[FIA GT] Bathurst / FIA GT

[courageous]

Very small item in Autosport this week talks about FIA GT wanting to go to Australia. Ratel apparantley refused to deny Bathurst.
No 24 hour race this year, but people are trying to make it happen for 2005 - how about the FIA giving a helping hand?
call it a non-championship race in the first year or treat it like the Bahrain festival (wouldn't cost them any money) - by giving it the FIA badge of approval they could be on to a winner.

Oh yeah - and ditch the V8s & make the 1000 a part of the WTCC (But that is not for here).

[Chucky]

Not Bathurst, Phillip Island instead in 2006.

[eddsc]

The man is in Oz now.

[Chucky]

Hhhhmmmm........

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally posted by Chucky
Not Bathurst, Phillip Island instead in 2006.

Do u have a source to back that up? Personally I think Bathurst would be the likely, and most logical choice. The track IMO is more suited to GT1 level machinery than Phillip Island which I think lacks charachter.

[Fab]

My 2 p : for what I saw on TV last year, Bathurst is a real wonderful place for a 24 hours enduro. I'd love to see a FIA-GT race there.

Philip Island is nice too : isn't it the place where they have the first Motorbike Championship race ? We can see the sea from the track... wonderful place too ! Windy, he ?

[SALEEN S7R]

Yes Fab Phillip Island is where Moto GP race, normally at the beginning of the year as u say. Although not this year, it was the penultimate round of the Moto GP championship.

[FIRE]

Fia GT at Bathurst? Yes please!!! Would be great.

[louonline]

Originally posted by eddsc
The man is in Oz now.

Yes, and according to a posting on an other forum he is supposed to be having talks with BCC regading the Mount.
It also says he favours the Mount.
At this stage I haven't been able to confirm anything but hopefully something will come to light next week.
http://www.procar.com.au/forum/topic...thurst+24+Hour

[Foster]

If Australia is coming, what next? South America?

Did the article mention any other areas that Ratel would want to hit up?

[SALEEN S7R]

Nothing is known for sure, but if the series does become a official FIA World Championship I bet u can expect to see a race in the US, possibly at somwhere like Laguna Seca. Somewhere the series is sure to get big crowds, these next couple of years are going to be very intresting for FIA GT.

[Tom V]

I don't think it will ever happen. Don't get me wrong Bathurst is a great track, and I would love to see it happen, but what about safety? The FIA won't approve to race at a track when it isn't littered with chicanes and massive run off areas...

[SALEEN S7R]

Umm dosent anyone remember Enna? Sure this track has 2 or 3 chicanes, but its effectivly one massive oval, extremley fast track and FIA GT's still raced there on which was argueably not a very safe track to race on.

[Tom V]

Why then do they no longer race at Enna...? (another great track btw)

[SALEEN S7R]

Ud have to ask Mr Ratel that - probably because the facilties arent exactly erm, world class shall we say lol. Didnt look like it on TV anyway. FIA GT's dropped quite a few tracks for this year from 2003, Barcelona, Anderstorp, Estoril, Enna...

[Bramzel]

The reason that they aren't going to Enna anymore is because of the fact that 90% of the teams boycot the track. This doesn't have anything to do with poor facilities (those aren't too bad) or bad safety (that's pretty well arranged as well, but with the huge kerbs there. They've got kerbstones like boardwalks there, wich damage the car. This is why the Formula Renault V6 decided to cancel the event in 2003 (only ETCC and FIAGT and the Clio's ran) and the reason that most of the teams told Ratel after the race that this "was once but never again".

[SALEEN S7R]

Unless of couse the circuit owners lower the curbs, which shoudnt be too big a job id imagine.

[XJR14/WSC95]

I for one would really love to see the FIA GT championship come to Bathurst or any other track in oz. (when can I get my tickets) Bathurst is the best logical location and with the money that has been injected into the facilities there it would be wast to only have one race there per year. (V8SC) I think that if they do race in oz a 1000km or 6hour race would be the most appropriate formate on a Sunday in day light hours.

[sportscarsRULE]

I love Bathurst, I think it's second only to Nurburgring. However, would the Mt. Panorama section be too narrow for GT1-level cars? Also, does the backstraitaway have a crest in the middle of it where fast cars can get airborne?

[XJR14/WSC95]

I dont think GT's will have any trouble racing at bathurst, the GTs would be no wider than the cars that currently race there.

[Bramzel]

Originally posted by SALEEN S7R
Unless of couse the circuit owners lower the curbs, which shoudnt be too big a job id imagine.

It seems they are, because they're there for years already, and there aren't any signs of them being replaced.

[AdrianG]

Bathurst is out of the question, the highest GT class that the track is licened to run is N-GT (GT2 next year).

Phillip Island is the most likely track here. It has a new owner in Lindsey Fox, who has/is spent big money on it and plans to bring an international series over.

[XJR14/WSC95]

The only reason that they are only allowed to run N-GT is because of the unspoken law thou shalt never run any thing faster than a V8SC on the hallowed Bathurst circuit. This licence issue is only a miner obstacle. At the end of the day every thing is relative so they are faster, to me that means they have better brakes and tyres, better suspension and aerodynamics and can therefore handle more power.

But as much as I hate to say it if the event is to be a success they are going to have to get into bed with AVESCO and channel TEN. AVESCO because if you don’t they will run a race on the same weekend to take attention away and if you do the can supply an under cared from the V8SC ever growing support pool. Ie. Konica, Carrera Cup etc. And channel TEN because they are the only channel that will support and help promote the event and televise it on the day of the event not six weeks later.

[Shoey]

Surely were not getting to the point where anybody who wants to run a motorsporting event in Australia has to ask AVESCO if its all right with them. There are plenty of weekends between V8 rounds and what about some former Procar classes for support races (if they get something up and running next year). Lets not suggest TC decide for everyone.

[cavvy]

Originally posted by SALEEN S7R
Phillip Island which I think lacks charachter.

Saleen time you came downunder & you will be able to better judge.
Philip Island produces great racing & can take a big crowd, & whilst character is subjective I think it has heaps.

The new pit facilities at Bathurst are still under construction, so what sort of facitities are you referring to.