Author Description

There's no other motor-racing circuit in Australia that holds the same magic as Bathurst's Mount Panorama. It's been home to the Australian Grand Prix, the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix and TT, the Australian Hill Climb Championship, the Bathurst 1000 and now a round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. To win on the Mountain is still the pinnacle of Australian motorsport achievement. As a motor-racing journalist for more than 40 years, John Smailes has had extraordinary access to the Mountain and to the leading motor-racing names who competed there, both past and present. When Jack Brabham celebrated his three world championships, when the Bathurst 1000 was born, when motorcycle greats Mick Doohan, Wayne Gardner, Warren Willing and Gregg Hansford tested themselves, John was there. He has reported on every victory by Peter Brock, Allan Moffat, Larry Perkins and Dick Johnson and he's covered the careers of contemporary stars Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup, Mark Skaife and the incredible father-and-son duo Jim and Steven Richards -