2003 FALCON GT NATIONALS

Below is an article I did for Performance Ford Magazine on this tremendous event.  I hope you enjoy both it and the photos that were taken over that wonderful Australia Day long weekend.

Paul

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10^TH Falcon GT Nationals

Even 12 months from the event, the 10^th Falcon GT Nationals was shaping up to be the biggest Nationals event ever, with most of Bathurst’s motel accommodation pre-booked and around 200 entrant’s forms submitted.  This level of support so far out from the event was unheard of in any of the previous nine Nationals, so the organizers knew that this one would be BIG… SCARY BIG!!!

Obviously the attraction of Bathurst (the spiritual home of the Falcon GT) and the opportunity for the GTs and GTHOs to once again compete at the legendary Mt Panorama circuit, was enough to entice the GT faithful on a pilgrimage to GT Mecca!!!

As a long time and dedicated Falcon GT owner, racer and Nationals attendee (having been to 8 of the previous 9 events)… I for was one was not going to miss out on being there to witness what was likely to be the largest gathering of Falcon GTs ever.  With a final total of around 350 entrants and over 330 Falcon GTs and GTHOs entered and displayed over the 2003 Australia Day long weekend, I believe this claim to be true.

However, for most entrants (including myself) preparations for the event started months and in some cases, even years before.  With the quality of the cars and the number of good cars being presented at a Nationals getting higher and higher with each event, it is not uncommon for cars to undergo either minor or even major rebuilds between events.  In addition to this… there were a number of cars that were to make their debut at the Nationals, after a full restoration.  My 1969 Silver Fox XW GT didn’t require too much work, but this didn’t stop me from detailing the engine bay, rebuilding the front suspension components and fitting some rare NOS parts that were found either on “ebay”, or at a local swap meet.

Time flies when you’re working on cars and before I knew it, it was time to leave for the Nationals… with many items on my “to do” list, still not completed!!!  A situation that I’m sure many other entrants could relate to!!!  Whilst some owners prefer to have their cars transported on trailers or in trucks to the Nationals, there are also those hardy soles who prefer to drive them there… just like Ford intended them to.  However, this does incur an element of risk… and whilst kangaroos and cattle, road works and other motorists are high on the list of problems to be considered, one thing that is often overlooked, is the fact that the majority of these types of cars are no longer daily drivers and a long interstate trip is sure to identify (usually at the most inopportune time) any weakness in a car that spends most of its later life cosseted in a shed.  For that reason alone, it is a good idea to travel in groups and so it was that very early Thursday morning, our little group of three GTs (2xXW & 1 XY) headed off to Bathurst for the big adventure – planning to get there that night.

Travelling in the country during the summer heat found many an aging cooling system wanting – not to mention the odd automatic transmission – and a couple of GTHOs had brake booster problems.  And in spite of regular maintenance, the Silver Fox also succumbed to “big trip” syndrome, losing its rear brakes just before we got to Goondiwindi, on the Queensland/New South Wales border.  Although the required repairs to one of the rear brake lines was a relatively simple task, we were no longer in a major capital city where numerous brake specialist companies operate.  Thankfully, we were directed to the mechanical repair workshops of Tony McLaughlin, who quickly determined the problem and had us underway again as soon as humanly possible.  Thanks again Tony!!!

The rest of the trip… although very hot, was generally uneventful, except for one of our group (the one without the 36 gallon tank) running out of fuel in the middle of nowhere, trying to reach the next town in the hope that it might have a servo that sold 98 octane fuel.  The general lack of high octane fuel in the majority of small towns, highlights just another of the problems of driving hi-performance cars over long distances in the country.  

Having arrived in Bathurst, all entrants were required to make their way to the showgrounds to register, pick up their goodies bag and merchandise and get their car scrutineered.  The event scrutineering process served two functions; firstly to verfy the authenticity of the Falcon GTs being presented and secondly, to enable a simple form of “pre-judging” to be carried out, to help streamline the final judging during the show and shine.  For those involved in the race day, a separate scrutineering was arranged by the Bathurst Light Car Club (the organizers of the race day) to ensure that the cars were actually safe to put on the track.

The first official event for the weekend was a cruise up to the top of Mt Panorama on Friday night.  Cars assembled in model order before being sent on their way to MacPhillamy Park at the top of the circuit via a back road and then entering the circuit for a run down the mountain.  Even though the air was thick with smoke from the bushfires in the Blue Mountains over a hundred kilometers away, the view coming over the top at Skyline was still breathtaking.  However, even more breathtaking was the view from the driver’s seat, going into the “Dipper” and through the “Esses”.  This section is probably one of the most dangerous and exhilarating parts of the circuit and until you have driven it yourself, it is hard to imagine how steep and tight this section really is!!!  Even driving through this section slowly and on modern rubber, makes you appreciate the skill of those drivers who used to race around here on skinny tyres and with very little safety equipment.

Continuing on down through “Forrest Elbow”, “Conrod Straight” opens up and you know every GT owner there is champing at the bit to plant their right foot flat to the floor – just to see what the old girl will do!!!  But of course, on non-race days, Mt. Panorama is a public road with a 60 KPH speed limit and a normally very visible police presence and so MOST drivers were able to restrain their natural instincts.  Having been given the opportunity to complete a number of full laps of the circuit (slowly of course), the cars were then directed back to town, where the organizers had arranged for the cars to be put on display in one of the streets (closed off for the occasion) and provided entrants with a free feed of cold meats and salad.  By the end of the evening when it was time to go back to our respective motels, everyone had not only been well fed, but were starting to really get a good appreciation of just how big an event we were in for.

Saturday dawned fine and hot and after completing any final detailing, everyone headed off to the big show and shine.  Again, cars were directed to be displayed in model order.  I always find it fascinating to see the effort and attention to detail that many entrants put into their displays.  Most of the top “Original Restored” cars are roped off and have information boards that let people know exactly what they are looking at.  Some take off their original wheels and tyres, to allow everyone to see all the underbody detailing and colour coding of the various components… even inside the brake drums!!!  Others also like to display all the various forms of literature associated with their model – from original sales invoices for their car to original magazine road tests and everything in between.  It is also becoming popular to display NOS parts and accessories and/or their original Autolite or Ford boxes – all of which adds to the visual impact that these exceptional cars and their displays provide.  It’s no longer just about displaying a shiny car – it is also about preserving history and showing what these cars were like when they were new!!!

As one of the major sponsors of the event, Ford Performance Vehicles had a large display inside one of the pavilions, showing off their new Falcon GT, GT-P and Pursuit Ute.  This area was packed practically all day with many people very interested in getting up close and personal with the next generation Falcon GT.  With around 350 Falcon GTs, GTHOs and Associate vehicles looked at (including over 30 Phase 3s and one of the 3 remaining Phase 4s) by the end of the day the brain was starting to get tired from trying to absorb the sheer quantity of superb visual images and fascinating information and detail.  However, before it was time to get ready for the evening’s entertainment, it was necessary to attend the Auction – which was also being held at the Showgrounds.  The Auction – which was first introduced at the 2001 GT Nationals in Queensland – provides an opportunity for rare Falcon GT related parts, literature and other items to be offered for sale to many who don’t get the opportunity to get to swap meets or search the internet and in a manner that is fair and open to all.  As previously, this was very well attended and there was a large variety of items put forward, with the highest prices going to extremely hard to get NOS parts (like a brand new XTGT steering wheel center) and rare Ford GT literature.

With the auction over, it was time to get ready for the Saturday night diner/dance featuring Angry Anderson and his “Damn Fine Band”.  However, before the band got everyones toes-a-tapping and feet-a-stomping, we were given the privilege of hearing guest speaker Leo Geoghegan recount his experiences as one of Australia’s top open-wheel, sedan and sports car drivers.  It was fascinating hearing all his tales about when both he and his brother Ian (Pete) were racing not only Falcon GTs, but a large variety of other makes and types of cars during those halcyon days of Australian motor sport.

Whilst Saturday’s show and shine was all about how good you could make the cars look, Sunday’s race day was all about how well the old “muscle cars” could still go, compared to more modern machinery.  Once the driver’s briefing was completed, it was time for the real fun to start!!!  Seeing a hundred Falcon GTs lined up in the pits at Bathurst was a truly awe inspiring sight, however hearing the sounds of those high performance V8s at full noise coming down Conrod and up the main straight was enough to send shivers up your spine.  For many of the entrants – including myself – this was our main focus for the weekend, and I for one, was going to have a real good go to try to win one of the trophies on offer.  Unfortunately, the best laid plans often go astray and whilst my first “have a look” run was reasonably quick, my second run ended rather prematurely with some serious and expensive sounding noises and a distinct lack of power coming from my engine.  Unfortunately, mechanical failure is just something you just have accept as an unwelcome part of motor racing and whilst it is disappointing, what was more disappointing, is not being able to have a proper go at the course.  Apart from myself and a couple of other competitors (who had some rather one sided arguments with the concrete barriers) the remaining competitors had a great time pushing their cars as hard and as fast as they were prepared to go – making due allowance for the age and value of their vehicles.  From the permanent grins on the faces of practically all the competitors and the enthusiasm with which they all told of their own personal racing exploits, it was obvious that the day had been a tremendous success and the Bathurst Light Car Club should be congratulated on running the event so efficiently.

Sunday night was the Presentation Dinner, where everyone got to find out who won what and who’s car was judged to be the best on the day.  Again, we had the privilege to listen to another of the racing greats of yesteryear during the evening, with guest speaker John Goss entertaining us all with recollections of his experiences racing in the 60s, 70s and 80s and especially his memorable wins in Falcon GTs.  It is interesting to note that John is still popular with the ladies, with many a shirt ending up with John’s signature on the front.  Big winners on the night included Gary Coleman from NSW, who’s Phase 3 GTHO took off best Phase 3 and best car of show and Gary Watson from SA, who not only picked up numerous trophies for his collection of XR GTs, but also the “Spirit of the GT Nationals” trophy.  Both very deserving winners.  (See table, for a complete list of all the category winners.)   

After the full on nature of the previous few days, Monday’s trip out to the National Motor Racing Museum was a fairly low key affair, with the organizers arranging for free entry into the museum as well as a BBQ brunch for those who were still hungry or just needed something soft to drink.  Whilst many took advantage of being able to look at the exhibits depicting Australia’s varied racing history – especially as it relates to Bathurst – others took the opportunity to take some special photos using the circuit as a backdrop and get in a few last laps, before heading home.

The 10^th Falcon GT Nationals is over and we all now have to wait another two years before Victoria hosts the next Nationals at Ballarat in 2005.  I would like to commend Stuart Hansen, Kevin Green, Warren Flemming, Geoff Day and the whole of the Nationals committee from the Falcon GT Owners Club of NSW, for the tremendous job they did in putting on this mammoth event.  These types of events don’t just happen – they are the result of a lot of hard work and dedication from a lot of people.  In spite of my problems with my car, I still had a great time with all the entrants and cars and just like big Arnie… I’ll be back!!! 

TRIP TO BATHURST
SCRUTINEERING
SHOW & SHINE
RACE DAY
MUSEUM TRIP