The Bathurst 1000: What makes it ‘The Great Race’

Once again, that time of the year has arrived: the mighty Bathurst 1000. On October 13th, the best drivers from Australia, New Zealand and beyond take battle in the fastest Supercars that Mount Panorama will have ever witnessed.

From all over the world, eager watchers will see the drivers tackle the infamous Mountain side by side, bumper to bumper, with Australia’s most prestigious automotive prize at stake.

In addition, the infamous duel between Holden and Ford is as strong as it’s ever been, and with Nissan finally finding some pace in 2019, this year’s event will be one for all enthusiasts alike to surely savour.

According to Mark Skaife, V8 Supercars and Bathurst great, this year could see Scott McLaughlin’s record-breaking 2017 2:03.8s qualifying lap smashed by the faster, more brutal cars racing in 2019. The supreme aero and boost of the new Ford Mustangs has led to McLaughlin to new heights in the overall championship, winning 17 of the 24 races so far, and saw him take an unprecedented six straight race victories. Perhaps a 2:02s around the Mountain…

This raw speed, however, has resulted in the Holden ZB Commodore receiving many power boosts throughout the year, and is finally equalling the times set by the impressive Fords. What’s more, with the intimidating partnerships of Shane van Gisbergen/Garth Tander and Jamie Whincup/Craig Lowndes, they’re a true force to be reckoned with. The Nissan’s have been receiving such boost upgrades, too, and must not be disregarded.

Whilst the championship this year is all but in McLaughlin’s hands, this frees the other drivers somewhat, who have nothing to lose. Winning the Peter Brock trophy is almost, if not equally, as important as becoming the year’s series champion, meaning the racing in this event is unrivalled to other dates in the calendar.

The circuit itself is world famous; its fast straights, tight and unforgiving corners, bumps and gradients and overall difficulty enhance this contests entertainment greatly. Speeding up Mountain Straight, through Reid Park, sweeping left at McPhillamy, along Skyline, curving through the Esses, down Mountain Straight and past the Chase, finishing after Murray’s Corner – the track layout made all the more impressive when considering it’s formed of public roads.

In fact, the track is so narrow and unforgiving that open-wheelers are no longer sanctioned to race at the track; the safety concerns were just too dire. However, the tight complexion of the circuit does not compromise racing, as there are plenty of places to overtake, and overtake spectacularly at that. The touring cars can bump, shove and rub up against one another (to a fair-racing extent), and at speeds of upwards of 190mph (300+kmh), it is a real sight to behold.

One of the main reasons that The Great Race has such a strong worldwide appeal is due to the atmosphere. In Australia, either you’re a Ford fan or a Holden supporter, myself being the latter. There’s no in between and this highly fuelled rivalry is turned up to ten at Mount Panorama, as Australian motor racing’s greatest prize is up for grabs. The trophy is surely destined to go to one of two, as Nissan is yet to claim a Bathurst win since its reintroduction to the championship in 2013, and doesn’t match the times of the other two manufacturers regularly.

The turnout for the event is fantastic year in year out, and the huge mix of Ford and Holden addicts cheering their manufacturer on for upwards of six hours is a real spectacle. The cheering at every overtake their manufacturer completes and the bragging rights if they win – it truly is synonymous to a local football derby, and you’ll be hard done by to find a motorsport much the same in the UK. It really is at the top of my motorsport bucket list, as I’m confident there’s no other race quite like it in the world.

Something for all racing fans to get excited about are the previous years’ dramatic climaxes. The drama that Bathurst produces annually is incredible, such as Chaz Mostert winning the race in 2014, when he overtook Jamie Whincup, who had an empty tank, on the 161st and last lap, having not led any prior all day. The racing seems get closer and closer every year, and so is practically guaranteed to be the same again in 2019.

Of course, another appealing factor is how difficult the track is to tame, and with very little margin for error at such high speeds across the whole lap, crashes are inevitable. Furthermore, the incidents always seem to induce more drama and controversy than those at any other race meeting, with Greg Murphy and Marcos Ambrose’s 2005 tussle at the Cutting being a great example. Look out for such an accident this year when the race reaches its final laps…

Naturally, the mixture of fast, aggressive cars with equally aggressive drivers at such a demanding location means the crashes are often spectacular, but devastating. However, the safety standards of the cars mean that very infrequently will someone be hurt, and when they are, its effectively never more than a broken bone or two. It’s also fair to say that the enthralled fans love it when their counterpart manufacturer gets a prang during the intense action.

The weather is also highly unpredictable, with sudden rain outbursts causing mayhem across many various years. At the moment, Bathurst, and surrounding areas, are experiencing very dry and damaging climates, and so some rain would be welcomed by both residents and fans of exciting, risky racing. Personally, I love to see a heavy downfall during the 1000, because races such as in 1992 and 2001 are iconic purely due to the wild weather at play.

It has always been hard to predict a winner ahead of The Great Race. The event is so long and unforgiving, anything can happen. Unlike most races across the globe, qualifying is arguably not too crucial for race victories at Bathurst. With so many mechanical failures, safety car periods, and intense pressure on the drivers both mentally and physically, one could start at the back of the grid and have equal chance of lifting the trophy come the end of the day – this is exactly what happened to Chaz Mostert and Paul Morris in 2014.

It is undeniable that Scott McLaughlin should theoretically be looking towards a maiden Bathurst victory with his current form in 2019, but only time will tell, and that’s what makes the 1000 such a spectacle to watch. Personally, I’ll be betting on the charismatic David Reynolds to finish first. McLaughlin’s luck tends to run out at Mount Panorama, and only leg cramp stopped Reynolds from claiming victory in 2018 to follow up on the previous year’s triumphs. He knows his way around the Mountain better than most in the current field.

I cannot stress enough how great this race meeting is – everything about it pleases proper petrolheads. Even though the race begins at the very early hours in the UK, it really is worth setting the alarm for. If you have never watched The Great Race before, I urge you desperately to fix that. As a true fan of Supercars, I promise you will not be disappointed.