The launch of the 2016 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 was conducted at Luna Park on Tuesday, and it was there that it was officially announced that event organisers Virgin Supercars Australia would pay tribute to one of the legends of Australian Motorsport Peter Brock.
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This year's race, held from October 6-9 will celebrate a decade since the Peter Brock Trophy was named in honour of the nine-time Bathurst winner in 2006.
Several of the cars driven by Brock, including his Bathurst winners, will be on display at Mount Panorama to mark his achievements at the circuit he loved so much.
Among those present at the launch were Supercars CEO James Warburton, Brocks long time partner Bev Brock, Dick Johnson, James Courtney, Chaz Mostert and six-time Bathurst winner Craig Lowndes, who won the first Peter Brock Trophy in 2006.
This year's race will also see the return of the Harvey Norman Supergirls, the all-female driving duo of Simona De Silvestro and Renee Gracie.
Swiss-born De Silvestro is considered one of the world’s leading female drivers, and she looked every bit like that in last year's race.
As for Gracie, despite all the track time in testing and racing in the Dunlop Series, she really hasn't shown anything above average ability. Really, the Australian driver in the team should have been the best female racer in the country, Leanne Tander.
Another announcement made at the launch was great news, that Fox Sports are set to deliver its biggest ever coverage of the Bathurst 1000, with a dedicated 24/7 channel showcasing round-the-clock action from the Monday of race week, October 3.
Something else that was said on Tuesday and should not be forgotten, came from the Minister for Trade, Tourism, Major Events and Sport Stuart Ayres, was that over 200,000 fans attended Bathurst last year, the second highest attendance in the race’s history.
That happening in as year that saw attendances right down at most tracks was pretty special, and shows why this is still the championship's main race and should subsequently be treated with more respect, not just as one of the rounds, for it is special.
Suggestions from the launch that Lowndes could go on to break Brock’s record of nine Bathurst wins, with Bev saying that if anyone can do it, it's Craig Lowndes.
“If broken, it would be nice to see it done by Lowndes, but golly, it's a big ask, for he is 42 now, he would have to win another four”.
It was apparently a most successful launch, but for mine it should be conducted right here in Bathurst as it used to be.
