Bathurst 1000: Mark Skaife’s predictions and analysis for the 60th anniversary of the great race

Waking up for the Bathurst 1000 was like Christmas morning for a young Mark Skaife. On the 60th anniversary of the great race the six-time winner nominates his favourites for 2023.

There are 10 or 12 combinations that could win Bathurst this year, but based on Sandown form Broc Feeney and Jamie Whincup look like favourites to me.

Having said that, I think there will be some Mustangs that play a bigger role, and I like the look of Chaz Mostert and Lee Holdsworth, given the last time they raced together, they won. Their car seems to get better over the course of the year and throughout the race.

You’ve gotta look to who tunes the car well, and who’s on top in terms of being clever and masterminding a car that’s going to be really good in that last phase. So if you put Mostert in a really good car, he’s going to take a fair bit of beating.

Broc Feeney (L) and Jamie Whincup (R) won at Sandown in September. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

In the modern era, Bathurst has become a long sprint race. Peter Brock won Bathurst in 1979 by six laps, so the level of competition in today’s landscape is massively higher. There are more cars that can win, so you’ve got to do a really good job of thinking on your feet all day.

There are races that you really don’t know who’s going to win until the last half an hour, and if you average out the winning margins over the last 15 years, it’s been less than a second after a thousand kilometres of racing.

Someone who really surprised me at Sandown was Kevin Estre. He’s a Frenchman who’s really highly credentialed around the world, and he’s teamed up with young Matt Payne. He’s a young Kiwi, sort of van Gisbergen-like, he’s only 20 and looks like he’s got a lot of ability.

That combination of the Penrite Mustang and those two surprised me at Sandown, and I’d like to think that would bode well for Bathurst.

Lee Holdsworth (L) and Chaz Mostert (R) are also dangerous. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

This year we’re celebrating the 60th anniversary, and we’ve got such a great following from the sporting heartland. The people who love rugby league, horse racing, cricket and AFL, they’re the same sorts of people who love Supercars.

And with Bathurst, it’s like the Melbourne Cup, people have barbecues and family gatherings and mates get in front of the TV to watch. It’s a really big part of the Australian sporting landscape.

My dad raced at Bathurst in the ‘70s, so as a young bloke, it was like Christmas morning, turning on the television to watch the superstars of the sport.

Bathurst is a major part of the Australian sporting landscape. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

That’s what we’re celebrating with our 60th anniversary.

It’s the glory days of Alan Moffat versus Peter Brock – all those early rivalries were really the basis of why the sport is where it is now.

There’s going to be a lot of commemorative things, and a lot of famous cars and drivers – Larry Perkins will be there driving a completely refurbished version of the car that he won the race in. It looks better than what it did in those days though!

Those kinds of things are a big part of celebrating the 60th anniversary.

Originally published as Bathurst 1000: Mark Skaife’s predictions and analysis for the 60th anniversary of the great race