The Steamtug Blog

Despite the cold and wet weather, this year’s Bathurst race was a close and exciting finish! We made the annual pilgrimage to the top of Mt Panorama, setting up our camp site among all the other die-hard race fans who were preparing for the beer, baked beans, burping, BBQ’s and the high octane action!

The Greatest Team of ALL!

Before I mention Bathurst, did I tell you that Geelong won the footy Grand Final? Collingwood had only lost 2 games for the entire season… both against Geelong, by the way so they headed into the year’s biggest game with big heads, brimming with confidence that the cup was only a formality away. Just 2 hours of footy and the party would be on. But Geelong turned the tables in the third quarter, on what had been a neck and neck game where the lead had changed 10 times and we were all getting a sore bum from sitting on the edge of our seats! We watched the game at Goofa’s house who was having a grand final BBQ while watching on his projection tele in the lounge with all us mates cheering on our beloved cats! Go Geelong! After the game, I headed off to work sober, while they all went into the city centre to see the town as a big street party, and even our town’s cathedral had the bells playing the Geelong Football Club theme song!

Steve and I made the journey to Bathurst, to the West of Sydney in 10 hours. Cars have been racing there for 49 years and the race is an institution for all the petrol heads that have been going there since the race moved from Phillip Island, in Victoria in 1962. It amazes me the age of the old blokes that go there, most who have made it to the race for more than 30 years. They would have been frustrated petrol heads back in the early days of street racing when cars were agricultural enough, that some home made modifications could bring extra horsepower and speed. Next year will see a big celebration of 50 years of racing on the mount.

It all started when the local mayor of Bathurst wanted to build a scenic drive that would encourage tourists from Sydney to come out and enjoy the region. He admitted later that he secretly envisaged that one day it would be used as a race track, and is now known as the best racing track in the world! It’s amazing to walk around the track and see for yourself just how steep the climb up the mountain, through the cutting, really is! Then across the mountain were we watch the race, going down where it’s almost too steep to walk through the “esses” and the dipper where the 9 time race winner Peter Brock used to push his A9X Holden Torana on 3 wheels around and down on the way to Forest Elbow and down onto conrod straight where the cars now days almost reach 300 km/hr.

Where’s the beer?

With all the restrictions now designed to control the hoons, yobbos and dickheads each person (over 18 years) is only allowed to take into the camp ground and race track a maximum of 24 cans per day. Facing this serious restriction to proper track side hydration, we were lucky to know somebody who was going up there a few weeks earlier to work on the mountain. So 3 of my beer kegs managed to find their way inside the security zone before it was established! All I had to do was bring the wheelie bin, CO2 cylinder and Pluto gun for all the beer we needed. Woo-Hoo!

Maggot Man

Late Thursday afternoon, after a hard day of practice laps on the track, we were settling in to a beer or 2 and thinking about what to cook for tea (BBQ again?) when the kids down the camp ground from us, started racing their remote controlled model cars up and down our access way. With nitro-methane fuelled engines the acceleration and speed of these little toys is astounding. People came from near and far to watch the high octane action. Steve thought he would spuce up the excitement by making a jump out of some fire wood and cardboard, and soon the cars were flying 10 metres through the air, landing in the boggy mud patch further up the access way.

The night before, I was walking back from the showers and noticed next to our wee tree (temp #1’s toilet made from a blue tarp around a tree) something rather strange. Have you ever seen one of those beetles that when rolled onto it’s back, it struggles around trying to get it’s feet back on the ground and turn right side up? Well it looked like one of those! Closer inspection revealed this fat, rolly polly bloke who was so drunk and fat that he could not get back up after falling over. Part of the problem was the can in his hand which he was trying hard not to spill. I went over, took the can from his hand and helped him back to his feet. After putting the can firmly back in his grip, he was off again, making multiple left and right turns down the straight track disappearing into the darkness. The boys all laughed, saying he was completely “maggotted” so earning the name “Maggot Man”!

He came back again to see the action of the cars, and all around were laughing frantically as he lay down at the end of the little jump to complete the scene as the human jump! What a stunt man! But his guts were too high, so lots of rearranging of the jump geometry were needed before the car came charging down to execute the spectacular! But as predicted, the car crashed into his guts before launching to the cheers of the gathered crowd. He was an instant hero! He later showed Steve his guts, and a huge bruise was beginning to form and 10 minutes after it happened. I don’t think he was too concerned with all the anesthetic in his system.

Later that night, we were sitting quietly around the fire tin, when Goofa appeared from his tent with an umbrella and sat down beside us. We all laughed when he said it was about to pour rain. He had checked the weather radar on his phone, but you know how unreliable they can be as we looked at the clear star filled sky and sipped our beers. Our pessimism only increased when nothing happened for the next 15 minutes, but he got the last laugh as the sky opened and dumped one of the biggest storms across the town of Bathurst and across Mount Panorama. There were people who had gone to bed out in their undies trying to salvage tent poles and wet sleeping bags. Ok Goofa, we believe you now!

The Big Race!

The race was originally 500 miles, and now 1000 kms, making it a grueling challenge. It’s not about getting out the front and winning, but a strategy of team work, car reliability, good driving and some luck. But it’s always about the rivalry between Holden (GM) and Ford, something that has gone on for the past 49 years. The race organisers make the most of this and try to market the race to this audience. But race favourites are the “Team Vodaphone” boys and their Holden Commodores.  Craig Lownes won the race last year, while his team rival Jamie Wincup has had a great season this year and was leading the race most of the way, looking like he had it in the bag. But with about 8 laps to go, his car was seen pulling off the track and going slower, and slower. The Ford fans all jumped up and started dancing! The car’s electrical system had stopped charging and they were relying on the battery to get them home. Didn’t make it but…

The Fords too were having bad luck and all the stars were not twinkling for this race. So Garth Tander’s “Team Toll” Holden found itself at the head of the field and looking good. But Craig Lownes, who had driven perfectly all day and the car running strong, was way back in the field only by hold up’s in the pits and shear bad luck, was bearing down like a man possessed! He was catching up and with only 5 laps to go gained 2^nd place with 5 seconds behind the lead. It was excitement plus as each lap passed he shaved off half a second from the 2 minutes 10 second lap time until the last lap he was right up the backside of Tander. And try as he might, could not pass. So the 2 cars crossed the finish line almost touching. But it was Holden’s everywhere and the Ford fans were as quiet as Collingwood supporters on grand final day!