Last week's speaker: Ian Mayberry on Early Bathurst races
Posted by Franz Huber
on Oct 18, 2015
We all (and these days not just the men) sort of visualize ourselves driving a V8 Supercar around the circuit of Bathurst. And then, last weekend, the spectacular footage of Damian Flack spilling everything bar the frame of his car was plastered all over national TV. Ian, in a parallel life to assessing accident damage for Insurance companies, is high up the food chain in keeping drivers to keep to the rules [I think the official title is Clerk of the Court]. He explained that, after downloading the data from the car [huh?? AFTER the crash? Same technology as they use in Airbus aircrafts?], he found that at the time Damian clocked 242 Km/hr. Have another look at the video link and think again whether you would have wanted to be inside that car, or comfortably ensconced in your favorite chair watching it on TV...
Back to the more distant past... Ian brought to us his recollections when, as a young car racing enthusiast, he desperately tried to raise $1,000 to compete as a co-driver in the 1973 Bathurst 1000 (the first time it was called the 1000 - before it was the Bathurst 500 (miles). Keep in mind that, in 1973, $1,000 would in today 's value be more like $10,000 - one could buy a very snazzy car, such as a Holden Monaro, for about $4,000. It's a long story, but he did. They had a Valiant Charger which they actually drove from Melbourne to Bathurst (yes! it was registered for road use. Amazing what you can get away with if you know the right people!). After the trial and elimination runs, Ian's team ended up... in Reserve! Yup. Not on the starting grid. Not in the race proper. However, Ian's eloquent negotiation with the Clerk of the Court convinced the powers to be to at least let them run in the Warm-up Lap, just in case. And the gods smiled upon the Charger Team: a Torana (sorry, if you don't know what this is, you were born far too late!) had broken down. So, despite being in 58th position after the trials, Ian's team got a start after all. A mad scramble to swap pits with the hapless Torana crew ensued, and, as they say, the rest is history: they completed a creditable 143 laps. The car still exists today, apparently advertised in the Trading Post, now beautifully restored. And probably priced at about 20 times its original price.
So you feel like competing in next year's Bathurst 1000? Your budget will be in the vicinity of $3 - 5 Million. Per car. Hmmm... I might still simply watch it on TV after all...