Ngahi Bidois: It isn't over until it's really over

Bathurst V8 Supercar race proved this year that it's not where you start, it's where you finish that counts.

"What's the difference between the Auckland Harbour Bridge and the Aussie rugby team," I asked my Aussie mates at our annual boys-only camp.

It was Saturday night and I was standing next to the fire in the middle of our camp which was in the middle of the Mount Panorama race track in Bathurst. We had been camped there since Thursday and we were all looking forward to the 2014 V8 Supercar race the next day which looked like being a beauty given what had already happened in qualifying racing. At their invitation this was my fourth year in a row at this boys- only weekend and it was my turn to tell a joke.

The guys all looked at me blankly as if to say, "We don't know, Kiwi, what's the difference between the Auckland Harbour Bridge and the Aussie rugby team."

I paused before answering, "You can't walk over the Auckland Harbour Bridge."

Fortunately they all laughed before someone reminded me that the All Blacks would be playing the Aussies the following weekend.

As promised, the race the next day turned out to be one of the best ever and unfortunately for our Kiwi drivers they were winning the race for significant numbers of laps - until it all went wrong. One of them (Mc Laughlin) crashing his Volvo after being pressured by another Kiwi driver (Van Gisbergen) in a Holden, who stalled his car in the pits and never recovered. However, here are a couple of interesting facts regarding the 2014 Bathurst race. The Ford car that ended up winning the race started dead last on the grid, went down a lap twice during the race, crashed during the race and only led the race for half a lap. The last half lap.

The winner had completed 160 and a half laps behind everyone else, to take the lead in the last few corners to win. The following weekend the All Blacks left it until the last few minutes before taking the lead in their match against the Wallabies. Both of these winning teams proving - it's not where you start, it's where you finish that counts.

• Ngahihi o te ra Bidois is an author, businessman, husband and father who lives in Ngongotaha. Read more about him at www.ngahibidois.com or email him at ngahi@xtra.co.nz.