Supercars Super Preview: Repco Bathurst 1000

Tuesday 30 November, 2021

Photo: Edge Photographics

The Repco Supercars Championship will wrap up its year in style as Mount Panorama hosts the 61st running of the iconic Repco Bathurst 1000.

However, this year will be a little different to previous editions, with the event to be held over six jam packed days of racing action, starting from Tuesday and concluding with the great race on Sunday.

A record 11 categories will be on show throughout the six-day extravaganza – many of which will be running their final rounds of the 2021 season on the greatest stage in Australian motorsport.

Starting with the biggest of the lot – Supercars.

The championship has been thrown many curve balls this year, yet has managed to deliver an entertaining 12-round season with plenty of drama along the way and a four-round stint at Sydney Motorsport Park.

With the title fight officially done and dusted after Shane van Gisbergen built a big enough points lead over Jamie Whincup to secure his second title, teams won’t be worrying about their championship position, meaning they can fully focus on the top prize at Mount Panorama.

This is the third consecutive year that the title has been sealed ahead of the final round, and remarkably just the second time in history where it has been done three-times in a row, the last time being in 1972-1974.

Some other notable milestones to be reached this weekend include Brad Jones Racing’s 300th round start and the 250th start for Mark Winterbottom, who becomes the seventh driver in Australian Touring Cars/Supercars history to do so.

As for the specific entry list, this weekend will see the grid go up to 25 with the one wildcard entry being Broc Feeney and Russell Ingall in the Triple Eight Racing Commodore ZB – the duo entering the round as both the youngest (Feeney) and oldest (Ingall) drivers on the grid.

Outside of Sunday’s 1000-kilometre race, fans will be able to enjoy plenty of action from the remaining categories.

Joining regular Supercars support categories such as Super2/Super 3, the Carrera Cup and the Toyota 86 Series, will be five categories normally part of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships.

From TCR Australia, Touring Car Masters and the National Trans Am Series to the hugely popular S5000 cars, which will be running on the famous Bathurst rounds for the first time ever.

Fans will be able to tune into every session from Wednesday to Sunday via Fox Sports and Kayo while Channel Seven will broadcast on Friday through to Sunday live and free.

For those lucky enough to get to the event, tickets can still be purchased with camping, grandstand and trackside options all still available.

Click here for ticketing information.

The 2021 Repco Bathurst 1000 takes place at Mount Panorama on 30 November – 5 December.

Schedule

Thursday 2 December
10:10am - 11:00am: Practice 1 (all drivers)
4:25pm - 5:25pm - Practice 2 (additional drivers)
Foxtel/Kayo - 8:25-6:30pm

Friday 3 December
10:40am - 11:40am: Practice 3 (additional drivers)
1:30pm - 2:30pm: Practice 4 (all drivers)
4:35pm - 5:15pm: Armor All Qualifying Race 31
Foxtel/Kayo - 8:20 - 6:00pm
Channel Seven: 10:30am - 5:30pm

Saturday 4 December
10:15am - 11:15am: Practice 5 (additional drivers)
12:15pm - 1:15pm: Practice 6 (all drivers)
5:05pm - 5:50pm: Armor All Top 10 Shootout
Foxtel/Kayo - 8:45am - 6:30pm
Channel Seven: 10:00am - 6:00pm

Sunday 5 December
9:10 - 9:30: Warm Up
12:15 - 7:00pm: Race 31 (Bathurst 1000)
Foxtel/Kayo - 8:15 - 8:00pm
Channel Seven: 8:30am - 7:00pm

(All times are marked as AEDT)

Click here to view full schedule.

Championship Top 10

Shane van Gisbergen – 2828 points
Jamie Whincup - 2479
Will Davison - 2233
Chaz Mostert - 2194
Cameron Waters - 2093
Anton De Pasquale - 2075
Nick Percat - 1804
Will Brown - 1748
Mark Winterbottom - 1611
Brodie Kostecki – 1530

Repco Bathurst 1000 grid

#2 Holden Commodore ZB - Bryce Fullwood/Warren Luff
#3 Ford Mustang - Tim Slade/Tim Blanchard
#4 Holden Commodore ZB - Jack Smith/David Wall
#5 Ford Mustang - Jack Le Brocq/Zak Best
#6 Ford Mustang - Cameron Waters/James Moffat
#7 Ford Mustang - Andre Heimgartner/Matt Campbell
#8 Holden Commodore ZB - Nick Percat/Dale Wood
#9 Holden Commodore ZB - Will Brown/Jack Perkins
#11 Ford Mustang - Anton De Pasquale/Tony D'Alberto
#14 Holden Commodore ZB - Todd Hazelwood/Dean Fiore
#17 Ford Mustang - Will Davison/Alex Davison
#18 Holden Commodore ZB - Mark Winterbottom/Michael Caruso
#19 Holden Commodore ZB - Fabian Coulthard/Jonathon Webb
#20 Holden Commodore ZB - Scott Pye/James Golding
#22 Holden Commodore ZB - Garry Jacobson/Dylan O'Keeffe
#25 Holden Commodore ZB - Chaz Mostert/Lee Holdsworth
#26 Ford Mustang - David Reynolds/Luke Youlden
#34 Holden Commodore ZB - Jake Kostecki/Kurt Kostecki
#35 Holden Commodore ZB - Zane Goddard/Jayden Ojeda
#39 Holden Commodore ZB - Broc Feeney/Russel Ingall
#44 Ford Mustang - James Courtney/Thomas Randle
#88 Holden Commodore ZB - Jamie Whincup/Craig Lowndes
#96 Holden Commodore ZB - Macauley Jones/Chris Pither
#97 Holden Commodore ZB - Shane van Gisbergen/Garth Tander
#99 Holden Commodore ZB - Brodie Kostecki/David Russell