HOT TAKE: JUST ANOTHER GREAT RACE
ANOTHER day, another remarkable Great Race, not that that piece of news should come as a particular surprise. Here’s our immediate reaction from another day of high drama, and everything else, that the great Mountain delivered.
WORDS: Richard Craill
IMAGE: Mark Horsburgh / Supercars
TWITTER COMPILE: Mark Walker
THIS WAS the day the asterisk was removed from Shane van Gisbergen’s career CV.
It was the day Garth Tander joined a list of rare elites with a fourth Bathurst triumph.
It was the day the Holden legacy was appropriately celebrated as the factory team, in its last ever race, defeated a flying Ford in an all-out shootout for a Bathurst win.
It was that, and so much more.
Such is the Great Race.
It’s impossible to know where to begin with a debrief on the 2020 edition of the Great Race, one that was every bit as chaotic, eventful, emotional, satisfying and insane as the year that preceded it.
Shane van Gisbergen’s performance was, frankly, immense. His relentlessness at the end was backed up by his wet weather prowess that elevated the 97 machine to the point earlier in the day in the first place.
We’ve always known Shane was good.. probably really, really good – but the lack of a Bathurst victory on his CV always stood out as a missing element. At 31, there was always time, but having twice finished second by less than a second there must have been times where he doubted.
But that wasn’t the case. Qualifying lap after qualifying lap was punched out by the Kiwi in his final few stints in a property, tension-filled arm wrestle with Cameron Waters. Three times he broke the back of the Mustang driver following restarts; edging just enough of a margin to remove any hint of a tow or any opening of a dive from the Black Ford behind.
What we saw at the end of today’s race – before the pair of chaos-induced Safety Cars – was incredible motorsport, to the point where even Neil Crompton said it was intensity ‘of the likes of which he had never seen before’.
Garth Tander, too, was incredible. Earlier in the weekend we singled out his long-run pace in practice and he backed that up with an immense double stint earlier in the day that set the tone for the remainder of the 97s afternoon.
Tander is now a four-time Bathurst champion; joining just eleven other drivers to have won it four times or more. It’s elite company for an elite driver.
And then there’s the Holden factor. Had it not been for rather more obvious events, Holden’s departure from the Australian landscape would have been perhaps the biggest story of 2020. As a brand they are integral to the status, the stature and the history and heritage of the Bathurst 1000 and Australian Motorsport in itself.
For all the poorly handled PR around their demise over several years, their Supercars epitaph was a good one.
In 20, 30 or 40 years when we reflect on the brand, seeing the Factory Holden Team winning their last ever race – a last ever race at Mount Panorama – will make for a nice full stop in their record books.
What of Waters? Well this was perhaps a career-defining weekend for the young man from Mildura, who has truly come of age in the 2020 season. Ultimately, his No. 6 Monster Mustang couldn’t quite match the remarkable consistency of raw speed that van Gisbergen’s car had across a distance.
Still it was an enormous drive from both he and Will Davison, who was his professional, fast and experienced self.
What else? Walkinshaw Andretti United have always been strong at Bathurst, but Chaz Mostert and Warren Luff’s drive to third validated the progress that team has made in 2020. And what about Luffy! Six podiums now, from his last nine starts. WAU was quick to secure Bryce Fullwood for 2021 and locking away Luffy for a co-driver role must surely be an immediate priority.
Ultimately, there’s very little I can add that will enhance of expand the narrative of the 2020 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
It was dramatic, entertaining, wildly intense, competitive, emotional, frustrating, controversial and thrilling all at the same time.
Just another Bathurst 1000, then.
And what a race it is.
The Great Race.
SUNDAY BONUS TWEETS
There was just too much content to come out of that race for one article… see below for some of the Tweets from today!
Stay tuned Tuesday morning for our full Hot/Not Power Rankings powered by Yellow Cover – hit us up on the socials with your take of the Great Race via @theracetorque on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
THE BIG QUESTION
When is a reasonable time to crack open the first Bathurst day beer? #Bathurst1000 #VASC
— The Race Torque (@theracetorque) October 17, 2020
HAPPY BATHURST DAY
Happy Bathurst Day. Our setup on the Gold Coast. Will be planted in front of the tv all day. Look out for us in the telecast. We are part of the virtual crowd! #vasc #bathurst1000 #bbq4bathurst1000 #holden #t8m8 #88 #jdub #rbhrt pic.twitter.com/TDS7BEfwPE
— Donna (@dons269) October 17, 2020
Happy Bathurst Day to all of my yearly Bathurst mates and Family that make the pilgrimaged to the great race each year. Stay positive and enjoy the race as best you can. pic.twitter.com/fbornJvqGa
— Andrew Phillips (@OneEyedFrogFoto) October 17, 2020
How good is Bathurst Day, wake up whack $20 on a bloke you haven’t seen race all year, Watch the first 10, and last 15 laps like you know what the fuck is going on
— Robbie Drummond (@1RobbieDrummond) October 17, 2020
(despite spending 23mins trying to find the oil dipstick everytime i ‘pop the bonnet’)
Happy Bathurst Day! #Bathurst1000 @supercars pic.twitter.com/fmiRsu3OB8
— Ed Jackson (@edjacko) October 17, 2020
Good morning! Merry Bogan Christmas and Happy Bathurst Day ?? #VASC #Bathurst1000 pic.twitter.com/YGXXVAasZE
— Sharon Beccaria (@essembeeeee) October 17, 2020
Happy Bathurst Day everybody. And thanks Supercheap Auto. Rest easy knowing how annoyed the Repco CEO will be next October when 27 people wish him “Happy Bathurst Day” before he even gets inside the gate. #Bathurst1000 #VASC
— Pitlane Whiteboard (@PitlaneWB) October 17, 2020
Happy Bathurst Day! Will we be allowed to say that next year, or does Supercheap keep it in the divorce? #vasc
— Mark Walker (@markwa1ker) October 17, 2020
KELLY ROAD TRIP
RICK KELLY ROAD TRIP!!!
— Fox Motorsport (@Fox_Motorsport) October 17, 2020
?#Bathurst1000 on Bathurst Channel 506 & Kayo Sports: https://t.co/UPl8xTcH3b #VASC pic.twitter.com/rYo0t0XqUA
GETTING IT DONE FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PLANET
? ✅
— Michal Turski (@MickTurski) October 18, 2020
? ✅
Twitter ✅
SuperView ✅#VASC #Bathurst1000 pic.twitter.com/sHbX26YKpo
RONA ALERT
I don’t want to alarm anyone, but I think @daffidreynolds car has got the Rona. Everyone is social distancing themselves from him.#Bathurst1000
— Former Legend (@Former_legend) October 18, 2020
ACE STRATEGY
My little girl is buying a ticket to the end of the race #Bathurst1000 #VASC pic.twitter.com/BcNX0vwId2
— Javeed Ali (@JNAli09) October 18, 2020
WHO ATE ALL THE PIES?
Bit of a lottery driving for BJR. #Bathurst1000 #VASC
— David Haines (@HainesRacing) October 18, 2020
Cons: Door might not close, power steering might not work, teammate might take you out
Pros: A seemingly infinite supply of warm meat pies pic.twitter.com/oKm2vcRTns
Now that’s multitasking ?#VASC #Bathurst1000 on Bathurst Channel 506 & Kayo Sports: https://t.co/UPl8xTuhUJ pic.twitter.com/6laIOKQogn
— Fox Motorsport (@Fox_Motorsport) October 18, 2020
ANDY JONES EXCITED
“Gets my blood flowing and gets me excited”.
— Damien McCartney (@DamienMcCartney) October 17, 2020
Calm down @andrewjonesv8 lol#VASC #Bathurst1000
ONE DANGEROUS DRINKING GAME
It’s almost like take a shot everytime you see a bird #VASC pic.twitter.com/6ayvMx6eOF
— SupercarsMaster (@SupercarsMaster) October 17, 2020
WELCOME REPCO