The countdown for the 50th year of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 is on with the unveiling of two emotive television commercials and the ultimate unveiling of the most memorable moment in the history of Mount Panorama.
Australian sporting icons Craig Lowndes and Dick Johnson feature in the television commercials when they put their words to their most cherished moments, entitled “Pure Bathurst”.
For Lowndes his moment was the emotion charged victory in 2006 when the late great Peter Brock rode alongside him in the final laps while for Johnson it’s the amazing tale of how Queensland rebuilt his car following the legendary ‘rock’ incident.
The unique commercials go to air from this weekend’s Coates Hire Ipswich 300.
For Lowndes and Johnson they are their two most memorable personal moments.
“For me Mount Panorama has always been our pinnacle,” Lowndes said.
“2006 was the all-time best victory for me. The hardest thing for me was to get my emotions right. I remember walking back to the garage with tears still coming out of my eyes.
“No-one was going to get in my way that year. The feeling of standing on that top step was the ultimate. This moment was pure Bathurst.”
Johnson’s was not a tale of winning, rather a story of high drama and emotion. The public began a campaign to rebuild Johnson’s car – and ultimately his career.
“The rock incident not only helped my career, it was virtually where my career started,” said Johnson.
“The amount of support that came from the fans and the public in general, that true Aussie spirit, came through. We ended up jamming the switchboard at Channel Seven; you couldn’t script anything like that. For me this moment was pure Bathurst.”
The commercials were written and directed by Andrew Goodall. The Director of Photography was Simon Christidis from BigBoy Films with post production by Cutting Edge.
“I was very excited when V8 Supercars asked me to create the ads for them, it’s the holy grail of the sport and this being the fiftieth year of racing at Bathurst it had to be something special,” Goodall said.
“These ads were born out of the thought that if there’s awesome in every V8 Supercars moment then the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 must be awesome, it’s the toughest track in the series, it’s the one every driver wants to win.
“Dick’s Bathurst moment was a very emotional story, I love how it showed the best nature of the fans and how they really supported Dick and gave him the opportunity to get himself back on his wheels and take the crown the next year, it showed that the drivers give their all and that the fans will be right there for you when you’re dealt a low blow, that was awesome.
“Craig’s story more than a chequered flag moment, it told a story of a mentor who became a friend and Craig’s absolute determination to honor Peter’s contribution to the sport and to say thank you for his generous guidance. It was a a perfect example of how to stay focused on the end game, even though, your heart may be breaking at the loss of a friend."
V8 Supercars National Marketing Manager Penny Glasson said capturing the emotion of the race was the key to the campaign and highlighting the 50 most significant moments over the next few months.
"V8 Supercars handpicked the creative team having worked with them back from 2005 to 2007 on similar campaigns,” Ms Glasson said.
“These guys are the best in the business. And for our highest profile event we wanted to make sure we got it right. They know and understand the essence of the sport and that's no easy achievement for any agency or creative. It's about bringing it to life.”
Johnson and Lowndes’ moments are amongst the Top 50 being highlighted in a world-wide search for the greatest moment at the mountain. Each of the top 50 greatest moments chosen by experts are being featured daily on v8supercars.com.au.
On September 16 at the Dick Smith Sandown 500 the full list will be published in News Limited newspapers, including the final 10 as chosen by an expert panel. Fans can then vote for the most memorable moment on News Limited websites.
Following the coverage of the Top 10 Shootout at Bathurst on October 6, Seven will stay on air for an extra half hour from 5.30pm through to 6.00pm where the Top 10 Awesome Bathurst Moments will be shown in chronological order.
Then, on Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 race day – Sunday October 7 – via News Limited papers and online, as well as the Seven telecast, the Top 10 Awesome Bathurst Moments will be revealed in order as part of the build-up to the big race.
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