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Bathurst is one of Australia's great sporting events

11th October, 2008
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11th October, 2008
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Garth Tander of the Holden Racing Team wins Round 08 of the Australian V8 Supercar Championship AAP Image/EDGE Photographics, John Pryke

Bathurst’s importance to the V8 Supercar series is immeasurable. It is the categories’ showpiece event, its chance to reach viewers who ordinarily wouldn’t watch the regular V8 Supercar rounds. And as such, it ranks up there with the Melbourne Cup and the AFL Grand Final.

But where does it fit within Australia’s sporting landscape?

It has the name recognition like other events synonymous with others sports, such as the Melbourne Cup, the Indy 500 or the Le Mans 24 hours.

Bathurst is intrinsically linked with Australian touring cars and many drivers would rather win at Bathurst than win the overall drivers championship. This says a lot about the series and the importance the great race has in its makeup.

It can stand alone as a spectacle. Many fans only switch on for Bathurst while not necessarily switching on for the other rounds.

Bathurst may not stop the nation like the Melbourne Cup, or have the national pull of the AFL, NRL or soccer internationals, but it holds an important place in Australia’s sporting landscape despite the relative popularity of V8 Supercars, which is difficult to gauge.

There are quite a few fans that have been left cold by the current guise of V8 Supercars, missing the diversity of cars, drivers and rounds of the pre AVESCO led revolution in the mid-nineties.

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The days of amateurism, privateer entries campaigning backyard creations at Australia’s greatest race, are gone.

But it was during this age that Bathurst cemented its legend.

The days of Moffat, Brock, Monaros and GTs, not to mention the age of Nissans, a rock on the track and Channel 7’s increased coverage of the race that took it to new levels.

It was as a result of this that V8 Supercars can make the claim to being one of Australia’s biggest growth sports today.

But the days of the Ford versus Holden platform are over.

It is failing to attract new fans and it is an antiquated, harking back to the days pre-internationalism of the car market.

It is important that the marketing of the great race moves away from this.

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In terms of attendance, the series ranks amongst the big names of Australian sport, thanks to marque rounds such as the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide and the Indy carnival at Surfers Paradise – popular city based events that combine racing with plenty of off-track entertainment.

It is hoped next year’s new events on the streets of Townsville and Homebush will also prove to be a success, while the latter will help crack the Sydney market.

But in terms of media attention, V8 Supercars still has a way to go, especially against its various football rivals.

V8s rarely command back page headlines or significant time in news bulletins.

Bathurst is V8 Supercars’ one chance every year to dominate the press, away from the AFL and NRL seasons, taking centre stage for one weekend at least.

It is this contradiction that stalks V8 Supercars.

On the one hand other championship rounds barely raise a blimp in awareness, while Bathurst ranks amongst Australia’s biggest sporting events.

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Today’s race is crucial, therefore, as a link to the sports past, and a demonstration of its present.

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