Grid Lines....
2/6/2000 0:43 (Jason Whittaker) - Canberra is set to be transformed next week from the dullest city in Australia, to the dullest city in Australia holding a V8 Supercar race. As we eagerly count down the (chilly) days to the big event, we bring you all the latest news from the National Capital in this special GMC 400 edition of Grid Lines….
**South Africa’s answer to Craig Lowndes, Deon Joubert, is preparing to grace our shores next week to making a flying visit to the GMC 400 in Canberra. Joubert, a multiple national champion in South Africa and self-confessed V8 junkie, has made his intentions clear he is keen to pilot an Aussie Supercar in the future, and will spend the weekend in Canberra meeting and greeting with the V8 elite. “I’m making no secret about my interest in this exciting category. The word back home is that these cars are the next big thing and I want to be on the ground floor if they make it over (to South Africa),” Joubert said.
**Organisers have assured us there won’t be a spare seat in the house around the 3km Canberra circuit, but have said “a limited number” of tickets ARE still available for the June long-weekend event. Demand for prime seating forced organisers into adding a new stand, the new Burley Griffin stand, last week. The stand will be located on the inside of the circuit on Commonwealth Avenue, opposite one of three trackside video screens. Tickets for the new stand can be purchased through Ticketek for $169 each.
**Finishing-touchers are now being made to the ambitious 3km Canberra street circuit. The first of three over-track bridges have been constructed and put in place over pit straight, connecting the corporate area with the pit paddock. A further two will be built over Kings Avenue and Flynn Drive over the next week. Many of the grandstands are starting to take shape, and the 6kms of concrete barriers have been positioned around the circuit, ready to be moved into place late next week.
**Canberra has taken Hidden Valley’s lead and planned a massive V8 Supercar convoy parade to welcome the teams to the National Capital. Team transporters will line-up outside the city on Wednesday afternoon before winding through the streets of Canberra in the “Pantech Parade.”
**Drivers that find themselves falling victim to those unforgiving concrete walls in Canberra can be rest-assured a team of young, highly-skilled mechanics will be ready trackside to perform the necessary miracles. Students from Canberra’s Institute of Technology (together with the NSW TAFE and Smash Repair team) will be on-hand throughout the weekend to repair any damaged vehicles - and hone their skills at the same time. The group includes apprentice panel beaters, metal fabricators, spray painters and signwriters. "This is a fantastic opportunity for the students to demonstrate their skills in front of a home crowd,” coordinator, Graham West, said.
No, they're not scarecrows. After the "Holden Heads" at Bathurst, Ford's V8 drivers have been immortalised... in Stonie.
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**Ever wanted to see your face on John Bowe’s body? (Don’t laugh, I’m sure somebody does.) Well, now you can! The Ford marque at the GMC 400 next weekend will feature life-sized cartoons of the Ford Supercar squad, as depicted by well-known motorsport artist, “Stonie.” Visitors will be able to stick their head through the massive mural for valuable photo opportunities looking like their favourite Ford driver (your still laughing, aren’t you). "I haven't had any rude phone calls from the drivers yet!” John “Stonie” Stoneham said. “I have been drawing blokes like John Bowe, Glenn Seton and Neil Crompton for many years. They all have a good sense of fun."
**Those who can’t make the journey to Canberra can catch the action live on Network Ten on both Saturday and Sunday, however bringing us the pictures is proving more difficult than first thought. Tracking the cars along the circuit has proven difficult thanks to the wide, curved, tree-lined Canberra streets, and that’s the least of their concerns. Ten must also be mindful of the placement of cameras when tracking cars past the numerous High Commissions, and also keep any helicopters clear of Parliament House! 47 cameras will capture the action (in and outside the cars) over the weekend. The Network’s six-hour coverage will, of course, feature Bill Woods, Greg Rust, Mark Oastler and Barry Sheene.
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