The 2014 Bathurst 12 hour race takes place this weekend and to help get you in the mood the official race twitter account has taken us on a lap of the famed 6.2km Mount Panorama circuit.
Of note is the new super smooth surface the drivers will experience on Australia’s toughest and most spectacular race track. Check it out below.
Thought we’d cut a lap to show our first-time international visitors around! Pics coming.. #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/6hDqX4XAb1
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
Turn One. This place will have a bit on after 6:15am on Sunday, Feb 9! #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/xE1jT76aIy
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
Mountain Straight… the climb begins! #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/xp2qdOBkWv
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
Griffins Bend at the top of Mountain Straight. New surface will make this even quicker! #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/GrRJr1NRiS
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
Dont fear, Bathurst fans. The new surface takes none of the drama away from this place. #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/YB6W1qI0JK
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
Just next to the Shannons logo is the famous Grate, where the drives aim here at Reid Park. #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/5KNT5QKEIV
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
Did you know there was a lookout on the Inside of the track called the John Hinxman Vista? #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/2crMC38chc
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
We’d show you the view of Bathurst from the lookout.. but we like this one! #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/SJo0JxOoBJ
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
190km/hr. The car goes light. Commit to the left hander and turn in. No time for the view.. #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/SE2Vwh3T8V
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
The famous McPhillamy Park Gates. #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/15jCW2QY1A
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
Walter. McPhillamy Park. The best spot to watch in all of Aussie motorsport? Perhaps.. #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/6mMj7btVKO
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
‘Is it REALLY a public road?’. Not kidding: we just saw a man pick up his mail from here. #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/gbOqsNaypq
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
‘Couldn’t believe the way the road just.. dives off into the abyss!’ – first time visitor.. #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/WdHD7wYuhL
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
Photos do not even slightly show how steep this bit of road is. The Dipper. #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/VjIyD6Yrya
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
Live TV on @SBS – and extensive highlights on @SPEEDTVAUS! (who love their track sign!) #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/rsCffjMfAV
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
1.9km of undulating perfection ahead: Conrod Straight. #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/HGjNFeqbE7
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
At 285km/hr, welcome to the fastest corner in Australian Motorsport: The Chase. #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/TLtqYRNT7M
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
Then it’s out of the chase, past the hotel and down towards the final turn. What a place! #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/3395Ji4tDE
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
And this is the scene in the pits at the end of our lap.. the first few have arrived! #B12hr #BathurstTrackTour pic.twitter.com/7IyIxaQbc8
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
Hope you enjoyed our track tour.. you must experience this place for yourself, though; pictures can’t convey how good it is! #B12hr
— Bathurst 12 Hour (@Bathurst12hour) February 3, 2014
2 replies on “A twitter lap of Mount Panorama”
I did a lap around the track a month ago and the new surface is amazingly smooth. Should be some super quick lap times put down this weekend.
I cycled a lap last year, and it was one of the toughest rides I had ever done. Not just the lung-busting ride up getting below 10 km/h a few times, but also the dual challenge of putting the bike handling to the test and dealing with brake fade on the way down. If I had carbon fibre wheels I’m pretty confident I would have blown out a tyre from the heat building up under heavy braking on the way down.
I’m sure I could easily have busted 100 km/h on Conrod Straight but even the lack of registration for cyclists (entirely sensible when rego is all about the insurance bill associated with amateurs handling heavy machinery) wouldn’t have gotten me out of being pulled over for that by a real traffic cop.