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The Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst is holy ground to Australian race fans and has a long history dating back to the late 1930s.
Since that time, it has hosted motorcycle races, sports car enduros and various lesser-known competitions, but it is best remembered both locally and internationally as the home of the ‘Big Race’ every October.
The Six Hour Classic in 1962 was followed by the Armstrong 500 a year later, and that event became the Bathurst 1000 following metrification in 1973.
It continues today as the highlight of the V8 Supercars calendar.
The National Motor Racing Museum started as a temporary display behind the Bathurst pits.
It was opened in 1988 by the late Peter Brock, but for the past 30 years it has been housed in a purpose-built facility adjacent to Murray’s Corner, the track’s final left-hander.
On arrival at the entrance to the museum, you are greeted by a life-sized statue of the legendary Brock, who won here nine times, standing atop one of his victorious Holden Commodores.
As you step inside there is a well-stocked gift shop (best left until departure), and visitors are recommended to spend five minutes in the ‘Immersive Room’, where the surrounding screens present the sights and sounds of races past to get you in the mood.
The exhibits are arranged in a series of large rooms surrounded by banners, posters and racing memorabilia, but the visitor is free to wander in any direction according to whatever catches their eye next.
Inevitably, there is a special focus on the machinery of past Touring Car races, from when Minis battled against much larger opponents to the 1970s and the real big-bangers, such as the 1975 Ford Falcon XB GT of John Goss and Kevin Bartlett that is now on prominent display.
Nearby are cars from the 1980s, a period that drew a variety of international entries.
Tom Walkinshaw’s Jaguars took on Mustangs, BMWs and a mixed field that included Nissan Skylines, Ford Sierras and Volvos, along with many examples of the later V8 Supercars.
The Bathurst 12-hour sports car race has become a major international event.
It is represented by the 2013-winning Erebus Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 and the Tekno McLaren 650S GT3 that took victory in 2016.
While many of the exhibits illustrate the history of the mountain circuit, the rest of Australian motorsport is also covered, with myriad motorcycles, single-seaters, dragsters and record-breakers.
Speedway races on tight oval tracks were a big draw in the 1950s, and the little yellow JAP-powered midget racer in which Jack Brabham started his career, winning titles from 1948 to ’51, is on show with many other speedway cars and ’bikes.
Representing an even earlier period is the charming Ford flathead V8-powered Reed Special, which was typical of early Australian racing machines from the 1930s.
Apart from victories at Bathurst and hillclimb events, it won the 1951 Australian Grand Prix.
The earliest car on show at the time of our visit was a 1925 Majola.
This veteran of hillclimbs and Vintage Sports Car Club of Australia races lines up with single-seaters from the 1950s on, with a Reynard liveried in the style of Will Power’s 2006 Champ Car being one of the most modern.
Other famous Australians featured include Dick Johnson, Craig Lowndes, Wayne Gardner and Allan Moffat.
The collection does vary because some of the exhibits are on loan and can change around, but the museum does a great job of covering Australia’s motorsport history in all its forms.
You have to pass through the shop on the way out, but do have a good look around: it is well stocked with local racing books, T-shirts, models, DVDs and souvenirs.
A lap of the iconic road circuit is a must for any visitor.
You may have seen it on TV, but you can only really appreciate the steep climb, the tight and twisty turns at the top, and the long downhill Conrod Straight by driving it for yourself.
Just be sure to keep to the speed limits – the local traffic cops are on daily lookout for any Brock wannabes.
Images: Chris Martin
The knowledge
- Name National Motor Racing Museum Bathurst
- Address 400 Panorama Avenue, Mount Panorama, NSW 2795
- Where? 200km west of Sydney
- How much? Adults AU$15, concessions AU$10, children AU$7
- Opening hours 9am-4:30pm Wednesday to Monday, closed Tuesdays and some public holidays
- Tel 0061 2 6332 1872
- Web museumsbathurst.com.au
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