|
Pushing the Boundaries:
Facilitation Frontiers
Charles Sturt University, Bathurst - New South Wales, Australia 26-28 November 2008
|
| Program |
| Registration |
|
Location & Venue |
| FAQs |
| Health
& Sustainability |
| Sponsors
& Exhibitors |
| Organising Team |
| Key Contacts |
| AFN 2008 Conference |
| AFN Home |
THEME STORY: MOUNT PANORAMA
Clearly visible from our venue at the Charles Sturt University campus is the imposing bulk of Mount Panorama, rising to almost 900m (2,900ft) elevation. To Wiradjuri people it is Waluu, said to mean 'watching over'.
It has become one of the best known landmarks in Bathurst, and has led to the city being considered an Australian icon, because it shapes a motor racing track regarded as 'the home of Australian motorsports', and as one of the world's top three motor racing circuits.
On this 6.2km (3.9 mile) track, racing drivers and their support teams push the boundaries of human and mechanical endurance. While some may decry this pursuit as wasteful consumption of fossil fuels, it is recognised here because of the very significant gains made in car design as a result of racing performance development. The safety of every Australian-made car is likely to have been enhanced by technological advances pioneered at tracks like Mount Panorama.
An anti-clockwise drive around the track at legal speed is enough to make clear the great challenge that it offers to racing drivers in its sharp turns, steep straights and huge drops. Near the end of the track, racing cars attain speeds up to 300km/hour (190 mph) on the longest racing straight in Australia (1.9km or 1.2 miles in length).
History of an icon
The use of this site for motor racing began in 1938 when the new Mount Panorama Scenic Drive was opened to the public and used for Easter Sunday motorcycle racing. The project had begun as unemployment relief in the early 1930s, and was conceived as a demanding road racing circuit which offers outstanding views of Bathurst and its surrounding plains. Land was donated at the crest to allow development of recreational facilities and viewing points.
The Second World War intervened, and racing resumed in 1947 with the Australian Grand Prix. Further Grand Prix meetings were held there in 1952 and 1954.
The feature event of the circuit first came to Mount Panorama in 1963 as a 130-lap (500 mile or 312km long) event, conceived as the ultimate endurance test of production cars. It quickly became a standing feature of the long weekend in October each year. In 1973 the race changed to 163 laps or 1,000km (620 miles) and took the iconic name of the Bathurst 1000.
In 1987 the race was part of the FIA World Touring Car Championship, resulting in millions of dollars being spent on upgrading the circuit and its facilities. The track now hosts more than 300 racing events each year, including two major endurance races in the 24 Hour Procar endurance race and the 1,000 kilometre V8 Supercar race, which lasts about 6 hours.
Although many types of cars have competed at the track, after a period in which a Mini Cooper S had an outright win, the characteristic tussle for reputation was between the Big Three of Holden, Ford and Chrysler. The catch phrase was 'Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday'.
Mount Panorama now houses the National Motor Racing Museum, which offers a large collection of racing cars and bikes, footage of races, and a wide variety of racing memorabilia.
Racing champions
A number of Australian world champion motor cycle riders and racing car drivers have featured at Mount Panorama, including Wayne Gardiner, three-time world champion Sir Jack Brabham, and Alan Jones have also raced on the circuit.
The track has made the reputation of Australian touring car champions such as Allan Moffat and Peter Brock. Because of his unrivalled nine wins at Mount Panorama, Brock became known as the 'King of the Mountain'. He ran to the motto: 'Live your dreams'. The uppermost part of the circuit, as the track descends very steeply from the crest, is named 'Brock's Skyline'. As a tribute after his death in a race in WA in 2006, the Bathurst 1000 winner's trophy was named for him.
Back to Conference Theme: Local Stories
