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111-463: The inaugural 2023 season was composed of nine events selected from a number of TCR series worldwide, and was promoted by former World Touring Car Championship manager Marcello Lotti's WSC Group. On 14 October 2022, it was reported that the World Touring Car Cup would be folding in that format following the 2022 season due to numerous logistical difficulties caused by COVID-19 pandemic . On

222-496: A Volvo S40 run by Tom Walkinshaw Racing , with his son Steven second in a Nissan Primera run by British team Team Dynamics . As well as these races for two-litre cars, separate five-litre (V8 Supercars) races were held in 1997 and 1998, known as the "Australian 1000 Classic". Having received backlash after announcing they would not race at Bathurst, AVESCO hastily made a deal with the Bathurst Regional Council for

333-512: A 351 cubic inch V8 sourced from Ford America. Its 'HO' specification included upgraded suspension components such as front and rear stabiliser bars. At Bathurst it was fitted with race tyres. Holden upgraded the GTS 327 Monaro to the GTS 350, which included better race-style handling and a more powerful Chevrolet V8 engine of 350 cubic inches. The new GTS 350 Monaro, in the hands of Colin Bond and Tony Roberts ,

444-553: 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

555-654: A Bathurst race for Ten to broadcast. A similar dispute affected the V8 Supercars Challenge support races at the Australian Grand Prix ; at various times different networks held the V8 Supercars and Formula One broadcast rights. There was no resolution to the dispute, and AVESCO announced that V8 Supercars would not compete in the traditional Bathurst 1000 held on the October long weekend in 1997. TOCA Australia

666-491: 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

777-469: 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. Mini Coopers filled

888-521: A TV deal for 1997 with Network Ten , which included expanded coverage of the championship. This was not an issue for the ATCC races, but for the Bathurst 1000, which was organized and promoted by a consortium that included Channel 7, it was a major issue. Channel 7 had televised the race since 1963 and had a contract that was binding into the 21st century. Seven was not prepared to drop the race, while AVESCO required

999-452: A V8 Torana for two years. Ford abandoned the XA -based Phase Four GT-HO Falcon. Chrysler also followed by not going ahead with a competition version of its V8-powered Charger. Adding to that, the 1972 Hardie-Ferodo 500 was the first Bathurst 500 to be run in wet weather. Allan Moffat was unable to withstand the immense pressure placed on him by Brock in his XU-1. The Torana proved more than a match in

1110-593: A VR Commodore, cross the finish line ahead of the EF Falcon of Dick Johnson and John Bowe. Tony Longhurst and Steven Ellery were third in another EF Falcon. In 1996, the Touring Car Entrants Group of Australia (TEGA) (who had held the rights to market the ATCC since 1994) signed a deal with US sports agent Mark McCormack 's International Management Group (IMG) to market the ATCC, which they renamed to V8 Supercars. The new joint venture company (AVESCO) signed

1221-509: A continuous solo driving period. The race was awarded to their BMW Motorsport Australia teammates David and Geoff Brabham . This event format continued for 1998 with the addition of a field of cars from the New Zealand Touring Car Championship , which ran to Schedule S regulations with a 2.5-litre engine limit, as well as Group E production cars . Alongside Rickard Rydell, Jim Richards won his sixth Bathurst 1000 in

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1332-622: A few years. For the 1990 race, they debuted the R32 four-wheel drive, four wheel steer, twin turbo Nissan Skyline GT-R . Though initially sufferring from problems related to complexity and reliability, the GT-R went on to dominate Group A racing worldwide. Gibson's lead drivers, Jim Richards and Mark Skaife , easily won the 1991 Bathurst 1000; Skaife had set a sensational time of 2:12.63 in the Top 10 Runoff for pole, 2/10th faster than George Fury's Group C 1984 pole time on

1443-532: 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,

1554-480: A motor manufacturer. This can sometimes be a motor racing team running cars of behalf of the manufacturer or cars being run directly by the factory. Below is a timeline of manufacturer entries from the beginning of the championship in 2005. Bathurst 1000 The Bathurst 1000 (known for sponsorship reasons as the Repco Bathurst 1000 ) is a 1,000-kilometre (621.4 mi) touring car race held annually on

1665-433: A pack of arseholes" during the nationally televised trophy presentation. Group A as an international formula faded away in the late 1980s. The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) had planned to replace Group A at the end of 1991. This was postponed to the end of 1992 owing to the inability of FISA to specify a new International formula. As any new regulations were unlikely to suit large-engined cars, CAMS created

1776-555: 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 220 km/h (140 mph) before The Dipper, one of the most famous corners in Australian motorsport. Cars then negotiate Forrest's Elbow before powering down Conrod Straight,

1887-588: 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 race win

1998-575: A uniquely Australian touring car formula for 1993, Group 3A. This iteration evolved into the current Supercars category. Entry became limited to V8-powered Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores (with, in 1993 only, the exception of weight-limited normally aspirated Group A cars like the BMW M3s of LoGaMo Racing ). The new regulations created a separate class for 2-litre cars, based on the British Touring Car Championship 's (BTCC) regulations of

2109-409: A wrecked Nissan could beat a perfectly healthy Sierra that had passed it on the track. As the rain clouds dissipated many unhappy campers loudly voiced their opinions. Race winners Mark Skaife and Jim Richards were challenged by a rowdy, confused and alcohol-fuelled crowd. On the winners' podium the normally affable Richards responded to the boos of the crowd with, "this is bloody disgraceful" and "you're

2220-628: 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 (800 km) distance. The organisers, the Light Car Club of Australia, claimed the race was 'the world's premier production saloon car race'. The intention was to determine which cars, across five classes based on engine capacity, had

2331-597: 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

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2442-464: The 2005 , 2006 and 2007 Drivers and Manufacturers Championships. In 2008, Frenchman Yvan Muller won the title after Race 1 in Macau in his SEAT León TDI . This marked the first time an FIA sanctioned world championship, in any category, being won by a diesel powered racing car. SEAT León TDI won both championships for a second time in 2009, this time in the hands of Gabriele Tarquini . 2010 marked

2553-477: The 2023 TCR China Touring Car Championship . The championship consists of circuits from TCR Europe Touring Car Series , TCR Italy Touring Car Championship , TCR South America Touring Car Championship , TCR Australia Touring Car Series , and TCR China Touring Car Championship : ” World Touring Car Championship The FIA World Touring Car Championship was an international touring car championship promoted by Eurosport Events and sanctioned by

2664-652: 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

2775-457: 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

2886-601: The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It has had several different incarnations, including a single season in 1987 as the World Touring Car Championship and most recently a world championship (WTCC) that has run between 2005 and 2017. Following the 2017 season, an agreement was reached for the FIA WTCC to become FIA WTCR and use the TCR technical regulations. The first World Touring Car Championship, which

2997-477: 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

3108-548: 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

3219-673: 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

3330-558: The Nissan Skyline GT-R "Godzilla" took the chequered flag. It was also the birth of the Torana legend as this uniquely Australian performance car went on to become one of Australia's most successful touring cars, due in part to numerical supremacy on the track and the withdrawal of Ford and Chrysler from motor racing later in the seventies. 1972 was also the last year that drivers were permitted to drive without co-drivers. The 1972 race

3441-458: The United States . Technical rules were modified in 2011 to allow 1.6L turbo gasoline engines, and the 2.0L gasoline and turbodiesel engines were outlawed in 2012. In 2014, new car regulations were introduced with the name TC1, with larger wings and more engine power. The old 1.6L turbo cars were renamed TC2 for a year and were dropped for 2015. The series adopted TCR regulations for 2018 and

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3552-499: The "no substitute for cubic inches" adage. Brock had pushed the car to its limits in a spectacular display of car control. It was a significant victory for a number of reasons, the first of Brock's nine Bathurst wins which later led to him being nicknamed the "King of the Mountain" and "Peter Perfect". Brock's win also signalled the first Bathurst victory for a six-cylinder engined car, an achievement that would not be repeated until 1991 when

3663-617: The 1000-kilometre race remained in November because the Sydney Olympics blocked out sport in October. When the long weekend again became available in 2001, the National Rugby League shifted its Grand Final to that Sunday, denying the Bathurst 1000 a return to its traditional weekend. The race moved to the weekend following the long weekend from 2001 onwards, and to an earlier spot in the championship calendar. The start of this new era

3774-435: 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 100 km/h (62 mph). 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 ,

3885-639: The 2-litre class was the John Cotter/Peter Doulman BMW M3 which had reverted to 2 litres capacity. In the 1994 season , the 2-litre Super Touring championship was run separately from the ATCC, though both categories ran as two classes at Bathurst. The 1994 Tooheys 1000 was won by the EB Falcon of Dick Johnson and John Bowe. The top-placed 2-litre car was the works BMW of Paul Morris and Altfrid Heger which finished 10th outright, six laps behind Johnson and Bowe. In 1995 , owing to fears about

3996-465: 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

4107-581: The 500 miles first. Class honours went to Studebaker, Ford, Renault and Volkswagen . In those days the Phillip Island track was surfaced with a "cold mix" bitumen which could not stand up to the pounding of dozens of race cars going flat out for 500 miles. The track surface broke up and became unsafe during races. In 1963 the Armstrong 500 moved to the 6.2-kilometre (3.9 mi) Mount Panorama Circuit at Bathurst in New South Wales . The Bathurst 500

4218-607: The ARDC timing board. Third place in Class D fell to the venerable Studebaker Lark of Warren Weldon and John Hall. Class E was won by Doug Chivas and Max Stewart in an Alfa GTV. Classes B and C were won by variants of the Mini, and Class A was won by a Datsun 1000 piloted by John Roxburgh and Doug Whiteford . The popularity of the race grew rapidly during the 1960s. Most Australian manufacturers and assemblers became heavily involved. A good result in

4329-482: The ARDC who had run the event every year since 1963. Each of the four races in 1997 and 1998 are considered as legitimate Bathurst 1000s in the record books. For 1999, the Super Touring event devolved into a 300-kilometre race for mixed V8s, which was won by Peter Brock's step -son James Brock, and a 500-kilometre race for Super Touring won by Paul Morris. This would be the last major Super Touring race at Bathurst,

4440-511: 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 ,

4551-482: The Bathurst straights. Rule changes for 1970 enabled a single driver to complete the entire race distance. To reduce the chances of another first lap calamity the starting grid was changed from 2-3-2 to a staggered 2-2-2 formation. This meant that the back markers had to start the race from around the corner on Conrod Straight. The race continued to be run to unique regulations which were more restrictive than those which were applied to Series Production racing. 1971

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4662-507: The Championship. A silhouette formula championship (proposed by Ecclestone) was announced by the FIA for 1988 which would have seen specialist racing chassis carrying bodywork resembling production roadcars powered by the about to be outlawed Formula One 1.5 litre turbo regulations, but manufacturers did not support the concept. Only one car, based on an Alfa Romeo 164 with a 3.5 litre V10 engine

4773-633: The FIA's points system used in the FIA Formula One Championship and the FIA World Rally Championship. Between 2005 and 2009, the championship adopted the following points scoring system: For the inaugural 1987 season, the championship used the following points scoring system: As per FIA WTCC all-time statistics on the official site of the WTCC. The WTCC features entries with the backing, funding and technical support of

4884-500: The GT-HO to Phase Two specification with an even more powerful and better-breathing 351 V8. With tyres that were able to endure the power and torque, the GT-HO reinforced the adage that "there is no substitute for cubic inches". Allan Moffat 's GT-HO received the chequered flag followed by Bruce McPhee's identical car. The Torana could not compensate for the power advantage that the Falcons had on

4995-781: 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

5106-635: The HRT Commodore of Allan Grice and Win Percy prevailed. Their Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV was able to set a fast pace early in the race which the Sierras could match but not sustain due to reliability issues, mostly with tyre wear. The HRT claimed a popular Bathurst victory for Holden after three seasons of Sierra domination. A fierce new opponent was waiting in the wings. Nissan and team manager Fred Gibson had campaigned Skylines in Australian competition for

5217-500: The Holden Racing Team, teamed with 1988 winner Tony Longhurst to win the Bathurst 1000 in a Holden VX Commodore . Despite late cooling problems from plastic bags in the air intake, Skaife and HRT again won the Bathurst 1000 in 2002, this time teamed with Jim Richards. Ten years after being heckled off the podium after winning in 1992, this time Richards jokingly said that the crowd was "a lovely bunch of people". Greg Murphy received

5328-634: The Mount Panorama circuit, particularly on the long straights. Thus was forged the adage that "there is no substitute for cubic inches", which became synonymous with racing at Bathurst. Initially the Geoghegan brothers' Falcon was awarded victory but some hours later Harry Firth and Fred Gibson were declared winners. During the race the Geoghegan car had entered the pit area through the rear access lane off Mountain Straight and erroneously accumulated an extra lap on

5439-518: The ability to win Bathurst, it had a 327 cubic inch Chevrolet V8 (as the "GTS 327" name implies). This engine enabled the Monaro GTS 327 to outperform the updated, yet smaller-engined, 302 cubic inch Falcon GTs and win in 1968. This was Holden's first Bathurst 500 win. The 1969 Hardie-Ferodo 500 saw the first of the Ford Falcon GT-HOs. This Phase One GT-HO Bathurst special Falcon was powered by

5550-421: 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

5661-523: The atrocious conditions. After being challenged by Brock's furiously driven XU-1, Moffat was unable to exploit the V8's power advantage and spun early in the race. He also incurred two one-minute penalties for starting the engine while refuelling. Brock, meanwhile, was able to hold off the Phase Three GT-HO of John French and the E49 Charger of Doug Chivas to win the 1972 race, thus temporarily refuting

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5772-405: The best combination of performance and reliability. It was also a showcase for the Armstrong company's shock absorbers and related products. Entry was limited to standard, unmodified production saloons built or assembled in Australia. All cars had to complete the first 100 miles without stopping for fuel, oil, or a driver change. Any mechanical problems in that time had to be resolved unassisted by

5883-447: 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

5994-456: The build-up to the race. Late in the 1992 race, severe rainstorms swept the track, causing several accidents as dry-weather tyres caused extreme aquaplaning . During the ensuing mayhem the leading Skyline of Jim Richards and Mark Skaife slid into two wrecked cars. Simultaneously officials red-flagged the race due to the perilous condition of the wet track. The surviving cars were marshalled in single file on Pit Straight. Regulations decreed that, as

6105-602: The calendar as part of the TCR Europe Touring Car Series . On 13 January 2023, it was confirmed that Vallelunga Circuit would feature on the calendar as part of the Italian Superturismo Championship . On 8 February 2023, it was announced that Autódromo Víctor Borrat Fabini and Autódromo José Carlos Bassi would feature on the calendar as part of the 2023 TCR South America Touring Car Championship , while Guia Circuit would feature as part of

6216-506: The championship landed in Australia the local teams took exception to the Europeans somewhat liberal interpretation of the Group A rules. Subsequently, the Eggenberger cars were protested against and eventually disqualified from the Bathurst 1000 results. The championship was provisionally awarded to West German Eggenberger Ford Sierra RS500 drivers Klaus Ludwig and Klaus Niedzwiedz . It

6327-411: The debris was cleared. The race was a disaster for Ford as many Falcon tyres failed because of the speed and weight of the Falcons. Ford even a ran a post-race advertising campaign using the slogan "we were a little deflated". The 1969 race also saw the début of Peter Brock . Brock and Bond were drivers for the semi-official Holden Dealer Team (HDT), which had been formed earlier in the year to counter

6438-522: The driver, using only the tools that came with the car. There was no official outright winner, only class winners. Frank Coad and John Roxburgh , in a Vauxhall Cresta , were the first to complete the 500-mile race distance. It was the only Vauxhall in the field of 45 cars including N.S.U.s , Simcas , Peugeots , Morris, Austins , Fords and Standard Vanguards . The race was held twice more at Phillip Island. In 1961 Bob Jane and Harry Firth , sharing an Australian assembled Mercedes-Benz 220 SE , were

6549-695: The drivers standings. This gave Chevrolet a clean sweep of both titles. The 2012 championship saw Chevrolet pick up where they left off in 2011, leading to a second year of championship clean sweeps, this time with Rob Huff taking the drivers title. The modern series has held events based all around the world including races in Argentina , Morocco , Hungary , Germany , Russia , France , Portugal , Slovakia , Czech Republic , Japan , China , Thailand and Qatar with former races in Brazil , Great Britain , Italy , Macau , Netherlands , Spain , Sweden , Turkey and

6660-436: The fastest section of the track where cars can reach 300 km/h (190 mph). 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 130 km/h (81 mph). 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

6771-454: 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

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6882-524: 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

6993-506: 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,

7104-545: The first drivers to complete the 167 laps. They were over a lap ahead of the Studebaker Lark driven by David McKay and Brian Foley, which in turn was a lap clear of the Vauxhall Velox of Frank Coad and John Roxburgh. Class wins were achieved by Studebaker , Mercedes-Benz , Peugeot and Renault . In 1962 the class structure changed to one based on price. Jane and Firth switched to a Ford Falcon and once again completed

7215-549: The first nine places in Class C and outright. Class D was won by a Chrysler VC Valiant V8 that completed 124 laps. Class A was won by the Nissan Factory backed Datsun 1300 of Moto Kitamo and Kunimitsu Takahashi. Class B was taken out by an 1100cc version of the Mini Cooper. 1967 rule changes mandated a minimum number of pit-stops to negate the advantage economical smaller cars had of requiring fewer stops. This change favoured

7326-443: The growing speed difference between the V8s and the 2-litre cars, the Bathurst 1000 became a one-class race for the first time. Just 32 Ford and Holden V8s faced the starter in what was, at the time, the smallest grid in the history of the race. The 1995 champions were Larry Perkins and Russell Ingall in a Holden VR Commodore , followed by Alan Jones and Allan Grice in an EF Falcon . 1996 saw Craig Lowndes and Greg Murphy , in

7437-413: 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 260 km/h (160 mph). Consequent to Burgmann's death the circuit was altered prior to

7548-469: The larger, thirstier Fords and Holdens. The Minis handled the corners well and could, theoretically, run the entire race on a single tank of petrol, but the larger-engined cars were faster in a straight line. Ford's development of the 289 cubic inch V8 Ford Falcon GT signalled the end of small cars as outright contenders. 1967 was also the first year that starting grid positions were allocated according to practice lap times rather than by class groupings. This

7659-416: The last organised by the ARDC and the last held on the traditional Labour Day holiday weekend. The demise of Super Touring and the ARDC event allowed V8 Supercars and IMG to take over the promotion and organisation of the Bathurst 1000 brand from that year onwards. From 1999 onwards, the race also counted for championship points for the first time, taking a position as the final round on the calendar. In 2000,

7770-439: The leaders had completed more than 75% of race distance, the race was not to be restarted. Under these regulations, red-flag race results were based on positions held at the end of the last completed lap as there was no official record of the lap not completed. As Richards had been leading the race on that lap, his team was declared the winner. This was an unpopular decision with some race fans, many of whom could not understand how

7881-602: The long and tough race added credibility to the car and its brand, especially in terms of performance, durability and reliability. An outright or class victory was a significant opportunity to increase sales and market share. It was during this period that the famous Holden–Ford– Chrysler rivalry originated. The production-car battle between the "Big Three" was fought at Bathurst. This rivalry spawned Australia's most famous muscle cars, reverentially known as "Bathurst Specials". Ford's Falcon GT and later GT-HO , Holden's Monaro and Torana , and Chrysler's Pacer and Charger models were

7992-486: 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

8103-611: The makes, weight penalties (140 kg) and turbo-restricting pop-off valves were applied to the Nissan. With the pop-off valves in place, the Nissans were reported to now be only producing around 450 bhp (336 kW; 456 PS), though team boss Fred Gibson would (in later years) confess that the Winfield -sponsored cars were actually producing around 600 bhp (447 kW; 608 PS) after his team had managed to fool CAMS officials during

8214-433: The next two Bathurst 1000s. 1988 saw Tony Longhurst and Tomas Mezera win in their Frank Gardner –prepared RS500. In the 1989 race, Peter Brock claimed his record-setting 6th pole at Bathurst, his first in anything but a Holden. Dick Johnson and John Bowe won a hard-fought race ahead of Allan Moffat Racing 's all-German combination of Klaus Niedzwiedz and Frank Biela . In 1990 the Sierras again proved strong, but

8325-552: The official Ford Special Vehicles division that was churning out ever-evolving GT-HO Falcons. The "Old Fox", Harry Firth, who had been in charge of the Ford racing effort until he was abruptly replaced by an American, Al Turner, took charge of the HDT. 1970 saw a change of strategy as Holden chose to race the smaller Torana GTR XU-1 rather than the Monaro. The XU-1 was a special "Bathurst" version of

8436-460: The public due to the intense competition and Eurosport live broadcasts. At the request of interested manufacturers, the ETCC was changed to the current WTCC beginning with the 2005 season, continuing to use Super 2000 and Diesel 2000 regulations. 2004 ETCC Champion Andy Priaulx and his BMW 320i were the dominant driver-car pairing during the first three years of the revived championship, winning

8547-407: 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

8658-574: The result of constant development of race-worthy cars that the general public could buy. In 1968 , sponsorship changed again and the race became known as the Hardie-Ferodo 500. It was also the year that advertising was first allowed to be displayed on the cars. In response to Ford's 1967 Bathurst victory, Holden entered the Monaro GTS 327. This was a coupe based on the HK model four-door Kingswood family sedan. Engineered as an affordable personal luxury car with

8769-579: The same day, WSC announced the formation of the TCR World Tour. It was launched in order to replace the WTCR. On 12 November 2022, it was announced that Mount Panorama Circuit would feature on the calendar as part of the TCR Australia Touring Car Series . On 30 November 2022, it was confirmed that Algarve International Circuit , Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and Hungaroring would feature on

8880-518: 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

8991-500: The shorter pre-Chase circuit. Richards and Skaife repeated the win in controversial circumstances in 1992 . The car gained the nickname 'Godzilla'. With four-wheel drive, four-wheel steer, and a powerful turbo 2.6-litre six-cylinder engine producing around 640 bhp (477 kW; 649 PS), the Skyline's superior handling and power output was unmatched by the rear-wheel-drive Sierras and Commodores. In an attempt to achieve parity between

9102-411: The six-cylinder LC Torana. As the embryonic HQ Holden required too much development to be competitive, Holden created an alternative to the V8 muscle car. The XU-1 was more agile, cheaper and more economical. Triple carburettors on the "Red" motor provided an excellent power-to-weight ratio . The XU-1 was easier on brakes and tyres, thereby minimizing the number of required pit stops. However, Ford refined

9213-449: The start of Chevrolet 's dominance of the championship with its Cruze model. Frenchman Yvan Muller became World Champion, fending off tough competition from Gabriele Tarquini and Andy Priaulx to win the first world championship for Chevrolet . Muller continued his success into 2011, winning both drivers championship and helping Chevrolet to its second manufacturers championship after Muller's two teammates finished second and third in

9324-480: 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

9435-546: The threat to public safety, homologation rules were relaxed to permit certain modifications to the race cars. Ostensibly this removed the need to build batches of high speed road cars and improved the durability of the actual race cars. The Group E Series Production Touring Car regulations, which had applied to the 1972 race, were replaced by the new Group C Touring Car regulations for 1973. Upgrades were allowed to seats, lubrication systems, camshafts, carburettors, suspension, brakes and wheel rim sizes. These changes advantaged

9546-502: The time. This class excluded turbochargers and four wheel drive, effectively ending the Nissan's GT-R's eligibility. In response Nissan withdrew from Australian motorsport. The two classes of touring cars competed in the same races for two championships in 1993 . The 1993 Tooheys 1000 was won by Larry Perkins and Gregg Hansford after a race-long duel with the Mark Skaife/Jim Richards Commodore VP . The winner of

9657-465: 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,

9768-446: The use of the circuit. The 1997 Primus 1000 Classic , as it was known, was held two weeks after the traditional race, while the 1998 FAI 1000 was held in mid-November. The 1997 race saw Larry Perkins and Russell Ingall repeat their 1995 triumph, ahead of the father and son combination of Jim and Steven Richards. In 1998, Steven Richards did one better, winning the race with Jason Bright for Stone Brothers Racing . Their Ford EL Falcon

9879-460: 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

9990-420: The year. The Skyline's 1992 victory was particularly controversial. The parochial Bathurst crowd, and touring-car fans in general, had been conditioned to view the Bathurst 1000 as a perpetual struggle between Holden and Ford. Although the Group A racing Commodores and Sierras were far removed from road-going examples, the Nissans were seen as being unfairly advantaged and received considerable negative comment in

10101-465: Was a round of the 1972 Australian Manufacturers' Championship , which was open to Group E Series Production Touring Cars . The race was extended from 500 miles to 1000 kilometres in 1973. The increased pace of the cars had resulted in the 500-mile race distance being achieved earlier each year, and since Australia had converted to the metric system the increased distance was considered more appropriate than 800 km for an endurance race. To reduce

10212-422: Was able to hold out Ford to claim the second victory for Holden. In 1969 there was a multi-car accident on lap one. After the first 10 cars passed through The Esses, contact between two Falcons caused one to roll over. Several cars coming around the blind corner crashed into the stationary car. The track was almost blocked with wreckage but expert flag marshalling enabled the cars to pass through in single file until

10323-465: Was also the first year that an official trophy was awarded to the first team to cover the 500 miles. The 1967 victory of the XR Falcon GT over the smaller Alfa Romeo 1600 GTVs and Mini Coopers surprised many pundits as the Falcon GT was unproven. The highly regarded, and more expensive, Alfa GTV had been seen as the emerging force in touring cars. However, the Falcon GT's V8 power was well suited to

10434-612: 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 265 cu in (4.34 L) in-line HEMI six-cylinder engine with triple Weber carburettors. However, by noon on race day, Moffat

10545-414: Was badly damaged in a practice crash and required lengthy repairs before the race. Both the Super Touring and V8 Supercar races claimed to be the legitimate Bathurst 1000. The V8 Supercars' case was that they were the truly Australian class of racing and, through contractual binding, had the "star" Australian drivers. The Super Touring claim to legitimacy was based on it being held on the traditional date by

10656-726: Was built before it was abandoned. In 2001, the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) was resumed with support from the FIA, the precursor to the current WTCC. In 2001, the Italian Superturismo Championship became the FIA European Super Touring Championship, with an extra class for Super Production cars alongside the main Super Touring class. In 2002, this evolved into the brand new FIA European Touring Car Championship, using Super 2000 rules, dominated by Alfa Romeo and BMW , but popular with

10767-545: 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

10878-523: Was dominated by Holden, which won every Bathurst 1000 from 1999 to 2005. In 1999 , Steven Richards repeated his 1998 triumph, winning with Greg Murphy in their Gibson Motorsport Holden VT Commodore . Richards became the first driver to win consecutively in a Ford and a Holden. This was also the first win for Gibson Motorsport since their wins with Nissan in 1991 and 1992. Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna became Bathurst champions in 2000 with Garry Rogers Motorsport . In 2001 , Mark Skaife, driving for

10989-446: 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. 1972 saw controversy, following a media-driven " Supercar Scare ", which had accumulated enough political momentum to force Holden to postpone introduction of

11100-603: 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 174-metre (571 ft) 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 255 km/h (158 mph), leads into Griffin's Bend, an off-camber right-hander that leads into The Cutting,

11211-478: 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

11322-466: Was invited to fill the void with a 2-litre Super Touring field, featuring a number of British Touring Car Championship drivers and teams, including Alain Menu , John Cleland and Rickard Rydell , joining Australian Super Touring Championship regulars. This 1997 race was won by Paul Morris and Craig Baird in a BMW 320i , but they were later disqualified as Baird had exceeded the mandated time limit for

11433-531: Was not until March 1988 when their Bathurst disqualification was finalised that results were confirmed and Italian Schnitzer Motorsport driver Roberto Ravaglia in a BMW M3 was declared the champion. The Entrants Championship was won by the Eggenberger Texaco Ford No 7 entry. The WTCC lasted only one year and was a victim of its own success — the FIA (and Bernie Ecclestone ) feared it would take money away from Formula One and stopped sanctioning

11544-554: Was open to Group A Touring Cars, was held in 1987 concurrent to the long-running European Touring Car Championship (ETCC). Additional rounds were held outside Europe at Bathurst and Calder Park Raceway in Australia (Calder used a combined circuit of the road course and the then newly constructed NASCAR speedway), Wellington in New Zealand and Mount Fuji in Japan . The Championship

11655-589: 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

11766-729: Was renamed World Touring Car Cup (WTCR). Official factory teams are not allowed, though many drivers and teams receive backing from manufacturers. The WTCC uses Super 2000 and Diesel 2000 cars, as cost control is a major theme in the technical regulation. Super 2000 engines are 1.6 L turbo-charged 4-cylinder engines producing approximately 380 bhp. Wheels are 18" in diameter, and large front and rear aerodynamic devices are permitted. Many technologies that have featured in production cars are not allowed, including variable valve timing , variable intake geometry , ABS brakes and traction control system . Currently, all WTCC races are awarded equal points. From 2010, these points have been based on

11877-935: 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

11988-481: 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

12099-429: Was therefore awarded to third-placed Peter Brock, who drove two of his Holden VL Commodore SS Group A cars during the race. Brock broke his '05' HDT Commodore early in the event so he and co-driver David Parsons took over the team's second car, the #10 Commodore of Peter McLeod , to cross the line third behind the two Sierras. It was to be Brock's ninth and final Bathurst 1000 win. Local Sierra teams dominated and won

12210-552: 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

12321-463: Was well-supported by the factory European teams of Ford , BMW , Maserati and Alfa Romeo (until Alfa withdrew following the European races), but was embroiled in controversy. Unfortunately, the leading BMW Motorsport teams and the Ford Europe backed Eggenberger Motorsport had developed a situation of "you don't protest us, we won't protest you" . While this worked well in the European races, when

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