Bathurst 2011, another accidental trip to the V8's
This time I got arsy, I won tickets to Bathurst from Matt at Orccon Steel.
Included with the tickets was access to a pit tour at Ford Performance Racing as they sponsor the #5 car of Mark Winterbottom. They also gave
tickets to the gala dinner and a grid-walk. What wasn't included was transport and accomodation and as you may be aware,
bookings around Bathurst race time are taken a year in advance. Luckily a mate and his crew 'do' Bathurst every year and I got to borrow a
corner of their campsite on top of the mountain. Cheers to Ards, Leroy, Betty, Tazo, Daniel and Earl (or whatever their real names may be) from Camp Cuntox.
McPhillamy Park Campground Car Pass.
Only a t-shirt from Camp Cuntox or a sticker like this really says you were on top of the mountain during the big race. I got both because I
could.
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Orrcon Steel ute in "Blue Steel" livery.
Orrcon steel's Ute in the same livery as the Number 5 race car of Mark Wintebottom.
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Campfire shot at Bathurst.
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Camp Cuntox
The campsite, all laid out ready for a big weekend.
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The Bear Bar.
The campsite two up from us, they went a little further in the all-out stakes.
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Extreme Camper-trailer.
This was the other local campsite that was a bit over the top. Handy, but imagine how complicated setup and tear-down must be.
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Camps
Most campsites were just a dry (hopefully) place to rest up between races.
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Jason Bargwana's Jana Living car.
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TV Camera station at McPhillamy park.
Getting his kit all ready for a cold and occasionally wet weekend.
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Serious bush cooker.
That's one way to keep the smoke out of you eyes. Judging by the woodpile there was little chance the kettle was going to get cold.
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Mark Winterbottom and Steve Richards' car.
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Will Davison and Luke Youldens car.
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GARTH TANDER AND NICK PERCAT, BATHURST WINNERS 2011.
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A break in the action, Cameras at-ease all over the mountain.
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Looking down over skyline where it all drops away.
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Looking right down the mountain at Murrays corner.
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Lens envy.
Although I didn't take my real kit with me, some of these came off the phone, most with the 'second' body and the cheaper lenses.
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Esky and Flag combo.
I've got more stickers, but I haven't put mine on wheels (yet)..
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The Ford Performance Racing cars.
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Matt Hall, absolutely crazy man with an aeroplane.
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Tazo, not looking excited about sausage-onna-stick.
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The Roulettes.
You can tell a class event by whether or not
the Roulettes
are invited. It is not often the backdrop for a shot of them is the ground though.
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Skyline
Skyline at Bathurst, just watching the in-car makes your stomach drop, imagine getting to do it 161 times in a day.
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Gary's fingers..
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Emergency fire maintenance when we got 25mm or so dropped on us from above.
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Morning cloud at Bathurst 2011
The gap between the sky and the earth, that thin layer we all live in.
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Not "the" Ford one-two..
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Glenn Seton's new XB
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The car that Rod built..
The guy that built this is a master craftsman, the guy that drives it is a legend. Very cool to see this come first on Sunday.
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Jim Richards.
Another legend, but this *is* the Touring Car Masters after all.
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Doug Westwood
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Mick Wilson
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Peter Brock Commodore
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Lee Kernaghan
Lee Kernaghan giving us "Boys from the Bush" while I wait behind Demo and his tyre pile to get out onto the grid and photograph Frosty's car.
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Frosty's car in the foreground, Paul Dumbrell's in the background.
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Whincup's (doomed) car
Battery and Alternator issues pulled him out of the race early.
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Frosty having a good time before the race starts.
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Richo (and Sophie)
Richo minding the car. Richo did the first stint.
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Helmet shot.
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Family shot;, Frosty, Renee, and Oliver.
Olivers first Bathurst. Took him less than a year to get onto the grid, took me many more than that.
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Dean Canto getting ready to do first stint in Paul Dumbrell's car.
Sarah doing double duty as a grid girl for Dean Canto.
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EH Ute Esky Trolley
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Every year, same helicopter, same shot.
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The campsite in sunlight.. rare but possible.
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Safety car and Amber Anderson.
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Driving off the mountain Monday morning.
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Driving home, Pejar dam
No wonder there's a water shortage, there's a hole in the Dam and Lake George near Canberra ought to be re-named George's Flats, it's been dry so long there's fences and old sheds in it.
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Magpie, also stopping for a bite to eat.
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Magpie having a good old yell before dive-bombing me.
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Obligatory Ute shot in case you forgot what it looks like..
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