Only Ten Days Until The Great Race Bathurst 2014

[disco man]

Well i don't know about you guys but i am looking forward to the race, The head is saying Redbull are the team to beat but the heart wants Scotty Mclaughlin and the Volvo,or DJR to have a red-hot go at it. The pairings for the race are so strong this year. HRT showed some very good pace at Sandown and so did FPR,mainly Chaz Mostert. As we all know anything can happen at the Mountain and on the strength of the teams and the drivers this year i personally think its going to be one of the best races we have had for a while. On a side note the progress Erebus have made on Lee Holdsworth car is astounding. To hit a wall at 260kph and not write off the car and kill the driver is a testament to how well built these V8 supercars are.

Would really like to see Erebus have a good weekend,i think Betty deserves it.

[disco man]

Just a thought,How likely would it be to see Will Power at Bathurst in the future now that Penske is part of the V8 supercar series. Being an Aussie lad the thought of racing at the the Mountain must have some appeal for him.

[scarry]

Courtney and Murphy are a pretty good pairing as well.Courtney has never won it.

As said,anything can happen,can't wait.....

Eight sleeps to go:o:D

[DiscoPaul]

agree mate, would really like to see erebus or Mclaughlin do well, been real battlers

[discovery39]

Well I would like to see the new lap times!
They have spent a fortune resurfacing the track. Fixing bumps and potholes etc.
So all new Bathurst??? They say lap times will be broken.......??

[Pickles2]

As usual, I'm looking forward to it,.....BIG TIME.
I watch the whole 2.5 days iof telecast, & my race day TV is always preceeded by my Bathurst "BIG BREAKFAST", prepared by Wifey, fried eggs, bacon, sausages, fried potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms, fried bread etc,...which puts me in a relaxed frame of mind to enjoy the race.
Who will win?,.......Don't know, no-one does,...it will be the most even race for years.
I suppose going on Jamie's driving this year, he "could" be described as favourite, but at Bathurst there are so many factors involved, not the least being something called "Luck", so, I don't think anybody can predict anything with any certainty.
But if I had to say anything, then I would say, the two HRT cars & the Red Bull cars would be looking good.
Pickles.

[Dizza]

Im rooting for Mclaughlin this year. One hell of a driver and that Volvo seems as though it's really well set up.

[disco man]

A bit of an early insight. From the Mark Skaife.

Mark Skaife predicts Jamie Wincup will continue his relentless assault on the V8 record books at next weeks Bathurst 1000. Holden great Skaife believes the only driver who can stop Whincup from racking up his fifth Bathurst title is Red Bull Racing teammate Craig Lowndes. Six-time Bathurst champion Skaife said Nissan would again struggle but Volvo could surprise. Whincup and Bathurst-winning partner Paul Dumbrell blitzed the field in last months Bathurst prequel, scoring a dominate win at Sandown to kickstart the endurance season.

"I just can't go past them," Skaife said. "They were unbelievable at Sandown and i can only see them getting better at Bathurst." With eight Bathurst wins between them,Lowndes and Steven Richards are the veteran pairing who could stop Whincup's Mount Panorama charge. Boasting the same car as the champion frontrunner,Skaife said Lowndes' Bathurst experience could be the key. "Steven Richards will be a big asset to Lowndes," Skaife said. "His experience will count for plenty."

Skaife urged FPR to "go with what they know" as Mark Winterbottom looked to defend his Bathurst crown alongside co-driver Steve Owen. "They will still be in the mix because last year's win was a career-defining moment for Mark," Skaife said. "It was a strong drive that showed he has everything it takes to win at Bathurst." Skaife also rates HRT's James Courtney and Greg Murphy as genuine contenders. Despite question marks over Volvo's longevity,with the returning manufacturer facing its first 1000km test in a S60,Skaife said Scott McLaughlin and Alex Premat were the dark horses and could shock the Mountain with a historic win. "They are right in the mix. Scott is a young driver capable of anything." Skaife said.

If your a betting man,here are your odds.
$3.40 Whincup/Dumbrell
$5.00 Lowndes/Richards-Courtney/Murphy
$8.00 Tander/Luff
$12.00 VanGisbergen/Webb-Winterbottom/Owen-McLaughlin/Premat.

[Pickles2]

Skaifey is getting carried away, & having a bet each way.
He's saying Whincup was "unbelievable" at Sandown. Why?, Simply because he had a perfect run?. Let's not forget that HRT were only a few seconds behind at the end, & they DIDN'T have a perfect run,...double stacking/traffic etc etc.
Like I said, it's anyone's race.
Pickles.

[LandyAndy]

Would like to see Frosty go back to back.
If they can keep the Volvos going all day they will do well,they seem to have more torque than their rivals so will do very well going up the mountain.
Andrew

[disco man]

I think Brad Jones Racing could also be a bit of a dark horse as well,at times they have shown they have good racecars. Fabian and Jason Bright are class drivers.

[Yorkie]

I would like to see lowndes win, otherwise McLaughlin or Courtney. Either way it will be a great race as always. :)

[disco man]

I wonder if Garry Rodgers is surprised at the amount of people that have embraced Scotty and the Volvo this season. A lot of my mates that follow the V8's still staunchly follow the drivers and teams they like,but don't mind seeing Scotty do well. A few people have posted on the V8 supercar themed threads on this forum during the year with support for McLaughlin. I never thought the day would come when i was wanting a Volvo to win at Bathurst.

[Dizza]

I didn't either.

I have grown up supporting Ford in the V8's but there is an undeniably skilled driver behind the wheel of that Volvo.
The guy is 21 and is right up there with Australia's best drivers in a comparitively brand new car.

If nothing else it would be awesome to see the youngest driver ever to race a v8 supercar take out Bathurst. [emoji2]

[disco man]

I didn't either.

I have grown up supporting Ford in the V8's but there is an undeniably skilled driver behind the wheel of that Volvo.
The guy is 21 and is right up there with Australia's best drivers in a comparitively brand new car.

If nothing else it would be awesome to see the youngest driver ever to race a v8 supercar take out Bathurst. [emoji2]

G'day Dizza, I know what you mean mate,DJR has been the team i have always supported,and also SBR with the very talented Ambrose behind the wheel. Even used to follow 888 but when they went to Holden i lost interest with them,but i still have huge respect for Lowndes and Whincup. For some reason i never got behind Glenn Seton. Being a Kiwi i always like to see other Kiwi's do well even if Ford gets beaten,but if a Kiwi is driving the Holden its a little easier to take. At the start of the season in Adelaide i found myself totally engaged by the whole GRM setup. The sound the cars made,Dahlgren trying to make sense of what V8 Supercar racing is all about. The Volvo just looked awesome. And Scotties post race interview was priceless,that was it i was now a Volvo supporter.

When the V8's rolled into Townsville i found myself lining up to meet Scott and Robert and spend some cash at the GRM merchandise stand. Come next year with return of Ambrose to DJR Team Penske it will be hard to watch if Ambrose and Scotty are fighting each other for a race win,not 100% sure who i will want to win. Out of the up and coming young guns on the grid at the moment i think is well and truly above all of them, With the Gis and Percat and Mostert the next best. It is probably a big call so early in his career,but i think young Scotty has the potential to be one of the greats.

[AndyG]

As usual, I'm looking forward to it,.....BIG TIME.
I watch the whole 2.5 days iof telecast, & my race day TV is always preceeded by my Bathurst "BIG BREAKFAST", prepared by Wifey, fried eggs, bacon, sausages, fried potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms, fried bread etc,...which puts me in a relaxed frame of mind to enjoy the race.
Who will win?,.......Don't know, no-one does,...it will be the most even race for years.
I suppose going on Jamie's driving this year, he "could" be described as favourite, but at Bathurst there are so many factors involved, not the least being something called "Luck", so, I don't think anybody can predict anything with any certainty.
But if I had to say anything, then I would say, the two HRT cars & the Red Bull cars would be looking good.
Pickles.

When and where for brekky:p

[scarry]

HRT and 888 have won 8 out of the last nine......

Six sleeps to go:D:p

[Pickles2]

When and where for brekky:p
If you saw my tummy, you'd know I don't need it, but Bathurst is special, so Wifey looks after me!
Pickles.

[disco man]

Well I would like to see the new lap times!
They have spent a fortune resurfacing the track. Fixing bumps and potholes etc.
So all new Bathurst??? They say lap times will be broken.......??

I found this article that might answer the question.
Expect lap times to tumble at Bathurst this year. With the new Generation cars now with another 12 months development,overall times at Bathurst are tipped to drop by around two seconds. Reigning Bathurst winner Mark Winterbottom said his team is predicting a significant increase in speed this year. "The track surface is going to be the big thing," he said. "We're expecting it to be around two seconds a lap quicker around Bathurst than what we were doing last year. "The cars have come a long way and development has been huge." Winterbottom's sentiment has been echoed by his race engineer,Grant McPherson.

"In all the analysis we've done,I think the lap times are going to tumble in both qualifying and the race," he said. "The exact magnitude remains to be seen. "Its all down to the new surface. There will be small gains in what each team has been in through the car for the last twelve months,but that could be one to two tenths,but you could be looking at two seconds in track grip." "Its difficult to put a number on how much is a car gain and how much is track gain,but i think track gain will be ten times greater than car development over the past twelve months," McPherson concluded.

Jamie Whincup maintains the V8 Supercar race lap record at Bathurst with a 2:08.4651 set in 2007. The current series leader is expecting similar conditions to when he set that lap record but adds he is not focusing on breaking records. "The resurfacing is going to make the track faster,without a doubt," Whincup said. "What it does to the tyres,we're not quite sure about,but at the 12 hour it looked after them pretty good. "Its an endurance event,its not about going fast,and its about being there at the end with a straight car. Its our aim always and certainly is this year." Whincup also explained the improvement in the cars since the last visit will allow drivers to push the new cars harder.

"Don't worry,everyone has been absolutely working their arses off to innovate and make them better," he added. "They're miles better than they were twelve months ago but it depends on conditions. "Everyone has been pushing hard in what is a financially difficult time. No team has been raking in the cash doing it easy. I know we're on the verge and if we're on the verge,there's going to be a lot worse than us. I think everyone is doing a great job to keep innovating the engineering side while strapped for cash." Greg Murphy holds the qualifying lap record from 2003 with a 2:06.8594,says it will come down to conditions on the day as to whether his record will fall.

"The track is similar to what it was in 2003;its been resurfaced," Murphy said. "The tyres are a lot different to 2003-they are still Dunlop control tyres but there have been a lot of changes in compound and construction. And they are now 18-inch instead of 17-inch. "The cars are faster overall than they were in 2003,they've got more horsepower than ever before." says Murphy. Winterbottom concluded he is expecting the improved grip to mean cars will get faster in their stints as the fuel burns off during the race. "The tyres don't degrade and the fuel load comes off so the cars go quicker," Winterbottom added. "I think it will be the same again. Last year you'd try to put tyres on to be quicker,this year you can let it run out because with the lighter fuel load the tyre grip will still be there."

The Bathurst 12 Hour fastest race lap dropped from 2:06.8714 in 2013 to 2:03.8506 this year after resurfacing.

The Mythical 300kph.
Its the question that gets asked every year when teams go to Bathurst-will they break the 300kph barrier? While debate about whether it has been achieved before or if it is possible has lingered over the last decade,this year things could be a lot more clear cut. With teams reporting cars were hitting the 7500rpm limit at Sandown in sixth gear,Albins understands an alternative final drive ratio might be available for Bathurst. Whether it runs or not remains to be seen. We won't know until after practice whether its a necessary change or not,but in mechanical theory at least,it could have cars reaching the fabled 300kph mark.

[disco man]

I think Brad Jones Racing could also be a bit of a dark horse as well,at times they have shown they have good racecars. Fabian and Jason Bright are class drivers.

Brad Jones racing had a tough weekend at the Sandown 500 but that will not impact on the teams approach to the biggest race of the year,the Bathurst 1000. The Albury team will travel to Mount Panorama with an optimistic outlook despite the under par results from Sandown. Luke Youlden and Andrew Jones were 11th and 13th,respectively,in the co-drivers qualifying race. Fabian Coulthard and Jason Bright were 10th and 15th in theirs,and the 500km race saw the Lockwood Commodore finish 11th. "Sandown definitely wasn't our best weekend,"Brad Jones said. "Fabian and Luke were going along quite well towards the end of the race but we had a bit of a drama with the safety car,which dropped them from 5th to 11th. "But maybe Sandown is not a good indicator of where we are at the moment;unfortunately for us,it is probably one of our worst circuits. I don't base that too much on faith,rather than results. We always seem to struggle there." says Jones.

"But i feel strong going to Bathurst. Sandown is stop,turn and squirt;Bathurst is more flowing,and i think that suits our cars a little more. I think that it is going to be very interesting this year. With the resurfacing it is going to be faster we will need to be on top of our game when we get there. "We were in a podium position last year until we got knocked out of the way. I think that there is no reason why we shouldn't be as strong this year." While Jones feels a win at Bathurst is far from out of the question,he was less effusive about the teams sponsorship situation. "All of our deals are up for renewal this year," he said. "There is nothing to say;all deals are a work in progress. Its like driver contracts;the bottom line is when we sort everything out,we will let you know in due course."

[disco man]

Im rooting for Mclaughlin this year. One hell of a driver and that Volvo seems as though it's really well set up.

This article gives a little glimpse of Scott McLaughlin's mindset.

Scott Mclaughlin has embraced his status as the Bathurst dark horse and says his current championship position in relation to the race favourites will work to his advantage. The Volvo driver is effectively out of championship contention,but says that's an advantage leading into the biggest race of the year. "I'll be pushing a lot harder," he said. "A lot of these guys are going to be trying to get some points. We all want to win,but at the end of the day,I haven't really got much to worry about. We're in the top-10 in the championship it's not like i have to conserve points to maintain a lead. I'll be dive bombing if i need to and having a bit of fun. We've been a dark horse all year and we'll continue that." The Kiwi added the impressive form of teammate Alex Premat has boosted his confidence after the Frenchman was the fastest in the co-driver only sessions at Sandown. The former full-time driver will attack Bathurst for the third time and qualified in the top-10 shootout in last years race.

"He was awesome," Scott said. "He made the right moves at the right time. He really proved as a driver what he can do with a great car. He was aggressive when he needed to be and in some ways made the car look quicker than it actually was because he is really fast in regards to the other co-drivers. Raw pace is what you need and he has plenty of it." McLaughlin downplayed the tyre performance concerns of the Volvo,citing the track surface as a large unknown for everyone. "I don't know what the tyres are going to do," he said. "The track surface is different grip wise so i think no one exactly knows how hard they can push the car and how much grip you'll have,and mid-corner is an unknown until we get there."

[robbotd5]

No prizes for guessing who I hope wins or gets a good place!!
In case your guessing, Volvo has a history at the mountain since the '60's with the 122S. A stock 242GT ran and narrowly missed a top twenty finish. Then the all conquering 240T (in Europe anyway) that took out the ATCC in 1986. It was the only car that could mix it with the Jaguar XJ12's up the mountain and down Conrod thanks to 340Hp pushing 1050kg. More money and development and maybe a 240T could have one the great race. Fast forward to the 90's and the 5 cylinder 850 then the S40 took European tin top racing by storm. Ending up with Rickard Rydell and Jim Richards winning the Bathurst 1000 in 1998 after setting a lightning qualifying lap.
So yeah, go Scotty and the S60, even though it is "less" Volvo than it's racing predecessors.
Regards
Robbo

[disco man]

No prizes for guessing who I hope wins or gets a good place!!
In case your guessing, Volvo has a history at the mountain since the '60's with the 122S. A stock 242GT ran and narrowly missed a top twenty finish. Then the all conquering 240T (in Europe anyway) that took out the ATCC in 1986. It was the only car that could mix it with the Jaguar XJ12's up the mountain and down Conrod thanks to 340Hp pushing 1050kg. More money and development and maybe a 240T could have one the great race. Fast forward to the 90's and the 5 cylinder 850 then the S40 took European tin top racing by storm. Ending up with Rickard Rydell and Jim Richards winning the Bathurst 1000 in 1998 after setting a lightning qualifying lap.
So yeah, go Scotty and the S60, even though it is "less" Volvo than it's racing predecessors.
Regards
Robbo

G'day Rob, Volvo has had quite a history at the mountain and hopefully that will continue with Scotty and GRM. They were deverstating in the British Touring Car Championship. Quick Question though,why do you say they are 'less' Volvo? As far as i know Polestar has had a huge hand in development of the S60. Is it because you can't buy a V8 S60?

[disco man]

Would like to see Frosty go back to back.
If they can keep the Volvos going all day they will do well,they seem to have more torque than their rivals so will do very well going up the mountain.
Andrew

FPR Seeking Bathurst Redemption.

Despite returning to Bathurst as defending champions,FPR is seeking redemption at Bathurst. Mark Winterbottom,s engineer,Grant McPherson,has said that after a tough result at Sandown his half of the garage is looking to make amends at Bathurst. Winterbottom has slipped to third in the championship points after a strong start to the season and 10th at Sandown was the third lowest of the FPR fleet. Howerver, McPherson added Winterbottom's record at Bathurst makes it the ideal platform to reignite the team's title push. "We had a disappointing Sandown so we're both very focused on Bathurst," he said. "He runs well there consistently and we've got to make sure we get on top of the new track conditions quicker than everyone else. Bathurst is typically different to other tracks we run on,but this year its going to be another step again. The team that gets onto sooner in the weekend and can work on the fine tuning aspects will show up greatly for qualifying." Co-driver Steve Owen underscored his speed alongside his new teammate at Sandown when he finished third in the co-driver qualifying race.

[robbotd5]

G'day Rob, Volvo has had quite a history at the mountain and hopefully that will continue with Scotty and GRM. They were deverstating in the British Touring Car Championship. Quick Question though,why do you say they are 'less' Volvo? As far as i know Polestar has had a huge hand in development of the S60. Is it because you can't buy a V8 S60?

Mate, to answer your question.
Yes, it has to do with the fact that you can not buy a V8 S60. Although the Polestar straight 6 version with 508 HP is an impressive piece of kit!!.Yeah ok, you could not buy a factory 242 Turbo here in the '80's either but at least it was a Volvo engine unlike the current V8. The 850/S40 used the 5 cylinder Volvo engine as well. Both are now legendary.
Personally, I would like to see more production car racing like in 1995 where at Bathurst , the late great Peter Brock and Tony Scott drove an 850 T5 that mixed it with the RX7's ,Porsche's and Maserati Shamal until the manual gearbox cried enough!!
Regards
Robbo