IT was 33 years ago when Tony Longhurst first did battle with Mount Panorama as he made his Great Race debut, but driving at Bathurst’s famous track is still something which excites him.
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So much so the now 58-year-old wants to contest next year’s Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race.
“I know that I’d be competent if I went back to do a 12 hour race, do the middle section or a couple of stages and just chase the pace,” Longhurst told Speedcafe.com.
“I was sitting there with Jim [Richards] watching the 12 Hour this year and I said: ‘If you and I were in this we could win it’. And he said: ‘No there’s no chance’.
“But I said: ‘No watch this’, and there’s another pace car, and another pace car and another one.
“You don’t forget how to drive. You know what to look at, you’re relaxed.”
After making his debut in the Great Race in 1983, Longhurst went on to twice stand on the top tier of the podium at Bathurst.
He picked up his first win alongside Tomas Mezera in 1988 (Ford Sierra RS500) and backed that up with a second crown in 2001 when co-driving for Mark Skaife (Holden Commodore VX).
Having conquered that endurance race, in 2009 he added another title to his Mount Panorama resume. He won that year’s Bathurst 12 Hour alongside Rod Salmon and Damien White in a Mitsubishi Evo.
“I did a solid job in 2009 in the Evo car and I clearly remember that I had good control and stamina in that event,” Longhurst said.
If he is to secure a seat for next February’s Bathurst 12 Hour, Longhurst will be one of the oldest – if not the oldest – drivers taking part.
However, he will have more than just experience to offer team owners. While not a full-time driver anymore, Longhurst has still maintained a good level of fitness.
“You’ve just got to keep your nose clean and 12 hours up there is twice as hard as what six hours is,” he said.
“You don’t have to be young and fearless, you’ve got to be very, very smart and not make a mistake.
“I watch some of the sprint races now and you can see accidents before they happen. That’s the thing about getting old, you’ve been through it and done 25 years of it.
“You’ve done every crash, you’ve been aggressive with this person and that person. You’ve jumped out of the car and punched someone in the head and you know what to do and what not to do.”
