Rugby League has State of Origin, horse racing has the Melbourne Cup and Australian motorsport has the Bathurst 1000.
Taking place on the side of the picturesque Mt. Panorama, the Bathurst 1000 is the undisputed highlight of the V8 Supercars calendar. Trusted Travel was lucky enough to be there for a full weekend of thrills, spills and high-octane action.
After a long drive across the scenic Blue Mountains, we checked into our hotel in the regional city of Orange and got to know each other over hearty dinners at the local club. With a good mix of fans in the group the weekend got off to a flyer with jokes, good times and, of course, some good-natured Ford vs Holden banter.
Having a 3-day pass meant that we were lucky enough to not only experience the great race itself but all of the carnival-like atmosphere of the lead up. Cruising around trackside, meeting legends of the track (including eventual race winner Chas Mostert) and listening to the roar of the Carrera Cup Porches’ are part and parcel of the full Bathurst experience.
No trip to Bathurst is complete without a full explore of the racetrack so on Saturday afternoon, we loaded into Mt. Panorama’s accessible shuttle and toured the entire facility including spending time atop the mountain to see the famous Brock’s Skyline and The Dipper, two of the most infamous corners in world motorsport.
That afternoon we settled into our spot for the Top Ten Shootout, known as the most exhilarating lap in Australian car racing. The Top 10 qualifiers had only one lap, going pedal-to-the-metal in their goal of claiming the coveted pole position. Holden’s Chas Mostert set a Supercars track record with a blistering lap and Trusted Travel were lucky enough to see it from our perfect vantage point looking down Conrod straight, the cars flying towards us at up to 300km/h.
Sunday was the big day and as is always the case for The Great Race, is was not without its drama. Crashes, blown tyres and daring passes are the norm for the Bathurst 1000 and this year’s race even saw a safety car for the most Aussie reason you could imagine; an Echidna had made its way onto the track!
After 7 gruelling hours and 1000kms, Mostert crossed the line first to the cheers of the Holden fans. Cam Waters in his Tickford Racing Ford Mustang came in 2nd giving the Ford guys something to cheer about too.
As usual, Trusted Travel’s yearly trek to the Bathurst 1000 was a massive success. We can’t wait to see what drama The Great Race will throw at us next year!
