The 2026 Repco Bathurst 1000

-

The 2026 Repco Bathurst 1000 has arrived at Mount Panorama, delivering early chaos and stunning storylines before Sunday's Great Race even gets underway.

From emotional record-breaking laps to heavy hits across the mountain, the 2026 edition is proving once again why Bathurst is the undisputed crown jewel of Australian motorsport.

Friday Qualifying: A Rookie Stuns the Mountain

Friday qualifying produced one of the most remarkable shock results in recent Bathurst memory. Matt Stone Racing rookie Zach Bates set Mount Panorama ablaze, claiming a provisional pole position on his very first attempt as a full-time Supercars driver.

Bates dropped a blistering 2:03.9376s in his Chevrolet Camaro, becoming the first driver to break into the 2:03 range in the Gen3 era and beating Brodie Kostecki's previous record benchmark.

   2026 PROVISIONAL POLE SHOCK
 ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
 │ Zach Bates (MSR Chevrolet Camaro)       │
 │ Time: 2:03.9376s (Gen3 Lap Record)     │
 └─────────────────────────────────────────┘

The emotional lap was dedicated to his mother, Alison Drower, who passed away from cancer before the 2025 event.

Bates led a Chevrolet top-three lockout, edging out Team 18's Anton De Pasquale (+0.116s) and Erebus Motorsport’s Cooper Murray.

Heavyweight Carnage: Heavyweights Miss the Shootout

While the rookies shined, several championship contenders experienced qualifying disasters.

A stacked list of heavy hitters failed to make Saturday's Top 10 Shootout:

  • Broc Feeney / Nick Percat (Triple Eight) – Qualified 12th
  • Kai Allen / Tim Slade (Penrite Racing) – Qualified 11th after topping Practice 1
  • Cam Waters / Mark Winterbottom (Tickford Racing) – Qualified 14th
  • Chaz Mostert / Fabian Coulthard (Walkinshaw TWG) – Qualified 16th

With the likes of Feeney, Waters, and Mostert starting mid-pack on Sunday, their co-drivers face massive recovery drives through traffic across 161 laps.

Mountain Bites Hard: Heavy Practice Crashes

Mount Panorama has shown no mercy across early practice sessions:

  • Walkinshaw TWG's Ryan Wood suffered a violent crash at The Cutting during Practice 3, damaging his car severely enough to sideline him from Friday qualifying.
  • Dick Johnson Racing’s Rylan Gray also crashed heavily during the same session, leaving his team in a race against time to repair the Mustang for the weekend.
  • Early track conditions proved treacherous with championship leader Will Brown clipping the wall at The Cutting during opening runs, though he recovered to qualify 4th as the fastest Ford.

Key Schedule & What's Next

With positions 11 through 26 on the starting grid locked in, all eyes turn to the dramatic conclusion of qualifying and Sunday's main event:

EventDateTime (AEDT)
Practice 5 (Co-Drivers)Saturday, 10 Oct10:05 AM
Top 10 ShootoutSaturday, 10 Oct5:05 PM
Warm UpSunday, 11 Oct8:30 AM
The Great Race (Race 30)Sunday, 11 Oct11:30 AM

The Bottom Line

With a rookie holding provisional pole, iconic contenders buried in the mid-pack, and high speeds pushing the Gen3 platform to historic limits, the 2026 Repco Bathurst 1000 promises a classic endurance thriller down the Mountain.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The debate around cannabis is no longer just a counter-culture discussion; it’s a major public health, legal, and legislative battleground. In June 2026, the NSW Government introduced the Road Transport Amendment (Medical Cannabis and Driving Offences) Bill 2026, sparking an intense national conversation.

-
Image
The Cannabis Crossroad: Balancing Medicine, Mental Health, and Road Safety in NSW ​For years, the conversation around cannabis has been heavily influenced by two competing narratives. On one side, industry public relations paints it as a harmless, natural wonder-drug. On the other, hardline prohibitionists treat it as an unmitigated social evil. ​If we want to seriously address the road toll, protect public health, and still provide compassionate care, we must ditch the PR and look at the raw evidence. With the New South Wales Government introducing landmark changes to driving laws for medicinal cannabis users, there has never been a more critical time for an honest, unbiased look at the pros, cons. ​The Medical Case: Where Cannabis Helps ​It is scientifically undeniable that medicinal cannabis provides profound relief for specific, severe conditions. For many patients, it succeeded where traditional pharmaceuticals failed. ​The Pros: ​Chronic Pain Management: THC interact ...
Read more

the voice

-
Image
A referendum is when people in a country get to vote on something important. This year, Australians will vote on whether they want to change the constitution. The constitution is a big book of rules that tells how the country works and what rights people have. One of the things that people will vote on is called the Voice. The Voice is a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who can give advice to the government about things that affect them. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the first people who lived in Australia, and they have a special connection to the land and their culture. Some people think that having the Voice in the constitution is a good idea. They say that it will make sure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are heard and respected by the government. They also say that it will help to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in areas like health, education, and jobs. Other people think that ha...
Read more

homelessness in Brisbane

-
Image
In recent years, a tent city has emerged in West End, Brisbane, raising concerns about homelessness and the need for affordable housing in the city. The tent city, located near the intersection of Vulture Street and Boundary Street, has become a symbol of the growing homelessness crisis in Brisbane. The tent city is made up of a diverse group of people, including those who are experiencing homelessness, as well as those who are struggling to afford housing in the city. Many of the residents are also dealing with mental health issues, addiction, and other challenges. The tent city has been a controversial issue in Brisbane, with some residents and business owners expressing concerns about safety and cleanliness in the area. However, advocates for the homeless argue that the tent city is a necessary response to the lack of affordable housing and support services in the city. The emergence of the tent city has also highlighted the need for more action to address homelessness i...
Read more