George Fury Returns to Bathurst this October
At this year’s running of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Nissan will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of their first pole position at the race. To do so effectively, the No. 36 Norton Nissan Altima driven by Michael Caruso and Dean Fiore will wear a unique livery inspired by the look of that original pole-setting 1984 Nissan Bluebird driven by George Fury.
“It’s an honor to be involved in the whole project. I’ve always loved the Bluebird. It was one of the nicest cars to drive,” Fury told Nissan.
Fury’s ride to the company’s first pole at the Bathurst 1000 was an almost complete surprise given that no automaker other than Ford or GM had ever taken the pole for the event. Not only did Fury take it, but he took it with a certain ferocity befitting his surname: Fury broke the Top 10 Shootout lap record with a 2:13.85 time that would stand as the record until it was trumped 7 years later by the GT-R R32.
“That was Group C regulations, and we were restricted in various performance areas, which is why we never had a shot of winning Bathurst,” Fury added. “But we got pole, which was good. It was a cold day and it was good for the turbo, and both the car and I got it together.”
To truly commemorate the occasion, Fury and the Bluebird will return to the race course for this year’s race for a special on-track demonstration.
“I drove the Bluebird at Winton recently, and it was just how I remembered it. I’m looking forward to taking it back to Bathurst in October. It’s nice to see all of the different manufacturers back at Bathurst, and especially Nissan. It’s a company that has a long history there, and I hope to see one of them near the front at the end of the race.”
The 2014 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 will be held on October 9-12.
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