Copyright Rob Lewis printed on 250gsm Kodak paper
 
This great Rob Lewis image captures the race-face determination of Gregg Hansford as he chases Warren Willing during their titanic duel in the 1974 Australian Unlimited GP. Gregg jumped into the lead almost immediately from the push start, pursued closely by Willing, Pat Hennen and Ron Toombs, Willing passing Hansford after three laps. For the next seventeen circuits, the two young guns produced one of the all-time great Bathurst battles, the lead changing fifteen times. 
 
Hansford led into to Murray’s Corner on the last lap, but taking a wider line Willing didn’t roll off until he heard Gregg roll off and squared off the corner and out-drove Hansford to the line to win by a wheel. Their duel saw the lap record cut by nine seconds to 2m23.35s, credited on the day to Hansford but in subsequent Bathurst race programs to Willing. The race lasted 48 minutes, the length of a modern-day MotoGP.
 
Prompted by a journalist a year later, Gregg revealed his Yamaha TZ750A suffered a broken cylinder stud in the race that allowed water to leak into the number-one cylinder, affecting the bike’s acceleration but not its top speed. Hansford was reluctant to talk about it because he didn’t want to use it as an excuse. Warren, he said, had beaten him fair and square.