Bathurst 1000

Dunlop: Here and Now with John Bowe (Oct 09)

They call it the “Great Race” and for good reason! Once again, the Bathurst 1000 was a nail biter. I was fortunate to be able to watch the race with lots of my Dunlop friends, so that made the withdrawal symptoms I still get less taxing.

Holden regained the crown after 3 very dry years. I imagine there was a sigh of relief at Fisherman’s Bend, all those Ford victories in recent years would have been very frustrating. Although I have spent most of my racing life in a Ford, I try to be very fair and impartial, and let’s face it, the HRT outfit of Garth Tander and Will Davison did the best job on the day.

Over the years the race has evolved somewhat into a race of fuel, tyre and safety car management. Don’t get me wrong, you still need a fast car and two strong drivers, but lots of the decisions that affect the end results are made in the pits. It is a true team effort.

I felt very sorry for FPR’s Steve Richards and Mark Winterbottom, they were my pick to win. They had a quick car and the team is second to none. Unfortunately for them though, a freak drama caused a major fire and Frosty was lucky that the car did not explode with him in it.

A stand out performer I thought was Team BOC/Brad Jones Racing who finished second to HRT. My very good mate Brad Jones always runs a top operation at Bathurst and this year was no exception. They punch way above their weight and made some of the “super teams” look a bit sick. My neighbour Jason Richards, who drives for Brad, made the podium for the third year in a row, and as he takes up a lot of my time talking all things V8 Supercars, I am claiming some credit!

The V8 Supercar Championship Series is getting tight now, and whether you are a red supporter or a blue blood, you just know the racing will be awesome in the hunt for points over the last few rounds of the season.

Until next time, drive safely.

Tags: Bathurst 1000, John Bowe