Mount Panorama/Bathurst

[Firedragon]

I'm glad someone else noticed this! That protruding tyre bundle has ruined many a quick lap of mine. Not sure why it's there, I've never seen it before...

I actually like it, weirdly enough. Because in reality, getting too close to the wall means you will get penalised by scraping the car against the wall and even damage the suspension. Without the tyre bundle, everyone in GT6 could just wallride and get away with it if damage is not turned on (only possible in online races).

Or maybe I just like it because I've won a few places in online races now because someone else is bumping into it.

 

[CeeJay]

Great stuff in this thread, really enjoy hearing from the Australian members who go to the track and give their impressions of it! Love the passion for the track! 👍 I need to stay off this site when I'm at work, now I just want to go home and race on Bathurst! (...Mt. Panorama.. sorry I've referred to it as Bathurst my entire life)

 

[raytard]

It's well composed, unforgiving, and interesting. It has a fantastic flow, multiple racing lines, and roads wide enough to pass but small enough to make it difficult. That left into a hairpin going up the hill towards the Fujitsu right has so many ways through it, I've rarely seen two cars take the same line. Can set up some interesting passes if you can see a step ahead.

The best tracks give you a chance (or 3) to open up a car and get some speed, but still have lower-speed technical sections to challenge drivers. Not all people want to drive a high-speed only circuit (but they exist, look at any "oval"). Same goes for low-speed, but there's quite a few tracks where you can barely hit 3rd gear (Autumn Mini, for example).

You need some elevation change. Tracks like Matterhorn take that to an extreme, and tracks like High Speed Ring and Tsukuba take it to the other extreme. Bathurst has the right balance (along with other tracks like Laguna, Suzuka, Trial Mountain).

You need a section to master. Braking into the first right of the downhill esses is something that a track pro can gain a second against a neophyte doing. The right line lets you carry tons of speed but still grab the right line for the tight right hander coming up. When you do it right, there's few things more rewarding.

You need something to bite you in the butt, too. Miss one braking point downhill and you're in a wall. Miss the clipping point on Chase and you're sliding off into a quarter mile of sand.

It's the best of everything racing. Some of the most exhilarating gaming I've ever done is racing 500pp SH cars around. I don't think I blinked for 5 laps of bumper-to-bumper racing.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

One of my top favorite tracks ever. First time I ever played this track was on Toca 1 or Toca 2. The downhill esses or chicanes are so dang fun. Its like the Laguna Seca chicane over and over again.

 

[CarreraGT]

Great stuff in this thread, really enjoy hearing from the Australian members who go to the track and give their impressions of it! Love the passion for the track! 👍 I need to stay off this site when I'm at work, now I just want to go home and race on Bathurst! (...Mt. Panorama.. sorry I've referred to it as Bathurst my entire life)

That's alright, most people refer to it as Bathurst, even in Australia

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I can't imagine actually doing it at speed in real life like the DW video.

I'm guessing you haven't had a whole lot of exposure to our local motorsport scene.

Imagine, if you will, doing a lap of the circuit at speed in GT6. Now imagine that you are driving a NASCAR (with slightly more downforce). And imagine that there are twenty-eight like-minded invidiuals fighting over the same narrow ribbon of tarmac. Finally, imagine that you are going to be doing this for the rest of the day. That might sound like madness, but we know it as another name - the Bathurst 1000. 1000km (620 miles) of racing over The Mountain in V8-powered four-door sedans that are as powerful as they are heavy. And it's a race that, for the past three years (at least) has been decided at the last corner of the last lap:





I can't find any good footage of the Reynolds-Whincup twenty-lap battle from 2012.

 

[frenzal]

I'm guessing you haven't had a whole lot of exposure to our local motorsport scene.

Imagine, if you will, doing a lap of the circuit at speed in GT6. Now imagine that you are driving a NASCAR (with slightly more downforce). And imagine that there are twenty-eight like-minded invidiuals fighting over the same narrow ribbon of tarmac. Finally, imagine that you are going to be doing this for the rest of the day. That might sound like madness, but we know it as another name - the Bathurst 1000. 1000km (620 miles) of racing over The Mountain in V8-powered four-door sedans that are as powerful as they are heavy. And it's a race that, for the past three years (at least) has been decided at the last corner of the last lap:

I can't find any good footage of the Reynolds-Whincup twenty-lap battle from 2012.

I couldn't send you a PM, but can put the full 2012 race on USB for you if you like. Send me a PM to work out the details if you wish, mate. It's a 5.37G file.

And that was a helluva battle to the end in that race. This years as well. Talk about edge of your seat racing, I needed a breather and a lie down after simply just watching it.

 

[Azure Flare]

I've been watching V8 Supercars on Speed (When it still existed...) and I loved every race. I also like the fact they came to COTA for 4 100km races.

Best races I watched all this year.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Oh, I've already seen it. I was just trying to find it for Jubby's sake.

 

[fofuxake]

So the only difference between V8SC and NASCAR is 'slightly more' downforce huh?

 

[Azure Flare]

There is a world of difference between V8 Supercars and NASCAR.

 

[HBR-Roadhog]

The best thing is the track itself especially the windy section at the top and down the backside, I love driving through that set of curves trying to go as fast as possible without hitting a wall or leaving the track. It feels good when you get it right. Of the new tracks this is my favorite and ranks second behind the ring overall.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

So the only difference between V8SC and NASCAR is 'slightly more' downforce huh?

There is a world of difference between V8 Supercars and NASCAR.

I think he means in terms of handling characteristics. No, they're not quite the same but both a NASCAR stock car and a V8 Supercar are notoriously hard to drive due to their weight, power and lack of downforce. There's not really anything you could compare the cars of either series to, aside from each other.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

There is a world of difference between V8 Supercars and NASCAR.

I know. I just needed to make the analogy relatable. Having never driven a V8 Supercar myself, I had to go for the next-best alternative, bearing in mind that Jubby is American and thus most likely to have the most exposure to American series

 

[Azure Flare]

I actually wasn't truly exposed to forms of motorsport outside the US until about 2005 when I started coming into my own when it came to cars.

The internet sped that process up pretty quick. 👍

 

[IAMCLARKSON]

Two of the late greats

Allan Simonsen - Ferrari 458 GT3



Jason Richards - BJR Holden VE Commodore



Like people have said in previous posts, Incar or Tv footage doesn't do this place any justice. I have walked and driven many laps of Mount Panorama and I still can't get my head around how they race around here.
I will post some more videos later for anyone that is interested

 

[dsgerbc]

Finally drove the track in GT6. While I like it a lot and would love for someone to organize a full-damage enduro here, PD's crap suspension model kills about 90% of this track's character. I love driving it in iRacing infinitely more, due to how challenging it is. One wheel in the wrong place with a wrong throttle/steering/braking input and next thing you know - you're crawling back to the pits, and that's a best case scenario.
Hopefully this track stays around until PD bothers to model suspension properly.

 

[CarreraGT]

I think he means in terms of handling characteristics. No, they're not quite the same but both a NASCAR stock car and a V8 Supercar are notoriously hard to drive due to their weight, power and lack of downforce. There's not really anything you could compare the cars of either series to, aside from each other.

The two are quite different, especially since the introduction of COTF. V8 supercars are less powerful, lighter and have more aero. Plus they have a 6 speed transaxle and double wishbone rear suspension.

NASCARs are more purpose built for oval racing

 

[OkeyD]

I just love the flow of the track throughout the bendy sections with all the elevation changes. It's my favourite alongside the Nordschleife. Spa is a bit boring to me.

 

[fofuxake]

I do have one problem... On the real track, the finish line is actually not in the same place as the start, as it is in GT6. The finish is actually a lot closer to the Murray's (final turn) Scared the crap outta me cos I was racing a more powerful car and figured if I got Murray's I'd have it.... luckily I had a wide arse end. ;-)

 

[fastboysmith]

I do have one problem... On the real track, the finish line is actually not in the same place as the start, as it is in GT6. The finish is actually a lot closer to the Murray's (final turn) Scared the crap outta me cos I was racing a more powerful car and figured if I got Murray's I'd have it.... luckily I had a wide arse end. ;-)

Yer its as you go under the bridge. Wish they would implement it into the track

 

[Jay]

Two of the late greats

Allan Simonsen - Ferrari 458 GT3



Jason Richards - BJR Holden VE Commodore



Like people have said in previous posts, Incar or Tv footage doesn't do this place any justice. I have walked and driven many laps of Mount Panorama and I still can't get my head around how they race around here.
I will post some more videos later for anyone that is interested

How could you talk about the late greats and Bathurst and not mention Brocky!!?

 

[fofuxake]

Yeah... I guess it is more relevant to the enduros that are held there.. being that the start is further forward to allow the majority of the field not to be around the corner at the start, and the actual lap counter/finsh being positioned just before the pits as the mountain can be a bit hard on cars... Still loving it's inclusion... but please, PD give us some relevant V8SCs or, at the least, some FPVs to run on it. The inclusion of HSV's is pretty irrelevant without their FPV counterparts

EDIT. Before both of them are no longer being made.

 

[Jubby]

...bearing in mind that Jubby is American and thus most likely to have the most exposure to American series

I appreciate that. Whereas I'm very familiar with American and European racing, I'm only vaguely familiar with the 1000km race, but until now didn't realize it was that tight. I imagined it to be a LeMans style race with minutes between cars towards the end... but I'm pleasantly surprised for it not to be. That's a helluva race to be running 9 hours with those brutes.

I have been working on getting into the V8 supercars, as they finally started to put it on SPEED channel... but now that they have been sucked up by the huge Fox Sports conglomerate, I don't know if I'll be able to watch some on TV. Not enough spare time in the day to find random clips on YouTube hoping for good ones. But, I'm glad you all are putting some on here.

I have walked and driven many laps of Mount Panorama and I still can't get my head around how they race around here.
I will post some more videos later for anyone that is interested

Thanks!

How could you talk about the late greats and Bathurst and not mention Brocky!!?

Okay, showing ignorance here: Brocky? Can someone give me the full name so I can see what he means?

 

[fofuxake]

Jay said
How could you talk about the late greats and Bathurst and not mention Brocky!!?
Okay, showing ignorance here: Brocky? Can someone give me the full name so I can see what he means?

The late great Peter Brock... The King of the Mountain, the master of car control.... and I'm a Ford fan...

And this is in a 90's era car..


EDIT. Priceless moment... almost kills himself though McPhillamy.. "haha, yeah... The brakes were set up for a full tank of fuel...... hahaha.... just kept the pedal to the metal....."

 

[fastboysmith]

[quote="Jubby, Okay, showing ignorance here: Brocky? Can someone give me the full name so I can see what he means?[/quote]
If you also go back and watch the video I put up he is mentioned in that like 5 times.

 

[fofuxake]

Even in the frame in the thumbnail of the video... How can you not love seeing the "squash" of the rear left with the front left off the floor.. in a car that wasn't even meant to see those sorta forces

 

[CarreraGT]

Yeah... I guess it is more relevant to the enduros that are held there.. being that the start is further forward to allow the majority of the field not to be around the corner at the start, and the actual lap counter/finsh being positioned just before the pits as the mountain can be a bit hard on cars... Still loving it's inclusion... but please, PD give us some relevant V8SCs or, at the least, some FPVs to run on it. The inclusion of HSV's is pretty irrelevant without their FPV counterparts

EDIT. Before both of them are no longer being made.

There are no HSV's in GT6, but they are still being made... Unfortunately FPV's are not

 

[fofuxake]

There are no HSV's in GT6, but they are still being made... Unfortunately FPV's are not

Sadly. I am too blue to have even checked out that much, so thanks for the info... It is a huge loss to the industry that the Falc is about to disappear... having it's awesome engineering immortalised in this game would make it a little easier to swallow

EDIT: the inclusion of the XY GTHO Phase 3, XB Coupe and similar, would add even more to the charm, but one can only ask so much.

EDIT 2. The XY GTHO Ph 3 being the fastest production car of it's time should give it some weight

 

[nasanu]

I love driving it in iRacing infinitely more, due to how challenging it is. One wheel in the wrong place with a wrong throttle/steering/braking input and next thing you know - you're crawling back to the pits, and that's a best case scenario.
Hopefully this track stays around until PD bothers to model suspension properly.

Sigh... Do you realise how bad iRacing is? Just try to do some drifting. iRacing is the ultimate expression of hard = sim. Thankfully little by little they are patching that out (and the last patch did wonders for the spin charastics of the mx5) but it has a long way to go. The way the cars spin is totally unrealistic and the suspension model is almost nonexistent.

Take a look at their most recent car which naturally has the most recent phyiscs:




Anyway I'll just leave it at that. iRacings marketing just bugs me. Out tracks are laser scanned!!! Yeah and so are those of your competitors but they dont shout about it. Racing drivers play our game!!! Yeah because you pay them to... Rant over


Bathurst is a great track but honestly I feel a little like it is spoiling GT6. Being in Australia obviously makes the problem worse, but you often simply can not get a race at any other track. I have to search through pages of rooms only running bathurst. It gets old fast..