Characters & Character

[GTRMagic]

It’s funny to look back, at how the Australian motor racing world was 35 years ago. Allan Moffat’s 1988 Bathurst assault Here showed what it was like to be completely single minded about motor racing, in servicing the sponsors, in the team’s preparation, in actually putting together a bare bones package with the very best car, prep, team, drivers, tyres available to get the job done.

Now Mr Moffat was always a focused individual across his racing exploits.
He maximised the potential of what he had available to him, certainly in this mini movie. And wasn’t afraid to be sad, in tears, damaged.. by the failure to finish what they had 99 laps doing so bloody well, lead the biggest motor race in the land.

Several times in the movie, Mr Moffat made clear that the only performance he was ever concerned about was his #9 car. People had previously run the race with were littered thru the field. And only his and his team’s own performance were his concern.

Interesting to see a few ANZ corporate types in the pit area as well, the car they owned, the belief they had in their chosen team and team owner obvious from the people looking on, the corporate suites and advertising above the lane..

So how did we get to where we are now.?

With drivers who are saying that it is the responsibility of the sport, that the sport should be making characters out of the driver pool to get the public interested in them.

But you watch that movie.. and you see what it meant to the driver, deeply meant to him, a years planning blown away, finding the money, the support technically and preparation. He is ****ed off, sad, crushed at the failure. Didn’t blame the driver, the team, the Sierra maestro..

And isn’t off to the local cafe to share a latte on his MAMIL outfit on a $10k carbon bicycle. And forget about it as if it is ok because another race is in 2 weeks anyway.

That is what I see as having character. You can love or hate the persona we see, but undeniably it will have an impact to see how it went that day. And that the squad came back in each of the next 4 seasons with that hardware, updated & refreshed.

Does doing the hard yards actually mean something to some of the pilots calling on the sport to do particular things? Does getting a full time gig and all the financial benefit, new notoriety.. take over that true drive to always be the best?

It’s hard to see lots of complete focus & dedication in the cockpits in every team… or the vocabulary to understand the car and how it works is not with too many people…

While some drivers create their own persona and build a strong fan base from that… and some of those absolutely grateful to be there…

If we can’t see the hunger.. how can we see the character..

Broc Feeney was in tears, a wreck, when his gearbox tower broke at Bathurst. He gave a fornication. Others whose cars failed were telling the teev team “See ya on the Gold Coast”

We need to see hunger and drive and pain and sacrifice…
Not matey matey stuff…