The debate about V8Sc drivers appearing at the Bathurst 12 Hour race is ongoing. This year’s race did not have any of the main game V8 drivers appearing due to V8SC, denying them the opportunity to race, due to a dubious test session scheduled for the same weekend. For me, it raises the issue of whether the B12hr needs them or not, to be successful.
So, the question is…..Will V8SC drivers, racing in the B12 bring more people through the gates over the race weekend?
There’s a theory that the V8SC drivers may bring more local interest to the race. I disagree! As a motorsport fan, and a sports car racing addict, I don’t care. I certainly understand the reasoning behind it. The event needs increasing spectator numbers to make it successful. The TV network showing the race, wants to have as many possible viewers watching the race to make it more marketable to advertisers. However, this years attendance figures, and the brilliant TV ratings for the 7 network here in Australia, have shown that the punters turned up in increasing numbers at the track, and also watched the race live on TV, which this year was shown in its entirety. This, in itself, is a major step forward and a great leap of faith for the network, as previously to show a real endurance race, other than the iconic Bathurst 1000 would have been a suicidal move. The network has recently signed on the dotted line to televise the event for another couple of years.
I have been accused of being a V8SC hater for some of my comments about the series, in recent times. Far from it!! I enjoy watching great motor sport, of all persuasions, however the V8SC series has lost me over recent years, due to their antics in the way they run their series and promote it. It is generally accepted as being Australia’s premier motorsport category, but if that truly is the case they have to be proactive in the motorsport community. They aren’t!! They seem to hold this holier than thou attitude, that they are the only game in town. They aren’t!!
I think that this year’s B12hr showed that Australians want to see an alternative to the processional racing that V8SC’s show.

photo-carsguide.com.au

It takes an attention span longer than a goldfish has, to watch endurance racing. Aussies are now finding that there is an alternative to the freight train like racing that the V8 sprints churn out on TV for most of their series. The best drivers from around the world, from some of the best teams in international motorsport, in a wide cross section of magnificent cars with differing power trains and engine capacities, plus throw in some of our best Aussie drivers and teams all go to make the 12 hour, head and shoulders above what the other mob serve up. As it is only one event on the calendar, it has me bemused why the other crowd feel so threatened by it.

I don’t necessarily believe that the V8SC series actually has the cream of the crop across the board in Australian motorsport any more. As much as they try with their ridiculous points scoring and qualifying systems for the series, it only shows how shallow their depth of talent actually is. Take out Whincup, Lowndes, Tander, VanGisbergen and Winterbottom, and the stocks aren’t really that flash. There’s a few has-beens, some promising young guys and a lot of what can only be described as back markers amongst it, plus of course the drivers who are only there, because they bring money.
Sports car racing only exists because of money, and lots of it, but they don’t hide from it. The various sports car series run pro drivers and amateur (pay)drivers. Sports car racing has not and will never survive without rich guys paying their way.
So, I digress…. back to the main point. If the B12 was to get the likes of Ash Walsh, Todd Kelly, James Moffat, David Reynolds, Tim Blanchard, David Wall, Dale Wood etc turn up next year, would the race day attendance and TV ratings go through the roof? I doubt it.
If Todd Kelly, Michael Caruso, Tim Slade, Jason Bright, Lee Holdsworth, Andre Heimgartner and Nick Percat were to race at the B12, would the crowds become unbearable? I doubt it.
Going on this years success, with the likes of Winkelkock, Vanthoor, Mies, Ortelli, Mucke, Vilander, Gavin, Long, Smith, Kane, Brabham, the Nismo guys plus throw in any of the multitude of drivers racing in TUSCC, BlancpainGT, ADACGT masters and the WEC and it’s a no brainer.
The Bathurst 12 hour race has morphed into one of the world’s great endurance classics in its short life, improving every year in the four years I have been attending. The event now stands on its own. It doesn’t need some of the cringeworthy, overrated mob with questionable talents, from that other series, taking driving seats that I would rather see filled with real star driving talent.