Safe to say there’s plenty of intrigue heading into the historic 60th running of the Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama.
It’s set to be the final appearance for reigning champion Shane van Gisbergen before his move to the US, as he attempts to dethrone surprise Supercars title leader Brodie Kostecki, in one of the closest championship races we’ve seen in some time.
But it’s not just the tight leaderboard pointing to plenty of potential winners – it’s the glaring parity question hanging over the sport.
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MORE BATHURST
THE HISTORY: Cruel ‘consequences’, $3m bargain and unique ‘character’ that created motorsport’s ‘grand final’
It’s unclear whether a parity adjustment will be made for the Fords or Chevrolets heading into the Bathurst 1000, with Shell V-Power Racing Team Principal Ben Croke saying this week he’s concerned about the Fords if an adjustment isn’t made.
“Look, if nothing changes, we have pretty big concerns about how we’ll perform,” he told Speedcafe.
“If some stuff changes, I’m pretty hopeful that we should be able to compete and compete well.”
Thankfully it’s unlikely we’ll see a repeat of last year’s wet weather madness, with a 95% chance of rain on Wednesday, but just a 10% chance on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
Fox Sports’ special Bathurst Channel has returned, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Great Race’s first run at Mount Panorama, running from Monday October 2 until raceday on Sunday October 8.
Fox Sports will broadcast over 40 hours of live programming plus three all-new 60-minute Bathurst specials – the 2023 Bathurst Preview Show (Monday 6:30pm), Fox Theatre: Bathurst 2022 (Tuesday 6:30pm) and Beyond the Chase, a special on the 2014 event (Saturday 6:30pm) – along with the regular, much-loved throwback broadcasts.
WEATHER FORECAST
While we’re not expected to get a replay of last year’s wet weather madness, apart from a 95% chance of rain on Wednesday, it’s going to be frosty at the mountain.
BOM is predicting lows near freezing on Friday and Sunday mornings before tops in the high teens.
Thursday: Min 3, Max 13, 40% rain
Friday: Min 1, Max 19, 10% rain
Saturday: Min 4, Max 18, 10% rain
Sunday: Min 1, Max 20, 5% rain
BATHURST 1000
Mount Panorama, Thursday October 5 to Sunday October 8
Full Supercars Schedule (All times AEDT)
Thursday
1:20pm – 2:20pm: Supercars Practice 1 (all drivers)
4:50pm – 5:50pm: Supercars Practice 2 (co-drivers)
Fox Sports broadcast: 7:25am to 6:15pm
Friday
10am – 11am: Supercars Practice 3 (all drivers)
1:05pm – 2:05pm: Supercars Practice 4 (all drivers)
4:15pm – 4:55pm: Supercars Qualifying
Fox Sports broadcast: 7:25am to 5:30pm
Saturday
10am – 11am: Supercars Practice 5 (co-drivers)
1pm – 2pm: Supercars Practice 6 (all drivers)
5:05pm – 5:50pm: Supercars Top Ten Shootout
Fox Sports broadcast: 8:15am to 6:30pm
Sunday
8am – 8:20pm: Supercars Warm Up
9am – 9:20am: Supercars Drivers Parade
11:15am: Supercars Race 24, Bathurst 1000 (161 laps)
Fox Sports broadcast: 7:15am to 7pm
HOW TO WATCH BATHURST
Every session of the Bathurst 1000 will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo.
– The dedicated Bathurst 1000 channel will run from Monday October 2 to Sunday October 8 on Fox Sports 506.
– On-air times for LIVE racing on Fox Sports:
Thursday October 5: 7:25am – 6:15pm
Friday October 6: 7:25am – 5:30pm
Saturday October 7: 8:15am – 6:30pm
Sunday October 8: 7:15am – 7pm (Race begins 11.15am)
The BEST finishes in Bathurst history! | 08:04
LAST YEAR’S PODIUM
1. Shane Van Gisbergen/Garth Tander (Red Bull Ampol Racing/Holden Commodore)
2. Chaz Mostert/Fabian Coulthard (Walkinshaw Andretti United/Holden Commodore)
3. Cam Waters/James Moffat (Tickford Racing/Ford Mustang)
THE RACE
Laps: 161
The track: 6.213km
Average speed: 178km/h
Top speed: 300km/h
2023 SUPERCARS STANDINGS (pre-Bathurst weekend)
1. Brodie Kostecki (Coca-Cola Racing by Erebus/Chevrolet Camaro) – 2171 pts
2. Shane van Gisbergen (Red Bull Ampol Racing/Chevrolet Camaro) – 2016 pts
3. Broc Feeney (Red Bull Ampol Racing/Chevrolet Camaro) – 1967 pts
4. Will Brown (Coca-Cola Racing by Erebus/Chevrolet Camaro) – 1877 pts
5. Andre Heimgartner (Brad Jones Racing/Chevrolet Camaro) – 1680 pts
6. Chaz Mostert (Walkinshaw Andretti United/Ford Mustang) – 1660 pts
7. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing/Ford Mustang) – 1550 pts
8. Jack Le Brocq (Truck Assist Racing/Chevrolet Camaro) – 1385 pts
9. Will Davison (Shell V-Power Racing Team/Ford Mustang) – 1375 pts
10. Anton De Pasquale (Shell V-Power Racing Team/Ford Mustang) – 1314 pts
11. Bryce Fullwood (Brad Jones Racing/Chevrolet Camaro) – 1314 pts
12. Mark Winterbottom (Team 18/Chevrolet Camaro) – 1294 pts
13. Tim Slade (Nulon Racing/Chevrolet Camaro) – 1209 pts
14. Scott Pye (Team 18/Chevrolet Camaro) – 1170 pts
15. James Golding (Nulon Racing/Chevrolet Camaro) – 1146 pts
16. Matthew Payne (Penrite Racing/Ford Mustang) – 1139 pts
17. Thomas Randle (Castrol Racing & Tradie Racing/Ford Mustang) – 1139 pts
18. James Courtney (Tickford Racing/Ford Mustang) – 1127 pts
19. David Reynolds (Penrite Racing/Ford Mustang) – 1038 pts
20. Todd Hazelwood (CoolDrive Racing/Ford Mustang) – 981 pts
Bathurst Flashback 2016: The Crash | 03:19
BATHURST 1000 ODDS
Correct as of 4pm Monday, via Sportsbet
Shane Van Gisbergen/Richie Stanaway $4
Brodie Kostecki/David Russell $5
Chaz Mostert/Lee Holdsworth $5.50
Will Brown/Jack Perkins $5.50
Cam Waters/James Moffat $6.50
Broc Feeney/Jamie Whincup $7
Will Davison/Alex Davison $13
Anton de Paquale/Tony D’Alberto $15
Andre Heimgartner/Dale Wood $15
David Reynolds/Garth Tander $26
Nick Percat/Fabian Coulthard $31
Others available at $71 or longer
BATHURST 2023 GRID/ENTRY LIST
2 Walkinshaw Andretti United Nick Percat/Fabian Coulthard Ford Mustang
25 Walkinshaw Andretti United Chaz Mostert/Lee Holdsworth Ford Mustang
3 Blanchard Racing Team Todd Hazelwood/Tim Blanchard Ford Mustang
Blanchard Racing Team Jake Kostecki/Aaron Love Ford Mustang
4 Brad Jones Racing Jack Smith/Jaxon Evans Chevrolet Camaro
8 Brad Jones Racing Andre Heimgartner/Dale Wood Chevrolet Camaro
14 Brad Jones Racing Bryce Fullwood/Dean Fiore Chevrolet Camaro
96 Brad Jones Racing Macauley Jones/Jordan Boys Chevrolet Camaro
5 Tickford Racing James Courtney/Zak Best Ford Mustang
6 Tickford Racing Cam Waters/James Moffat Ford Mustang
55 Tickford Racing Thomas Randle/Garry Jacobson Ford Mustang
56 Tickford Racing Declan Fraser/Tyler Everingham Ford Mustang
9 Erebus Motorsport Will Brown/Jack Perkins Chevrolet Camaro
99 Erebus Motorsport Brodie Kostecki/David Russell Chevrolet Camaro
11 Dick Johnson Racing Anton De Pasquale/Tony D’Alberto Ford Mustang
17 Dick Johnson Racing Will Davison/Alex Davison Ford Mustang
98 Dick Johnson Racing Kai Allen/Simona De Silvestro Ford Mustang
18 Team 18 Mark Winterbottom/Michael Caruso Chevrolet Camaro
20 Team 18 Scott Pye/Warren Luff Chevrolet Camaro
19 Grove Racing Matt Payne/Kevin Estre Ford Mustang
26 Grove Racing David Reynolds/Garth Tander Ford Mustang
23 PremiAir Racing Tim Slade/Jonathon Webb Chevrolet Camaro
31 PremiAir Racing James Golding/Dylan O’Keeffe Chevrolet Camaro
34 Matt Stone Racing Jack Le Brocq/Jayden Ojeda Chevrolet Camaro
35 Matt Stone Racing Cameron Hill/Jaylyn Robotham Chevrolet Camaro
88 Triple Eight Race Engineering Broc Feeney/Jamie Whincup Chevrolet Camaro
97 Triple Eight Race Engineering Shane van GisbergenRichie Stanaway Chevrolet Camaro
888 Triple Eight Race Engineering Zane Goddard/Craig Lowndes Chevrolet Camaro
BATHURST 1000 SESSION TIMES
Thursday, October 5
0700-0715 Resident Access Gates Closed
0725-0745 Sport Sedans Practice 1
0755-0815 V8 SuperUtes Practice
0825-0845 Toyota 86 Practice 1
0855-0945 Porsche Carrera Cup Practice
1000-1040 Dunlop Series Practice 1
1055-1115 Sport Sedans Practice 2
1125-1145 V8 SuperUtes Qualifying
1150-1230 PIRTEK Pit Stop Challenge
1200-1230 Resident Access
1245-1305 Toyota 86 Practice 2
1320-1420 Supercars Practice 1 (All Drivers)
1430-1445 Entertainment
1450-1530 Dunlop Series Practice 2
1545-1605 Porsche Carrera Cup Qualifying
1615-1635 Sport Sedans Qualifying
1650-1750 Supercars Practice 2 (Co-Drivers)
1755 Resident Gates Open
Friday, October 6
0700-0715 Resident Access Gates Closed
0725-0745 Toyota 86 Qualifying
0755-0815 Sport Sedans Race 1 (6 laps)
0825-0845 V8 SuperUtes Race 1 (6 laps)
0855-0910 Dunlop Series DS3 Qualifying
0920-0935 Dunlop Series DS2 Qualifying
0935-0950 Entertainment
1000-1100 Supercars Practice 3 (All Drivers)
1115-1135 Sport Sedans Race 1 (6 laps)
1150-1220 Resident Access
1235-1255 Toyota 86 Race 1 (6 laps)
1305-1405 Supercars Practice 4 (All Drivers)
1405-1415 Entertainment
1420-1500 Porsche Carrera Cup Race 1 (15 laps)
1515-1600 Dunlop Series Race 1
1615-1655 Supercars Qualifying
1655-1710 Entertainment
1755EventsResident Gates Open
Saturday, October 7
0700-0715 Resident Access Gates Closed
0715-0805 Safety & Course Car Rides
0815-0840 V8 SuperUtes Race 2 (8 laps)
0855-0910 Dunlop Series DS3 Qualifying
0920-0935 Dunlop Series DS2 Qualifying
0940-0950 Entertainment
1000-1100 Supercars Practice 5 (Co-Drivers)
1115-1135 Sport Sedans Race 3 (6 laps)
1150-1220 Resident Access
1235-1250 Entertainment
1300-1400 Supercars Practice 6 (All Drivers)
1415-1435 V8 SuperUtes Race 2 (6 laps)
1445-1505 Toyota 86 Race 2 (6 laps)
1515-1540 Porsche Carrera Cup Race 2 (9 laps)
1555-1640 Dunlop Series Race 2
1650-1700 Entertainment
1705-1750 Supercars Top Ten Shootout
1750 Resident Gates Open
Sunday, October 8
0725-0745 V8 SuperUtes Race 4 (6 laps)
0800-0820 Supercars Warm Up
0830-0850 Toyota 86 Race 3 (6 laps)
0900-0920 Supercars Kenworth Drivers Parade
0930-0955 Porsche Carrera Cup Race 3 (9 laps)
1005-1025 Legends Parade
1115 Supercars Race 24 (161 laps)