2019 Supercheap Bathurst 1000

Sadly Mike Raymond, the voice of Bathurst telecasts in my youth and also the voice-over guy for seemingly every speedway ad I ever heard growing up has passed away.

https://www.speedcaf...e-raymond-dies/

 

RIP Mike!

 

He was a real legend, the voice of a generation of racing fans and a very clever wordsmith too.

Neil Crompton is properly emotional in the video on this page: 

 

https://www.supercar...e-raymond-dies/

DJRTP's win at Bathurst sure does stink: 

 

https://www.autospor...t-engine-breach

This opens up too many issues.

Now you can run an illegal car in qualifying to secure pole, and the cost will be a fine a few weeks later. As long as you don’t get caught before Sunday, whatever you run on Saturday is irrelevant.

An illegal qualifying car should be disqualification from the race. If the car wasn’t ran to regulation then you have failed to qualify, and if you fail to qualify for a race then you should never have been in it.

They should make the rule that if a car fails a post qualifying check then it should be out that race. This should be irrespective of whether the car was found to be illegal before or after the race starts. That may seem harsh but this result just stinks... the car that started from pole and won the race should never have been in that position in the first place.

Agree on all counts Jazza.

 

I like Scott McLaughlin generally, but I don't think he's coming over very well on this one.

Looks like the "unfair advantage" runs in the family.

Looks like the "unfair advantage" runs in the family.

 

How do you mean?

How do you mean?

 

"The Unfair Advantage" is the title of Mark Donahue's autobiography. Much of the book is devoted to Team Penske and their efforts create the fastest cars they could. If the tech inspectors did not catch certain things, all the better.
 

"The Unfair Advantage" is the title of Mark Donahue's autobiography. Much of the book is devoted to Team Penske and their efforts create the fastest cars they could. If the tech inspectors did not catch certain things, all the better.
 

 

Ah, that's a good nugget of information! 

Certainly seems DJRDP are pushing the limits, from car construction to on-track behaviour.

 

I guess you need to be ruthless to win, but always seemed Dick Johnson was more of a sportsman than that.

Sadly Mike Raymond, the voice of Bathurst telecasts in my youth and also the voice-over guy for seemingly every speedway ad I ever heard growing up has passed away.

https://www.speedcaf...e-raymond-dies/

great broadcaster, just fantastic, the motorsport voice of my generation.

great broadcaster, just fantastic, the motorsport voice of my generation.

 

Same here, a real legend. 

 

Been interesting reading some of the obits, seems he was a single-minded and forceful character behind the scenes too.

Ah, that's a good nugget of information! 

Certainly seems DJRDP are pushing the limits, from car construction to on-track behaviour.

 

I guess you need to be ruthless to win, but always seemed Dick Johnson was more of a sportsman than that.

 

was there ever questions about the computer chips he was running in his Sierras which apparently gave them all of the horsepower?

was there ever questions about the computer chips he was running in his Sierras which apparently gave them all of the horsepower?

 

I don't think so.

 

I think Dick Johnson's problem in '87 was getting hold of the computer which reprogrammed the chips.

 

Andy Rouse was the Sierra guru of the time and wouldn't sell them.

 

Johnson eventually found the computer he needed in the States and was smoking all the European Sierras by Silverstone in '88.

 

The next year top British Sierra runners (Rob Gravett) were buying cars from Dick...

 

So I don't think he was cheating, just dogged engineering! 

 

Legend has it Johnson's Sierra had 680hp during its pole run at its final appearance at Bathurst in '92. 

 

Look at the massive clouds of smoke as he changes gear up mountain straight..! 

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=1zgIwRpKNCY