Few circuits in the world hold the same place in motorsport as Mount Panorama, with the iconic Bathurst venue continuing to challenge drivers and create unforgettable moments ahead of this Sunday’s edition of the Repco Bathurst 1000.
Located in Bathurst, New South Wales, Mount Panorama Circuit opened in 1938 and has since become one of Australia’s most recognisable sporting landmarks, attracting competitors, teams and fans from across the globe.
Known affectionately as The Mountain, the 6.213-kilometre circuit features 23 turns, dramatic elevation changes and a combination of high-speed straights and narrow, technical corners that make it one of the most demanding tracks on the motorsport landscape.
The circuit’s unique layout takes drivers from the start-finish straight up Mountain Straight, through the challenging corners at the top of the mountain and down the other side onto Conrod Straight, before returning to the pit complex.
With gradients as steep as 9.27 degrees and a highest point of 862 metres above sea level, the circuit rewards precision, confidence and consistency.
Mount Panorama is best known as the home of the Bathurst 1000, first contested at the venue in 1963.
Over the decades, the race has developed into one of Australian motorsport’s most prestigious events, with victory at Bathurst representing a career-defining achievement for many drivers.
Few competitors are more closely associated with the circuit than Peter Brock, whose nine Bathurst 1000 victories earned him the title of King of the Mountain.
His remarkable record includes seven wins between 1975 and 1984, cementing his place among the sport’s greatest competitors.
Other legends have also made their mark, including Allan Moffat, Dick Johnson, Larry Perkins, Craig Lowndes, Garth Tander and Mark Skaife. More recently, drivers such as Shane van Gisbergen, Scott McLaughlin, Chaz Mostert and last year’s winner Matt Payne have added their names to the circuit’s modern history.
Three stories at Bathurst spring to mind, among the countless amount of them:
Allan Moffat and co-driver Jacky Ickx won the 1977 Bathurst 1000 in a Ford Falcon, with teammates Colin Bond and Alan Hamilton finishing second. Moffat famously slowed on the final lap so the two Falcons could cross the line together, creating one of the most iconic images in Australian touring car history.
In 1995, Larry Perkins and Russell Ingall looked out of contention after an early puncture left their Holden Commodore a lap behind. However, they fought their way back into contention before leader Glenn Seton suffered a late mechanical failure, handing Perkins and Ingall a remarkable victory. It remains one of the great comeback stories in the race’s history.
In 2006, just weeks after the passing of his mentor Peter Brock, Craig Lowndes teamed up with Jamie Whincup to win the Bathurst 1000 – his and Triple Eight Race Engineering’s first Bathurst win aboard a Ford Falcon. Lowndes had paid tribute to Brock during the morning parade lap, driving Brock’s famous 1972-winning Torana, before going on to secure a hugely emotional victory that became one of the defining moments of his career.
These stories are just a few, of the many tales that has made Mount Panorama a place of wonder and history within Australia’s motorsport lore.
Beyond the Bathurst 1000, Mount Panorama hosts a variety of major events, including the Bathurst 12 Hour, which attracts international GT competitors and manufacturers, as well as the Bathurst 6 Hour and other circuit racing categories.
Despite its reputation as a world-class racing venue, Mount Panorama remains a public road outside major events, allowing visitors to experience the famous circuit for themselves.
The National Motor Racing Museum, located near Murray’s Corner, further celebrates the people, cars and stories that have shaped Australian motorsport.
More than 85 years after its first races, The Mountain continues to deliver the drama, history and spectacle that make Bathurst one of the most anticipated weekends on the Australian motorsport calendar.
