Bathurst 1000 2022 news: Severe weather warnings to rock the Great Race

Fans have been warned about the danger of camping and driving in heavy storms as drivers brace for a weekend of more than 60mm of rain at the Bathurst 1000.

NOVEMBER 18, 2000 : Spectactors in ankle deep mud whilst camping at Mount Panaroma.

Supercars drivers are bracing for a wet and “wild ride” in the Bathurst 1000 as organisers warned race fans to take precautions ahead of predicted rain across four days of the event.

As two-time Bathurst 1000 champion and Dick Johnson Racing star Will Davison said the wet forecast had put months of planning “out the window”, the SES warned racegoers of potential flooding wiping out campsites at Mount Panorama.

Supercars chief executive Shane Howard said racing would be “proceeding as planned this weekend” as the Bureau of Meteorology issued a bleak forecast for the biggest race of the Supercars calendar.

Racegoers took shelter as rain hammered the Bathurst 1000 in 2019. Picture: AAP

The series has options to navigate heavy rainfall should it look like impacting the race such as bringing the start time forward or a rolling start for safety purposes, but said no decisions would be made until the morning of the race.

In what looms as a wet and chaotic campaign, up to 30mm of rain has been predicted for Saturday – when the top 10 shootout is held – and up to 35mm on Sunday for the race.

Davison, chasing his third Bathurst 1000 title after wins in 2009 and 2016, said the rain had thrown a “spanner in the works” for the team’s preparations.

“It’s not looking good, so plan A is all out the window,” Davison said.

“All our homework and preparation is based around a dry event, we always do an awful lot of preparation coming here.

“I think it will throw a huge spanner in the works, let alone four days of rain, it looks like in the build-up.

Rain lashed Mount Panorama in 2018, but the forecast is worse this year. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“You have got to keep yourself in the game and deal with it as best we can, but certainly it could create a very unpredictable, action-packed race.

“It’s always a pretty wild ride around here in the rain that’s for sure. If we’ve got a full day of it, it’s going to be a seriously taxing day.

“The rain is a part of our sport, it’s a completely different challenge, much easier to make mistakes, but it can be pretty hairy.”

Defending Bathurst champion Chaz Mostert said drivers had to “risk a lot” striving for pace gains in the wet.

“When you are driving the car you are always trying to get 100 per cent of it and around here to try and find that couple of extra tenths of a second of pace, or in the wet probably half a second to a second, you have got to risk a lot,” Mostert said

“We’ll have to wait to see what happens, I hope all the campers are safe and they are not flooded all around the track because I reckon these conditions will be pretty hard on those guys compared to us with a roof over our head and a wiper.”

After campsites were sold out for this year’s event – 6000 in total – the SES warned the “significant amount of rain” that is forecast could lead to campground closures.

“A lot of people will come to town without accommodation booked and will hope to free-camp by parks,” SES spokesman David Rankine told the ABC.

“There are going to be some usual campgrounds, where people might throw up a swag or tent, that are going to be inundated with water.

“People will camp anywhere in those areas and drive out to the race, so we are asking people to be very, very sensible about road conditions.”

Campers carry beer to Mount Panorama during a previous edition of the race.

A boy watches cars in the rain on top of Mount Panorama during a previous Bathurst.

The rain did not stop fans turning out in large numbers for the Bathurst drivers’ parade through the CBD on Wednesday as some drivers braved open-top cars under umbrellas.

Howard was not concerned about predicted wild weather impacting the great race, but urged race fans and campers to “plan accordingly” for the weather.

“The Bathurst 1000, one of Australia’s premier outdoor sporting events will be proceeding as planned this weekend,” Howard said.

“In light of the weather forecast over the coming days, patrons are encouraged to plan accordingly.

“Sessions will begin for all categories on track on Thursday and run through until Sunday’s great race.

“Off track entertainment at the top and bottom of the mountain will also proceed as planned.

“We will act accordingly to ensure the safety of all patrons and competitors at all times.”

Tickford Racing star and dual Bathurst 1000 runner-up Cameron Waters said he would embrace whatever conditions were thrown at the drivers.

“A wet race is going to be interesting, obviously there is a lot of rain forecast for Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Waters said.

“It is what it is, I have been pretty competitive here in the wet in the past, so I’ll just embrace whatever it throws at us.”