IRWIN Racing’s endurance pairing Lee Holdsworth and Craig Baird have taken the ultimate Bathurst history lesson, driving a race replica of the 1963 Armstrong 500 winning car around the famous mountain circuit.
The pair travelled to Bathurst recently to sample the Ford Cortina GT that is identical to the one that Bob Jane and Harry Firth drove to victory in the first ‘Great Race’ to be held at the venue 49 years ago.
Holdsworth and Baird both marvelled at the simplicity of the production specification Cortina compared to their current, purpose-built, machines.
“It gives you an appreciation of the era of racing,” said Holdsworth of driving the 1.5 litre, four-cylinder, Ford.
“The race these days is called an endurance event, but it’s a 100% sprint from the word go.
“If you drove the 1963 Cortina the same way we do the modern day V8 Supercar it would be out of brakes after three laps!”
Added Baird: “It gives you a great perspective on how things have evolved with the cars and the track.
“We can re-create what it would have been like to drive the car, but in terms of how the track has changed you can’t go back to the days without fences – thank goodness!”
V8 Supercars is celebrating the 50th year of the Bathurst endurance classic this year, with the 2012 race set to take place on October 7.
