Holden is aiming for an unprecedented 26th victory during next weekend’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama.
Starting with the first win by the Bruce McPhee and Barry Mulholland-driven Monaro GTS 327 in 1968, Holden has built a record on the mountain matched by no other manufacturer. After Monaro scored its second straight victory in 1969, Torana became Holden’s vehicle of choice, winning five times (1972, 75, 76, 78, 79).
Commodore was introduced to Mount Panorama in 1980 and won on debut at the hands of the legendary Peter Brock and Jim Richards. It has since gone on to become the most successful nameplate in Bathurst history, winning a total of 18 times, including seven straight from 1999-2005. This year’s race sees the mountain debut of Holden’s “billion dollar baby”, VE Commodore – the racing version of the ‘Car Of The Year’ already a great success with six round victories during this year’s V8 Supercar Series to date.
“Holden has a wonderful affinity with Bathurst and the mountain debut of VE Commodore is a moment we have been eagerly awaiting, ” said Simon McNamara, Holden Motorsport Manager. “After making its competition debut in Adelaide, VE Commodore has already experienced considerable on-track success and we are confident that performance will carry over to Mount Panorama, placing it alongside Holden’s other motorsport classics such as Monaro, Torana and past Commodores. ”
Eight teams, led by the official factory Holden Racing Team and championship-leading Toll/HSV Dealer Team, will field 15 Commodores (13 VE and two VZ) in the Great Race.
Practice for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 begins next Thursday, 4 October, at 10.00am, with further practice and qualifying scheduled for Friday. The Top 10 Shootout for final grid positions takes place 3.40pm Saturday, with Sunday’s 161-lap race beginning at 10.30am.
Holden Team Owner/Manager Quotes:
Mark Skaife, Holden Racing Team: “Not being around at Sandown has fired me up big time. It was the first race I’d missed in 12 years and in some ways a reality check. You get a different perspective on what is happening in the team rather than being caught up in the moment and that will be beneficial for our Bathurst strategy. ”
Rob Crawford, Toll HSV Dealer Team Manager: “Bathurst is all about what you can control – the planning, preparation, race strategy, pit stops and driver performance. But you can only control so much and then it boils down to luck. More than any other place we race at, Mount Panorama requires some luck. And if we have luck, we should give it a good shake. ”
Garry Rogers, Garry Rogers Motorsport: “Asking someone to predict the Bathurst outcome is like asking how many holes there are in a crumpet. Our Bathurst results have always been good and subject to mishaps I believe we’ll be solid again. Our driver pairings as shown at Sandown are strong and the speed of our VE Commodores has been good. ”
Kees Weel, Supercheap Auto Racing: “It’s not always the fastest car that wins and strategy plays a major part in the outcome. The field spreads more than any other race, but if you’re on the lead lap when the last stops happen 30 laps from home then you’re a chance. We’ve gone close before and Sandown showed our package to be competitive. Bathurst brings out the best in people, but it can also be very cruel. ”
Jeff Grech, Tasman Motorsport: “Bathurst is motor racing’s Melbourne Cup and if you win it, it doesn’t matter that you don’t win anything else. No one goes there to throw chops on the barbecue and enjoy the scenery – if you’re not going with the intention of winning, you might as well stay at home. We’ve got a strong chance. We’ve got a great package, a reliable car, solid Bathurst experience within the team and one of the best driver pairings in Greg Murphy and Jason Richards. ”
Larry Perkins, Jack Daniel’s Racing: “Due to their raw inexperience, Shane [Price] and Jack [Perkins] have a considerable task ahead of them, and we all know that it takes little to go wrong on the mountain to turn a promising result into a DNF. But they’ve also been mentally attuned to winning. Bathurst is that sort of race, one which you cannot under-estimate. It’s a race you can win and a race which can make you. ”
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