About Mount Panorama track: Distance: circuit is a narrow 6.2 km track made up of public roads, leaving little room for error and maximum bump 'n' grind!Direction: The track runs anticlockwise Fastest Average Speed in a V8 Ute: 146km/h
1) The V8 Utes celebrated their 200th race at Bathurst in 2008.
2) NASCAR development driver; George Miedecke holds the fastest lap time in a V8 Ute around Mount Panorama. Miedecke set the record in Race 1, 2009 in a time of 2:34.46.
David Sieders missed Miedecke's lap record last year by four tenths of a second. (2:34.4687 - Miedecke) (2:34.8781 - Sieders).
In 2008 the lap record was broken in all three of the V8 Ute Races, Race 1 by Grant Johnson and Race 2 and Race 3 by Kim Jane. The improvement on the cars from 2006 - 2008 was evident, in Race 1, eleven people broke the lap record including; Grant Johnson, Layton Crambrook, Gary MacDonald, Gary Baxter, Clint Harvey, George Miedecke, Jack Elsegood, Kim Jane, Stephen Robinson, Charlie Kovacs and Andrew Fisher.
3) Mount Panorama has favoured Ford's in the past. They have won the V8 Ute Round their five times compared to Holden's two.
4) V8 Utes raced at Bathurst in their inaugural year in 2001. Grant Denyer set the fastest pole time in qualifying ahead of Damien White while Gary MacDonald set the fastest race lap with a time of 2:42.98.
5) This will be the eighth year that the V8 Utes have competed at Mount Panorama, with the previous events held in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
6) 25 out of the 32 drivers have raced a V8 Ute before at Bathurst; the other seven drivers that are new additions to the Bathurst drivers list this year include: Ryan Hansford, Brendon Cook, Nathan Tinkler, Nathan Pretty, Cameron McConville, Garry Hills and Jake McNally.
Although Pretty and McConville are yet to drive a V8 Ute around Bathurst both have V8 Supercar experience and this year they will both be driving in the Bathurst 1000 endurance event. Pretty will be driving with former V8 Ute driver Warren Luff in the Gulf Western Oil backed Holden and Cameron McConville with James Courtney for the Toll Holden Racing team. McConville was on podium last year when he drove with Garth Tander.
Other drivers with V8 Ute experience driving in the 2011 Bathurst 1000 race include; Allan Simonsen (2005), Grant Denyer (2001/02/03) and Auto One Wildcard drivers; Marcus Marshall (Barbagallo), Tim Blanchard (Darwin) and Dean Canto (Townsville). V8 Ute Driver Standards Advisor Andrew Jones will also take part in the Great Race with Jason Bright for Brad Jones Racing.
7) Allan Letcher will be returning to the V8 Ute field for Bathurst. Letcher rolled his WA Lifting Holden six times at the event in 2009 and has adopted the nickname "Rollover". Letcher is an experienced driver having raced at Mt Panorama 13 times before in V8 Utes, Bathurst 12 Hour and 24 hour events. Bathurst will be Letcher's second appearance in the 2011 V8 Ute Season, Perth his first.
8) The new Ford FG model will be introduced at Bathurst and will be driven by Gary Carson. Carson is the first driver to test the new model in a Series event; however is not the first to drive the FG around Bathurst. The car was originally entered in the 2010 Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour with Sieders Racing, driven by Andrew Fisher, Ben Dunn and Jack Elsegood.
9) New additions to the V8 Ute field this round include: Garry Hills former Saloon Car driver who is flying all the way from Western Australian to make if V8 Ute debut appearance.
10) 2010 Bathurst V8 Ute Champion David Sieders will return to defend his title and is looking to put some points on the ENZED championship leader-board. The Blue Mountains local is currently fourth in the Series 37 points behind leader Chris Pither.
The Australian Industrial Supplies backed driver raced in the Bathurst 1000 race with Sieders Racing teammate Andrew Fisher in 2009.
Top Ten ENZED Drivers Championship Results:
Pos Name Car Make/Model Points 1 #42 Chris "Gypsy" Pither - Ice Break Racing Holden VE 497 2 #1 Grant "Grunta" Johnson - Hi-Tech Motorsport Holden VE 493 3 #58 Ryal "The Kid" Harris - VIP Petfoods Ford BF 468 4 #8 David "Sideways"Sieders - Australia Industrial Supplies Racing Ford BF 460 5 #56 Nathan "Nitro" Pretty - Monster Energy Holden VE 430 6 #27 Kim "The Assassin" Jane - Bob Jane T-Marts Holden VE 405 7 #11 Jack "The Hustler" Elsegood - Coopers Clear Racing Ford BF 403 8 #22 Craig "Thirsty" Dontas - Thirsty Camel Racing Holden VE 398 9 #61 Cameron "Conkers" McConville - Bundaberg Racing Holden VE 371 10 #6 Ryan "Rhino" Hansford - Truckline Racing Ford BF 368
Quirky fact: Motorsport Legend Peter Brock, Andrew Miedecke, Allan Grice, Country Singer Adam Brand have all driven a V8 Ute around Mount Panorama.
Lap Records: 2010 Record not broken2009 George Miedecke 2:34.46 2008 Kim Jane 2:34.982006 Jack Elsegood 2:39.462003 Record not broken2002 Warren Luff 2:42.202001 Gary MacDonald 2:42.98
Pole Winners:2010 Grant Johnson 2:33.932009 George Miedecke 2:33.662008 Grant Johnson 2:35.652006 N/A2003 Colin Dunn/Warren Luff 2:42.082002 Warren Luff 2:42.652001 Grant Denyer 2:44.72
Past Winners:2010 Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series - protected by Armor All David Sieders Ford BF Grant Johnson Holden VE Ryal Harris Holden VE
2009 Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series - protected by Armor AllGary MacDonald Holden VEKim Jane Holden VEGeorge Miedecke Ford BF
2008 Yokohama V8 Ute Racing SeriesLayton Crambrook Ford BFKim Jane Holden VEKurt Wimmer Holden VE
2006 - Legends V8 Ute ChallengeMarcus Zukanovic/ David Parsons Ford XR8Jack Elsegood/ Andrew Miedecke Ford XR8Damien White/ Neil Crompton Ford XR8
2003 - V8 Brutes Legends James Brock/ Peter Brock Holden VYWarren Luff/ Colin Dunn Ford AUDean Lillie/ Rod Wilson Ford AU
2002 - RM Williams V8 Utes ChallengeWarren Luff Ford AUAllan Grice Ford AUGrant Denyer Ford AU
2001 - V8 BrutesDamien White Ford AURod Wilson Holden VUStephen Robinson Ford AU
