Challenge Bathurst 2016

[24 Dat]

Hello all,

 

Well the name says it all, and from the 24-27 of November 2016 we will see the inaugural running of Challenge Bathurst at Mount Panorama Bathurst, I have been lucky enough to have been in contact with the organisers/promoters James O'Brian and Greg Evans, for the past 3 odd years.  2 years ago i got a large group from the ZCCQ to commit to a possible event at Bathurst and we have been waiting for it to go ahead ever since.

 

Well it’s finally going to go ahead, and we have a great opportunity to get a very large group us (Z’s) on the track at the legendary Mount Panorama race track. Most say, 1 of the 3 best race tracks in the world! I haven’t driven the other 2 but this ones got my vote. After hearing for years, comments from our local V8 Super Car Drivers, the International Drivers who raced the Bathurst 12 hour and all others whom have ever driven the track a speed, they all comment what a fantastic/exhilarating/challenging/amazing track it is, and since 2010 after doing the regularity at Easter I have been waiting for the chance to do it again.

***Now We Do***

So far from the ZCCQ and the S30 Owners of Sydney in under 2 weeks i have, a total of 32 people who have said they will be doing this event. I have 23 x S30's, a S130 2 seater (no guessing who that is), a Z32, a 370Z  a 1600 and a great looking 260C coupe and a few other ZCCQ members in there non Z's. 

 

Our group’s drivers are regular competitors in Tarmac Rally/Super Sprint/Race/Regularity events and have very well sorted cars. So far we will all be doing the regularity which will be run over on Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th of November 2016. A minimum time of 2:36.00 (ie you can’t be quicker than that) for the Regularity will be allowed and there will be a maximum time allowed (TBA), in other words it is not a leisurely Sunday drive around the mountain. All the drivers in this group will not be stuffing about, we will all be aiming to drive regularly and quickly  .

 

A group of 12 of us from the ZCCQ did the FoSC event in  2010 and the quickest of our group did a 2:40 flat, he is an extremely good race and rally driver and he will be entering in his 370Z race car which should break the 2:36.00 mark easily so he will be entering the Super Sprints. To give you an idea (and I'm not trying to be Narcissistic) most of us in our 2010 group ran very well prepared Tarmac rally cars on street legal slicks and we were in the 2:50 - 2:55 mark (God i hope we can run full slicks  ).

 

The official website and entry details are still to be finalised and they should be available within a week, please see this link which 1600dave put up on a topic about the event a week or so ago   http://www.speedcafe.com/2016/02/27/james-obrien-launches-new-bathurst-event/  , the organisers have asked me not to broadcast the draft brief of the event, and I thank all those who have seen it who are members on this forum, that have not broadcast it on the web. The above link will give a good idea of what we will be doing and the entry fee should be $1590.00 with a $100 fuel credit, and to even allow one car to have two drivers if that makes it more affordable (the entry details, Supp Reg’s, etc. will explain). A similar event in 2011 charged $3500.00

 

A lot of us will be camping to save some $$ and having a large group of Z enthusiasts together, we will be able to share knowledge, spares parts, good times and respect each other’s cars on the track, and to ensure as many of us (I'm hoping all of us) complete all the runs for the weekend, safely and in the best possible time, regularly.

 

I have been able to secure a block booking for the group so far (32 and counting), and the earliest to book, will get a shared pit bay area in the covered pit area, which i hope our entire group will be able to get. Groups will be a maximum of 55, I have 23 x S30's so far and who knows how many more, This will be one of the most amazing sites of early Z's competing on a race track in Australia at one time, The Regularity event will have a maximum 275 entries and will be fully booked out So who's interested!!!

 

PLEASE PM if you’re interested (i will need your, name, email address, Car model and colour) and i will add you to my contacts list,

 

N.B. The organisers will also need a lot of volunteers to be flaggies and marshals etc so we can do what we do in safety. If anyone from the forum who would like to get involved and to be put on a list of volunteers to help out please also PM me with your details. You’ll most likely get a get track side spot to see some amazing cars other than our own amazing Z’s going round the circuit at speed and the organisers are planning to reward volunteers with some great extras  (Watch This Space!)

 

I will be emailing out to everyone, details/info/entries as soon as i receive them, and any future updates.

 

Can i please ask everyone to keep the future posts of this topic relevant to this event, “Challenge Bathurst 2016”  not past events or anything else or how wonderful you are, blah blah blah to distract from what we are trying to achieve here,

  

If you need to say anything negative or off topic… Start another topic!!!!!!

 Most importantly, Don't forget 

Rule #1 MOTORSPORT IS DANGEROUS

Rule #2 Motorsport is Fantastic/Amazing/ Incredible/Rewarding/Etc.Etc.Etc.

Rule # 3 Motorsport is Expensive  

 

Looking forward to this event and an awesome group of people and Z's doing it 

Cheers

Dave

Edited April 5, 2016 by gav240z

[dat2kman]

Let everyone know, as soon as possible, about safety requirements, car prep,

Also, driver apparel, and if HANS devces will be required.

CAMS has Bathurst as a "National" track, and may have set in place certain requirements over and above what is the nrm for the State licensed tracks, ie Eastern Ck/Morgan Park.

[260DET]

David has done a great job on this so far and I'm sure that he does not need any advice on what he should be doing in the future to 'do and dust' it. Don't know about anyone else but seeing I missed the last one due to a dud tune and consequent engine damage   this one has to go to plan.

[1600dave]

A suggestion regarding volunteers - in 2010, I volunteered as a flag marshal for the two days of "real" racing, before competing for the 2 days of regularity. I was positioned pretty much trackside at the chase, and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. So much so that I still do the odd bit of flag marshaling when I have spare time, from basic club events through to the bigger two day historic race meetings with HSRCA.

 

So, if anyone is getting down to Bathurst a few days early, why not give up a day or two of your time and get the best seat in the house to watch the sprinters go around ?

[24 Dat]

Hi all, just a quick update,

 

I will have the final entry forms and Sup Regs early this week, i now have 38 in our group doing the regularity with 25 x S30's and 3 other Z/ZX's 

If your interested in joining in what will be an awesome few days with  a great bunch of people in some amazing cars on superb track.

 

Please PM me as i will only be able to get the covered pit area for the people who book in early with me.. 

[PB260Z]

Hi,

 

I am thinking that this could great destination for a weekend drive event out of Sydney ?

Still a long way off, but worth considering.

 

Apologies for the hijack.

 

Cheers

 

PB

Edited March 13, 2016 by PB260Z

[TomC18]

Do the same group entry rules apply to the sprint days? Any idea as to how many might want to do the sprint?

[24 Dat]

Hi,

 

I am thinking that this could great destination for a weekend drive event out of Sydney ?

Still a long way off, but worth considering.

 

Apologies for the hijack.

 

Cheers

 

PB

No dramas re the hijack i am sure the ZCCQ will be organising a club run to the event for all those not competing and i reckon a few other clubs will be doing the same,

 

Do the same group entry rules apply to the sprint days? Any idea as to how many might want to do the sprint?

I am not sure, the final entry forms and Supp Regs will be out this week, 

[260DET]

A bit surprised that there is virtually no interest in the sprints via a vis the regularity. I do suspect that there will be a lot of dedicated race cars sprinting and no doubt some of them will be damn quick but still it should be lots of fun, my first time at Bathurst so I will be happy to run in regularity with the Q Z gang who are all experienced and traffic aware, mostly. With the V8 should I be planning on going into the Chase flat stick? Will be running the 3.9 diff with a 0.75 top gear so at full revs something like 260kph potential.

 

Yeh I know it's months away but I'm excited already 

[24 Dat]

Here's an update, the group is now 44 in total with 28 x S30's, 1 x S130,  1 x Z32, 1x 370Z,  2 x 1600's and a 260C coupe the rest a cool mix of other makes and models keen to do this event.

 

The organisers have said I can have an entire group of 55 if I can get the numbers

 

 

Currently, The Challenge Bathurst event is in 2 sections 

 

 

"LIGHTNING" 24th and 25th November, 2 day Competitive Sprint, 3 Groups, Eight x 20 minute sessions (1 as a familiarization, 1 as Practice) Grids of 40 cars, Minimum CAMS level 2 Speed Licence $2590.00 (includes $100 fuel credit)

 

 

“THUNDER” 26th and 27th November, 2 day Regularity, Six x 20 minute sessions, (1 as a familiarization) minimum lap time 2:36.00 Minimum CAMS level 2 speed Licence

 

5 Groups, Grids of 55 cars $1590.00 (includes $100 fuel credit)

 

 

Final information, entries and Supp Regs will be out after Easter 

[24 Dat]

A bit surprised that there is virtually no interest in the sprints via a vis the regularity. 

I think its the $ difference and being on the Saturday and Sunday, also our S30's will struggle to break the 2:36.00 mark,

I will be going down to watch the Super Sprints as i reckon there will be some serious race cars and even possible quite a few doing practice for the Bathurst 12hr. 

[24 Dat]

Yeh I know it's months away but I'm excited already 

So am I  . All those Z's on the track at one time will be one hell of a sight to see 

[260DET]

Yeh, sprints should be great and good point about breaking 2:36 David. Going on what lots of people have said to break that requires previous Bathurst experience plus a pretty serious late model car like an Evo or something. 

 

A gear calculator tells me that a 3.69 diff will be needed to get to 260kph in top at 6200rpm, the redline is 6500. Just so happens that I have a spare 3.69

[PZG302]

And then what about getting up the hill on the other side??

 

Most people forget about the hill heading up, Mountain straight is pretty steep and the climb from Griffin Bend to McPhillamy is also suprisingly steep, and that's without thinking of the 1:6 grade at the cutting.

 

Most of the time will be made going up the hill and across the top, not down the other side.

 

In the couple of 3 day events I have done there, the 4.1:1 was perfect in mine, it got up the hill well for the hillclimb on the Saturday and the Chase descent on the Sunday it wound out all the way to hitting the aero brick wall.

 

Taking the Chase flat depends more on how well that car stays on the ground and how good your brakes are to pull up for the left right combination after the sweeper.

 

When I drove the medical car at a few meetings, I was flat through the sweeper but hard on the picks before the bottom of the hill to pull up to get through the other corners. The Commodore paramedic wagon was clocked at 197km/h through the middle of the sweeper and coming over the humps was seen to move almost half the track width to the right with the prevailing westerly during the day, Was fun, but not fun at the same time chasing race cars around for a lap.

[260DET]

Third gear on mine will pull about 200kph with a 3.69 diff which should be all right up Mountain Straight I would have thought. Indications are that with the V8 auto it will smash the VG30DET for acceleration and that engine was hardly slow. Let's put it this way, I don't think that acceleration will be a problem.

[1600dave]

I think its the $ difference and being on the Saturday and Sunday, also our S30's will struggle to break the 2:36.00 mark,

I will be going down to watch the Super Sprints as i reckon there will be some serious race cars and even possible quite a few doing practice for the Bathurst 12hr. 

 

I tend to agree. The only real difference between sprints and regularity is that sprints you can go under 2:36, get an extra 2x20 minute sessions, and it costs $1000 more. I can imagine there will be some serious machinery / drivers entered in sprints, much more serious than most of us weekend warriors. In my experience, its much more enjoyable being the fast car in a slow field than vice-versa - spending the whole time on the track watching your mirrors as everyone else blasts can get tiresome after a while. 

[24 Dat]

Hi all,

 

Date change for this event

 

Please note this just in from the CB facebook page, 

 

"Please note - due to the V8 Supercars recent rescheduling of the Sydney 500 to the first weekend of December, this has forced Challenge Bathurst to move forward to November 24-27, 2016. Our apologies for any inconvenience, however to obtain the services of the 100+ Officials and Flag Marshalls we had no choice but to change dates."

 

I am unable to edit my original post could a moderator please edit the original posts dates so future readers are able to see the correct dates for this event,

 

Btw i have 47 people wanting to do the regularity with the group, we now have 29 x S30's, 4 other Z/ZX's and 4 other Datsun's in the group

 

Cheers

Dave

[gav240z]

Hey Dave,

Updated and fixed dates.

[24 Dat]

Hey Dave,

Updated and fixed dates.

Thanks for that Gav, much appreciated

 

Unfortunately lost 2 entrants for the regularity with the date change, but i got another one this morning

 

There are still spots available and  i am trying to get a full group of 55 for the event so please consider coming along, it will be one amazing time to be on the track with all the other Z's

Edited April 5, 2016 by 24 Dat

[260DET]

Seriously, David is a bloody good organiser so you can be confident that he will do everything necessary to get this show on the road for us entrants.

[260DET]

Video from Easter Bathurst, run by the same promoter I think. There are two blokes from Perth who trail their Zeds over, Chris in the video says he is coming back this November for more.

 

[24 Dat]

Good stuff i will pass the link onto the entrants i have already, 

Thanks for posting it

[260DET]

News about this? Sup Regs?

Edited April 30, 2016 by 260DET

[24 Dat]

Sup Regs should be out soon,

 

The group I'm organising so far has 4 for the Super Sprints all Nissan/Datsuns, and 50 for the Regularity, it has 30 x S30's and  2 x S130's 2 seaters, (that should make you happy Richard) 6 other Datsuns and ZX's, the rest are various other makes and models.

 

Disappointing  i have only got 2 Z's (both who are bring friends with Datsuns) directly from this forum thread, i am sure many of my group are users of this forum but i thought there would be a few more of you guys with the well set up and fast cars would have been wanting to do this amazing event

From the last post on the CB facebook page they are suggesting that it will be a sell out, here's a copy of the post below

 

Cheers

Dave

 

"Challenge Bathurst heading towards a Sell-Out.

In final stages of pre-launch Invitations with 300+ drivers now on our Invite list. Each will receive an Entry and Sup Regs in early May. In 2 weeks we will expect to have approved Sup Regs back from CAMS and be ready to accept Entries and payments. 
If you have yet to contact us, email us now at drive@challengebathurst.com to be in before the launch to the public in mid-May. The event is looking like a sell-out, so tell your friends that we need to hear from them now to secure a place on the grid."

[260DET]

Who owns the other 280ZX 2+0 David?