.
The legendary Harry Firth and tire king Bob Jane wrote the first chapter in Bathurst history when they shared a Ford Cortina GT and won the so-called Armstrong 500 mile race in 1963.
Firth and Jane's Cortina will be one of several former winning cars to be honored with a special parade of champions ahead of next Sunday's 161 lap marathon.
The traditional 10:10.30 a.m. race start will be moved to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. to make room for extended pre-race buzz.
Channel 7 will showcase each of the 31 cars in the race, showing them on separate laps just before they line up on the grid and keeping viewers updated on their progress since leaving for the first practices on Thursday.
The Bathurst bangers will run presentation laps about 40 seconds apart, adding about 20 minutes to the pre-race hype.
Channel 7 hosted an unprecedented 21 hours of live coverage over three days from next Friday to Sunday.
Even if bad weather and the safety cars conspire to slow down the race, Seven assured they would bring back their 6 o'clock news if necessary to show the full race.
The later start gives the organizers some breathing room to help spectators get into Mt Panorama and there is now time for two support races before the start of the Bathurst 1000.
“A later start helps in terms of filtering traffic on the track, easing the pressure on day-trippers from Sydney and making room for two support events (Carrera Cup and Touring Car Masters),” said V8 Supercars general manager. special events, said Shane Howard.
Due to the tightening of New South Wales' liquor laws, changes have been made to the transport and consumption of alcohol at this year's major events.
A small number of players have requested refunds due to the changes.
"Let's face the truth. . . we are approaching over 80,000 advance ticket sales,” Cochrane said.
"We've had 20 - two zero - requests for refunds."
Alcohol can still be brought in and consumed on campsites, but it is prohibited to bring alcohol into or out of the licensed areas, which this year are defined at the bottom of the scheme.
The foot of the mountain from Chase to Pit Street and Harris Park and up Mountain Street will be fully licensed.
“We have no choice as these are the conditions for a major event in New South Wales,” Howard said.
"What we can do is work with our catering to keep the alcohol prices at the establishment as low as possible."
Over $750,000 is being spent on strengthening police and security.
The track will have 160 police officers, double the number of last year, and there will be tighter searches at the entrances for fireworks and other contraband.
Highlights of the Great Race
1963
The legendary Harry Firth and Bob Jane are vying for Bathurst's first enduro, the Armstrong 500, on the Ford Cortina GT.
1966
It was the year the mighty Morris Mini Cooper S took the Panorama Mountain, with Rauno Aaltonen and Bob Holden sharing the wheel.
1967
Firth claims his second Bathurst win with Fred Gibson in a Ford Falcon XR GT.
1972
Young Peter Brock took the first of his nine mountain victories in a brilliant solo run in a Holden Torana LJ XU1.
1981
A star was born when Dick Johnson and his co-driver, Brisbane car dealer John French, led the Ford Falcon XD to victory a year after the well-known "fatal" incident.
1995
After a puncture on the first lap, Larry Perkins and Russell Ingall went out of the circle to win.
2002
Award-winning Jim Richards is in contention for his seventh title as co-driver Mark Skaife in the lead Holden Racing Team Commodore.
2006
Peter Brock's stunt double Craig Lowndes scores an emotional victory over Jamie Wincap a month after the legendary driver was killed on a paved rally in Perth.
