Supercars, Bathurst 2018 race schedule and times
SUPERCARS veteran Craig Lowndes will contest his 25th and final Bathurst 1000 this weekend. Don’t miss a second of the action with this ultimate guide to the weekend.
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Bathurst 2018 schedule: What time are the races?
SUPERCARS championship leader Shane van Gisberegen is trying to avoid getting caught up in the mystique surrounding the Bathurst 1000, but admits it’s difficult.
The Red Bull Holden Racing Team driver and 2016 Supercars champion will team up with fellow New Zealander Earl Bamber for this weekend’s race.
His best Bathurst 1000 finish was a second in his championship-winning year. “I think people get wound up in the race and the mystique of it and that’s what I’m trying not to do the last few years, but you just can’t help it,” van Gisbergen said.
“It’s such a massive race all your heroes have won there and when you get there, you get pretty excited.”
How V8 Supercars will smash land speed records time and again
► Watch Bathurst 1000 in stunning 4K on Fox Sports this weekend
FULL WEEKEND SCHEDULE (All times AEST)*
THURSDAY OCTOBER 4
07:15 - 07:35 Toyota 86 Racing Series Practice 120 mins
07:45 - 08:05 Touring Car Masters Practice 20 mins
08:15 - 08:35 ECB SuperUtes Series Practice 120 mins
08:45 - 09:25 Dunlop Super2 Series Practice 140 mins
09:35 - 10:35 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship Practice 160 mins
10:45 - 11:35 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Practice 50 mins
12:55 - 13:55 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship Practice 2 - Co-Drivers Only 60 mins
14:05 - 14:25 Toyota 86 Racing Series Practice 2 20 mins
14:35 - 14:55 ECB SuperUtes Series Practice 2 20 mins
15:05 - 16:05 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship Practice 3 60 mins
16:15 - 16:35 Touring Car Masters Qualifying 20 mins
16:45 - 17:15 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Qualifying 30 mins
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FRIDAY OCTOBER 05
07:25 - 07:45 ECB SuperUtes SeriesARMOR ALL Qualifying 20 mins
07:55 - 08:15 Toyota 86 Racing Series Qualifying 20 mins
08:30 - 09:30 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship Practice 4 - Co-Drivers Only 60 mins
10:20 - 11:00 Dunlop Super2 Series Practice 240 mins
11:15 - 12:15 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship Practice 5 60 mins
13:35 - 13:55 ECB SuperUtes Series Race 16 laps
14:05 - 14:50 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Race 116 laps
15:05 - 15:35 Dunlop Super2 SeriesARMOR ALL Qualifying 30 mins
15:50 - 16:30 Virgin Australia Supercars ChampionshipARMOR ALL Qualifying - Race 25 40 mins
16:45 - 17:05 Touring Car Masters Race 16 laps
SATURDAY OCTOBER 06
07:55 - 08:10 Touring Car Masters Trophy Race 4 laps
08:20 - 08:40 Toyota 86 Racing Series Race 16 laps
08:55 - 09:15 ECB SuperUtes Series Race 26 laps
09:30 - 09:45 Dunlop Super2 Series Warm Up 15 mins
10:00 - 11:00 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship Practice 6 60 mins
11:10 - 11:30 Toyota 86 Racing Series Race 26 laps
12:50 - 13:10 ECB SuperUtes Series Race 36 laps
13:20 - 13:40 Touring Car Masters Race 26 laps
13:50 - 14:15 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Race 29 laps
14:55 - 16:35 Dunlop Super2 Series Race 141 laps
17:10 - 17:55 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship ARMOR ALL Top Ten Shootout - Race 25 45 mins
SUNDAY OCTOBER 07
07:30 - 07:50 Toyota 86 Racing Series Race 36 laps
08:05 - 08:25 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship Warm Up 20 mins
08:35 - 08:55 Touring Car Masters Race 36 laps
09:05 - 09:20 On Track Entertainment Kenworth Driver’s Parade 15 mins
09:30 - 09:55 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Race 39 laps
10:05 - 10:20 On Track Entertainment Heroes and Legends Parade 15 mins
11:10 - 18:00 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship Race 25 161 laps
DRIVERS TO WATCH AT THE BATHURST 1000
JAMIE WHINCUP (Holden) The seven-time series champion may have claimed four Bathurst titles but he has been ruing his luck at the mountain since his last win back in 2012. Arguably the cruellest result was in 2016 when Whincup crossed the line first, only to be relegated to 11th after a post-race penalty for causing a late crash. Has won the last two races including Bathurst warm-up Sandown 500. Co-driver is Paul Dumbrell.
CRAIG LOWNDES (Holden) Crowd favourite Lowndes promises a fitting finale in what will be his last Bathurst as a full-time driver. In his 25th crack at the Great Race, the 44-year-old Holden driver is aiming to move his Bathurst victory tally to seven - equal second with Jim Richards behind King of the Mountain Peter Brock’s nine. Returns next year as an enduros co-driver. For the fifth-straight year Steven Richards will be Lowndes’ Bathurst co-driver.
SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN (Ford) The Kiwi will arrive at Mount Panorama in need of some self confidence after letting his Supercars series lead slip in the past month. At one stage appearing unstoppable with five wins in seven races this year, McLaughlin now must try to reel in Holden’s Shane van Gisbergen’s 55-point series lead with a maiden Bathurst victory. The 25-year-old has never made a Bathurst podium in six attempts. Co-driver is Alexandre Premat.
SHANE VAN GISBERGEN (Holden) Best finish is second in 2016 but few are discounting the series leader’s challenge at Mount Panorama this year. The Kiwi won’t assess his hopes of a second Supercars championship until after the enduros but can blow out his series lead with a whopping 300 points on offer for the Bathurst winner. Co- driver is Bathurst rookie Earl Bamber, a two-time Le Mans 24 Hour winner.
DAVID REYNOLDS (Holden) Once more famous for making the “shoey” popular, Supercars funny man Reynolds was taken seriously when he claimed his maiden Bathurst crown last year. A controversial figure off track thanks to his infamous description of an all- female team back in 2015, Reynolds is now considered the real deal on it. Currently fifth, Reynolds will hope to make a play for a maiden championship by becoming the first back-to-back Bathurst winner since Whincup-Lowndes in 2008. Co-driver is again Luke Youlden.
BATHURST 1000 ROLE OF HONOUR - MOST WINS
Nine - Peter Brock (1972, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987)
Seven - Jim Richards (1978, 1979, 1980, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2002)
Six - Craig Lowndes* (1996, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2015); Larry Perkins (1982, 1983, 1984, 1993, 1995, 1997), Mark Skaife (1991, 1992, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2010)
Four - Jamie Whincup* (2006, 2007, 2008, 2012); Steven Richards* (1998, 1999, 2013, 2015); Greg Murphy (1996, 1999, 2003, 2004); Allan Moffat (1970, 1971, 1973, 1977); Harry Firth (1961, 1962, 1963, 1967); Bob Jane (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964).
Three - Garth Tander* (2000, 2009, 2011); Dick Johnson (1981, 1989, 1994)
Two - Will Davison* (2009, 2016); Rick Kelly* (2003, 2004); Tony Longhurst (1988, 2001); Russell Ingall (1995, 1997); John Bowe (1989, 1994); Allan Grice (1986, 1990); John Goss (1974, 1985).
*denotes active driver
► Watch Bathurst 1000 in stunning 4K on Fox Sports this weekend