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30 Dec 2001, 10:19 (Ref:191395) | #1 | ||
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Bathurst - of Grice and Men
Bathurst
Over the years there are guys who turn up and really blitz it. Year after year, the great unknowns' (well not really) of motorsport. People who are nearly there. Guys like... Alan Grice - a sure bet over a long distance. (I know he won in 1986) Dick Johnson - I mean the XC Ford days when he was sruggling to finish. John French - the master Moffat - competitive in a range of Fords, the professional team principal and the Mazda Man. Bobby Morris - Brock - who won in the cars that didn't break down half way though - or, who won with two cars when the rest had one. (sorry Ray) Why for this nostalgic BS? Have spent the last few days watching the highlights from 1960 to 2001 on DVD. |
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30 Dec 2001, 10:30 (Ref:191400) | #2 | ||
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As Grice is the title bearer for the thread, let's consider the year he qualified near the front of the grid... first time there... and qualified right up near the front of the grid... then couldn't start.
I had the feeling (I was in the thick of it those days, right there where things were happening) that he was being shafted by the ARDC for some reason... Later he became President of the ARDC, I think, perhaps he learned from this particular incident? But generally Gricey wasn't really the stayer... or not to the same extent that Brock was. You see, Brock's plan was to get the boys out front onto a pace faster than was wise, quietly drop back, follow them around, watch them falter, then cruise on up to take the win. |
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30 Dec 2001, 10:52 (Ref:191407) | #3 | ||
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Sorry Ray
But I nearly forgot. Charlie "bloody" O'Brien. What a guy. And I forgot his HDT days. Of Brock, well he had the team the money and the press. Any wonder? |
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30 Dec 2001, 11:17 (Ref:191410) | #4 | ||
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30 Dec 2001, 11:23 (Ref:191412) | #5 | ||
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Quote:
It shows as the dreaded X thingy As for Brock and money. Come on Ray! Holden backing for a lifetime of plenty that only He could screw up with the polariser BS. If this ain't money in your books, can I have a loan? |
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30 Dec 2001, 11:37 (Ref:191414) | #6 | ||
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Right click on the 'x' and then click on 'show picture'...
Others had plenty of money too... don't worry. It was said at the time that Grice was getting more than the Dealer Team... Anyway, money alone doesn't win races. |
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30 Dec 2001, 22:49 (Ref:191724) | #7 | ||
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I liked the pictures of Longford. Tehre are some familiar vantages points that I remember, The run down to the Viaduct and Long Bridge from the inside of Newry coner.
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30 Dec 2001, 23:08 (Ref:191729) | #8 | ||
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30 Dec 2001, 23:25 (Ref:191731) | #9 | ||
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Yes I saw all those, it triggered a nostalgia response.
I had a bit of a look round and the Longford an dViaduct caught my attention. Road works have pretty well destroyed some of the the old roads. The section down the to the viaduct and on to Tannery has been replaced by a modern road. Whe I was there I was too young to appreciate it properly, and of course no camera. Considering how old they are the photo's are pretty good. |
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30 Dec 2001, 23:29 (Ref:191732) | #10 | |||
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In the early 80s i would be surprised if Brock had the most money, the Dealer Team wasn't a works team, as opposed to the factory backed Moffat Mazda, Nissan and JPS Team BMW teams. Brock won though because he built better cars and mostly drove better.Having said that though, i'm sure he had more than enough money to do the job properly. In the late 70s though i'm sure the Marlboro HDT had the biggest budget, it had all the Marlboro money, plus the General Motors backing. |
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31 Dec 2001, 02:25 (Ref:191791) | #11 | ||
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31 Dec 2001, 02:57 (Ref:191798) | #12 | ||
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Ray
Have you any pics of Sir Gawaine Baillies Ford Galaxie braking from 130mph of the Flying mile to a 30mph mountford corner at Longford?????. I think the Galaxies brakes only lasted a lap of Longford in a 6 lap race, the rest would have been point and squirt to the finish. Mick j |
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31 Dec 2001, 03:01 (Ref:191799) | #13 | ||
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No, I don't... but I have this...
What's that got to do with Sir Gawaine Baillie? Well, this is us driving down Tannery Straight between events... it was made a one-way road so spectators could change their vantage points... and this is where the Galaxie loomed large in our mirrors, then roared by during one such between-races moment... Last edited by Ray Bell; 31 Dec 2001 at 03:02. |
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31 Dec 2001, 03:13 (Ref:191804) | #14 | ||
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I was just considering the tangential development of this thread and wondering about it... and it struck me that:
There was a time that we always thought of Bathurst and Longford in the same breath... the two real road circuits in the country, both with hideously fast and long straights, both about four miles to the lap, both lined with barbed wire (or similar) fences, both hosting just one race meeting (excluding the 500) a year. But the thread is Bathurst and the drivers who've shone there... like Wayne Negus in 1972, Kevin Bartlett in 1974, John Goss in 1985, Bo Seton every year he ran there... |
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1 Jan 2002, 11:23 (Ref:192195) | #15 | |||
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Bartlett is a good example. And in more recent times so is Wayne Gardner. Yes, I know, he deserves al manner of effluent being cast in his direction for his unusual mouth to talent ratio, but when you look at his Bathurst efforts, he has done well. Suprisingly well. |
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1 Jan 2002, 11:58 (Ref:192200) | #16 | ||
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Bo Seton is the unsung one... more fastest laps than anyone, I think... had to put up with a co-driver without a tenth of his talent on a number of occasions...
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1 Jan 2002, 12:07 (Ref:192201) | #17 | ||
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So Ray,
As an aside from the thread. What was the fall out between Bo and Glenn prior to FTR bying in sponsorship wise? I would agree with your thoughts on Bo by the way. |
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1 Jan 2002, 12:41 (Ref:192218) | #18 | ||
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Man, that was well before the FTR thing, that dates back to about '94 or something... and neither of them would talk to me about it.
But I would say it's the same issue that divides Jack Brabham from his sons.... |
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3 Jan 2002, 00:43 (Ref:193054) | #19 | ||
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Please enlighten us Ray
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3 Jan 2002, 01:01 (Ref:193060) | #20 | ||
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Oh no did Bo have a mid life crisis too!
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3 Jan 2002, 07:42 (Ref:193096) | #21 | ||
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So did Bo find a new Mrs Seton like old Jack found a new Lady Brabham?
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3 Jan 2002, 09:06 (Ref:193116) | #22 | ||
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I hope Brock never gets a knighthood because I don't think Beverly could ever be called a lady.
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5 Jan 2002, 02:33 (Ref:194151) | #23 | |||
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Quote:
She polishes up pretty well for the Bridgestone ads, though... |
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5 Jan 2002, 05:04 (Ref:194161) | #24 | ||
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Amazing the things that can be done with a trowl and a tin of Bog
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5 Jan 2002, 10:16 (Ref:194197) | #25 | ||
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Must be hanging a Polarizer round her neck.
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