Five decades represent the changing face of Bathurst
19/8/2004 0:44 (Press Release) -
Today’s launch of the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 under the banner of the ‘Changing Face of Bathurst’ has culminated in the unique experience of having victorious drivers and vehicles from all five decades of Mount Panorama’s ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN in attendance at Sydney’s Luna Park.
Tradition has typified the annual pilgrimage to Bathurst, which in 2004, on the 42nd occasion of the most famous of Australian motor racing events, will take place on October 7-10.
Likewise for families, the smiling face of Luna Park has provided an open invitation to enjoy its own version of wholesome entertainment.
Just like Luna Park, which was established in 1935, Bathurst’s Mount Panorama is another of the most significant 1930’s New South Wales icons, having first been utilised as a motor racing circuit in 1938.
Since then, the introduction of a consistent 1000 kilometre endurance event has been a keystone of success for Australian motor racing, Bathurst’s famous Mount Panorama circuit and of course the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000.
Appropriately, the principle of the naming rights sponsorship, Bob Jane today stands proudly alongside the Ford Cortina GT, which he along with Harry Firth drove to success in the inaugural 1000 kilometre endurance event in 1963.
Jane repeated the feat the following year, teaming with George Reynolds, and clearly cemented his path into the Australian Touring Car/ V8 Supercar Hall of Fame by winning back-to-back Australian touring car titles in 1962/63 and then repeating the dose in 1971/72.
Of his 38 starts in the Australian Touring Car championship, Jane secured 21 podiums.
The 1970’s brought about the introduction of a strong line of Holden Toranas which took Australian circuit racing by storm.
First the LJ XU1 shot to prominence when Mount Panorama’s most successful driver, Peter Brock opened his Bathurst account with a brilliant solo victory in 1972.
Successive years of domination by the L34 were achieved in 1975/76 and then likewise by the A9X in 1978/79.
Brock had stamped his authority by the end of the decade, engineering four of the five Holden victories and then starting the 80’s in style by securing his fifth ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN title.
Bob Morris and John Fitzpatrick driving an L34 in 1976 masterminded the only Holden success void of the Brock factor during the 1970’s.
Ironically, their win would go down in history as one of the most dramatic.
Holding the race lead and with just a few laps remaining the car encountered mechanical problems which appeared to bring a disappointing, premature close to their campaign.
But Fitzpatrick was able to nurse the L34 to the finish line with smoke billowing from the exhaust as an emotional Morris was left teary eyed and overjoyed by the occasion.
The successful duo’s slice of Bathurst success was secured, limping in 48.30 seconds ahead of Colin Bond who on that day had partnered Brock.
Again through the early 1980’s the name Peter Brock was further etched into the racing achives of Mount Panorama.
The tail end of his three successive victories in 1978-1980 ushered in the early model versions of today’s V8 Supercar Holden Commodores.
The 1980 success of the VB Commodore was followed by another three-peat performance to signal the introduction of the VH and then the updated VK model from 1982 through to 1984.
Ford’s Dick Johnson and John French were the only stalemate in what could have become seven straight successes for Brock, when they claimed the 1981 chequered flag spoils driving a Ford Falcon XD.
Just as Jim Richards was the valued co-driver for Brock’s late 70’s romp, Larry Perkins would do likewise as a constant fixture during Holden’s early 80’s domination.
Perkins too would go on to become one of the superstars in the sport adding the 1993, 1995 and 1997 Bathurst crowns to the three already secured with Brock.
The late 80’s, early 90’s were very much a transitional period for Australian touring cars, which saw the introduction of vehicles boasting a far superior power to weight ratio than was being utilised by the earlier troupe of campaigners.
This dominant variable had the Ford Sierra RS500 mastering top position among its peers and provided success for Tony Longhurst and Tomas Mezera in 1988.
Their bicentennial prize would especially provide Longhurst a rare place among the winners of Bathurst’s famous endurance event, as one of only two drivers to have secured success for both Ford and Holden manufacturers.
Mezera is also another of the long standing participants in various forms of Australian touring car competition and is the current standards adviser and observer for the Australian Carrera Cup.
In 1993 the highly successful Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series was ushered in and it was Perkins, teaming with Gregg Hansford to lead the way at Mount Panorama.
The development over the past 11 years of the series has further grown the reputation of Bathurst’s ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN at Mount Panorama.
Likewise, the turn of the century has also incorporated a new breed of hero.
Last year it was the partnership of Greg Murphy and Rick Kelly proving a strategic masterstroke by the Kmart Racing team.
In the process of collecting his third Bathurst crown, Murphy also lifted the performance bar for drivers competing in this year’s Bob Jane T-Marts 1000.
A scintillating 2003 Mount Panorama weekend now has him as the current record holder of the fastest ever qualifying time and outright lap record holder.
For Kelly, his inaugural ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN victory also marked his first ever win in the V8 Supercar Championship Series and at just 20 years of age became the youngest ever conqueror of the mountain.
Similarly, it was a fairytale podium finish for Ford Performance Racing duo Craig Lowndes and Glenn Seton during last year’s Bob Jane T-Marts 1000.
Despite achieving dual Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series crowns, Seton had been shooting unsuccessfully for Mount Panorama glory for the past two decades.
That changed on his 20th attempt and provided one of the great moments in his sporting life.
Lowndes is no stranger to the mountain having claimed the ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN title in 1996 when both he and Murphy collected their first winner’s trophy driving a Holden Commodore VR.
As another V8 Supercar multiple champion, Lowndes boasts the capabilities to orchestrate his first Bathurst win in Ford colours and in the process join Castrol Perkins Motorsport duo, Tony Longhurst and Steven Richards to have previously won for both Ford and Holden manufacturers.
Glancing over the assembled superstars of the ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN, it’s no wonder the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 is so highly regarded in both National and International sporting contexts.
Here among us stand a selection of the great drivers from yesteryear and some of the best performed of the current crop of V8 Supercar stars to have successfully graced the hallowed bitumen of Mount Panorama.
While 2004 certainly represents the ‘Changing Face of Bathurst’ it is a most pertinent point that many will again aim up to the 1000 kilometre ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN challenge on October 7-10 this year.
Add to the equation the return of the undisputed champion of the mountain Peter Brock as he makes one final tilt at securing his tenth Bathurst crown.
The 2004 Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 will rightly be regarded as the biggest and best ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN between Ford and Holden.
Grandstand tickets for this year’s Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 can be purchased through Ticketmaster7.com or by calling 1300 136 122.
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