In celebration of next month's 60th anniversary running of the Bathurst 1000, the Supercars series is set to honour a host of legendary drivers and machines in a series of displays at this year's Great Race.
The first endurance race held at Mount Panorama was a 500-miler held in 1963, won by Harry Firth and Bob Jane in a Ford Cortina GT.
The race distance was extended to 1000 kilometres in 1973, with the Australian racing world turning its attention to the regional New South Wales town every October.
At this year's Bathurst 1000 several of the race's most illustrious cars will take part in the special demonstration paying tribute to the event's history.
Featured cars will include Larry Perkins and Greg Hansford's 1993-winning VP Holden Commodore and the Betta Electrical BA Falcon driven by Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup to their famous 2006 win.
A who's who list of winning drivers will also take part in the demonstrations, with the likes of Lowndes, Perkins, Whincup, Mark Skaife and more set to appear in on and off track celebrations.
The 2023 event also marks the 45th anniversary of the first Top Ten Shootout at Mount Panorama, unsurprisingly topped by Peter Brock in 1978.
A number of iconic Shootout cars will be stationed in the Harris Park precinct along pit straight, including that of Marcos Ambrose's 2001 Pirtek Ford Falcon, the 1990 pole-winning Allan Moffat Enterprises ANZ Ford Sierra, and others.
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"We are thrilled to be bringing some of Bathurst's most storied drivers and cars together in commemoration of an incredible six decades of history at Mount Panorama," said Supercars CEO, Shane Howard.
"Bathurst is of course one of the great circuits in world motorsport, and the Bathurst 1000 is its crown jewel.
"Celebrating an iconic milestone at such an iconic event, with so many prized pieces of its history, will make for a truly memorable occasion.
"These very special displays with some of Bathurst's most beloved cars and names are a tremendous way to celebrate over 60 years of history at the Bathurst 1000, and we cannot wait to write another chapter in its history in just a few short weeks."
This article first appeared in the Western Advocate.
