Go to a race - like the Bathurst 1000

I sometimes wonder if a lot of people out there in internet-land who follow racing actually ever go to see any. Perhaps people are too far from a racing venue. Or perhaps they think they prefer the gossip and intrigue that surrounds forms of racing like F1, NASCAR and MotoGP. Or maybe they feel that TV communicates the drama and excitement of the sport effectively.

Whatever the reason, people who don't see racing live and in person are probably missing out on the bulk of the thrill that motorsport has to offer.

TV, internet coverage and live timing and scoring are for me surrogates at best, acceptable substitutes for the real thing. But nothing beats the incredible sensory experience of watching a grid of MotoGP bikes crest turn 1 at Laguna Seca, or the flash of lights and glowing brake discs on a prototype sportscar as it emerges from the trees at Le Mans at night, or even the cracking of a World Rally Car's antilag system as it approaches a spectator point through the freezing Swedish forests.

If you love motorsport, you must see it live.

I love Australian V8 Supercar racing. So I just bought my plane ticket to go to this year's Bathurst 1000 race.

For me Bathurst was always a mysterious event, living somewhere in my mind alongside the Isle of Man TT, Baja 1000 and Dakar Rally, as something very far away, very important but completely foreign to me. When I first got Speedvision (now Speed Channel) on my cable TV I got to see Aussie V8 racing during the winter months, and got my first proper look at Bathurst. I'd become hooked on the V8s the moment I saw the first race of that season, but Bathurst took it to another level. To see those mighty cars thunder around such a treacherous, magnificent track for seven hours was utterly captivating. Last year, thanks to the magic of Bit Torrent, I was able to see the race in its entirety for the first time. I promised myself there and then that next next year I'd be at the track. I tend not to break these kinds of promises....

By the time I reach the end of the year, in 2007 I will have seen the Le Mans 24 Hours, the Bathurst 1000, MotoGP, the American Le Mans Series (twice), AMA Superbike (twice), ChampCar and the Rolex Grand-Am series. Not a bad year. In my spectating career, I've been lucky enough to have also seen World Superbike, Formula 1, three WRC events, Group C sportscars, British Touring Cars, European Touring Cars, FIA GT, three other trips to Le Mans, Pikes Peak, CART, and numerous historic races. After Bathurst I'll have travelled to the UK, USA, Canada, Sweden, France and Australia specifically to see racing. Each trip has been the result of meticulous planning, significant expense and lots of vacation time from work. But I have never, ever regretted a single moment. Because when the green flag waves, or the lights go out, or the clock starts there is nothing that can match the excitement of watching a vehicle on the limit, under the control of other-worldly talented individuals flash past a few short metres from my face. On Sunday October the 7th I'll get that thrill again at the top of Mount Panorama in New South Wales, Australia. I can't f**king wait!

Stay tuned for more Bathurst-related posts...