Exactly one month remains until the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship heads to New South Wales for one of the biggest annual events – the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

 

For more than 55 years, motor sport fans from around the country have made their way to the regional NSW town for the 1000km endurance event and witness history being made year on year.

 

In 2019, there will be no difference when the championship lines up again, only this time there will be extra sentiment for one particular supporter of the sport.

 

That supporter being Castrol.

 

The engine oil company is celebrating their 100th anniversary this year and while it’s been a party all year, the 62nd running of the famous 161 lap race will certainly be one of the high points.

 

Since the first running of the endurance race in 1963, the engine oil company has been there and continued to provide their support for a number of driving greats.

 

Their dedication to providing their drivers with the best possible product is constantly shown through the success gained during the past 61 runnings of the iconic event.

 

Even more symbolic of their strong form at Mount Panorama is the fact they currently hold the all time record for an oil manufacturer with the most wins, partnering up with a host of big time drivers, including the legendary Peter Brock.

 

Brock was almost unstoppable when he was partnered with Castrol, picking up eight of his nine wins in Bathurst with Castrol, his first coming in 1972.

 

It wasn’t just Brock who found success on the mountain using Castrol, with many other Supercar Hall of Fame inductees such as Colin Bond, John Goss, Bob Jane and John Harvey all enjoying impressive records there.

 

While Castrol has dominated the mountain in a historical sense, its more modern alumni include the likes of Tony Longhurst, Jim Richards, Greg Murphy and Larry Perkins, the latter managing to claim six first place podiums of his own.

 

In more recent times, Rick Kelly has represented the brand with class and in celebration of this century milestone, Kelly has been donning his Nissan Altima in the colours of Castrol - changed up the livery at multiple rounds to continue the birthday celebration celebrate.

 

At Bathurst one month from now, Kelly will line up again with the special milestone engraved on the side of his car’s livery, inspired by the history of the brand. The final livery will be chosen by fans and Kelly will certainly be hoping to add his name to the already impressive list of Castrol affiliated Bathurst winners.