Early morning fog rolls down forming a shroud. As the rising spring sun mercilessly burns off the fog to atmospheric oblivion, something menacing, yet inviting is revealed. The Mountain! This weekend, Supercars marquee event, the Bathurst 1000 is on at Mt Panorama, Bathurst. If the mountain could talk, what tales of triumph and heartache it could regale.
    This year celebrates 60 years of The Great Race with the distance changing from 500 miles to 1000kms in 1973. We always wax lyrically at this time of year, as we love the intrigue of endurance racing, and we make no apologies for that.         
    Remember when Peter Brock and Jim Richards scored pole position, led every lap, fastest lap on the last lap and won by a mammoth 6 laps? What about Allan Moffat and Colin Bond's emphatic formation finish in their Ford XC Falcons? Perhaps you remember Kevin Bartlett's highly fancied Nine's Wide World Of Sports Camaro rolling at Reid Park? Or Tomas Mezera's or Fabian Coulthard's dramatic barrel roles at The Chase? Paul Radisich's violent incident at the exit of The Chase forced a reprofiling of the fence for future races, or John Cleland sliding to a race ending stop on the roof of his Falcon after crashing into a limping Jason Plato at the same spot. The internationals have certainly left an indelible mark.
​    One poignant moment was Jim Richards lambasting booing and baying punters with , "You're all a pack of #@*%" on the podium with a youthful Mark Skaife looking on. This was after the race was red flagged after multiple crashes in atrocious conditions including the Richards/ Skaife car, so the winner was declared from the previous lap, plus they just happened to be in a Nissan GTR, affectionately known as Godzilla. The Ford and Holden fans were unimpressed. This was also the same race we sadly lost 1967 F1 world champ Denny Hulme, of which Richards was only just informed of moments before the podium. What about the bust up between Greg Murphy and Marcus Ambrose after their coming together approaching The Cutting? Jamie Whincup attempting to redress after botching an overtake on Scott McLaughlin at The Chase with Garth Tander sensing an opportunity to pass resulting in a race changing incident that saw McLaughlin and Tander out and Whincup copping a penalty is one moment that stands out. What about Red Bull frantically telling Whincup over the radio to save fuel as he won't finish, only to be passed by Chas Mostert in his Falcon on the last lap to win the race. They started last and only led on the lap that counted. The image of Mostert's co-driver and renown hard charger Paul "The Dude" Morris reduced to tears is still with us. Craig Lowndes' 7 victories including 3 on the trot with Jamie Whincup impresses. Perhaps Peter Brock's record of 9 victories is the only statistic that matters. For us, the most evocative image is a highly emotive Craig Lowndes claiming the inaugural Peter Brock trophy in 2006 shortly after the passing of Peter Brock.
    This year sees the first race for the new Gen 3 supercar at Mt Panorama. 161 laps. Camaro vs Mustang. What's interesting is there are no compulsory pit stops, thus freeing up strategies. The tyre on offer is the soft compound. With the larger fuel tank capacity, tyre management is paramount as the soft compound won't last a full fuel tank. Championship leader, Erebus' Brodie Kostecki would love to open his Bathurst account. Plus it's Mt Panorama! You race the track as much as the other cars. It's a challenge all Supercar drivers can't resist. Come Sunday night, The Mountain would have revealed more and undoubtedly added more mountain moments. Settle in and enjoy The Great Race.
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    A precedent has been established in Formula One in 2023. Many will remember and still reminisce McLaren's dominating season in 1988 when Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost won the first 11 GP's on their way to winning 15 out of the total 16 races. Fast forward to 2023 going in to the mid season summer break, and Red Bull have claimed all the victory plaudits. All 12 GP's and the Sprints as well, leaving barely a crumb for their rivals, thus demoralising them in the process. Ten wins for reigning world champ Max Verstappen and two for team mate Sergio Perez. 
    Red Bull acquired the ailing Jaguar team in late 2004 and joined the grid in 2005. Once they enjoyed their first win in 2009, you could say that the floodgates have opened as Red Bull have become the fastest team ever to garner 100 victories in F1. Which got us contemplating the secrets of their success. Sure, they're funded largely by an energy drink world renown mega company taking the duress out of acquiring a budget. Sure, they have "the standard" in factory facilities. Sure, they now produce their own power unit in collaboration with Honda and soon with Ford. Sure, they have in their employ arguably the best designer in the business in Adrian Newey overseeing their design team. But has enough credit been afforded to team principal Christian Horner?
    Christian Horner was a competent racer who progressed to the then F1 feeder category, Formula 3000. Realising he'd reached his potential, moved into team management with his F3000 team, Arden. Wanting to move into F1, he looked into purchasing Jordan. When negotiations broke down, he was poached in late 2004 by the new Red Bull team to fulfil the role of team principal. He became the youngest ever F1 team principal at age 32, and quickly secured the expertise of the aforementioned Adrian Newey. They're both still there to this day.
    When Ferrari were dominating the championship 20 years ago with Michael Schumacher winning five driver's and the team six constructor's championships in a row, they had a wonderful team which included Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne and Paolo Martinelli. But it was team principal Jean Todt that deserves a massive amount of credit. Ferrari are an institution in Italy and the Italian media are relentless when Ferrari are underperforming. Jean Todt provided a buffer between the demanding media and the race team, allowing them to focus solely on racing. This is exactly what Christian Horner does at Red Bull. Whenever controversy ensues or conjecture surfaces, it's Christian Horner that fronts the media and deals with the tough interrogation. When rival teams raise allegations of car legality, it's Horner that goes into bat for Red Bull against them or with the governing body. You might say it's his job, but Horner often adopts the ethos of the best form of defense is attack, and happily shoulders the criticism. The race team can simply do what they're paid to do, race. When other teams are looking for band aid fixes by routinely changing personnel including team principals and upper management in a vain attempt to move to the front of the grid, Christian Horner has been at the helm of Red Bull since their inception. It's no wonder he's now the longest serving current team principal on the grid. Are we now entering another period of Red Bull dominance in F1? What price do you put on stability?
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    There are those that would profess that Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso's immense talent is deserving of ascending Formula One's zenith by amassing numerous championships. There are those that would suggest that by already being a double champion that this has already been achieved. Or others would conclude that Alonso has simply been at the right team at the wrong time.
    After debuting with backmarkers Minardi in 2001, Alonso became the then youngest F1 race winner in 2003 and the then youngest championship winner in 2005 and 2006 with Renault, thus halting Ferrari's phenomenal run and dethroning the great Michael Schumacher in the process. All started well right?
    A move to still front running McLaren for 2007 seemed an informed decision. However, the debut of Lewis Hamilton saw a contentious season unfold. Alonso felt team support was skewered towards the rookie despite famously stating that it was he who put 2 seconds on the car. It all came to a head during the Hungarian GP as the two sabotaged each other's  qualifying. Technical espionage was also exposed costing McLaren their championship points and $100m. This all resulted in Alonso leaving McLaren by mutual consent one year into a 3 year deal. He then returned to Renault for '08 and '09 only to skulk around the midfield. Next the lure of Ferrari proved too much and he answered the call of Maranello. Ferrari wanted Alonso to the extent of paying out the last year of 2007 champ Kimi Raikkonen's contract to make a race seat available. For reasons only Ferrari and Alonso know, they fell short of the ultimate plaudits. 5 years netted three 2nd places in the championship for Alonso during Red Bull's first period of dominance. Further championship success still eluded. 
    There's a operational perspective that to succeed in modern F1, a team needs exclusivity when it comes to powertrain supply. Plausible concept wouldn't you think? McLaren subscribe to this ethos and managed to entice Honda back as their exclusive powertrain supplier. This subsequentially lured Alonso back in 2015. Honda have always entered F1 and left F1 when it suits and they always taste success, but they traditionally take time. Alonso's second stint at McLaren was blighted by an underpowered, unreliable Honda which culminated in Alonso frustratingly badging it a "GP2 engine" over the radio at Honda's home track during the Japanese GP. If you want evidence of Honda's success post McLaren, you only have to see what they've now achieved with Red Bull. Regarding Fernando, time for a sabbatical. The Indy 500 beckoned. A championship and two Le Mans 24 Hour victories with Toyota in the World Endurance Championship, and even a crack at the Dakar rally. A return to F1 in 2021 for his third tenure with the Renault group now under the guise of their Alpine brand only saw Alonso collect one podium in his two year stint. Which finally leads us to 2023. Fernando Alonso is an Aston Martin F1 driver.
    Canadian billionaire businessman Lawrence Stroll acquired the old Jordan, then Midland, then Spyker, then Force India, then Racing Point team and rebadged it as Aston Martin F1. Mr Stroll recognised the team's heritage and potential and has invested astutely and reinvigorated the team. They've just moved into their new factory which was completely paid for before the implementation of the cost cap. It is now the benchmark standard with everything in house, including their own windtunnel and simulator. They've recruited wisely including hugely experienced Mike Krack as Team Principal and the widely regarded former Red Bull chief aerodynamicist Dan Fallows as Technical Director. Are all the ingredients now in place for Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin to succeed? 8 races into the 2023 season and positive results already seem to be coming to fruition. Alonso has tasted podium champagne on six occasions, eclipsing the 100 podium milestone. He's not won since he was at Ferrari way back in 2013 however. Will he add to his 32 victories with Aston Martin? Can Aston Martin end Red Bull's second dominant run in F1? Has Fernando Alonso finally found himself in the right place at the right time? 
    
    

    Much fanfare surrounded the launch of the new Gen 3 Supercars for the 2023 Supercars Championship. The current iteration of Australia's premier category sees General Motors introduce the Chevrolet Camaro after the demise of Holden, and Ford competing with a new Mustang, both with the aim of resembling increased road relevance. With 3 rounds done and seeing them first hand at the Australian Grand Prix, they certainly look and sound the part. We found ourselves however contemplating Supercars medium to long term future.
    The world is proactive in reducing its carbon footprint and motorsport is expected to do its part by competing in a sustainable fashion. Numerous touring car championships around the world have changed or adapted their car specifications from big thirsty gas guzzlers to either GT3 format or the smaller, popular more efficient TCR format utilising sustainable fuels and introducing hybrid technology. Take German DTM, World Touring Cars and British Touring Cars for example. 
    So where does this leave Supercars? With the launch of Gen 3, Supercars took the opportunity to introduce a new sustainable fuel with greatly reduced emissions. The exclusive E75 racing fuel is comprised of in excess of 80% second generation fuel derived from renewable feedstocks mixed with premium 98. But how many are aware of this? Car manufacturers involvement in motorsport has always been sporadic. They traditionally come and go as they economically please. Now with climate change part of everyone's agenda, the manufacturers don't want to be perceived to be associated with the aforementioned gas guzzlers. Is there still a perception that because Supercars are V8's, that they conform to that negative connotation? General Motors have announced that they are ceasing production of the Camaro next year. However Supercars have committed to running the Gen 3 Camaro until 2026 with assurances from General Motors that they will continue to support Supercars onwards. Ford have announced that they wish to develop a GT3 spec Mustang and expand their rally division, with both marques continuing to collaborate with NASCAR  to develop a more sustainable future. So will we see a continuing General Motors versus Ford battle beyond 2026? Or, is this akin to the board of a football team offering 100% support for the coach only to unceremoniously inform the coach shortly after that their services are no longer required? 
    Supercars are uniquely Australian and the punters love them. Despite the fact that the category is highly professional, still Australia's premier category, produces intense racing, there's no doubt that GT3 and TCR is on the rise worldwide. The Bathurst 12 Hour continues to grow with the infiltration of international GT3 teams and the TCR World Tour are making a stop Down Under for two rounds at Sydney Motorsport Park and Mt Panorama for the Bathurst International later this year. Therefore, are Supercars running the risk of racing down a proverbial one way street only to find it's a cul-de-sac? 

    A friend asked us, "How was the Grand Prix?" The only answer we had was "Totally crazy." An enthralling, captivating, unpredictable and thoroughly entertaining Grand Prix was served up to race fans at Melbourne's Albert Park. Formula One racing sometimes receives criticism for lacklustre races, but every so often dishes up something special and this time it was the Australian Grand Prix's turn. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen and Red Bull won an engaging GP and in our opinion was deserving as he was the dominant force for the majority of the weekend. Red Bull also ended their Albert Park drought as they have only won once before way back in 2011.
    The Australian GP was not without its conjecture though. No F1 race since its 1950 inception has seen 3 red flag stoppages, so the 2023 iteration will certainly not be forgotten quickly. We've read and heard a lot of punters saying that the red flags were not necessary, as first the early Alex Albon Williams crash, then the Kevin Magnussen Haas crash which was then the catalyst for the 2 lap shootout at the end which resulted in another crash at the restart bringing out the final red flag on the penultimate lap, could have been dealt with, with a Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car. Certain team principals have since come out saying that we need clarification as to what incident constitutes a VSC, a SC or a red flag. Please tell us how this can be defined? All incidents and crashes result in debris on track. Do we say that if there's one piece of carbon fibre too many strewn across the track that that is the difference between a SC or a red flag stoppage? Remember it was the governing body, the teams and drivers themselves that were all in agreeance to race as much as possible and finish GP's under green flag conditions. Clearing up incidents, debris or even barrier damage takes much longer under VSC or SC conditions. Isn't it better to allow marshals and recovery crews to work more safely and quickly without losing racing laps by imposing a red flag stoppage? Can you imagine the controversy if your favourite team or driver suffers a last lap tyre puncture from debris while leading the race behind the SC?
    Opinions also differ regarding how restart grids are formed after a red flag. If race order can not be distinctly established, then the grid is set from the previous lap. In the case of the Australian GP for the final SC lap to end the GP, the cars had not passed the first sector marker on the penultimate lap after the crash before the red flag was called, and with GPS unreliable at best, there is no alternative but to go back a lap to when they crossed the start line.
    Finally, there's the question of penalties imposed on drivers and teams during a race. Was the 5 second penalty imposed on Ferrari's Carlos Sainz for causing the final restart crash warranted? The penalty pushed Sainz from 4th to last and out of the points at the chequered flag. Should it have been dealt with post race, thus allowing Sainz and Ferrari to plead their case? A 5 second penalty imposed by the stewards is actually one of the more lenient penalties available to them for such an incident. Would there have been as much rancour if it didn't happen with 2 laps to go? Would there have even been that final red flag if the Alpine of Pierre Gasly hadn't collided with his team mate Esteban Ocon when he rejoined the track after avoiding the Sainz and Alonso incident? Could the stewards have imposed a penalty on Gasly for an unsafe return to the circuit? Without the two Alpines crashing, we dare say the race would have finished under green flag. The big winner out of all this was that Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, who was able to retake his place at P3 for the final lap and collect his well deserved trophy on the podium. Debate still rages. Makes for an interesting episode of Drive To Survive don't you think?

   



    Welcome to 2023. Another season of motorsport beckons. As per this time of year, we like to inform you of the proposed events we hope to frequent this year. Already we've attended the Bathurst 12 Hour for GT cars at Mt Panorama. We trust you are enjoying our mammoth post. The rest of the year is as follows....
   



​    March 30th - April 2nd : Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, Melbourne. Featuring F1 and supported by F2, F3, Supercars and Porsche Carrera Cup.
    April 7th - 9th : Bathurst 6 Hour at Mt Panorama. Featuring a record 66 entries for the 6 Hour Production Car race and supported by GT World Challenge and GT4/ Australian Production Cars.
    May 5th - 6th : Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway. Featuring Top Fuel dragsters.
    June 9th - June 11th : Sydney Classic at Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP). Featuring Historic Racing.
    June 23rd - 25th : Speed Series at SMSP. Featuring TCR and supported by Trans Am and V8 Touring Cars.
    July 28th - 30th : Sydney SuperNight at SMSP. Featuring Supercars and supported by S5000.
    September 9th - 10th : Sydney Masterblast at SMSP. Featuring the Muscle Car Masters.
    November 10th - 12th : Bathurst International at Mt Panorama. Featuring TCR World Tour combined with TCR Australia and supported by Touring Car Masters and V8 Touring Cars.
    November 24th - 26th : Summer Festival at SMSP. Featuring Historic Racing.
    This of course is subject to change and we may well sneak in a couple of other events. See you in Melbourne.
    

    As 2022 begins rolling down, we find ourselves reflecting on the year's motorsport and the championships we like to follow. Congratulations to TCR Australia Series champion Tony D'Alberto for proving consistency pays off. Congratulations to Team BRM's Joey Mawson for winning yet another Gold Star in his S5000. Congratulations to Red Bull Australia's Shane van Gisbergen for winning the Supercar championship in dominant fashion. Finally congratulations to Red Bull's Max Verstappen in becoming a two time Formula One champion.
    This time of year also warrants reflection on the important things in life. We'd like to thank all our friends and surfers who frequent this website and for your continuing support. We are very appreciative and hope you enjoy the images and comments. We'd like to pass on our sincerest wishes to you all for Christmas. Family is important and remember where all your blessings come from. For those of you that are doing it tough, never lose your faith, and our prayers go out to you.  
    Have a happy and holy Christmas and we'll see you in 2023. We will be returning to Mt Panorama for the Bathurst 12 Hour with a full grid of GT cars including the returning international teams. The Red Bull F1 team will also be on hand performing demonstration laps. Lots to come. God bless.

    What we just witnessed throughout the 2022 Formula One season surely must rank in the top echelons of what the definition of utter dominance is when referencing what Red Bull and now two time champion Max Verstappen achieved. Red Bull won 17 of the 22 races with 15 going to Max Verstappen and 2 to Sergio Perez. We rank Max as a once in a generation driver. His speed has never been in question, but now his race craft and maturity are rapidly scaling stratospheric levels.
    There were other highlights of course, with Mercedes' George Russell and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz winning their maiden GP's. The thing that we've had trouble wrapping our brains around is how certain F1 pundits never seem to give Max and Red Bull credit. All season we heard how Ferrari were going to fight back and Mercedes weren't going to be down for long. It wasn't until it finally became mathematically impossible for Max and Red Bull to be beaten, that said pundits finally conceded. We understand that they have to talk it up, but seriously! Credit where it's due. They've won more races in one season than anyone else since F1's 1950 inception. Ferrari, whether it be strategic, operational, communication or drivers' errors, despite producing an excellent car, give the impression of implosion, and it's not the first time. Mercedes' aerodynamic woes were well documented, leaving them to play catch up. However by season's end, it's perceived that they've finally started to constrain their performance gremlins, which certainly bodes well for next season. Red Bull on the other hand, under the astute leadership of Christian Horner, virtually never miss a beat and the amount of mistakes they make over a season, you could probably count on two fingers. 
    Red Bull with still probably the best design team in F1 overseen by Adrian Newey, rarely produce a "sub optimal" car, to use a Ron Dennisism. They've locked down arguably the most complete, fastest and exciting driver in Max Verstappen until 2028. Now Daniel Ricciardo has returned to the fold as third driver adding depth. All the ingredients are in place for Red Bull to continue to be the team that the other teams aspire to be. Are we on the verge of another period of Red Bull dominance? Are we now embarking on the age of Max?    

    Early morning fog shrouds The Mountain. The appetising aroma of bacon and eggs from early rising campers' BBQ's cuts through the clean crisp air. That's right. It's the beginning of October and that only means one thing. Supercars' premier event, the Bathurst 1000 at iconic Mt Panorama is the sole focus. 
    Supercars only true endurance race for the season gives little credence to current form guides. There's the uncertain ingredient of co-drivers, the demanding track itself and the unpredictable weather. 161 laps of intrigue. What drama and surprises will The Mountain reveal in 2022? Can anyone reign in championship heavy hitter Shane Van Gisbergen? Will Chaz Mostert achieve back to back victories? What of returning Kiwi legend and four time winner Greg Murphy who's come out of retirement and competing as a wildcard entry? Or evergreen Craig Lowndes who's also entered as a wildcard? Can he add to his already impressive seven victories in his 300th start?
    One glaring element that would not be lost on almost all fans. This is the last true Holden vs Ford battle for Bathurst glory. As you are no doubt aware, parent company General Motors have ceased production of Holdens some time ago and this is the last campaign at Bathurst for the renown brand in Supercars. In fact, next season's Gen 3 Supercars are doing demonstration runs at Mt Panorama. GM have replaced Holden with the Chevrolet Camaro, and Ford have a new Mustang. Both purpose built and aggressive looking, but will Supercars' new race cars be seamlessly adopted by the fans? There will be punters that embrace the next generation of Supercar and renew the rivalry. Conversely there will be punters that lament a long standing traditional rivalry that's involuntarily run its course.
    There is however this weekend's Bathurst 1000 to contend first with bragging rights on offer that potentially could take on extra significance. If a Holden team win, they will go in the history books as the last Holden team to win at Mt Panorama. Oh, and that fog we mentioned, might just be rain clouds the way the weather is shaping up. Bring it on....

    Why do sustained F1 championship challenges seem such a formidable demand to Ferrari? Last weekend's French GP saw Ferrari's Charles Leclerc slide helplessly into the barriers while seemingly controlling the race. Whether it was a tyre issue, gust of wind, white line slip, sticking throttle, driver error or combination there of is irrelevant, as it's not the first time this season Ferrari have squandered a win. Team mate Carlos Sainz due to exceeding his power unit quota was relegated to the back of the grid, charged through the field, only to have a 5 second penalty inflicted upon him for an unsafe release from the pitbox. Again he charged forward into a potential podium position only for Ferrari to pit him again. Many questioned Ferrari's wisdom in pitting Sainz as the consequence was no hope of a podium. Didn't anyone notice how badly blistered Sainz's front right tyre was? Couldn't you assume that his tyres would drop off the cliff or worse still, suffer a catastrophic failure before the chequered flag? After all, track and ambient temperatures were through the roof. Isn't the more pertinent question why was he released at his first pit stop into the path of Alex Albon's Williams in the first place? 
    Meanwhile Red Bull's Max Verstappen methodically and quietly keeps amassing wins and podiums. With this weekend's Hungarian GP standing before F1's summer break, Verstappen could well be on his way to back to back championships.       
   Another winner that keeps on quietly achieving great things and deserves fanfare, is F1's halo safety device. Cast your mind back a couple of races ago. An accident at the start of the British GP saw Alfa Romero's Zhou Guanyu involved in a horrific crash which saw him skidding upside down through the gravel trap, catapulting off the tyre barrier, finally resting sideways between the tyre barrier and catch fencing. The roll hoop failed and the only thing between Zhou's head and the track was the cockpit surrounding titanium halo. He escaped uninjured. Remember this wonderful safety device can take the equivalent weight of a London double decker bus. Many were sceptical at its inception in 2018, citing tradition and aesthetics, but there have been many instances of the halo reducing the level of injury or even life saving to date. At Spa in 2018, Fernando Alonso's McLaren vaulted over Charles Leclerc's Sauber  at the start. There's no doubt Romain Grosjean's fiery Bahrain crash in 2020 could have resulted in far worse consequences if it wasn't for the halo. Who can forget Max Verstappen's and Lewis Hamilton's infamous coming together at Monza last year at the height of their championship battle? Max's Red Bull brushed Lewis' head before it sat perched on his Mercedes. 
    Plaudits go out to the designers, manufacturers, the governing body and all involved in implementing the game changing halo safety device. Let's not see it in action for a while though.

    4 time champ and current Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel has announced his retirement at season's end. Debuting in 2007, he's driven for BMW Sauber, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Ferrari and Aston Martin. He sits third on the all time winners list with 53 victories to date. Congratulations on a stellar career.