2015 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour: 6-8 February

[Hingo]

No problem with wearing a Holden or Ford hat/t-shirt but waving a flag for a make of car that isn't competing is a bit odd. That would by like waving a Rabbitohs flag at a Swans game

[racer69]

Great weekend, thoroughly enjoyed it as I have every year i have gone since 2012.

Any time you get a bigger crowd than last time can only be a good thing, and 32,000 is a damn good crowd for a non-1000 event at Bathurst.

Safety Cars were very annoying, but then again safety cars have been a regular feature of all Bathurst enduro's for a decade (with the exception of the 2013 Supercheap Auto 1000). Code 60 has to be on the ideas list at least with the organisers you would think.... presumebly it is ultimatly a CAMS decision whether to use it or not?

How tough do the Bentley's look! And how impressive was Markus Winkelhock's opening stint.

Roll on the 2016 event.

Originally Posted by 6.213km

Code 60 would work for cars beached in sand traps at Murrays, cars that stopped up mountain straight, in fact any car that wasnt so damaged it needed a tilt tray. There are exits on mountain straight that cars can be pulled into, same on conrod at least on one side, and at places like Murrays and even Hell corner where vision leading into the corner is good, a Code 60 should be used.

There's even exit points at John Hinxman vista, and on the way up to the cutting.

My suggestion to the organisers - code 60 wherever possible - drag cars into gaps in the fences, and when there is a major accident and time permits, collect the stricken cars from these areas at that time.

Agree wholeheartedly....

...only issue is that teams have become spoilt with anytime there is an incident the car is brought back to the pits, the team repairs it and they can later rejoin the race.... i'd say the old rule of "cars must enter the pits under their own steam to continue in the race" would have to be brought back.

I recall years ago fans bemoaning the fact a safety car wasn't thrown at a wet Winton in 2004 when Skaife spun off into a safe place but got bogged and couldn't rejoin, while someone else had spun off earlier and gotten bogged in a dangerous place and got a push under safety car...

Originally Posted by peckstar

Been to NASCAR events a few times in the states, I wore my v8 stuff to that

I wore a BMW Sauber T-shirt to Parramatta Speedway last month

You just wear what you wear i think.

I saw plenty of different t-shirts from many different categories around the world over the weekend, if anything that shows the cross-section of fans the event attracts.

[peckstar]

Im just giving my opinion as a tv spectator. I didnt like the start in the dark.
Couldnt tell which car was which and i am passed the days where glowing brakes makes me excited. Didnt think it addded anything froma tv point of view

thought we were very lucky not to have a big accident with the mazda coming into the cutting

However it may have been better at the track and it meant that the coverage could be finished in time, for in theory, the news although that wasn't the case in Vic and NSW in the end and they didnt show the podium anyway

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by peckstar

Im just giving my opinion as a tv spectator. I didnt like the start in the dark.

The dark start MUST stay.

Trackside it is amazing - and sets it apart from every other event (circuit) in the country.

Understand its less of a thrill on tv - but the first things I did when I got home yesterday afternoon was play back the first 1 hour of the event.

Differentiation is the key - and dark running provides that.

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

The dark start MUST stay.

Trackside it is amazing - and sets it apart from every other event (circuit) in the country.

Understand its less of a thrill on tv - but the first things I did when I got home yesterday afternoon was play back the first 1 hour of the event.

Differentiation is the key - and dark running provides that.

I thought having GT3 cars and international teams and drivers and thst it is going for 12 hours is what sets its apart?

the dark is just a gimmick

[Hingo]

I like the dark. It has to stay one way or other. I like it how it is but 10am to 10pm would be cool.

[Finski]

What an epic weekend! loved every bit of it
Finally I got to see the dark start live and it was awesome!
Already looking forward to next year

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by peckstar

I thought having GT3 cars and international teams and drivers and thst it is going for 12 hours is what sets its apart?

the dark is just a gimmick

Your first point is correct - however to the generic sports fan (as opposed to motorsport fans) the dark is the most recognisable difference.

There is enough daylight running in a 12 hour event for the tv viewers to be kept happy - especially with quality commentary to keep you informed when running in the dark.

It must stay and Mr O'Brien understands that.

The dark is not a gimmick - it has plenty of substance and adds to the challenge of the event.

[Bell_End]

Originally Posted by racer69

Safety Cars were very annoying, but then again safety cars have been a regular feature of all Bathurst enduro's for a decade (with the exception of the 2013 Supercheap Auto 1000). Code 60 has to be on the ideas list at least with the organisers you would think.... presumebly it is ultimatly a CAMS decision whether to use it or not?

Everywhere else codes 60s are really used they have room on the side of the track, I just don't think you can run a code 60 when you got trucks trying to pick up cars across the top of the mountain.. I wouldn't want to be a marshal with no where to run if **** goes wrong.. I think that is the big difference in running a code 60 at the mountain, and you can't really have code 60 for the bottom of the mountain and full course SC for the top IMO.

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Your first point is correct - however to the generic sports fan (as opposed to motorsport fans) the dark is the most recognisable difference.

There is enough daylight running in a 12 hour event for the tv viewers to be kept happy - especially with quality commentary to keep you informed when running in the dark.

It must stay and Mr O'Brien understands that.

The dark is not a gimmick - it has plenty of substance and adds to the challenge of the event.

As i said its just my opinion

however i dont reckon their are too many "generic sports fans" watching at 6am.

would have been a shame if the top 3 were taken out because they crashed into a stalled mazda sideways across the cutting with no lights on.

Was not too upset when the first SC came out much more enjoyable to watch after that.

I much preferred the twilight start last year

[PVDA]

Originally Posted by racer69

I recall years ago fans bemoaning the fact a safety car wasn't thrown at a wet Winton in 2004 when Skaife spun off into a safe place but got bogged and couldn't rejoin,

Hang on, you think someone other than Skaife and his team was upset at him being bogged

As a side note a Safety Car was thrown for someone else which allowed Skaife to be extracted from the bog and he just clocked up enough laps to classify as a finisher and score valuable points.

[GreenMachine]

He was already out of the car when I got to the fence.



... and when the medical car arrived, he jumped over the tyre wall and trotted across the sand.


I hope Herr B was good enough to apologise, it could have been nasty.

[bluesport]

Originally Posted by GreenMachine

He was already out of the car when I got to the fence.



... and when the medical car arrived, he jumped over the tyre wall and trotted across the sand.


I hope Herr B was good enough to apologise, it could have been nasty.

They showed Herr B in the pits later in the telecast with a big grin on his face........the grin wasn't appropriate I thought.

[FAS33]

The yellow flagged filled race made it hard to watch. So came back when I knew there was about an hour left into it, and wasn't disappointed. Go Nissan!

[GreenMachine]

This may be of interest here ...


... seems to be a Lambo thing, on the very next lap this:


or perhaps it is not just Lambos ...


... so maybe it was the heat...


And speaking of gazebos, as I was earlier (I have nothing against them, except when they are on the fence), they do have their uses ...



By the way Scudd, I tried to find an embarrassing shot of the VR car, but all I could come up with was this ...


..so here is a nice one of the Lambo ...


If anyone wants to see some more of these, r.click on the image, go to properties and that will give you the addy.

[scudd]

No need to look for mistake photos of anyone.

VR team did a stellar job.

I can't post pics but there's a ripper of #32 shooting flames and glowing discs after the chase.

[racer69]

Originally Posted by peckstar

Im just giving my opinion as a tv spectator. I didnt like the start in the dark.
Couldnt tell which car was which and i am passed the days where glowing brakes makes me excited. Didnt think it addded anything froma tv point of view

That has always been an issue with TV coverage of endurance racing in the dark.

They did a complete daylight race (7am - 7pm) in 2013, and immediatly have gone back to earlier starts again since, indicating perhaps more interest in a dark start

It's a good novelty in my opinion, and i'd be surprised if they dropped it, it is pretty popular with the fans at the track. If you want FTA coverage, you need to start the race at this time to get it finished in time for the news (i know there was a late change which bumped it to 7mate for the ending this year for some reason, was it the Liberal spill?)

Originally Posted by Bell_End

Everywhere else codes 60s are really used they have room on the side of the track, I just don't think you can run a code 60 when you got trucks trying to pick up cars across the top of the mountain.. I wouldn't want to be a marshal with no where to run if **** goes wrong.. I think that is the big difference in running a code 60 at the mountain, and you can't really have code 60 for the bottom of the mountain and full course SC for the top IMO.

You'd have to Code 60 the whole track at a time, slowing parts of the track and not others wouldn't work seeing as at Bathurst they rotate the trucks from point to point.

Maybe have it in the rules for both the Code 60 or the normal safety car, with the officials deciding which one to use when?

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by ff s conscience

Well that was fun.

Nice to meet you reload.

And well done scudd and team, your monkey was even bigger than ours, but we've both shaken it off.

Beat ya though!

It was great to see both cars make it home.

[chavez]

A couple of points re the TV coverage.

But I'll preface my comments by stating that I understand that the organisers work to a budget and AVE have given motorsport viewers much entertainment over the years.

1. The number of trackside camers was far too few. What was acceptable in 1985 is not acceptable now - especially with no aerial coverage.

2. Two pit reporters for 50 cars is not enough.

3. Despite being an endurance race the director tended to ignore what was going on in the pits. The commentators would offen comment that so and so was in the pits but the poor viewer was left without pictures.

4. A pet hate. Sure it makes sense for drivers and teams to call the corners by numbers, but that with all of the evocative names at Mt Panorama why on earth must the commentators refer to these fanatsically named corners as numbers?

On the plus side the commentary was entertaining, but Paul Truswell was sorely missed.

[Miguel]

Did Stefan Mücke push the Bentley off in the last corner on the final lap?

[GreenMachine]

Originally Posted by scudd

No need to look for mistake photos of anyone.

VR team did a stellar job.

I can't post pics but there's a ripper of #32 shooting flames and glowing discs after the chase.

Just trying to be even handed! (joke). I got your glowing disks, and saw the flame but wasn't fast enough to catch it - I am just an old fart with slow reflexes, doing this for fun!

I think you both did stellar jobs, it was one of the highlights to see you and VR come home well placed.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by scudd

No need to look for mistake photos of anyone.

VR team did a stellar job.

I can't post pics but there's a ripper of #32 shooting flames and glowing discs after the chase.

The JBS squad did brilliantly.. A finish, and a really strong one at that. Awesome!

[Gingers4Justice]

Have to profoundly disagree with those who criticise the start in the dark. Maybe it's the Le Mans diet I've grown up on, but racing in the pure dark is absolute magic and the fact it's the start of the race adds something to it too.

Seeing headlights on lap 1 from the Elbow all the way down to the chase was something special. I don't understand how that couldn't raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

It's just one of a number of things which makes me, as an international viewer, seek this event out and clear some time to watch it - and why I'm desperate to go one day.

[GTRMagic]

Ouch!

[Bell_End]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Ouch!

I read he was hit in the ribs by the scotch decanter in the bently, it came loose during the crash. The FIA may need to look into the leather restraint homologated.