The Chase
Despite its lap being considerably shorter, the Mount Panorama Circuit is often regarded as the Australian counterpart to the Nürburgring's Nordschleife: Extremely challenging elevation changes, blindingly quick corners and long straights make Bathurst a staple in Down Under's race track roster.
After climbing up The Mountain and back down again, drivers can finally unleash their cars again coming out of Forrest's Elbow going down the long Conrod Straight – which was even longer until 1986, as the run to Murray's corner was uninterrupted and featured an additional crest. When the World Touring Car Championship wanted to host a round at Bathurst in 1987, the straight had to be shortened to comply with FIA regulations, which state that straights cannot be longer than 2 kilometers. Aussie racer Mike Burgmann lost his life at the second crest in a crash at the 1986 Bathurst 1000.
As a result, this second crest was flattened and The Chase installed. The chicane looks simple enough on the track map: A slight right kink leading into a left-right combination – easy, right? Well, not in a GT3 or V8-powered Australian Supercar flying down the straight at nearly 300 kph. Maximizing the track width to take the kink flat out, then immediately jumping heavily on the brakes – The Chase is a great overtaking opportunity and has become very popular since its introduction. The second part of the chicane is faster than the left turn, leading to faster exits and a complex that fits in nicely with the rest of the track.
3: Inner Loop
4: Veedol-Schikane
5: Villeneuve
Full Article
After climbing up The Mountain and back down again, drivers can finally unleash their cars again coming out of Forrest's Elbow going down the long Conrod Straight – which was even longer until 1986, as the run to Murray's corner was uninterrupted and featured an additional crest. When the World Touring Car Championship wanted to host a round at Bathurst in 1987, the straight had to be shortened to comply with FIA regulations, which state that straights cannot be longer than 2 kilometers. Aussie racer Mike Burgmann lost his life at the second crest in a crash at the 1986 Bathurst 1000.
As a result, this second crest was flattened and The Chase installed. The chicane looks simple enough on the track map: A slight right kink leading into a left-right combination – easy, right? Well, not in a GT3 or V8-powered Australian Supercar flying down the straight at nearly 300 kph. Maximizing the track width to take the kink flat out, then immediately jumping heavily on the brakes – The Chase is a great overtaking opportunity and has become very popular since its introduction. The second part of the chicane is faster than the left turn, leading to faster exits and a complex that fits in nicely with the rest of the track.
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1: Variante Ascari3: Inner Loop
4: Veedol-Schikane
5: Villeneuve
Full Article
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- Previous page: Variante Ascari
