Caterpillar paints its way into a Bathurst corner

The Mount Panorama circuit and particularly the pits, were buzzing with action as race car aficionados prepared for the Bathurst V8 supercar challenge in early October.

And among all the pre race action and tension, Caterpillar Australia decided to formally launch what it called its “indelible footprint” on the circuit.

Following highly successful motor racing team and venue sponsorships in the US, the company for the first time here, bought a major sponsorship package with corner and pit lane signage rights for the big race.

So it was that we boarded a small school bus a few days before the race, and struggled up to the second bend from the start, a sharpish uphill right hander.

Cat billboard

There a big Caterpillar billboard dominated the back of the corner. And a host of smaller signs greeted us on nearly 100m of the concrete crash barriers on the outer side of the corner. Further back, was a smaller Cat rental Store sign too.

On hand for the launch were drivers of one of Cat Ford Performance Racing's two Falcons entered in the race.

They were double British Touring Car champion Alain Menu and 1998 Australian formula Ford champion Adam Macrow.

While Macrow made the point that a normal transit through Cat corner would mean a speed of about 200km/hr in second gear, he and Menu inaugurated the corner for Cat by each driving a Cat skid steer through it, at a top speed of about 15km/hr.

So after a few short speeches and some photo opportunities, it was all done.

Then it was back on the bus for Macrow to talk us through the circuit as he would drive it 161 times a few days later in the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000.

Full bore on Conrod

He said drivers hit top speed of nearly 300km/hr towards the end of Conrod Straight. Then they change down from sixth to second gear as they decelerate to about 80km/hr at the end of the circuit, Macrow said.

V8 Supercar champion Craig Lowndes and double champion Glenn Seton, drove Cat FPR's other car in the race. They were second last year and later in the week repeated that performance by taking second place for the 2004 event.

And there is a significant Cat involvement in off track support too.

For example, the team's B-double transporters are powered by Cat C-15 heavy duty engines, the pit crew uses Cat maintenance tools on the cars and crew members use Cat branded footwear when driving.

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