Friday 17th January 2014

GT-R back at Bathurst

Booted out 22 years ago, Nissan is back with the car that so dented Aussie pride

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Godzilla is back to taunt the locals at Bathurst in Australia. The Nissan GT-R dominated the world-renowned track in the early 90s but following the famously tetchy win in 1992 after which the Aussies essentially kicked them out, Nissan hasn't campaigned any versions of the GT-R there for 22 years.

That ends February 7 when Nissan will run its GT3-spec GT-R at the Bathurst 12-hour race, competing against the likes of legendary German touring car driver Bernd Schneider in a Mercedes SLS GT3.

Are the mob on the hill ready for Godzilla's return?

It isn't the same Bathurst 1000 race as Jim Richards' 'Godzilla' GT-R won in 1991 and 1992. That 1000km event takes place in October around the Mount Panorama circuit and is now restricted to V8s as per the rulings made to boot out the likes of Nissan in the 1990s. They were just too fast for Aussie pride to cope with, and with the threat of Nissan gone the race reverted to a grudge match between local makers Ford and Holden.

The 1000 has now opened up (Nissan itself competed this year with a pair of Altima saloons) and it remains the blue-riband event at Bathurst, 120 miles inland of Sydney. But with local race-fans grumbling about the blandness of today's 'silhouette' racers the 12-hour event is starting to grow in prestige.

The GT3 Nissan GT-R, whose driver line-up includes famed classic Jaguar racer Alex Buncombe, will face a grid that also features Porsche 997s, Audi R8s and Ferrari 458s. A good variety of classes also sees a trio of Fiat 500 Abarths racing against a BMW 135i and a Mini Cooper. That lot charging down Conrod Straight will make a great sight for Bathhurst's famously beer-amplified spectators, who get a range of excellent viewing options around the mountain and also on top of the pit complex roof.

We can't help thinking that the Bathurst 1000 itself would benefit from opening up to global touring cars to recreate some of those epic battles between the Nissan GT-R, Ford Sierra RS500 and Holden Commodore. After a shattering year for Australian car industry when both Ford and GM (owners of Holden) announced they were pulling car production out of the country maybe it's time to make it a truly global touring car race.

[Hasbeen]

I haven't heard too many describing the Ozzie V8s as bland. Now if they had a field of British Touring Championship cars buzzing around Bathurst, I'm sure that description would be very apt.

Once upon a time we raced real F1 & F2 cars around Bathurst. Unfortunately we are now reduced to mostly clumsy great touring cars. What a waste of a really brilliant circuit. It should be the home of the Australian Grand Prix, but commercial pressures mean that has to be run on a Mickey Mouse "street" circuit, near a city center.

[essIII]

Hasbeen said:

I haven't heard too many describing the Ozzie V8s as bland.

Agreed. For me it's the highest quality racing I can find on my Sky box.

[Monaro5.7]

The V8 Supercar`s is really the only motorsport on TV worth watching and now a new maker to the game in Volvo.

The other Motorsport worth watching and its just as difficult to find on TV is Rallying

[chevronb37]

Throughout the final hour, during which the fans were treated to a monumental Ford vs Holden battle, the atmosphere was by some considerable margin the best I've ever experienced at a race meeting. I didn't see much dissent among the locals to be honest.

The changes to the domestic car industry will eventually change the nature of V8 Supercars - it may become the Australian Touring Car Championship again. Even the local press will cede that the future may not see a V8 engine.

The fact that the Car of the Future regulations have created a framework which permits Erebus, Nissan and Volvo to enter is fantastic and I believe a tacit acceptance that the domestic motor industry is changing.

And just regarding the cars, I suppose the relative merits of those will be entirely personal. I love watching F1 cars at close quarters, but a V8SC in full flight across the Mountain or around Surfers Paradise is a pretty beguiling spectacle in its right. The cars are extremely expressive and more dramatic - and less clinical - than DTM, for example.

Here's my take on the 2013 race: http://www.motorcardiaries.co.uk/2013/supercheap-a...

[shalmaneser]

What went down in '92 for those of us without much Australian racing knowledge?

[LukeR94]

shalmaneser said:

What went down in '92 for those of us without much Australian racing knowledge?

The Nissan Skyline R32 Basically Dominated.....


Taken from Wikipedia:

"The R32 GT-R was introduced into the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1990 and promptly ended the reign of the previously all-conquering Ford Sierra Cosworth, winning Bathurst 1000 classic in 1991 and 1992. This success led to the Australian motoring press nicknaming the car Godzilla due to it being a "monster from Japan". As Australia was the first export market for the car the name quickly spread. Such was GT-R's dominance that it was a significant factor in the demise of Group A Touring Car racing, the formula being scrapped soon after"

[Monaro5.7]

Mind there was also the Ford Rs500 Sierra which got banned because of the jet fuel it used to get it around the track

[marcosgt]

I do love watching the Bathurst 1000, but as an almost 'watch anything' motor sport fan, I can't get excited about Aussie V8s generally.

The races are far too long and the cars all look the same and go the same, so overtaking is rare (If you enjoying Aussie V8s, you'll love watching goods trains go through a station)

It's very much like NASCAR really (the other much vaunted series I can't abide - but even moreso), hours of cars droning around, swapping the odd place here and there (with the odd stupid crash) and then a mad rush for the finish over the last 20 laps.

The race the GTR will be in is a more interesting race and, even though I do watch the 1000, that race is a pale shadow of its glory days with XJSs, BMW 6 series,Rovers, Volvo 240 Turbos, M3s and Sierra Cosworths.

The V8s are really just big engined Fiestas in a dull one-make (albeit two with some make weight foreign interlopers) series (With Fiestas you, at least, know it'll all be over in 20 minutes! )

M

[k-ink]

Aussies throwing their toys out of the pram is why the R32 is such a cool iconic car.

[chevronb37]

While I was out there I read quite a few Australian motor racing publications to learn more about the sport. The ATCC has been through many iterations, several of those coming about in order to suit the politicking of various car manufacturers. Holden has historically wielded significant power over the regulators.

At Bathurst they had these three on display and doing some demo laps over the weekend. Nissan had been plugging away for ages to win at Bathurst before it finally managed it. Probably helped that the GT-R could race in Japan with some success as well.

In fact, back in the 1990s, I remember the excitement of finally seeing a GT-R race in the UK. Andy Middlehurst ran one in Group N specification but it wasn't a patch on the Group A monsters and wasn't even competitive against the Escort Cosworths which were dominating Group N at the time.

[AndyBrew]

Hasbeen said:

Now if they had a field of British Touring Championship cars buzzing around Bathurst, I'm sure that description would be very apt.

Have you heard a BTCC car, ef me I couldn't believe how loud and angry they sounded, I'm not sure buzzing is the adjective I would use for them either LOL!

[urquattro]

Lets hope the 12 hour race gets some tv coverage in uk, sounds a really good field and real excitement, what spread of cars when compared to F.1 with new vehicle line up and small grids.

[mattah]

LukeR94 said:

The Nissan Skyline R32 Basically Dominated.....


Taken from Wikipedia:

"The R32 GT-R was introduced into the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1990 and promptly ended the reign of the previously all-conquering Ford Sierra Cosworth, winning Bathurst 1000 classic in 1991 and 1992. This success led to the Australian motoring press nicknaming the car Godzilla due to it being a "monster from Japan". As Australia was the first export market for the car the name quickly spread. Such was GT-R's dominance that it was a significant factor in the demise of Group A Touring Car racing, the formula being scrapped soon after"

Bit more to it than that!

For Australian motorsport fans and, in particular, fans of Japanese cars, the 1992 race is almost folklore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBusULuWCoY

Edited by mattah on Saturday 18th January 05:48

[Reardy Mister]

Monaro5.7 said:

Mind there was also the Ford Rs500 Sierra which got banned because of the jet fuel it used to get it around the track

That was the Eggenberger Sierras of 1987. The rest were (outwardly) legal but the demise of the Grp A regs spelled the end for the Sierras too.

One good thing about Grp A was how many international teams and drivers it brought to Bathurst. And allowed Aussies to head to Europe with their fairly agricultural Commodores and race at Spa, for example.

Its a bit of a con really, to say that the GTR is back at Bathurst. For all the similarities between the 12 hour and the 1000km touring car race (in regs and local importance), its as relevant as reporting the sighting of one in the carpark.

I think that 92 race had a much bigger long term effect than people think. There are now so many kids running round in R34s, 35s and a cult following of R32s and I would say a lot of that is off the back of their reputation following that upset. Were the current GTR eligible for the Australian domestic series today, I think it would be given a much warmer reception. The demographic of the domestic series fan-base is (finally) changing. Thank god.

Edited by Reardy Mister on Monday 20th January 00:40

Edited by Reardy Mister on Monday 20th January 00:45

[Reardy Mister]

marcosgt said:

I do love watching the Bathurst 1000, but as an almost 'watch anything' motor sport fan, I can't get excited about Aussie V8s generally.

The races are far too long and the cars all look the same and go the same, so overtaking is rare (If you enjoying Aussie V8s, you'll love watching goods trains go through a station)

It's very much like NASCAR really (the other much vaunted series I can't abide - but even moreso), hours of cars droning around, swapping the odd place here and there (with the odd stupid crash) and then a mad rush for the finish over the last 20 laps.

The race the GTR will be in is a more interesting race and, even though I do watch the 1000, that race is a pale shadow of its glory days with XJSs, BMW 6 series,Rovers, Volvo 240 Turbos, M3s and Sierra Cosworths.

The V8s are really just big engined Fiestas in a dull one-make (albeit two with some make weight foreign interlopers) series (With Fiestas you, at least, know it'll all be over in 20 minutes! )

M

Really?

The Great Race today is basically a 1000km sprint with no quarter given for 6 straight hours and plenty of overtaking. The winning margins are narrower than ever and the number of cars on the lead lap is higher than ever.

I get as misty-eyed for the old JPS BMWs, Walkinshaw Jags, Francevic's Volvo etc, as the next guy.

But it wasn't usually exciting racing. There was too much disparity in the cars over that distance.

[vtgts300kw]

chevronb37 said:

The changes to the domestic car industry will eventually change the nature of V8 Supercars - it may become the Australian Touring Car Championship again. Even the local press will cede that the future may not see a V8 engine.

I'd like to see the ATCC name back, but at least the championship winer is still called the "Australian Touring Car Champion".

[Itsnotagsr]

For those following at home, the 1992 race is also famous because the winning GTR had actually crashed. There was a massive rainstorm and the car went off due to being on slicks at the time. The race was red flagged, meaning it went back to the last completed lap, which the GTR was leading. The 2nd place Sierra of Johnson (very popular local driver) and Bowe was still circulating. Hence why a lot of people thought they were robbed of the win. The crowd were very vocal at the trophy presentation, leading Richards to use some colourful lingo.

[Colonial]

Itsnotagsr said:

For those following at home, the 1992 race is also famous because the winning GTR had actually crashed. There was a massive rainstorm and the car went off due to being on slicks at the time. The race was red flagged, meaning it went back to the last completed lap, which the GTR was leading. The 2nd place Sierra of Johnson (very popular local driver) and Bowe was still circulating. Hence why a lot of people thought they were robbed of the win. The crowd were very vocal at the trophy presentation, leading Richards to use some colourful lingo.

I believe the phrase was "a pack of aholes"

I don't watch the sprint races, but the Bathurst 1000 is simply brilliant racing.

[Reardy Mister]

Itsnotagsr said:

For those following at home, the 1992 race is also famous because the winning GTR had actually crashed. There was a massive rainstorm and the car went off due to being on slicks at the time. The race was red flagged, meaning it went back to the last completed lap, which the GTR was leading. The 2nd place Sierra of Johnson (very popular local driver) and Bowe was still circulating. Hence why a lot of people thought they were robbed of the win. The crowd were very vocal at the trophy presentation, leading Richards to use some colourful lingo.

Watch here for the back-story. From 2:14 is the relevant bit.

[Bibbs]

And they didn't "ban the GTR", International Group A cars had been dropped, and what replaced it was going to be small buzz boxes (that were not popular to the locals).

So they started up their own requirements to allow large engined cars, no turbos and no 4WD.

Some teams still raced M3s for a while.

But that doesn't sound as good as "it won too much, so they banned them".

And I still want a GIO R32.