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137-551: Mount Panorama Circuit , officially Mount Panorama , is a motor racing track located in Bathurst , New South Wales , Australia . It is situated on Mount Panorama and is best known as the home of the Bathurst 1000 motor race held each October, and the Bathurst 12 Hour event held each February. The track is a 6.213 km (3.861 mi) long street circuit , which is used as a public road when no racing events are being run, with many residences which can only be accessed from

274-481: A Rogers AF01/V8 . The fastest lap on the original circuit layout was a 2:09.7 set by Formula 5000 driver Niel Allen in 1970, driving a McLaren M10B - Chevrolet . Faster laps have been recorded at Mount Panorama but are not recognised as lap records as they were not set during an officially sanctioned session. As part of publicity for the 2011 Australian Grand Prix , McLaren provided a MP4-23 Formula One car for Jenson Button and Craig Lowndes . Button recorded

411-512: A Supercars regular, once described the circuit as "A mix of the (Nürburgring) Nordschleife , Petit Le Mans ( Road Atlanta ) and Laguna Seca ". Nürburgring 24 Hours winner Kévin Estre claimed that "half of the track is the Nordschleife, half of the track is Macau ". The Pit Straight of Mount Panorama, which is adjacent to the pit complex, has a different start line and finish line. For

548-498: A compression ratio of 10:1. The Holden teams had the option of using the Group A -developed 5.0-litre Holden V8 engine , although this was restricted to the second-tier privateer teams from 1994 onwards, forcing the major Holden runners to use the more expensive Chevrolet engine. The V8s were first eligible to compete in the endurance races of 1992 . The distinctive aerodynamics package, consisting of large front and rear spoilers ,

685-699: A new street race on a shortened version of the Adelaide Grand Prix Circuit became one of the first festival-style events, which would become common in later years. Australia's capital city, Canberra , hosted its first event on the Canberra Street Circuit in 2000 . In 2001 , a championship round was held in New Zealand for the first time, at Pukekohe Park Raceway . In 2002 , the V8 Supercar support event at

822-548: A 2:16.16 in official qualifying. As of November 2024, the fastest official race lap records at Mount Panorama Circuit are listed as: The inaugural race held at the Mount Panorama Circuit was the 1938 Junior Tourist Trophy for motorcycles. Mount Panorama hosted the Australian motorcycle Grand Prix nine times in the era before the event became part of the world championship . The Australian Grand Prix

959-420: A 60% share and TEGA the other 40%. A new board of directors was appointed, with two TEGA representatives and two AMRP representatives. In 2011, Archer Capital purchased a 65% shareholding in the series with the teams owning the other 35%. In December 2021, both Archer Capital and the teams sold their shareholdings to Race Australia Consolidated Enterprises. In the middle of 2008, a project led by Mark Skaife

1096-569: A 75% share in AVESCO, with SEL owning the other 25%. TEGA was responsible for the rules and technical management of the series and the supply of cars and drivers, while SEL was responsible for capturing and maintaining broadcasting rights, sponsorship, licensing, and sanction agreements. The expansion of the series began in 1998 , with the first round to be held in the Northern Territory taking place at Hidden Valley Raceway . In 1999 ,

1233-663: A Ford and Holden duopoly in 2020 with the departure of Nissan, while Ford replaced the Falcon with the Mustang in 2019. Holden announced its final year of competition in 2022, to be replaced by the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the 2023 season. Starting in 2026, Toyota will make its debut in the championship, competing with the GR Supra . The concept of a formula centred around V8-engined Fords and Holdens for

1370-451: A Formula 3 event was added as a support race for the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2012. It is registered as a Grade 3 racing circuit by the FIA . Grade 3 racing circuits are permitted to hold FIA-sanctioned events with cars with a weight/power ratio of 2–3 kg/hp, which includes all current Australian domestic racing categories except S5000 (which were consequently modified to reduce maximum power for

1507-643: A concrete barrier and clipped the roof of a marshals ' post. The car then slid down the track and came to a halt at the apex of Forrest's Elbow. The accident saw the entry withdrawn from the event and caused qualifying to be red flagged and postponed. Mostert suffered season-ending leg and wrist injuries as his leg made contact with the floor shifter in the crash. Forrest's Elbow is named after Arthur Ronald 'Jack' Forrest (19 February 1920 -- 12 August 2002), an Australian motor cycle racer born in Wellington, New South Wales. 'Jack' crashed his Norton International during

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1644-466: A dirty and dusty track surface. After Reid Park, there is a steep drop which flows into a climbing left-hand turn, heading towards the highest point of Mount Panorama. This is the location of Sulman Park and its nature park. Peter Brock had his first major crash at Bathurst here when he crashed his Holden Racing Team Commodore VP into retirement on lap 138 of the 1994 Tooheys 1000 . Jason Bright crashed here in his Ford EL Falcon in practice during

1781-433: A distance of eight miles. It was won by the locomotive of Isaac Watt Boulton , one of six he said he had run over the years, perhaps driven by his 22-year-old son, James W. The race was against Daniel Adamson's carriage, likely the one made for Mr. Schmidt and perhaps driven by Mr. Schmidt himself. The reports do not indicate who was driving, since both were violating the red-flag law then fully in force. Boulton's carriage

1918-460: A fatal heart attack while at the wheel of his car. Two spectators were also killed in 1955 after being struck by a crashing car. Motor racing Different manifestations of motorsport with their own objectives and specific rules are called disciplines. Examples include circuit racing , rallying and trials . Governing bodies, also called sanctioning bodies, often have general rules for each discipline, but allow supplementary rules to define

2055-545: A front spoiler and splitter ,and a rear wing . The aerodynamics package for each manufacturer is homologated after a series of tests which ensure that the different body styles produce near-identical downforce and drag numbers. By modern racing vehicle standards, Supercars have relatively low amounts of downforce. This is intended to make it easier to follow other cars, and make the handling more similar to road cars. The Gen 3 cars were originally reported to produce about 140 kg of downforce at 200 km/h, similar to

2192-593: A high-speed test, car handling manoeuvres can be tested such as precision drifting , donuts, handbrake turns, reversing and so on. Other disciplines of automobile sport include: The international motorcycle sport governing body recognised by the International Olympic Committee is the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Disciplines include: The international powerboating governing body recognised by

2329-591: A hill, at private and closed roadways where higher speeds and distances can be reached than at an autotesting course for example. Time attack are terms used by series that run sprints at racing circuits where competitors try to set the quickest lap time rather than racing head-to-head with others. Time trials are run by the Sports Car Club of America , amongst others. Rallysprints are mainly sanctioned and held in continental Europe. Ultimately, they are similar to other time trial sprints but originate from

2466-516: A mid-mounted gearbox; the repositioning of the fuel tank to in front of the rear axle to improve safety; replacing the windscreen with a polycarbonate unit; and a switch from 17 inches (430 mm) to 18 inches (460 mm) wheels. In 2011, it was announced that the Car of the Future would not be introduced until 2013 . In February 2012, Nissan confirmed that they would enter the series under Car of

2603-452: A race is between competitors running head-to-head, in its International Sporting Code, the FIA defines racing as two or more cars competing on the same course simultaneously. Circuit racing takes place on sealed-surface courses at permanent autodromes or on temporary street circuits . Competitors race over a set number of laps of the circuit with the winner being the first to finish, or for

2740-440: A road-registerable Porsche 911 GT3 RS . Revisions in 2024 are stated to produce about 20% more downforce. The minimum weight of each car is 1,335 kilograms (2,943 lb) including the driver and excluding the fuel, with a minimum load of 725 kg over the front axle. The minimum weight for the driver is 95 kg and includes the driver dressed in a full racing suit the seat and seat mountings and any ballast needed to meet

2877-464: A sealed surface such as asphalt or concrete. Notable off-road races on open terrain include the Baja 1000 desert race, organised by SCORE International . The FIA authorise Extreme E , an electric off-road series whose organisers have announced a hydrogen fuel series, Extreme H, to begin in 2025. Examples of off-road racing disciplines and series include: Drag racing is an acceleration contest from

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3014-541: A second round held at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi . In November 2010, the series was granted international status by the FIA for the 2011 season , allowing the series to race at up to six international venues each year. As a result, the series name was changed to the 'International V8 Supercars Championship'. 2008 saw the separate boards of directors of VESA and TEGA merge into a single board that

3151-493: A set length of time with the winner having completed the highest number of laps, with others classified subsequently. Circuit racing replaced point-to-point (city-to-city) racing early in the history of motorsport, for both spectator appeal and as safety concerns brought in regulation of the sport, forcing organisers to use closed, marshalled and policed circuits on closed public roads. Aspendale Racecourse in Australia in 1906

3288-475: A six-piston caliper, while the rear discs are 355 millimetres (14.0 in) diameter and have a four-piston caliper. The cars use 18-inch (460 mm) control wheels, produced by Rimstock and supplied by Racer Industries, and control tyres from Dunlop. Supercars are provided with Soft, Supersoft, and Hard slick tyres as well as grooved wet tyres for each event, The requirement to use varying compounds and how many tyres need to be changed per race are dependent on

3425-407: A slow, descending left-hand turn that leads on to the long Conrod Straight. Alternatively it is described as a severely downhill and adverse camber left hander leading onto Conrod Straight. The corner's line drifts towards the outside wall on exit and drivers have to be careful of getting too close. It was on the exit of the corner that Dick Johnson clipped a tyre barrier during the top ten shootout for

3562-399: A standing start along a short and straight course. Vehicles of various types can compete, usually between two vehicles. Winners can be the first to finish of competing pairs or by setting the fastest time, and competitions may have heats and/or series of runs. Kart racing is a form of circuit racing using very small and low vehicles not considered as automobiles known as go-karts. It is one of

3699-528: A steep drop not far from the edge of the road, and many cars were able to get two wheels off the ground, which has often been compared to the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca . Chaz Mostert had a severe accident in the lower Esses during qualifying for the Great Race in 2015 . Mostert clipped the inside wall on the run down to Forrest's Elbow, ricocheting the car into the outside wall before it eventually mounted

3836-483: A time of 1:48.88. During a demonstration at the 2019 Bathurst 12 Hour , Luke Youlden recorded a lap time of 1:58.694 in a Brabham BT62 . A day before the 2024 Bathurst 12 Hour , Jules Gounon bettered this by over two seconds, setting a 1:56.6054 in an unrestricted Mercedes-AMG GT3 . On 25 February 2024, merely a week after Gounon's effort, Romain Dumas set a 1:56.3247 in the electric Ford SuperVan 4.2 , unofficially

3973-414: A time of 2:17.8, Allan Grice set the first 160 km/h (100 mph) lap of the circuit for a touring car (under Group C regulations) during qualifying for the 1982 James Hardie 1000 driving a V8 powered Holden VH Commodore SS . Four years later at the 1986 James Hardie 1000 , Grice also set the first 100 mph lap in a Group A touring car driving a Holden VK Commodore SS Group A , recording

4110-423: A volcanic eruption around Wahluu's body to form the mountain of today. The area's racing history dates back to the 1900s. A man by the name of Dr. Machattie persuaded two local builders to drive from Melbourne to Bathurst- a 793 km (493 mi) drive in his steam-powered Thomson. Various circuits made up of public roads made up of dirt and tarmac were raced on starting in 1906. Until 1913, races took place on

4247-481: Is a "parity formula" which attempts to ensure that competitors using any of the available car models compete on an equal basis. In this aspect, it is similar in philosophy to the NASCAR Cup Series .The category's current rules, and the charter between organisers and teams state that "..to the extent that it is possible, Competition will take place between the different makes and models of Cars as equalised by

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4384-453: Is a form of motorsport where drivers intentionally lose rolling traction in corners through oversteering but maintain momentum with effective throttle control, clutch use and corrective steering. In competition a panel of judges award marks on artistry and car control through the corner or series of corners. Competitions often feature pairs of cars driving together where a lead car and a chase car go head-to-head, with only one car going through to

4521-603: Is broadcast in 137 countries and has an average event attendance of over 100,000. With over 250,000 in attendance annually, the Adelaide 500 is the most attended Supercars race in Australia . The vehicles used in the series are loosely based on road-going cars. Cars are custom made using a control chassis, with only certain body panels being common between the road cars and race cars. The cars are controlled for "technical parity" - ensuring that teams and drivers using any of

4658-498: Is called a series, and a grouping of competitions often forms the basis of a championship , cup or trophy . Not all nations have a sporting authority affiliated with the FIA, some disciplines may not fall within the FIA's remit of control, or organisations may choose to ignore the claim of the authority of others. Examples include banger racing and stock car racing in the United Kingdom which are claimed by both

4795-765: Is held in New Zealand, with events previously being held in China, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. The Melbourne SuperSprint championship event is also held in support of the Australian Grand Prix . Race formats vary between each event, with sprint races between 100 and 200 kilometres (62 and 124 mi) in length, street races between 125 and 250 kilometres (78 and 155 mi) in length, and two-driver endurance races held at Sandown and Bathurst . The series

4932-684: Is intended to extend to aerodynamics, engine performance, and handling characteristics. In practice, achieving technical parity has proven difficult and contentious, with a number of changes for the 2023 and 2024 season to aerodynamics and engines. The body of each car is based on its corresponding production car in Right Hand Drive and with homologation requirements. The bodies of both models are aerodynamically balanced through these homologations requirements, along with general balancing upon entering Composite and Exotic materials are generally not permitted. The tail lamps are carried over from

5069-502: Is the fastest section of Mount Panorama, with V8 Supercars almost reaching 300 km/h (190 mph). The straight is a roller-coaster ride featuring two distinct crests, the second of which was rebuilt in 1987. Conrod Straight has been the scene of six of the seven car racing deaths on the circuit – Reg Smith, Bevan Gibson, Tom Sulman, Mike Burgmann , Denny Hulme and Don Watson. All except 1967 Formula One World Champion Denny Hulme ( heart attack ) died in high-speed accidents. However,

5206-481: The 1983 James Hardie 1000 , which broke the car's steering and sent Johnson off into a grove of trees and demolishing the car. This is also where Craig Lowndes aquaplaned into the tyre wall in 2001. Formerly known as Main Straight, Conrod Straight was so named because of a con-rod failure that ended the 1939 Easter race of Frank Kleinig in his Kleinig/Hudson racecar. At 1.916 km (1.191 mi), Conrod Straight

5343-535: The 1986 James Hardie 1000 , crashing the Holden Commodore VK , which he was sharing with long-time rival Peter Brock, head on into the concrete. British driver Win Percy , driving Allan Grice 's Roadways Commodore VL , would complete an almost carbon copy of Moffat's crash in practice for the 1987 James Hardie 1000 . McPhillamy Park is the location of the longest-running campsite for those who camp at

5480-411: The 1997 AMP Bathurst 1000 . The Chase has been the scene of numerous other rollover accidents: Tomas Mezera during the 1997 Bathurst 1000 , John Cleland during the 2004 Bathurst 1000 , Len Cave during the 2008 WPS Bathurst 12 Hour , Allan Letcher in a V8 Utes race during the 2009 Bathurst 1000 event and Fabian Coulthard during the 2010 Bathurst 1000 . Don Watson was killed in an accident at

5617-406: The 1998 FAI 1000 . The car was then rebuilt in time to scrape into qualifying in the dying minutes before Bright and Steven Richards went on to take victory in the race. This corner was also the scene of a crash in a V8 Supercar Development Series race in 2006 that claimed the life of Mark Porter . Sulman Park is also commonly nicknamed "Metal Grate" after a drainage grate on the outside apron of

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5754-461: The 2012 season . The plan was publicly unveiled in March 2010 and was shown to incorporate several key changes to the internal workings of the car. The chassis and the cooling, fuel and electronics systems would all be changed to control parts, with changes to the engine, drivetrain, rear suspension, wheels and the control brake package. The safety of the cars was also to be reviewed and improved. While

5891-644: The Australian Touring Car Championship had been established as early as mid-1991. With the new regulations set to come into effect in 1993 , Ford and Holden were both keen to know the details of the new formula by the end of 1991, putting pressure on the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) to provide clarity on the matter. However, CAMS was waiting to see what the FIA did with its proposed international formula for 2.5- and 2.0-litre touring cars. The new rules for

6028-547: The Bathurst 24 Hour (2003–04) and the Bathurst 12 Hour (1991–94, 2007–2020, 2022-) Since 2011, the Bathurst 12 Hour has become a FIA GT3 race, and became a part of the inaugural Intercontinental GT Challenge in 2016. The other major event currently held at the circuit is the Bathurst Motor Festival at Easter , which includes the newly launched Bathurst 6 Hour as of 2016. The first motorsport event

6165-571: The Indy 300 on the Gold Coast became a championship round, having been a non-championship event since 1994. Major format changes were made for 1999, with the incorporation of the endurance races into the championship. Control tyres were used for the first time, with Bridgestone selected as the supplier. The series was also renamed from the "Australian Touring Car Championship" to the "Shell Championship Series", by virtue of Shell's sponsorship of

6302-667: The International Olympic Committee is the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM). The organisation's origins date back to 1922. The international air sports governing body recognised by the International Olympic Committee is the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). The FAI also governs non-powered air sport such as gliding and ballooning, however its motorised sports include: Supercars Championship The Supercars Championship currently known as

6439-726: The Repco Supercars Championship under sponsorship, is a touring car racing category in Australia and New Zealand, running as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) regulations, governing the sport. Supercars events take place in all Australian states and the Northern Territory , with the Australian Capital Territory formerly holding the Canberra 400 . Usually, an international round

6576-631: The United States , dirt track racing became popular. After World War II , the Grand Prix circuit became more formally organised. In the United States, stock car racing and drag racing became firmly established. The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), formed in 1904, is the oldest and most prominent international governing body. It claims to be the sole international motor sporting authority for automobiles and other land vehicles with four or more wheels, whilst acknowledging

6713-428: The final drive ratio are fixed with drop gears at the front of the transaxle allowing the teams to alter the overall transmission ratio for different circuits. The cars use a triple plate clutch. The cars run on E75 fuel with a fuel tank capacity of about 130 Litres An electronic control unit (ECU), provided by MoTeC, is used to monitor and optimise various aspects of the engine's performance. Numerous sensors in

6850-678: The 2.0-litre class cars competed in a separate race to the V8s. This was changed for the second round of 1993 after only nine entrants were in the 2.0-litre class for the first round at Amaroo Park . With the new regulations intended to be a parity formula, protests by the Holden teams indicated that the Fords had an aerodynamic advantage after they won the opening three rounds, beating the Commodores comprehensively. After round five at Winton , Holden

6987-591: The 33.0 km (20.5 mi) Peel-Limekilns circuit, then from 1914 to 1925 the 24.9 km (15.5 mi) Yetholme circuit was used, then the incredibly long 100.6 km (62.5 mi) Sunny Corner (also known as the Mount Horrible circuit) circuit was used from 1926 to 1930 and the 11 km (7 mi) Vale Circuit was used from 1931 to 1937. Construction of the Mount Panorama circuit commenced in mid-1936. The first race meeting, for motorcycles,

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7124-631: The ASNs must be obtained to organise events using their rules, and their licenses must be held by participants. Not all ASNs function in the same manner, some are private companies such as Motorsport UK, some are supported by the state such as France's FFSA, or in the case of the US's ACCUS, a council of sanctioning bodies is the national representative at FIA meetings. ASNs, their affiliated clubs or independent commercial promotors organise motorsport events which often include competitions . A collective of events

7261-705: The ATCC were announced in November 1991 and indicated that the V8 cars would be significantly faster than the smaller-engined cars. In 1992, CAMS looked at closing the performance gap between the classes, only to have protests from Ford and Holden, which did not want to see their cars beaten by the smaller cars. In June 1992, the class structure was confirmed: Both the Ford Falcon EB and Holden Commodore VP ran American-based engines, which were restricted to 7,500 rpm and

7398-671: The Australian Touring Car Championship. They did not contest the endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst, leaving these open solely to the 5.0-litre Ford and Holden models. The Australian Vee Eight Super Car Company (AVESCO) – a joint venture between the Touring Car Entrants Group of Australia (TEGA), sports promoters IMG and the Australian Motor Sports Commission – was formed in November 1996 to run

7535-519: The Bathurst 1000 in 2011 , descending to the right away from the crest prior to the spectator bridge, before a sharp 120 km/h (75 mph) left-hand bend. A right-hand corner then returns the cars to Conrod Straight for the run down to Murray's Corner. The section was dedicated to Mike Burgmann, who died in an accident at the chicane's spot in the previous year . This corner was the scene of Peter Brock 's only rollover in his motor racing career when he rolled his Vauxhall Vectra during practice for

7672-435: The Bathurst 1000, the circuit has hosted seven sprint rounds of the ATCC; in 1966 , 1969 , 1970 , 1972 , 1995 , 1996 , and 2021 . The 1972 round has been considered one of the greatest races in championship history due to the close battle between Ian Geoghegan 's Ford XY Falcon GTHO Phase III and Allan Moffat 's Ford Boss 302 Mustang . In more recent years, the circuit has also hosted longer endurance races including

7809-773: The Car of the Future moniker was dropped in favour of the name "New Generation V8 Supercar". The series continued its international expansion in 2013, with the first event in North America held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin , Texas . In 2015, five drivers took part in a series of demonstration races at the Kuala Lumpur Street Circuit as part of the KL City Grand Prix . This

7946-481: The Chase during qualifying for the 1994 Bathurst 1000 when his Holden VP Commodore blew a brake disc when he attempted to slow for the kink, leaving him without brakes and limited steering. His car failed to slow and take the right hand kink, instead continuing at undiminished speed across the sand trap before hitting the tyre wall head on and flipping on to its roof, coming to rest on the wall. Watson initially survived

8083-518: The Class C cars eligible for 1993 only, the German manufacturer's attention switched to the 2.0-litre class for 1994. Cars from all three classes would contest the 1993 Australian Touring Car Championship , as well as non-championship Australian touring car events such as the Bathurst 1000 . However, for the purposes of race classification and points allocation, cars competed in two classes: Originally,

8220-484: The Cutting. The corner is named after the quarry below the outside wall of the corner, accessible via an access road between it and the Cutting. As the circuit briefly flattens at the apex, drivers are sometimes required to short-shift between gears to avoid wheelspin. One of the most famous incidents in the history of the Bathurst 1000 occurred on the exit of this turn when Dick Johnson crashed his Ford Falcon XD out of

8357-470: The Falcon, rather than the MacPherson struts used previously, and a Watts link at the rear rather than a Panhard. The aerodynamic packages were comprehensively tested and revised and differences in the porting of each of the manufacturers' engines were also removed. The performance of the new Ford BA Falcon and Holden VY and VZ Commodores was fairly even for the next four years, with Ford winning

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8494-662: The Ford driver Allan Moffat and his fierce competition with Holden's Peter Brock , which personified the uniquely Australian Ford vs Holden rivalry. This rivalry popularised the annual 500 mile (later 1000KM) race and made it a national event, even for non motor sport followers. Named after Martin Griffin, the Mayor of Bathurst whose vision it was to create the circuit, drivers heading around this right-hander have to be careful not to drift too far out of this negatively cambered turn and hit

8631-405: The Future regulations with Kelly Racing . Later in 2012, Australian GT Championship team Erebus Motorsport announced they would be running Mercedes-Benz cars in the championship, taking over Stone Brothers Racing . In June 2013, Volvo announced it would enter the series in 2014 in a collaboration with its motorsport arm, Polestar Racing and Garry Rogers Motorsport . In November 2013

8768-624: The Gen 3 regulations were introduced for the 2023 Supercars Championship . The main aim was to create closer racing, to reduce costs and to increase road-relevance for the manufacturers. To do this, sweeping aerodynamic changes were made to cut the generated downforce . This reduced the amount of "dirty" air created, and made the cars more challenging to drive. The regulations continued previous changes to ensure technical parity between cars, helping to keep power, downforce and drag levels identical. Engines were also changed, to increase longevity and decrease

8905-564: The Mountain towards Forrest's Elbow. There have been many notable accidents at this part of the circuit, including a blockage of the track in 2003 when Jason Bargwanna made contact with David Brabham . The most famous of the Esses, the Dipper (the third corner in the sequence), is a sharp left hand corner so named because, before safety changes were made, there was a dip in the road surface and

9042-612: The Mustang) is a 5.4L V8 with four camshafts and 4 valves per cylinder. These engines were designed to be cheaper and have a higher longevity compared to previous engines, along with being more road-relevant. The Toyota engine (for use in the GR Supra) introduced in 2026 is a 5.0L V8 with DOHC with 4 valves per cylinder. Power is transferred from the engine to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential transaxle with an integrated spool differential . The individual gear ratios and

9179-639: The Oshkosh and the Green Bay (the machines were referred to by their town of origin). This is examined and illustrated in detail in The Great Race of 1878 by Richard Backus, Farm Collector, May/June 2004. In 1894, the French newspaper Le Petit Journal organised a contest for horseless carriages featuring a run from Paris to Rouen. This is widely accepted as the world's first motorsport event, and

9316-690: The Oval Racing Council and the National Stock car Association, despite the claim by the FIA affiliated ASN, Motorsport UK , to be the "governing body of all four-wheel motorsport in the UK". SCORE International , National Auto Sport Association and National Off-Road Racing Association of the United States are also not members of the FIA affiliation system but may work with members for international matters. Although English dictionaries do not unanimously agree and singularly define that

9453-429: The Skyline backwards before tumbling down the hillside. In late 1997 Skyline was renamed as Brock's Skyline to honour the nine time 500 mile (later 1000KM) race winner. Following his fatal crash in a Western Australian car rally, a statue of the driver many call "The King of the Mountain" stands outside the motorsport museum near Murray's Corner. The Esses are the series of corners which begin at Skyline and stretch down

9590-438: The apex of the turn. It was believed that any motorcycle riders who hit the stump would die in an act of folly and thereby be doomed to an eternity of birth. Mountain Straight is a long straight that begins the climb up the mountain towards Griffins Bend. V8 Supercars reach speeds of up to 290 km/h (180 mph) before the braking point for Griffins Bend . In the days before modern aerodynamics, drivers would have to lift off

9727-412: The authority of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) over vehicles with one to three wheels, which FIM calls motorcycle sport. FIM and FIA are both recognised as international sports federations by the International Olympic Committee . Within the FIA's structure, each affiliated National Sporting Authority ( ASN ) is recognised as the sole authority in their nation. Permission of

9864-456: The car collect information which is then transmitted to the team, allowing them to monitor things such as tyre wear and fuel consumption and find potential problems with the car. The ECU is also used by officials during the scrutineering process. During the race it can also serve functions such as to automatically limit a car's speed. All cars are required to use a double wishbone setup for the front suspension and independent rear suspension. Both

10001-519: The cars and courses used in special stage rallying with the elements of navigation and itinerary removed, and not necessarily requiring a co-driver to call pacenotes . Rallying involves driving to a set itinerary, following a prescribed route and arriving and departing at control points at set times with penalties applied for diverging from the route or arriving late and early. Rallies nearly always involve routes on open roads, closed special stages are used on some rallies where competitors drive against

10138-667: The category. Reverse-grid races were introduced for multiple rounds in 2000 before being confined to just the Canberra round for 2001. Also in 2001, compulsory pit stops were introduced at certain rounds and the Top Ten Shootout was used at all rounds. The control tyre supplier changed from Bridgestone to Dunlop in 2002 and the series name was changed to the "V8 Supercar Championship Series" after Shell discontinued their sponsorship. Discussions about parity had returned in 2000, with 100 millimetres (3.9 in) trimmed from

10275-411: The championship in 2003, 2004 , and 2005 and Holden winning in 2006 . Reverse-grid races were used at certain events in 2006 before unpopularity with the drivers, teams, and fans saw them abolished halfway through the season. The Holden VE Commodore caused controversy when it was introduced in 2007 . The production model was longer, wider, and taller than the rival Ford BF Falcon and outside of

10412-516: The character of a particular competition, series or championship. Groups of these are often categorised informally, such as by vehicle type, surface type or propulsion method. Examples of categories within a discipline are formula racing , touring car racing , sports car racing , etc. The first prearranged match race of two self-powered road vehicles over a prescribed route occurred in the north west of England at 4:30 A.M. on August 30, 1867, between Ashton-under-Lyne and Old Trafford, Manchester ,

10549-408: The chicane introduced into Conrod Straight reduced the top speed of cars going down the straight and has created one of the fastest corners in the world. Most drivers arrive at the initial part of the chicane at over 290 km/h (180 mph). Prior to the introduction of The Chase in 1987, Conrod Straight was a mile-long straight where the faster cars were getting airborne over the second hump, which

10686-424: The circuit. The track has an unusual design by modern standards, with a 174 m (571 ft) vertical difference between its highest and lowest points, and grades as steep as 1:6.13. From the start-finish line, the track can be viewed in three sections; the short pit straight and then a tight left turn into the long, steep Mountain straight; the tight, narrow section across the top of the mountain itself; and then

10823-699: The clock, the winner having the shortest, lowest average or total time. Hillclimbing events often include classes of competition for various categories and ages of vehicle and so may be incorporated into car shows or festivals of motoring such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed . Hill climb courses can be short at less than 1 mile, or several miles long such as the 12.42 mile Pikes Peak course in Colorado , USA. Sprints are governed by national FIA member ASNs in United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, amongst other places. They are held on courses that do not climb

10960-519: The clock. The classification of these rallies are determined by summing the times set with the fastest crews being victorious, as found in the World Rally Championship . This method is often called rally racing or stage rallying informally, whilst rallies that do not include special stages are distinctly regularity rallies . Rallies that include routes that cover terrain off-road are also known as rally raid or cross-country rallies,

11097-522: The cost of a rebuild. The current Gen 3 regulations are a complete refresh of the previous generation, with the cessation of volume car production in Australia being a major factor. The current cars are the Ford Mustang GT and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 . The full list of regulations, Sporting and Technical, can be found on the Supercars website in the operations manual [1] . Supercars

11234-485: The crash but later died from his injuries in Bathurst Base Hospital. The accident occurred in front of former race winners Peter Brock and England's Win Percy , who described it as a "major accident". Murray's Corner is the final corner before Pit Straight and the lowest point of the circuit. It is a 90-degree left hand turn, and is a good overtaking spot as drivers hold braking duels for the corner. It

11371-469: The driver in the event of a crash. The fuel tank is positioned in front of the rear axle to prevent it from being damaged or ruptured in a rear end impact. The driver is seated towards the centre of the car and extra reinforcement is used on the roll cage on the driver's side to lessen the risk of injury in a side-on collision. The cars also feature a collapsible steering column and a fire extinguisher system. All cars have an aerodynamics package consisting of

11508-584: The event The highest speed recorded in a Supercar of any generation is 300.5 km/h on the (downhill) Conrod Straight on the Mount Panorama Circuit , by Shane van Gisbergen in qualifying for the 2023 Bathurst 1000. 2024-spec cars are expected to be about 10 km/h slower. Supercar lap times are similar to the 992 GT3 Cup cars running in the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship . At

11645-472: The event held there). As a public road, on non-race days and when it is not closed off during the day as part of a racing event, Mount Panorama is open to the public. Cars can drive in both directions around the circuit for no charge. A strict speed limit of 60 km/h (37 mph) is enforced, and police regularly patrol the circuit. The National Motor Racing Museum is located next to the Mount Panorama Circuit. The venue's infield and pit parking served as

11782-658: The fastest time ever recorded by a closed car at the track. Kevin Bartlett set the first ever 100 mph (160 km/h) lap of the Mount Panorama Circuit at the Easter meeting in 1967 driving a Repco Brabham BT11A , recording a 2:17.7 lap. For his achievement he was awarded 25 bottles of champagne . Later in the weekend he won the NSW State Road Racing Championship and lowered his lap record to 2:17.4, which earned him another 100 bottles. With

11919-478: The fence had consisted of railway sleepers and fence posts), taking with it Johnson's means of supporting his racing ambitions. An emotional public appeal followed during the race's telecast which re-launched Johnson's career. Following Quarry, there is a loaded right-hand turn followed by an open left-hand turn. This is Reid Park, named after the Bathurst City engineer Hughie Reid, who redesigned sections of

12056-554: The fence. A pair of marshals stationed at that point were lucky to escape being hit after taking evasive action. Amazingly, Brown suffered only minor cuts and bruises in the accident largely due to the driver's seat breaking in the initial impact. The famous corner was also the site of the crash between the Falcons of Bob Morris and Christine Gibson that blocked the track and stopped the 1981 James Hardie 1000 on lap 120, 43 laps short of race distance, giving Dick Johnson and John French

12193-463: The first day of official practice during the October 1947 Bathurst meeting and ground the end off his elbow. Following the crash, the corner initially described as 'The Elbow' or as 'Devil's Elbow' was re-dubbed as (Jack) Forrest's Elbow by fellow Australian rider Harry Hinton, much to the amusement of everyone (except for Jack) in the Mount Panorama pits. Forrest's Elbow is geographically positioned as

12330-1114: The first time. The series travelled to the Shanghai International Circuit in China in 2005, originally on a five-year agreement, however the promoter of the race dropped their support and the series did not return thereafter. 2006 saw the series travel to the Middle East , with an event held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain . Multiple new street circuits appeared on the calendar in 2008 and 2009, with new events held in Hamilton in New Zealand , Townsville in North Queensland and at Sydney Olympic Park . The series' Middle East expansion continued in 2010 with

12467-428: The front and rear suspension systems feature adjustable shock absorbers and an anti-roll bar which, as of the introduction of the Gen 3 regulations, can not be adjusted from inside the car The cars use disc brakes supplied by AP Racing on the front and rear, with the master cylinders provided by AP Racing or former control brake supplier Alcon. The front discs have a diameter of 395 millimetres (15.6 in) and

12604-524: The front spoiler of the Commodore after Holden, in particular, the Holden Racing Team , had dominated in 1998 and 1999. This was in response to the 300 millimetres (12 in) removed from the Falcon in previous seasons, and coincided with a 10 millimetres (0.39 in) trim from the Falcon's rear spoiler. The small reduction for the Holden teams was quickly addressed with both cars receiving

12741-439: The general form of time trials and sprints. Hillclimbing is the most widely known form of time-trial due to its status as the only time trial or sprint form to have international FIA championships and endorsement. Its origins begin near the start of motorsport, particularly with the trials held that tested the capabilities of early automobiles to tackle uphill gradients. Contestants complete an uphill course individually and against

12878-447: The general rule of participants completing a course individually with the intention of setting the shortest time or highest average speed. This form of motorsport can be recreational or when competitive, rules may vary slightly such as whether to include the total time of several runs, the best time set, or the average pace of multiple courses to classify competitors. Qualifying sessions for circuit races and special stages in rallying take

13015-528: The home of the 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championships . Prior to European settlement, the area was home to the Wiradjuri people . The Wiradjuri called Mount Panorama Wahluu , meaning "to watch over", and it was an initiation site for young men. According to the Dreamtime , a warrior named Wahluu was killed by his brother in a dispute over a young woman – the bloodspill upset Baiame , who caused

13152-560: The homologated cars have a chance to build and drive a winning car. All cars currently use either a 5.4L or 5.7L Naturally aspirated V8 engine . Originally only for Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores , the new generation V8 Supercar regulations, introduced in 2013, opened up the series to more manufacturers. Nissan were the first new manufacturer to commit to the series with four Nissan Altima L33s followed briefly by Erebus Motorsport with Mercedes-Benz E63 AMGs and Garry Rogers Motorsport with Volvo S60s . The series returned to

13289-428: The lead on lap 18 of the 1980 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 . Johnson was unable to avoid a large rock that had been pushed from the spectator area as he was passing a quick-lift tow truck at the time and had nowhere else to go. The car was destroyed after running over the rock and hitting the outside concrete wall which the car almost leapt over (the wall had only been put in place prior to the 1979 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 ; before then

13426-580: The limits set by Project Blueprint. As a result, the VE race car was granted custom bodywork – namely shortened rear doors and a lowered roofline to meet the regulations. Despite this, the VE was approved for use in the series, along with the BF Falcon, after several months of preseason testing. Sequential gearboxes were introduced in 2008 and became compulsory by the end of the year. In 2009 , E85 (a fuel consisting of 85% ethanol and 15% unleaded petrol )

13563-459: The long, downhill section of Conrod Straight, with the very fast Chase and the turn back onto the pit straight to complete the lap. Historically, the racetrack has been used for a wide variety of racing categories, including everything from open-wheel racers to motorcycles. With tighter safety regulations and less tolerance of risk, motorcycle racing is no longer conducted at the circuit, and open-wheel racing events did not occur for many years until

13700-537: The minimum weight. Some other components also have a minimum weight, such as the engine and the front uprights All cars must be front-engine, rear-wheel-drive , and powered by a V8 engine designated by Supercars for use in the respected model of car, and balanced in power and weight. Currently, the GM engine (for use in the Camaro) is a 5.7L V8 with a single camshaft and two valves per cylinder. The Ford engine (for use in

13837-582: The most famous example being the Dakar Rally . In the United States, the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) was founded in 1967 along with the Baja 1000 . Since the 1990s, this race has been organised by SCORE International whilst NORRA's events have closer followed the FIA regulations and standards for cross country rallies, although the association has no affiliation to ACCUS , the US's FIA member. Drifting

13974-418: The narrow room and steep gradient. This corner was the location of the infamous 'race rage' incident between Marcos Ambrose and Greg Murphy . The pair collided when both drivers refused to give the other racing room late in the 2005 Supercheap Auto 1000 , with the resulting incident partially blocking the circuit. Sometimes confused with Griffins Bend, Quarry Corner is a right hander that immediately follows

14111-412: The next corner. Skyline is a sharply descending right hand corner which signifies the beginning of the descent from the top of the circuit. The corner acquired the name from the visual effect of looking upwards at the corner from below, such is the sharpness of that initial plunge. During the 1970 Hardie-Ferodo 500 , 1969 co-winner Tony Roberts lost control of his Ford Falcon XW GTHO and launched over

14248-494: The next heat or winning the competition. Autocross has multiple general meanings based on country of use. Also known as Autocross in US and Canada and Autoslalom in Continental Europe, these similar disciplines are held in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. They involve precise car control, usually but not always against the clock on very short and compact temporary courses. Rather than being

14385-412: The plans were well received by all of the teams, Holden Motorsport boss Simon McNamara warned potential new manufacturers to stay out of the championship just hours after the plans were released, claiming that they would "gain nothing" from entering the series. Major changes were revealed to include a switch from a live rear axle to independent rear suspension ; the use of a rear transaxle instead of

14522-629: The road car, while the windscreen is replaced by a polycarbonate unit. The cars also carry cameras for broadcasting. The bodies are built around a chassis provided by official accredited builders, including certain race teams. Currently, Triple Eight Race Engineering homologate the Chevrolet Camaro and Dick Johnson Racing homologate the Ford Mustang . The new for 2026 Toyota GR Supra will be homologaged by Walkinshaw Andretti United . Many safety features are utilised to protect

14659-414: The same front splitter shortly afterwards, but the Falcon's rear wing remained trimmed. Ford had threatened to withdraw from the series, but nothing came of this. After Holden again dominated in 2001 and 2002, a new set of regulations, dubbed "Project Blueprint", was introduced in 2003 to close the performance gap between the Commodore and the Falcon, thus creating closer, fairer racing. Project Blueprint

14796-421: The sequence at the point of maximum lateral and longitudinal load. McPhillamy Park is a fast, downhill left-hand turn which is guarded by a crest prior to the turn-in point, rendering the corner blind to approaching drivers. Drivers have to stay close to the wall while turning so as not to run wide on exit. However, going too close may cause the car to clip the inside kerbing, which Allan Moffat did in practice for

14933-588: The series. This set the foundation for the large expansion of the series during the following years. The category also adopted the name 'V8 Supercars' at this time, though the cars themselves were much unchanged. A new television deal with Network Ten and Fox Sports was organised, although this had follow-on effects for the Bathurst 1000 later in the year. In February, Tony Cochrane and James Erskine left IMG. Together with David Coe, they formed Sports and Entertainment Limited (SEL) in April 1997. TEGA would have

15070-527: The sports regulated by FIA (under the name of CIK), permitting licensed competition racing for anyone from the age of 8 onward. It is generally accepted as the most economical form of motorsport available on four wheels. As a free-time activity, it can be performed by almost anybody, and as karting circuits can be indoors and not take as much space as other forms of motorsport, it can be accessible to retail consumers without much qualification or training. Non-racing speed competitions have various names but all carry

15207-423: The standing start only, the start line is 143 m (156 yd) closer to Hell Corner so that traffic does not go too far around Murray's Corner when the start grid is formed. The finish line is positioned such that all of the pit bays are located after it. The common misconception of nomenclature due to the accidents that happen at this turn are widespread. Hell Corner was named after a tree stump that existed on

15344-468: The technical parity mechanisms enshrined in the Rules.". However, the rules go on to state that "The Category is not about equalisation of the abilities of participating Drivers and/or Teams (such equalisation could be, and is in some categories, defined as sporting parity). It is up to individual Drivers and/or Teams to Compete to the best of their abilities under the principle of technical parity." Parity

15481-417: The throttle to prevent becoming airborne over the crest halfway up the straight. The crest also caused problems during the old Easter motorbike races at the circuit with a number of riders having serious crashes due to not lifting before the crest and their bikes becoming airborne. Since late 2022 a campaign is being run to have Mountain Straight renamed to Moffat Mountain Straight or Moffat Straight, honouring

15618-695: The track (sometimes for over a week in advance of a race). The park was named after Walter J. McPhillamy, a previous mayor of the Bathurst City Council and the owner of most of the land occupied by the Bald Hills/Mt Panorama which he donated to the people of Bathurst as a scenic picnic area. McPhillamy was the site of Bill Brown's rollover during the 1971 Hardie-Ferodo 500 when the front right tyre on his Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase III blew at over 100 mph (161 km/h), sending Brown up an earth bank before barrel-rolling along

15755-415: The track to be more suitable for motor racing. At the 1982 Bathurst 1000 , Kevin Bartlett had a tyre blow out in the right-hander and pitch him into the inside wall for the left-hander, rolling his Chevrolet Camaro Z28 onto its roof and skidding across the track. Another high-profile incident occurred in the 2013 Bathurst 1000 when four-time winner Greg Murphy crashed at the exit of the right-hander on

15892-404: The turbocharged Ford Sierra RS500s were achieving higher speeds than pre-1987 with Tony Longhurst reportedly being timed at 295 km/h (183 mph) during official qualifying for the race . Shane van Gisbergen would later hit a speed of 300.5 km/h (186.7 mph) during a pre-race session for the 2023 Bathurst 1000 . Known for many years as " Caltex Chase", this three-turn sequence

16029-519: The use of two-door coupé body styles and turbocharged four- or six-cylinder engines. However, no teams elected to build cars to these alternate engine specifications. Cars were still required to be based on front-engined, rear-wheel drive, four-seater production cars that were sold in Australia. The chassis and control components were carried over from the New Generation V8 Supercar regulations, while engine and aerodynamic parity

16166-405: The wall upon exit. David Besnard suffered a fiery crash here in 2011 after he arrived at the corner in his Ford Falcon FG with insufficient front brake pressure having come straight out of the pit-lane with new brakes. A pair of left hand corners leading into a steep 1 in 6 grade exit, overtaking in this section of circuit is difficult and it is very hard to recover from a spin here because of

16303-457: The win. In the interests of safety for both drivers and spectators at McPhillamy (and to open up the corner to avoid a repeat of the 1981 crash that blocked the track), the banking that had been just off the outside of the track was removed and pushed back approximately 30 m (33 yd) on an angle to allow a sand trap and concrete retaining wall to be put in place prior to the 1985 James Hardie 1000 . A short straight connects McPhillamy to

16440-467: Was a contributing factor in Burgmann's accident. The fastest ever speed recorded by a touring car on the old straight was by Scotland's Tom Walkinshaw driving a V12 Jaguar XJS during qualifying for the 1984 James Hardie 1000 . Walkinshaw was timed at 290 km/h (180 mph). Ironically, while the Chase was introduced in an effort to reduce terminal speeds on Conrod, by the 1990 Tooheys 1000 ,

16577-688: Was a speed hillclimb held from Mountain Straight up to Reid Park. This event is still held today as a round of the New South Wales Hillclimb Championship. In 2008, the circuit hosted the IGSA Gravity Sports World Championships : skateboard downhill and street luge downhill. The race began at Skyline and ended at Conrod Straight. Sixteen competitors have died during racing associated with Mount Panorama, including 1967 World Drivers' Champion Denny Hulme who died after suffering

16714-484: Was added in preparation for the World Touring Car Championship round in 1987 to comply with a FIA requirement that a straight could not exceed 1,200 m (1,300 yd). It interrupts Conrod Straight with a fast right hand bend sometimes referred as "The Kink," based on international motorsport commentator Mike Joy comparing it to Road America 's Kink during a United States broadcast of

16851-654: Was designed partly with this in mind, to give the new cars a better chance of beating the Nissan Skyline GT-Rs in those races. The new rules meant that cars such as the turbocharged Nissan Skyline GT-R and Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth were not eligible to compete in 1993, while cars such as the BMW M3 were. However, the M3 received few of the liberal concessions given to the new V8s and also had an extra 100 kilograms (220 lb) added to its minimum weight, so with

16988-402: Was developed by Paul Taylor and Wayne Cattach, who spent two years designing a formula which would eliminate most of the differences between the Fords and Holdens. Project Blueprint had the chassis pick-up points, wheelbase , track , and driving position become common across both manufacturers. The Holdens were now able and required to use double-wishbone front suspension, similar to that of

17125-661: Was developed from a scrapped John Bridge Adams light-rail vehicle. These were solid fired steam carriages. This event and the details of the vehicles are recorded in the contemporary press, The Engineer , and in Fletcher's books. The Wisconsin legislature passed an act in 1875 offering a substantial purse for the first US motor race, which was run on July 16, 1878, over a 200-mile course from Green Bay to Appleton, Oshkosh, Waupon, Watertown, Fort Atkinson and Janesville, then turning north and ending in Madison. Only two actually competed:

17262-426: Was granted a new front and rear wing package. The BMWs were also allowed new splitters and full DTM-specification rear wings. Disparity between the Fords and Holdens continued to be a talking point during the next few years, with various concessions given to each manufacturer to try to equalise the two cars. From 1995 , the 2.0-litre cars, now contesting their own series as super touring cars , became ineligible for

17399-431: Was held at the circuit in 1938 , 1947 , 1952 and 1958 . The 1938 race was the first major event held at the circuit after opening. The circuit also hosted the first post- World War II Australian Grand Prix in 1947, with the event then rotating between Australian states before returning in 1952 and 1958. The circuit has been home to one of the world's classic endurance events, the Bathurst 1000 , since 1963 . This

17536-434: Was held on 16 April 1938 and the first race, the 1938 Junior Tourist Trophy, was won by 20 year old Queenslander Les Sherrin riding a Norton . The first car race, the 1938 Australian Grand Prix , was held two days later and was won by Peter Whitehead driving an ERA . It also has the fastest corner in touring car racing ,, the kink at the entrance to the Chase. French sportscar driver Alexandre Prémat , who later raced as

17673-454: Was intended to be a precursor to the series holding a championship event at the circuit in 2016, in a push from CEO James Warburton to build series exposure in Asia. The event was later cancelled due to legal issues affecting the circuit. In December 2014, Supercars released details concerning the future of the category. New regulations, dubbed Gen2 Supercar, were introduced in 2017 to allow

17810-521: Was introduced in an effort to improve the environmental image of the sport. Carbon dioxide emissions decreased by up to 50%, but fuel consumption was increased by 30% to produce the same power as before. 2009 also had the introduction of a soft compound tyre at certain events to try to improve the quality of the racing and create different strategies. In 2005, AVESCO changed its name to V8 Supercars Australia (VESA). The series continued to expand during this time, with races held outside of Australasia for

17947-414: Was organised by V8 Supercars to investigate future directions for the sport. The project had the primary objective of cutting costs to $ 250,000 per car through the use of control parts and to create a pathway for new manufacturers to enter the series, provided that they have a four-door saloon car in mass production. The new formula, called "Car of the Future", was scheduled to be introduced before or during

18084-421: Was previously called Pit Corner before Bill Murray crashed his Hudson racing car there in 1946. As of November 2024 the official lap record is held by Christopher Mies , who set a time of 1:59.2910 at the 2018 Challenge Bathurst event driving an unrestricted Audi R8 LMS . The fastest race lap is held by James Golding, who set a time of 1:59.8375 during the 2021 Bathurst 1000 event on 2 December 2021, driving

18221-646: Was reviewed In April 2016, the series reached an agreement with Virgin Australia to rename the series to the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship on 1 July. For the 2021 season, this changed to the Repco Supercars Championship on a 5-year deal, extended to an 8-year deal at the end of 2022. After being first announced in 2020, and after being delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic,

18358-491: Was solely responsible for the administration of the category. The new board of directors was composed of four TEGA representatives, two members from SEL and two independent directors. In 2011, TEGA and SEL entered a sale agreement with Australian Motor Racing Partners (AMRP), which had significant financial backing from Archer Capital . This agreement saw SEL lose its 25% stake in V8 Supercars, with Archer Capital taking up

18495-572: Was the continuation of the event which began in 1960 at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Victoria . The race was 500 miles between its start at Phillip Island in 1960, and from 1963 to 1972 at Bathurst, before being changed to its current 1000 km format in 1973. Since 1999, the Bathurst 1000 has also become a round of the V8 Supercars (formerly Australian Touring Car Championship ) calendar. In addition to

18632-483: Was the first purpose-built motor racing track in the world. After which, permanent autodromes popularly replaced circuits on public roads. In North America, the term road racing is used to describe racing and courses that have origins in racing on public highways; distinguished from oval racing , which has origins at purpose-built speedways using concrete or wooden boards . Off-road racing can take place on open terrain with no set path, or on circuits that do not have

18769-645: Was the first to involve what would become known as automobiles. On 28 November 1895, the Chicago Times-Herald race , running from Chicago to Evanston and back, a distance of sixty miles, was held. This is believed to be the first motorsport event in the United States of America. In 1900, the Gordon Bennett Cup was established. Motorsport was a demonstration event at the 1900 Summer Olympics . Following World War I , European countries organised Grand Prix races over closed courses. In

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