Con-Rod Straight

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Formerly known as the Main Straight, it is believed Conrod Straight got its name when, in the Easter race of 1939, driver Frank Kleinig was making a massive recovery from a poor start (to catch all but one of his rivals) when a piston of his Kleinig Hudson collapsed. The connecting rod is said to have then punched a hole in the side of the block. From then on, the straight became known as Con-Rod Straight. From Forest Elbow to Murrays Corner, the altitude of the track drops by 160 metres. A good exit out of Forrest's Elbow is critical to this, the longest straight in Australia (at 1.916km). Coming out slowly can prevent drivers from passing anyone here, while a good exit can see drivers hitting 290km/h in sixth gear before braking for The Chase. Like many sites on the map, Con-Rod Straight had a part to play in the infamy of one of the all-time great Bathurst campaigns, The Great Race of 1984. It was the year of the notorious pile-up at the start. Officials ordered out a red flag at the start/finish and black flags went up everywhere around the circuit. Unfortunately, most of the field continued at near-racing speed, leading to yet another collision, in the hollow of Con-Rod. An official ran out in front of a group of cars with a black flag, the cars applied their brakes and Carter pulled out to overtake them. The Mazda lost it on the grass, bounced off Harris' Commodore and sent Gillard flying into the air. Both ended up in the orchard. Con-Rod Straight was also the scene of one of Dick Johnsons scariest moments, when the tyre on his Ford Sierra gave way and sent Johnson into a 200 km/h spin on the approach to Caltex Chase as it was formerly known.
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