In just a few hours time the 56th edition of ‘The Great Race’ – the Bathurst 1000 – will see the revs hitting their limits, the visors of helmets down and the eyes focused on the 6.12km track they are about to tackle.
The Red Bull Racing Commodore of Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell will start from pole position as 161 laps of the most iconic circuit in Australian motorsport awaits.
Over the past 56 years as racing fans we have learned to expect anything and everything as the track simply known as ‘The Mountain’ throws up its many challenges.
For the second year in a row the driving pair of Renee Gracie and Simona de Silvestro will feature in an all-female driving entry and will be looking to impress now that both have had some experience driving on the most technical track our great country has to offer.
However, this great achievement has unfortunately been belittled by internet keyboard warriors.
Since it was announced that the two young and talented ladies would be returning to the track this year under the ‘Wildcard’ entry offered by the V8 Supercars, Gracie and De Silvestro have copped their fair share of criticism.
They finished last in the 2015 edition, despite six other cars not finishing the race. They have achieved what most of us could only just dream about – they are about to start in Australia’s Great Race.
De Silvestro from 2017, will be a full-time V8 Supercar driver after securing a three-year-deal and this will no doubt improve her ability on the track. She is a former Formula One test driver and has the ability to match it with most of the long-standing drivers in the category.
She will no doubt throw up some surprising results during her three year deal.
Gracie stepped into the Dunlop Series this season and is often referred to as the Australian version of Danica Patrick. This is something she will no doubt live up to once more experience is under her belt.
De Silvestro’s sector times before running off the track and coming to rest in the sand trap were actually ahead of six-time champion Craig Lowndes. It is only because they are also stripped of their fastest time that they find themselves at the back of the grid.
As race fans, whether you cheer for Holden, Ford, Mercedes, Volvo or Nissan should be supporting this all female crew, showing them our support and having them as our ‘second favourite’ team when the Great Race begins.
As race fans we need to say no to online bullies, we cannot stand back and let others say and do what they want towards others, and not let people ‘pile on’ against others who are chasing a dream.
While the all female team may struggle tomorrow, many racing legends have been hit by what the mountain throws at them. We need to cut them some slack.
Looking for great odds on racing and sport? Get into the action with PlayUp today. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
The Australian finished second but had to work for it, as he fought off food poisoning, a race day engine change, and his own overheating body.
Nico Hulkenberg's move to a German team will hopefully bring back some of the German flare Formula 1 had just seven years ago.
Given how exclusive and precious a commodity scoring an F1 point is, why is it that mediocrity should be rewarded?
Team Penske is under the same umbrella of ownership as the IndyCar Series itself, so it was imperative for to drop the hammer and protect their integrity—which, thankfully, they did.
Red Bull can’t rest on its laurels and if Perez can’t provide them with cover on the rare days that Verstappen is having trouble, it's time to look elsewhere.
The absolute vitriol against the Canadian that has come from the incident is beyond reprehensible.
