Utes: Series Bathurst pre-race news

10 Fast Facts about Australian V8 Ute Racing at Mount Panorama, Bathurst

1. The Mount Panorama circuit is a narrow 6.2 km track made up of public roads, leaving little room for error and maximum bump ‘n' grind! The track runs in an anti-clockwise direction and the V8 Utes run at a maximum speed of 245km/hour.

2. The V8 Utes celebrated their 200th race at Bathurst in 2008.

3. The event attracts almost 200,000 race fans over four days each year.

4. Layton Crambrook won the 2008 V8 Ute round at Bathurst that helped him on his way to the top of the 2008 V8 Ute Racing Series Standing ladder.

5. Jack Elsegood is currently in the lead for the 2009 Series Standings, very closely followed by Layton Crambrook. With just 10 points between them, this round could really mix up the leader board!

6. Kim Jane nephew of Bathurst legend Bob Jane is the current V8 Ute Bathurst lap record holder with a time of 2:34:98.

7. This will be the fifth year that the V8 Utes have competed at the Mount Panorama Track, with the previous events held in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006 and 2008.

8. V8 Utes raced at Bathurst in their inaugural year in 2001 and Gary MacDonald set the first record in a race in a time of 2:42.98 and will join the V8 Ute field once again at Bathurst for round seven of the 2009 Series, his first time since the final round in 2008 at Oran Park.

9. There are only a handful of changes to the driver line-up from last year with 25 out of the 32 drivers having raced there in 2008. Seven of the drivers that are new additions to the Bathurst drivers list this year include: Noel Edge, Gary Carson, Scott Jennings, Paul Williams, Jason Gomersall, Allan Letcher and Marshall Brewer.

10. Holden Utes have only won on podium once when Peter and James Brock drove to victory in the first ever V8 Brute Utes legends race at the Bathurst 24 Hour Race in 2003.

-credit: utes