Bathurst 1000 - is there something wrong with it?

[db120176]

I keep reading that people are disenchanted with the 1000km race. Various posts feature terms such like "boring" "not like the 70s, 80s, 90s" and "they just try and buy a ticket to the last 30 laps". I know that 1000k is not the test on machinery it used to be

Is there something with the Great Race, and if so, how would you fix it?

[formerf1champ]

Is it specifically the Bathurst 1000 there is a problem with? Or is it decisions made to "improve the show", generally speaking, that has then affected the 1000?

[ford71]

Make it longer.

1000 miles?

[redesp]

3 drivers: 1 regular, 1 aussie, 1 international = 54(ish laps each)

Pole based on averaged qualifying times

On race day each team has the driver order picked at random.

This gives the ability for regular drivers to drive against the other two and should mix up the feild in respect of competitiveness.

No open pit lane for safety cars.

Bring up the first 4 front running "Fujitsu" (or whatever it will be next year) Series cars to boost the numbers... or at least get 32 Cars on the Grid!

[dsg]

Originally Posted by ford71

Make it longer.

1000 miles?

1000 minutes.

[GTRMagic]

How about the powers that be separate the event time wise from the Gold Coast Indy race, and stop the commentary team from bleating on about how fantabulous it will be to get to Indy.

The promotion and maintenance of the enigma that is Bathurst has somehow been lost in recent years. Years ago Bathurst was IT! And afforded such status by the Mike Raymond-led #7 crew... Now, its the prelude to the Gold Coast

[Carsandmotorracing]

No.

[Scrut]

More cars.

Less saftey cars.

[Langers]

Too many safety cars

Race not long enough (no car nursing required)

[E36ST]

More types / models of cars racing. That was the drawcard for me of the Group A days etc, so much more variety. And yes even the controversial introduction of cars like the Nissan, they really shook things up... and we're still talking about it 20 years later

[E36ST]

Oh, and the ability for privateers or non-regular teams to enter. To me the special Bathurst events were a Falcon or BMW or something up the front and a guy in a Ford Anglia at the back. Maybe that this approach is just no longer possible, but I personally enjoy watching the Bathurst 12hr (from what little we get of it here) more than the October main event.

[F J Nedos]

Don't make it part of the championship.

[db120176]

Originally Posted by F J Nedos

Don't make it part of the championship.

I think since it has become part of the championship, it has lifted the profile of the championship while the great race seems to have lost some of the lustre.

[peckstar]

I think the only way to fix the race is to make it shorter.

its too long for modern times and too many people dont want to spend a whole day watching the race

otherwise, we just have to accept that other rounds are now just as good, and therefore Bathurst no longer shines and really thats no big deal

better 25 good rounds , than 1 great rounds and 24 really bad rounds

Not sure there is anything to be done,

[one five five]

To dedicated fans like us, Bathurst is becoming abit of a shadow of its former self, in that it is all about the last 25 laps nowadays rendering the first 6hrs irrelevant.


To the general public and media though, Bathurst is still the only race in town that matters, and still the pinacle of Australian motorsport as far as they are concerned. No racing event in Australia gets the national media attention, nor the attention of the casual viewer, that Bathurst does.

The likes of the Clipsal 500 are big events in Adelaide, but they don't make the back page of the papers in places like Brisbane or Melbourne though (letalone Sydney), whereas Bathurst always does.


As for the race being too long & people not wanting to watch all days...... the TV figures for Bathurst tell the opposite story. The race rates as high as it always has.... how does this show we need to shorten it??

Channel 7 tried shortening the traditional Bathurst in 1999....look what happened there

[peckstar]

actually it doesnt rate as good as it always had, there has been a drop and a reasonable drop too (but 2011 was better than 2010)

ratings

and i think you over estimate how big bathurst is in the media in other cirties, yes it is big in Sydney papers, but by no means is it as big elsewhere (and if you read the adelaide papers you would see that the clipsal is much bigger in adelaide papers that bathusrt is in NSW)

a longer race, will not really achieve anything, because a SC will come out with 30 laps to go and we will race to the finish, it is just delaying the inevitable,

maybe bathurst needs to turn into two 500km races, one sat and one sunday, wouldnt bother me

that being said, i like it the way it is

[DX20VT]

I would like to see pit lane closed when the safety car goes on track,
stop it just being a race from safety car to safety car,
and strategy would be more complicated than " we will stop when the safety car goes out" like everyone else.

[peckstar]

what benefit does that gain? apart from causing all these cars too run out of fuel because they are not allowed to pit


but more importantly how does it make bathurst better

[kittle]

What about the introduction of another set or two of soft tyres.

I think that some teams conserve there tyre usage to get them through to end of the race. If teams know they have more tyres they will go harder knowing they have more to use

Or even use the smaller 70l fuel tanks to pit more and for the teams to
strategies there pitstops

[Shane001]

Forget whining about the Bathurst 1000, focus on building up the 12 hour into a 24 hour truly international event!

[one five five]

Originally Posted by kittle

What about the introduction of another set or two of soft tyres.

I think that some teams conserve there tyre usage to get them through to end of the race. If teams know they have more tyres they will go harder knowing they have more to use

Or even use the smaller 70l fuel tanks to pit more and for the teams to
strategies there pitstops

More pitstops and gimmicky tyres are exactly what the event doesn't need if alot of the comments on this forum is anything to go by.

It needs to go back to being a proper race, not a spiced up show where they are making ten pitstops, and one car going 3secs a lap quicker due to softer tyres...

Real strategy at Bathurst was trying to stretch your fuel run to 40 laps so you only had to do 3 stops, or trying to get through the race without a pad change.

[Gaz170]

How about forgetting compulsory brake pad changes, allowing teams to choose soft or hard tyres and so having people on different strategies on the day and seeing who guesses best.

[xrystl]

Remove the race from the Championship (stand alone event) - no double stint for either driver , reduce the fuel tank capacity , increase the co-drivers minimum laps to 45% race distance .

[peckstar]

what exactaly would that do Xrystl? how would it improve things?

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by ford71

Make it longer.

1000 miles?

Or 12 Hours? Wait that race exists.