Батерст 1000: Великая гонка Австралии

Annual 1,000 km touring car race in Australia

The Bathurst 1000 (known for sponsorship reasons as the Repco Bathurst 1000) is a touring car race held annually on the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It is currently run as part of the Supercars Championship, the most recent incarnation of the Australian Touring Car Championship. In 1987 it was a round of the World Touring Car Championship. The Bathurst 1000 is colloquially known as The Great Race among motorsport fans and media. The race originated with the 1960 Armstrong 500 with a 500 mile race distance at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit; it was relocated to Bathurst in 1963 also with the 500 mile distance and has continued there every year since extending to a 1,000 kilometer race in 1973. The race was traditionally run on the New South Wales Labour Day long weekend in early October. Since 2001, the race has been run on the weekend following the long weekend, generally the second weekend of October. Race winners are presented with the Peter Brock Trophy, introduced at the 2006 race after the sudden death of Peter Brock in an accident. Brock was the most successful driver in the race's history, winning the event nine times. He was also known as one of the most popular and fan friendly drivers during his long career, and was given the moniker "King of the Mountain" for these reasons.

The Mount Panorama Circuit was first used on 16 April 1938 for the Australian Tourist Trophy meeting for motorcycles, followed two days later by the Australian Grand Prix for cars. The track uses temporarily closed public roads and is known for the elevation between its highest and lowest points. The first turn, Hell Corner, is a ninety degree left hander. Mountain Straight, a gentle climb where cars reach speeds of , leads into Griffin's Bend, an off camber right hander that leads into The Cutting, a sharp left hander with a steep incline. A complex corner called Reid Park comes next, where a number of drivers have spun after not short shifting at the apex. The course continues down to Sulman Park and McPhillamy Park. Drivers are unable to see the descending road and enter Skyline and the first of The Esses at before The Dipper, one of the most famous corners in Australian motorsport. Cars then negotiate Forrest's Elbow before powering down Conrod Straight, the fastest section of the track where cars can reach The Chase is a long sweeping chicane where cars are on the rev limiter turning at 300 km/h before a large braking zone to exit at Murray's is the 23rd and final turn, and also the slowest part of the circuit, before cars return to the start finish straight. The start finish straight features an offset start, with the finish line towards the back of the starting grid closer to Murray's Corner. Spectator areas have spread along the track over the decades, but there are several private properties bordering the track; spectators are therefore unable to access every trackside vantage point. Spectator vantage points have also become less intimate to the track over recent years because of debris fencing and increased run off dimensions installed to meet upgraded international FIA standards.

During its history, the race has been conducted for production saloon cars, Group E Series Production Touring Cars, Group C Touring Cars, Group A Touring Cars, Group 3A Touring Cars, Super Touring, and currently Supercars. Until 1995 more than one class competed in each event. In its early years, the Bathurst 500/1000 was generally a stand alone event, occasionally becoming a round of a national series such as the Australian Manufacturers' Championship, but never part of the most significant touring car series in Australia, the Australian Touring Car Championship. Since 1999, the race has been run exclusively as a championship points round of the Supercars category. In 1999 and 2000, it was the final round of the championship and on both occasions decided the championship winner. The race was once again the final round of the season in 2020, with the re organised season having been cut short because of the COVID 19 pandemic, though the championship had already been decided on points. Many marques — including Morris, Jaguar, Nissan, BMW and Volvo — have competed in and won the event in Bathurst. However, the race is best known for the presence of the traditional rivals of Australian motorsport, Ford and Holden, which have won all but six races. Owing to the magnitude of the Ford versus Holden rivalry, for the Bathurst 1000 races from 1995 to 2012 the rules of Group 3A and later V8 Supercars mandated that only Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores were allowed to compete. In 2013, V8 Supercars' rules changed and other marques began to enter the race, including the return of past winners Nissan. Holden has the most overall victories at 34, followed by Ford with 21; Nissan is the only other multiple winner with 2 wins.

Originally known as the Armstrong 500, the race was first held on 20 November 1960 at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Phillip Island, Victoria, over a 500 mile (805 km) distance. The organisers, the Light Car Club of Australia, claimed the race was 'the world's premier production saloon car race'. The Bathurst 500 was organised and promoted by a consortium of the Seven Network, the Australian Racing Drivers Club (ARDC), and Bathurst Regional Council; this arrangement continued until 1998. Its popularity grew rapidly, chiefly because it became a means for car manufacturers to showcase their products: the race cars had to be identical to those on the showroom floor. The first years on the Mount Panorama circuit were dominated by swift and agile small cars, such as the Ford Cortina and Mini Cooper. Although the class structure was retained — with many "races within the race" — the emphasis on achieving first outright increased. In 1963, Bob Jane and Harry Firth again triumphed, this time in a Cortina GT. In 1964 the pair drove competing Cortina GTs; Jane won with George Reynolds as co driver. Barry 'Bo' Seton was second with Herb Taylor. Harry Firth was third with John Reaburn. The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport introduced new Group E Series Production Touring Car regulations in 1965 but the Armstrong 500 continued with its own regulations. 1965 brought victory for the first overt "Bathurst Special", the Cortina GT 500. Bo Seton and Midge Bosworth completed the 130 laps first. Bruce McPhee and Barry Mulholland were second in an identical car. Third outright and first in Class C were Brian Foley and Peter Manton in a Morris Cooper S. The Geoghegan brothers, Ian and Leo, famously drove the race wearing business suits supplied by McDowells. In 1966 and 1967 an Irish tobacco company sponsored the race, which became known as the "Gallaher 500". 1966 was the last four cylinder victory for more than two decades. Rauno Aaltonen and Bob Holden drove their Mini Cooper S to a hard fought win against stiff competition mainly comprising other Coopers. 1971 was another Ford victory with Moffat at the wheel. It was won by the ultimate GT HO, the XY model Falcon GT HO Phase Three. This featured upgrades to engine power and aerodynamics, which made it one of the world's fastest four door mass produced production cars. Chrysler replaced its Pacers with its new two door, the Charger. This was powered by a in line HEMI six cylinder engine with triple Weber carburettors. However, by noon on race day, Moffat was far enough in front to pit without losing the lead. Moffat completed the 500 miles first, followed by other GT HOs in second and third places and filling six of the top seven places. Class wins were achieved by Mazda 1300, Datsun 1600, Mazda RX 2, Torana XU1 and Falcon GT HO. Upgrades were allowed to seats, lubrication systems, camshafts, carburettors, suspension, brakes and wheel rim sizes. These changes advantaged the better resourced teams, as a great deal of testing was now needed to optimize the performance of the race cars. Factory teams had the best access to improved components that were often not readily available to private competitors. In 1973 Holden campaigned upgraded XU 1s. Privateers entered improved Chargers. Ford unleashed its new XA model "hard top" coupe Ford Falcon GT which had been pioneered by John Goss. While not designated as a GT HO, race prepared Hardtop GTs incorporated most of the stillborn Phase Four's components, including the four bolt 351 V8 engine. The 1973 Hardie Ferodo 1000 started at 9:30 am. When the flag dropped the "no substitute for cubic inches" ethic prevailed as the Goss Falcon hardtop powered away from pole position. At the end of lap one Fords held the first four places with Toranas fifth, six and seventh. The highest placed Charger was in eighth position. Brock inherited the lead when the Fords started pitting for fuel. Brock and co driver Chivas had contrived a good lead when a miscalculation caused the Torana to run out of fuel at the top of the Mountain. Intending to perform one less pit stop than the Ford teams, HDT team manager Harry Firth had instructed Chivas to "Get Max Laps" via a hand held sign. The XU 1 coasted down Conrod Straight and came to a halt just before the entrance to the Pits. Chivas pushed the XU 1 up hill along pit lane. His pit crew could not lend assistance as this would have resulted in disqualification. By the time the XU 1 was refueled, Moffat was well in front. Brock set off in heroic pursuit of Moffat's Falcon GT but the XU 1 suffered a deflating tyre. Moffat claimed another Falcon victory, his third in only four years. Co driven by Ian (Pete) Geoghegan, the winning Ford was the only Falcon classified as a finisher. 1973 was the last competitive appearance for Chrysler, with the marque disappearing from the Group C category almost entirely. Class wins were achieved by a Datsun 1200, an Alfa GTV, a Mazda RX2 and, of course, the Falcon GT. At the end of the year Ford Australia gave the Falcon GT race cars to their drivers and withdrew from racing. During the 1974 Australian Touring Car Championship the Torana GTR XU 1 was gradually superseded by the wider bodied SL/R 5000. The Holden Bathurst contingent for this year included 13 SL/R 5000s, 7 XU 1s and one HQ Monaro GTS. Ford was represented in the outright category by three Falcon Hardtop headed by Moffat's Brut 33 XB Falcon Hardtop GT. He was supported by John Goss and Kevin Bartlett in an XA Hardtop and Murray Carter in another XB Falcon Hardtop. The V8 Toranas ran away at the start of the 1974 race and Holden victory seemed assured. By lap 11 Brock had already lapped 7 of the outright Class D cars. On lap 12 Moffat pitted and lost several laps as a new coil was fitted. By lap 20 the HDT Toranas of Brock and Bond were over a minute in front of Goss in the only competitive Falcon. By lap 85 the two HDT Toranas were four laps clear of the field. Around the 90 lap mark rain started to fall at the top of the mountain. The HDT Toranas soon pitted for wet weather tyres after which the Bond Torana started smoking from an oil leak. The car was eventually black flagged. While the mechanics were trying to fix the problem Brock pitted with a broken piston caused by a failed oil pump. Bond returned to the track but lost more time with a spin. Despite determined driving from Jim Richards and Wayne Negus, the Goss/Bartlett car was able to gain a slight lead as the Torana challenge faded amidst oil smoke and torrential rain. Bartlett completed the 163 laps in first place. The only other car on the same lap was the Forbes/Negus SL/R 5000. The smaller classes were won by a Morris Cooper S, an Alfa GTV and a Mazda RX3. Car number 34, a lone Morris Marina, finished 6th in Class C having completed 125 laps. Holden's 308 cubic inch V8 powered Toranas scored Bathurst victories in 1975, 1976, 1978 and 1979 in L34 and A9X configuration. Ford's 351 XC Falcon famously finished first and second in 1977. On the final lap, the two Moffat Ford Dealers entries of Allan Moffat and Colin Bond ran in formation down Conrod Straight, with the helicopter footage of the formation becoming one of the most famous images in Bathurst 1000 history. This was Moffat's last Bathurst 1000 victory. Group C carried over into the 1980s. Holden and Ford were the only manufacturers to win under these regulations, despite facing increased imported competition, notably from the Mazda RX 7 that was campaigned effectively by Moffat and Kevin Bartlett's 350 V8 powered Chevrolet Camaro. The turbo powered Nissan Bluebird piloted by George Fury also threatened the V8 'Big Bangers' and signalled a sign of things to come during the Group A era. Peter Brock cemented his reputation as the driver to beat during this period, including achieving two Bathurst hat tricks with the Marlboro sponsored HDT. In 1978 and 1979 he and Jim Richards drove an A9X Torana to victory, while in 1980 the pair won in a VC Commodore. His second hat trick consisted of victories in 1982, 1983 and 1984, this time partnering with Larry Perkins in a VH Commodore for the first two years and in a VK Commodore in the third. In 1983, John Harvey also shared the win with Brock and Perkins. Dick Johnson was the only winner for Ford during the 1980s under Group C, with a victory in 1981 whilst at the wheel of the XD Falcon. It was a famous win, coming twelve months after writing his car off in an incident with a rock in 1980. It also followed a large public fundraising campaign to provide him with the finances to build a new car, which eventually raised AU$144,000, half of which came from Ford Australia itself. Group C was replaced by the International Group A Touring car rules in 1985, with selected cars preparing for this change and competing in a separate "Group A" class in 1984.

From 1985 to 1992, the Bathurst 1000 was run to international Group A regulations. Imported turbocharged cars, initially Ford Sierra RS Cosworths and then Nissan Skyline GT Rs, achieved dominance during this period while Holden Commodores managed to claim three hard fought wins. The JPS Team BMW run 635 CSis and M3s were also highly competitive during this era. Group A enabled Australian teams to develop cars that could be raced overseas. Locally built cars were driven in Europe by Allan Grice, Peter Brock, John Harvey, Allan Moffat, Dick Johnson and John Bowe. Tom Walkinshaw also briefly campaigned VL Commodores in Europe. Holden based race teams continued development of the 308 cubic inch V8 powered Commodore. The HDT and the later Holden Racing Team (HRT) were at the forefront of Commodore development. With almost no support from Ford Australia, Group A Ford Falcons never eventuated. Dick Johnson Racing switched to a 1983 Zakspeed developed Ford Mustang GT formerly raced in Europe by German ace Klaus Ludwig. Johnson and co driver Larry Perkins were very competitive in the agile Mustang but it lacked top end power. Ford teams went on to adopt the more powerful, though less reliable, Ford Sierra Turbo Cosworth. These were available race ready from Europe and were campaigned by many teams including Allan Moffat Racing, Dick Johnson Racing and eventually a team run by Holden stalwart Peter Brock. 1985 was the first year that the Bathurst 1000 was run under Group A rules. The race was dominated by Tom Walkinshaw Racing's three car Jaguar XJ S team, the big V12 powered Jaguars having a clear power and speed advantage over the still developing Australian Group A teams and cars. 1974 winner John Goss and West German driver Armin Hahne claimed Jaguar's only Bathurst 1000 win. The following year, 1986, the Holden VK Commodore SS Group A of privateer racer Allan Grice and Graeme Bailey took the honours. Grice had honed his skills in Europe, competing alongside compatriot Commodore driver Peter Brock and his newly recruited HDT teammate, Allan Moffat. 1986 saw the race's first fatality. Sydney driver Mike Burgmann died when his VK Commodore hit the concrete base of the bridge over Conrod Straight at Consequent to Burgmann's death the circuit was altered prior to the 1987 race by the incorporation of "The Chase" two thirds of the way down Conrod Straight. This complex added 41 metres to the length of the track and was designed to reduce the approach speed to Murray's Corner by approximately As a result of "The Chase", lap times around the circuit increased by approximately 4–5 seconds (based on times in comparable cars from the 1986 and 1987 races). In 1987, the Bathurst 1000 became a round of the shortlived World Touring Car Championship, resulting in European teams racing against local Australian teams in the 1000. The resulting culture clash caused considerable angst between officials and team management. Since the start of Group A in Australia, CAMS local scrutineers diligently applied the Group A regulations as written. The global organising body FISA, a subsidiary of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), allowed more liberal, negotiated interpretations "back home". Some European teams, most prominently the Ford Europe–backed Eggenberger Motorsport, ran questionable vehicles. With the race complete, it was still unclear as to who was the legitimate winner. Eggenberger's cars finished first and second on the road but were disqualified months later due to bodywork irregularities. The 2013 race itself was a close finish between Ford's factory team drivers from Ford Performance Racing, Mark Winterbottom and Steven Richards, and Triple Eight Race Engineering's Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell. In 2013 the 1000 km was completed in the record time of six hours, eleven minutes and twenty seven seconds. This was Ford's first victory since 2008. It was also the first time since 1977 that an overtly Ford factory backed car triumphed. The 2014 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 saw Volvo return for the first time since 1998, with Garry Rogers Motorsport entering two Volvo S60s. Between the 2013 and 2014 races, the track was resurfaced. This new track surface resulted in a marked reduction of lap times, and during free practice many of the drivers recorded times that were under the existing practice lap record. As with the early Phillip Island races, some of this new surface started to break up early in the race, particularly at Griffin's Bend. Many drivers were caught off guard and ran into the tyre wall due to the debris on the track. With 100 laps remaining, the officials suspended the race with a red flag, only the third red flag at the race after 1981 and 1992. The cars were then lined up on pit straight, and controversy ensued as teams exploited the regulations and performed repairs on the cars. Once the track repairs were finished the race resumed in single file under the safety car. Racing soon recommenced, but competition was further interrupted by a number of safety car periods. The race was run to its full distance and finished in the early evening, with Ford Performance Racing drivers Chaz Mostert and Paul Morris taking victory on the final lap, after the lead car of Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell ran low on fuel. Morris and Mostert had started the race from last position after being excluded from qualifying. In 2015, Chaz Mostert experienced a major reversal of fortunes, with a heavy qualifying crash leaving him with a fractured femur and wrist, and ruling his car out for the weekend. The incident also injured several marshals. On Sunday, after a mid race rain shower, Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards eventually prevailed for their sixth and fourth wins of the Bathurst 1000 respectively. It was Lowndes' thirteenth podium at the event, an all time record.

The 2016 race, the first under the renamed Supercars Championship banner, featured 91 green laps to start the race, followed by a dramatic and safety car–filled conclusion to proceedings. Most notably, there was a late race incident between Garth Tander and Scott McLaughlin, retiring the former's car, which occurred as Triple Eight's Jamie Whincup attempted to redress a clash between himself and McLaughlin at the Chase. Whincup received a fifteen second time penalty; despite taking the chequered flag first, he was classified 11th. This allowed the Tekno Autosports entry of Will Davison and Jonathon Webb to take victory, just over one tenth of a second ahead of the Triple Eight entry of Shane van Gisbergen and Alexandre Prémat. The appeal, held by the Supercars National Court of Appeal in the County Court of Victoria, was dismissed in a hearing nine days after the race. The 2017 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 saw another victory for an independent team with Erebus Motorsport prevailing in mostly wet conditions with David Reynolds and Luke Youlden behind the wheel. Erebus also joined Tekno as the only teams to win both the Bathurst 12 Hour and the Bathurst 1000. David Reynolds and Luke Youlden continued their form into the 2018 edition, taking pole and leading the majority of the race until Reynolds suffered from leg cramps late in the race, allowing the 2015 winning combination of Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards to take the lead and the eventual victory, Lowndes' seventh event win and Richards' fifth. The 2019 race only featured one safety car in the first 101 laps, but the final 60 laps featured seven, eventually resulting in a one lap sprint to the chequered flag. Scott McLaughlin, driving with Alexandre Prémat, held on to win from the Triple Eight entry of Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander; this was the first Bathurst 1000 win for the Ford Mustang nameplate, the first for Dick Johnson Racing since Team Penske took a stake in the team in 2014, and the first for DJR since 1994. However, the race results remained provisional for a week until a hearing was held into DJR Team Penske's instructions to team mate Fabian Coulthard during an earlier safety car. The instructions over team radio resulted in Coulthard slowing the field after a safety car was called, which allowed McLaughlin and Jamie Whincup to pit without losing any positions. Despite already being given a drive through penalty during the race, after the hearing Coulthard was further relegated to the last finisher and the team was docked 300 Teams' Championship points and fined AU$250,000 with $100,000 of the fine suspended. As it could not be proven that the instructions were intended to advantage McLaughlin and Prémat, their race win remained. One month after the race, an investigation into McLaughlin's qualifying engine found a breach, resulting in a further fine, loss of his pole position and qualifying lap record and demotion to last place on the grid for the 2019 Sandown 500. Because of the COVID 19 pandemic, the 2020 race was held a week later than usual and with a limited number of fans, capped at 4,000 daily. In what was the final event for a factory backed Holden team before the brand's retirement, the race was won by Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander, the latter's fourth Bathurst 1000 win. For the first time since 2000, the event was the final round of the championship, but Scott McLaughlin had already secured an unassailable lead at the penultimate event.

The most successful driver at Bathurst is Peter Brock, whose nine victories (1972, 1975, 1978–80, 1982–84 and 1987) earned him the nickname King of the Mountain. Bob Jane won the race four times in succession from 1961 to 1964. Jane's racing exploits assisted in the creation of his automotive businesses, originally with automotive vehicle dealerships, then later more prominently with a national chain of tyre retailers, Bob Jane T Marts. The company became a title sponsor of the race between 2002 and 2004. Three of Jane's wins were with Harry Firth, who went on to win a fourth race in 1967 and also was a team manager for the 1969 and 1972 Holden Dealer Team victories. New Zealand's Jim Richards won the race seven times (1978–80, 1991–92, 1998 and 2002) and also holds the record for the most starts (35) at this event. Richards' son Steven is also a five time winner (1998, 1999, 2013, 2015 and 2018). The two other multiple winners from New Zealand are Greg Murphy, who has won the race four times (1996, 1999, 2003 and 2004), and Shane van Gisbergen three time winner in 2020, 2022 and 2023. Craig Lowndes, who was a protégé of Brock, and has followed his path in terms of success and popularity, has won the race seven times. He has won three Bathurst races in a Falcon (2006–08) and four in a Commodore (1996, 2010, 2015 and 2018), and also holds the record for most Bathurst podiums, with fourteen. Larry Perkins is the equal fourth most successful driver at Bathurst, with six victories (1982–84, 1993, 1995 and 1997). Like Jim Richards, Perkins achieved three of his victories as co drivers with Brock in consecutive years in the Holden Dealer Team era. Mark Skaife has also won six times. His first won in 1991 with a Nissan Skyline GT R, then again in 1992 with the same car, and in 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2010 in a Holden Commodore. Garth Tander is a five time winner, all in Holdens. Jamie Whincup, the driver with the most championship titles in ATCC/Supercars history, is a four time winner of the race. His first three wins were with Craig Lowndes, with his fourth coming in 2012 with Paul Dumbrell. Canadian born Allan Moffat is Ford's most successful Bathurst driver, winning the race four times (1970, 1971, 1973 and 1977). The 1977 race saw Moffat and teammate Colin Bond cross the finish line side by side after opening up an indomitable lead in the early laps. Dick Johnson first rose to fame during the 1980 race when his privately entered Ford Falcon hit a rock that had fallen (or been pushed; the topic is still debated) onto the track. Thanks to public donations of over A$70,000 – and a matching donation from Ford – Johnson was able to rebuild his car and win the Bathurst race the following year. He went on to win twice more, in 1989 and 1994.

Description Record Driver/s Car Year Race record 6:01:44.8637(161 laps) Craig Lowndes Steven Richards Holden ZB Commodore 2018 Lap record 2:04.7602 Chaz Mostert Ford Mustang GT 2019 Largest winning margin 6 laps Peter Brock Jim Richards Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback 1979 Smallest winning margin 0.1434s Will Davison Jonathon Webb Holden VF Commodore 2016

Description Record Driver Car Year Qualifying record 2:03.3736 Chaz Mostert Holden ZB Commodore2021

In the over fifty year history of the event, three drivers have died whilst competing in the Bathurst 1000. In 1986, Sydney accountant and privateer entrant Mike Burgmann became the first fatality in the race's history when his car, a Holden VK Commodore SS Group A, travelling at , struck the tyre barrier at the base of the Armor All Bridge (then sponsored by John Player Special) on the high speed straight known as Conrod Straight. "The Chase", a large three corner chicane added in 1987 to the straight, was dedicated to Burgmann with a plaque embedded in the concrete barriers. In 1992, F1 season of 1967 Formula One World Champion Denny Hulme, after complaining of blurred vision, suffered a heart attack at the wheel of his BMW M3 Evolution whilst travelling along Conrod Straight. After veering into the wall on the left side of the track, his car came to a relatively controlled stop on the opposite side of the course. When marshals reached the scene, Hulme was unconscious and he was pronounced dead at Bathurst Hospital after suffering a second heart attack. In 1994, Melbourne privateer entrant Don Watson died during practice. His car, a Holden VP Commodore, had a mechanical failure and went straight ahead at the entry to The Chase, hitting a barrier at almost
Additionally, the 2006 event was marred by the death of New Zealand driver Mark Porter in a Development V8 Supercar Series support race on the Friday of the meeting. Porter had been scheduled to compete in the 1000 as a driver for the Brad Jones Racing team.

Peter Brock died weeks before the 2006 race in an accident during the Targa West rally in Western Australia. Following this, Supercars announced that from 2006 onwards, the drivers in the Bathurst 1000 would be racing to win the Peter Brock Trophy. The 2006 event also honoured Brock with special tributes; including the front row of the starting grid being left vacant, all cars bearing an '05' number sticker made famous by Brock, and a champions' lap of honour featuring Brock's past co drivers parading in cars that Brock won Bathurst with. The trophy, manufactured by Hardy Brothers, is inscribed with the words "King of the Mountain", a long time nickname of Brock's. It weighs and stands tall. Craig Lowndes, a long time mentee of Brock, has won the trophy a record six times since its inception.