Turning a Scary Moment into Sponsor ROI
Dave Casey’s Bathurst Barrel Roll
When driver Dave Casey’s V8 SuperUte barrel-rolled at Bathurst 1000, the collective gasp could be heard across Mount Panorama.
Murray’s Corner. Race Two. One of the most dramatic moments of the weekend, and thankfully, Dave walked away uninjured.
For any driver, this is the kind of moment you never want to experience. But for brands and teams in motorsport, it’s also proof of how fast stories travel, and how the right PR strategy can transform even the toughest situations into powerful visibility opportunities.
The Moment That Stopped the Nation
Within minutes, footage of the rollover was replayed across Fox Sports, Kayo Sports, and Channel 7’s Bathurst 1000 coverage, then shared across social media and news platforms nationwide.
From 7NEWS and ABC to motorsport sites and fan pages, everyone was talking about Dave’s crash, and more importantly, about how incredibly lucky he was to walk away.
Behind the Numbers
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Estimated Audience Reach: 417,000+
Value Estimate (AUD): $6,000–$10,000
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Estimated Audience Reach: 2,000,000+
Value Estimate (AUD): $30,000–$50,000
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Estimated Audience Reach: 198,203
Value Estimate (AUD): $5,000+
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Estimated Audience Reach: *2.5–3M impressions
Value Estimate (AUD): $40,000–$65,000
The Bathurst Effect
The 2025 Repco Bathurst 1000 attracted 198,203 fans, the eighth-largest crowd in event history and the biggest since 2023.
Add to that the millions watching on Fox Sports, Kayo, and Channel 7, and it’s easy to see why Bathurst remains Australia’s most powerful platform for sponsor visibility.
Turning Adversity into Advantage
With real-time coverage and high replay frequency, Dave and his partners appeared in front of more than 2.5 million viewers across national television, digital media, and social platforms, all without a single dollar spent on advertising.
For sponsors, this meant:
Prime-time broadcast exposure across Australia’s most-watched motorsport weekend.
Earned media placement across Tier 1 outlets including ABC, 7NEWS, Nine, and News.com.au.
Authentic brand association with safety, resilience, and professionalism, qualities every sponsor wants aligned with their name.
What could’ve been a PR nightmare instead became an earned media success story, one that highlighted not just Dave’s resilience, but the value of strategic storytelling in motorsport.
Our Takeaway
Moments like these remind us that motorsport PR isn’t just about winning races - it’s about owning the narrative when things don’t go to plan.
We’re so glad Dave walked away safe. And we’re proud to have helped turn that moment into meaningful brand visibility and sponsor ROI.
Because in this business, even the toughest days can drive incredible results.