| Skyline is bounded
by one of the most popular camping and viewing areas of Mount Panorama.
From this vantage point, fans have witnessed many famous incidents first-hand,
including the 1970 dive off the edge and the 1971 'big bang' on the approach.
Approaching Skyline, drivers need
to 'hit the limiter' in fourth gear before braking hard for the downhill
run which begins 'blind', says Dick Johnson. 'Get it wrong here and you
will never recover,' he says. And he should know. In 1981, after the disappointment
of crashing out while leading the 1980 Great Race, Johnson returned to
cement his place in Bathurst history. Johnson's race again ended prematurely
after an accident at the top of the mountain on lap 120. But unlike the
previous year Johnson benefited from the crash. The red flag was produced,
and as more than 60% of the race had been run, the organisers had no choice
but to award Dick Johnson his first ever Bathurst victory. |
