I remember lying on the hallway carpet in my childhood home, playing with matchbox cars. I used pencils to outline the shape of the track, and had a reasonable collection of different vehicles to propel around the circuit.
A couple of the cars were appropriate to the game I was playing, others were more loosely connected.
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One or two were formula one-style, there was a ute with a couple of motorbikes on the back, and a grey Mazda that looked fast.
My young imagination was inspired by the spectacle that was Bathurst. My confession here is that I am not a car nut.
Sure I can replace oil, fluids and do some general maintenance, but anything more than that is putting a very expensive and magnificently designed machine into the hands of a fool.
But that is exactly what Bathurst is. It is more than just a rev-head convention, it’s not Summernats with a race going on around it, it’s one of the most romantic and storied events on the Australian sporting calendar.
You don’t need to be a staunch and parochial supporter of the ‘Blue Oval’ or ‘The General’, the fans aren’t all motor mechanics, motorcycle enthusiasts or throwbacks from the seventies and the days of burnouts and fire on the mountain.
These days, women, corporate people, and white-collar families with enthusiastic kids who cheer on their V8 heroes throughout the season are just as likely to be at the mountain as some of the more ‘old school’ fans (who, incidentally, should never be forgotten).
The balance between the two is vital and something that V8 Supercars has attempted to keep alive.
Sure, some of the wild days of the past are gone, yet the sight of groups of mates gathering on the mountain for a yearly pilgrimage, beers in hand, shows that the race can still be celebrated and enjoyed the way that it once was.
There is something about this race that floats my boat. The US Masters holds the same magic. So rarely is victory a canter; each race presents a twist in the tale, and those twists make the race what it is today.
The early days of the mountain are a written tale for me. I wasn’t even a glint in someone’s eye; my parents had only just met when Harry Firth and Bob Jane won that first race back in ’63.
There were a few dominating wins in those early years, yet the competition became increasingly close as the rough and rugged Bald Hills track began its transformation to the smooth surface the drivers enjoy today.
By 1973, the race distance grew from the original 500 miles to the 1000-kilometre test that still exists.
The Peter Brock domination and the rivalries with Dick Johnson, Alan Moffatt, Jim Richards and Colin Bond built the status of the race, which remains intact to this very day.
Over time, faith in the race was tested and fans grew frustrated with the mountain that they worshiped, as the category grappled with new car makes, European influence, and a couple of undesirable results.
The domination of the Walkinshaw Jaguars in 1985 and the introduction of the Ford Sierras in the late eighties drew the ire of the traditional connoisseurs of the race.
The ‘loop juice’ fuel scandal of ‘84, a venture into the World Touring Car Championship, and the farcical scenario that saw two races held in 1997 and 1998 due to convoluted contractual problems all tested the faithful. The impact of the BMWs, Porsches, Nissans and Audis provided speed bumps along the way.
These moments are not the finest hours of ‘the great race’, yet still form an important part of its folklore.
Perhaps Jim Richards’ comments on the dais in 1992 provided the impetus required to reinvigorate the series, and in some way became the backdrop to the launch of the V8 Supercars brand in 1997.
In the modern era, the category grew at an amazing rate. Former CEO Tony Cochrane, from a $52,000 cheque he wrote in 1996, provided a vision and platform from which the sport could grow, and Bathurst retained its place as the centrepiece of the season.
The sport is now valued in the hundreds of millions and the continued success of the Supercheap Auto 1000 is crucial.
Unfortunately, 2013-14 saw some dark days and new CEO James Warburton has the task of getting things back on track. After some reluctance to a new Foxtel deal, TV support has slowly bounced back and physical attendance remain healthy, except at the soon-to-be-defunct Sydney 500.
Television exposure is fundamental to motor racing and the world-class coverage that Bathurst has received over the years adds to the mystique of the mountain.
Greg Murphy and Russell Ingall bring credibility to the coverage, having only recently leapt out of full-time rides, and Mark Skaife expertly dissects races from both a car and track designer’s perspective.
Standing above them all is Neil Crompton, who provides incredible insight and knowledge and, unlike the others, possesses a unique turn of phrase that makes him one of the most impressive broadcasters in Australia.
The drivers are the entertainment, and watching Craig Lowndes chase down a weary Garth Tander in 2011, as he manhandled his machine aggressively across the top of the mountain, is one of the best memories of recent times.
The stunning victory of Jason Bright and the late Jason Richards, who came from the clouds in 1998, the fairy tale of the young Chaz Mostert and the not-so-young Paul Morris in 2014, as well as the exhibition of precision and dominance that Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes put on from 2006-08, all convey the emotion of the race and the majesty of the mountain.
To understand the insane nature of the circuit itself, watch the footage of the lap that American Nascar legend Darrell Waltrip did with Jason Bright a few years back.
In one of the funniest pieces of television you could ever see, Waltrip squirms in his seat as Bright launches the V8 directly at another concrete wall before turning the car late, displaying the sixth sense required to run competitive laps at Bathurst.
If you’ve not done it, you need to; within the speed limit of course. A couple of the turns are a little scary at 60km/h, let alone at the speed the drivers tackle them.
Foxtel has provided ample incentive to become fired up for the 2016 version of the great race. Replays of classic races and magazine-style programs, revealing insights about some of the best to tackle the mountain, have been running all week.
Thankfully, the parity in the series, introduction of the safety car and the professionalism of the teams will once again see a race unfold that will be decided in the final 30 laps.
Strategy and track position will be key as the last hour of the race begins, and luck as well as good management may play a role.
However things unfold, there will be a couple of men – maybe an entire team – in tears at day’s end. Perhaps it will be for the first time or perhaps a wily veteran might once again stand atop the dais and embrace the Peter Brock Trophy.
I won’t be lying on the floor playing matchbox cars this time, I will be glued to my seat, engrossed by one of the most enthralling and engaging events on the Australian sporting calendar.
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