How to upset V8 Supercar fans

This writer risks an extremely unpopular take

You know what V8 Supercar fans love? A critical take on Bathurst

And with the 60th anniversary race at Mount Panorama just a few days away, that’s what I’ve written.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the track. But the race is only half the story.

You’ll only see the wholesome history of Bathurst on the TV. Cinematic music. Cars on the main straight. Children smiling at the camera. Chequered flags.  

But what happened after the race, particularly in the late 90s, won’t make it onto the highlight reels. 

Let me tell you, at the end of 161-laps, the top of the mountain felt like armageddon. 

You’d see unconscious drunks face-down in the dirt, drunks walking in zig zags back to their tents, drunks doing wheelies in their utes, and drunks communally piling their old furniture together… which would be wholesome if they didn’t then light that pile on fire. 

I’ve written about my Bathurst 1000 memories this week on the Car Pit. 

If it goes well, expect my follow up articles: ‘V8 food carts should only sell vegan meals’ and ‘Why driver pronouns should be on all race cars’.

There are some other tasty morsels on the Car Pit ready for your perusal today. 

Did you see that article about a dog driving a car over the weekend? Our very own ABC was the first to break the story in Australia. Important news! An amazing scoop! Except the dog was just sitting on its owner’s lap. 

Now, I’ve written some dumb articles in my time. When I worked in online news, I once had to squeeze out 250 words about a video of chickens pecking at seeds scattered on a piano. “Chicken plays haunting sonata”, I wrote of those vacant birds, now long since turned into nuggets.

Anyway. That was a dumb article. The dog-driving-a-car one is every worse.  

Tamara has written a hilarious summary of the whole thing. Read it here. Trust me, it’s the best thing on the website today.

Finally, the Tokyo Mobility Show (formally known as the Tokyo Motor show) is less than a month away. The real star of the show isn’t the cars, though. It’s the press releases. Read about Honda’s dreams, your dreams, the dreams of the car here.

Hope you’re having a great long weekend if you’re lucky enough to have today off. If you don’t, just go home early. No one’s watching.

See you next Monday!

Steph