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What you need to know...
Chaz Mostert qualified fastest for the 'Great Race', with a lap record in the top-10 shootout.
Kiwi favourite Shane van Gisbergen will start from the third row, after Erebus racers Will Brown and Brodie Kostecki were disqualified for running light cars in qualifying.
Supercars GOAT and four-time Bathurst winner Jamie Whincup will retire after this event, as will his Red Bull team boss Roland Dane.
*****
Last lap - Mostert easing the 25 car around the final circuit, conceding ground to Waters, but soaking up the applause of fans around the course.
He crosses the line for victory - great performance from him and co-driver Lee Holdsworth, who have dominated the race all day.
Whincup finishes fourth and performs a burnout.
Shane Van Gisbergen limps home in 18th - so close, but cruelly deprived.
Chris Pither is the top Kiwi finisher, as co-driver to Macauley Jones, who finishes 12th. Andrew Heimgartner finishes 15th, five laps behind the winners, while Fabian Coulthard does not finish.
Two laps to go - Mostert holding at 4.5 seconds ahead of Waters, with Kostecki completing the podium positions. Can Jamie Whincup steal one more podium finish to end his career?
Three laps to go - Mostert can afford to ease his car home now. The last thing he wants is a mishap like SVG's to rob him of victory.
Apparently SVG's last lap was faster than anyone else.
Five laps to go - Mostert is now almost five seconds clear of Cam Waters, with Brodie Kostecki in third. Van Gisbergen has rejoined the race in 18th place, more than a minute behind.
Six laps to go - Right front tyre has delaminated for SVG. Bugger!
Seven laps to go - SVG is pitting with tyre trouble. He slowed to 2m 07.5s on that last lap - this will kill his chances.
Waters passes SVG and Kostecki follows him through. SVG limps towards the pits and his race is over.
Eight laps to go - Waters lapped as fast as the leaders and the field is catching up. Mostert has 3.6s on SVG and all he needs to do is hold on.
Nine laps to go - The margin creeps out towards three seconds and both drivers seem to have fallen off their torrid pace.
10 laps to go - Mostert 2m 05.3s for that lap, 2m 05.9s for SVG, and Mostert wants to know how much he has on his rival. The answer is 2.6 seconds.
11 laps to go - Mostert's lead now two seconds over SVG, who has three on Waters. He clocks the fastest second sector of the day.
12 laps to go - SVG falling off the pace now, losing another half second in that lap.
13 laps to go - Mostert responds with the fastest third sector of the day to edge a little further ahead of SVG.
Waters, Kostecki and Whincup are also in the five.
14 laps to go - SVG clocks his fastest time of the day over the second sector and produces his fastest lap of the day, but still not as fast as Mostert.
15 laps to go - SVG limits the loss on that restart lap, only one-tenth of a second slower than Mostert.
16 laps to go - Mostert gives SVG a love tap and then plants his foot on the accelerator. Waters, Kostecki and Whincup complete the top five.
Mostert quickly has a second on his rival...
17 laps to go - Feeney is being towed off the sand, as the field bunches up again behind the safety car.
They file into the front straight for the green flag...
19 laps to go - As the safety car departs, Mostert jumps the start and bursts clear of SVG.
Feeney is off into the sand and safety car will return...
21 laps to go - As everyone heads to the pits, Mostert and SVG are back at the front, but the Kiwi trails by more than eight seconds. That'll close up to nothing under safety car, so another sprint scenario that must favour Mostert.
22 laps to go - Mostert passes pitlane, before SVG emerges.
De Pasquale has stopped on the track, so another safety car looms.
23 laps to go - SVG takes the lead and Mostert rejoins in 14th. Kostecki also comes in, so Waters, Percat, Fullwood and Whincup fill the top five for now.
SVG pits and almost overcooks the corner into pitlane...
24 laps to go - Mostert now five seconds ahead of SVG and the first of the pits occurs, with Jack Le Brocq near the back of the field.
Mostert pits - how will this go?
25 laps to go - A couple of laps away from that last pitstop and SVG is now more than four seconds behind Mostert.
26 laps to go - The race leaders are gapping Kostecki, who is now eight seconds behind SVG. Mostert puts another half second on SVG.
28 laps to go - Whincup has just clocked his fastest lap of the race in eighth. Both Mostert and SVG have backed of a little, possibly conserving fuel.
29 laps to go - SVG falls three seconds behind Mostert, but there are a full set of new tyres waiting for him in the pits. They are six seconds clear of the battle for third, between Kostecki and Waters.
30 laps to go - Back in seventh, Will Davison clocks his fastest lap of the day, but makes not impression on Mostert and SVG out front.
31 laps to go - SVG marginally slower than Mostert on that lap and almost his fastest of the day.
32 laps to go - Another 2m 5.1s for Mostert and SVG not much slower, but the margin is over 2.5 seconds.
Kostecki, Waters and Percat round out the top five.
33 laps to go - Mostert goes 2m 05.1s, but SVG is also into the 2m 05s. Whincup takes Slade for eighth.
34 laps to go - Still one stop to come for everyone, so we're coming down to squeaky-bum time.
Mostert goes 2m 05.4s - another fastest lap. He extends to almost two seconds.
36 laps to go - Mostert has a second on SVG, who has almost a second on Kostecki. Waters takes Percat for fourth.
Whincup is looking for a way past Slade, as Mostert clocks the races' fastest lap of 2m 5.6s
37 laps to go - Mostert jumps away at the restart, with SVG behind him. You'd think the polesitter would be just too fast in a straight sprint.
38 laps to go - Still under safety car and the field bunches back up. Mostert, SVG, Kostecki, Percat and Waters fill the front five spots.
Safety car has left the track and the field files towards the home straight for a green flag. There's a lot of junk on the track now.
40 laps to go - Reynolds finally pits, so he'll fall from contention. He rejoins in 17th.
41 laps to go - Mostert passes Reynolds for the lead, putting a car between him and SVG.
Jake Kostecki is into the tyres and another safety car ensues...
SVG has also passed Reynolds into second. Kostecki is off the wall and will limp back to the pits.
42 laps to go - SVG was the fastest car on the last lap, Mostert was just third.
43 laps to go - SVG sneaks past Kostecki into third, but further down the field, De Pasquale gets touched up by Whincup.
44 laps to go - Red Bull reporting a "minor problem" in SVG's 888 car, they think it's a faulty sensor.
45 laps to go - Reynolds, Mostert, Kostecki, SVG and Percat emerge as the top five. Whincup has slipped to 12th.
Will Davison cops a five-second penalty for unsafe pit release - he almost took out another car as he exited.
46 laps to go - Still some concerns about SVG's dashboard, which seemed an issue earlier in the race.
Safety car has left the track and the field filles towards the home straight for a green flag.
47 laps to go - While they clear Odeja off the track, the rain clouds close in on Mount Panorama. Drama.
49 laps to go - Another safety car, with Jayden Odeja into the fence. Everyone into the pits - Whincup will have to wait for SVG to clear the Red Bull pit.
Mostert pits, but doesn't need as much fuel, so makes an early getaway. Kostecki also gets past SVG.
David Reynolds, Andre Heimgartner and Mark Winterbottom haven't pitted, so they fill the top three positions for now.
50 laps to go - De Pasquale sits third and provides a barrier to Mostert, as he tries to topple the Red Bull duo of SVG and Whincup. Kostecki in fifth.
Mostert takes De Pasquale on the inside for third and has the Red Bull cars in sight.
51 laps to go - Brodie Kostecki and Fullwood come together...
SVG, Mostert and Whincup battling for the lead. SVG and Whincup combine to shunt Mostert back a couple of places for a Red Bull one-two.
52 laps to go - Bathurst becomes a 52-lap sprint race, with Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen leading the field, but speedster Chaz Mostert on this tail.
Whincup, De Pasquale and Waters complete the top five.
53 laps to go - Under safety car, Mostert has moved into second between SVG and Whincup...
Safety car has left the track and the field has the green flag.
54 laps to go - SVG didn't take advantage of the yellow car, so maybe that puts him on the backfoot for the rest of the journey.
Actually, Mostert sits third in the queue. The echidna is off the track, but cars will complete this lap under yellow.
55 laps to go - Holdsworth pits during the safety car and Mostert returns to the track. SVG moves into the lead and Mostert rejoins in second.
Whincup, De Pasquale and Waters fill the top five.
Also rain is looming on the horizon.
56 laps to go - Safety car comes out for an echidna crawling across the track! You have to be kidding...
Teams are scrambling to the pits and this will have a massive affect on the race.
57 laps to go - Mostert prepares for his final stint...
58 laps to go - Luff pits and SVG now has a clean shot at Holdsworth, albeit 38 seconds back. Waters, Percat and Whincup fill the top five. Fullwoods takes over from Luff and rejoins in eighth.
60 laps to go - Holdsworth leads Luff by 33 seconds, with SVG another three seconds back.
61 laps to go - Tander pits and SVG will take the seat for the run home. He rejoings in third, as Holdsworth has the lead again, with Luff in second.
Lap 100 - Moffat pits, so Tander takes the lead with Holdsworth 17 seconds back. Luff moves into third and Waters rejoins in fourth, then Percat.
Lap 99 - Whincup takes the wheel for his last stint of Supercars competition. He'll rejoin in sixth spot, but has De Pasquale on his tail.
Lap 98 - D'Alberto pits and De Pasquale rejoins in seventh. Lowndes completes his 54 laps quota.
Top five are now Moffat, Tander, Holdsworth, Lowndes and Luff.
Heimgartner's car is back into the pit early and slides to 14th, with the Kiwi in the seat.
Lap 97 - Holdsworth takes Lowndes and moves into fourth. He's only 20 seconds behind leader Moffat.
Lap 96 - Russell pits and Brodie Kostecki takes over in 10th place. Holdsworth is all over Lowndes, searching for way to fourth.
Lap 95 - Lowndes and Holdsworth both take Russell to move into the top five.
Lap 93 - Holdsworth has taken four tyres and fuel, but stays behind the wheel for an extra stint. He rejoins in sixth.
Moffat takes the lead, with Tander still on his bumper... D'Alberto, Russell and Lowndes round out the top five.
Lap 92 - Holdsworth, Moffat, Tander, D'Alberto and Russell fill the top five. Holdsworth pits...
Lap 90 - Red Bull boss Roland Dane says it all: "The 25 car is too fast." His team sits third and sixth right now, but unless Mostert/Holdsworth miscalculate fuel or have gear failure, they'll be hard to beat.
Lap 88 - Holdsworth has a 37 second lead on Moffat, with Tander still pressing hard to pass. The leader is half-a-second a lap faster than his rivals.
Lap 87 - Tander is desperately looking for a way past Moffat. They connect, dislodging the Holden badge from the front of Tander's car.
Lap 86 - Kiwis Chris Pither is back in car 96, which he has up to 14th. Coulthard hasn't emerged from the garage, while Matt Campbell has Heimgartner's drive up to 10th.
Holdsworth has 35 seconds on Moffat, with Tander breathing down his neck.
Lap 85 - Holdsworth, Moffat, Tander, D'Alberto and Russell are your top five... Lowndes in sixth.
Lap 84 - Tander pits, but will stay in the driver's seat. Holdsworth takes the lead...
Tander rejoins in second, but doesn't have the momentum to hold off Moffat, who rolls past.
Lap 83 - Coulthard pits and looks like he has issues. He's pushed into the garage... not good.
Lap 82 - Lowndes pits, which leaves Holdsworth a clear shot at the lead, albeit still 24 seconds behind Tander.
Lowndes rejoins in seventh, D'Alberto is back in the top five.
Lap 81 - Fullwood pits and Luff rejoins in 10th. Wood enters the top five.
Lap 80 - Approaching halfway, the top five is Tander, Lowndes, Holdsworth, Fullwood and Moffat.
Lap 79 - Holdsworth now just 26 seconds off the lead and still lapping under 2m 07s. In the lead, Tander clocks 2m 07.4s on that last lap.
Lap 78 - Tander has completed his mandatory 54 laps as support driver. He now has the lead, with Moffat pitting and slipping to fifth.
Lap 77 - Cars can now swap out their front brakes and many are taking advantage of that.
De Pasquale pits, D'Alberto takes the wheel... they rejoin in seventh. Moffat, Tander, Lowndes, Holdsworth and Fullwood are the top five.
Coulthard is eighth. Heimgartner's car is having the window replaced, after it fell out early in the race.
Lap 76 - Campbell has Heimgartner's car into ninth, Coulthard up to 12th. Some discussion over leaving Holdsworth behind the wheel of Mostert's car beyond his required 54 laps.
Lap 75 - Moffat, Tander, De Pasquale, Lowndes and Holdsworth is back in the top five, after Russell pits. Holdsworth has hacked four seconds off the his deficit to the leader.
Lap 73 - Holdsworth still the fastest out there - he had 2m 06.3s on the last lap - but De Pasquale is also under 2m 07s. Tander continues to peg back Moffat.
Lap 72 - Tander whittling away at Moffat's lead, just over five seconds now. Holdsworth is 37 seconds back.
Lap 71 - De Pasquale passes Russell for third.
Lap 70 - Mostert pits and Holdsworth will take over. Moffat takes the lead, six seconds ahead of Tander... Holdsworth rejoins in sixth.
Russell, De Pasquale and Lowndes complete the top five. Remember Holdsworth has the day's fastest time as a support driver.
Lap 69 - Mostert, Moffat, Tander, Russell, De Pasquale and Lowndes fill the top six. Mostert's lead is almost 30 seconds.
Lap 67 - Mostert is lapping in 2m 6s consistently... Holdsworth has a fastest time of 2m 05.7s in the same car, better than anyone else today.
Lap 66 - Coulthard is in his car and travelling 14th. Mostert is extending his lead - he's 26 seconds up on Moffat and 43 seconds ahead of Tander.
Lap 65 - Mostert, Moffat, Tander, Russell and De Pasquale are your top five... Lowndes sixth.
Lap 64 - SVG pits and Tander is limbering up. He rejoins the race in third place, 27 seconds behind Mostert.
Lap 63 - Percat pits, so the top five is SVG, Mostert, Moffat, Russell and De Pasquale.
Lap 62 - Lowndes into seventh, passing Luff. SVG still leads, but expected to pit any time now...
Lap 61 - Whincup pits and Lowndes will replace him. They rejoin in eighth.
SVG has 35 seconds on Mostert, but will pit any minute.
One hundred laps to go...
Lap 60 - Kostecki brothers have incurred a 15s pitlane penalty, as SVG prepares to pit. He has 16 seconds over Whincup and 35 seconds on Mostert.
Lap 59 - Mostert passes Percat into third. SVG preparing to pit...
Lap 58 - Top five are now SVG, Whincup, Percat, Mostert and Luff. Mostert is still the fastest car on the track.
SVG will pit in two laps...
Lap 57 - Waters has pitted, so SVG takes the lead for now. He leads Whincup by 15 seconds.
James Moffat replaces Waters and rejoins in ninth.
Lap 56 - Mostert passes Luff into sixth, so his car speed has him on the charge again.
Lap 55 - SVG passes Kostecki into second and is now seven seconds adrift of Waters. Kostecki has pitted, so had De Pasquale.
Top five is now Waters, SVG, Whincup, Blanchard and Percat. Mostert is up to seventh, while Heimgartner also pitted and Matt Campbell takes over in 21st.
Lap 54 - Mostert passes Le Brocq into 11th. SVG now less than two seconds behind Kostecki.
Lap 53 - Waters is five seconds up on Kostecki, but SVG is whittling away at his margin to second. De Pasquale and Whincup round out the top five.
SVG close to grazing the wall... apparently he made contact a couple of laps back.
Lap 51 - Waters is four seconds ahead of Kostecki, with SVG another 2.5 seconds back.
Lap 50 - We've hit the 50th lap and Waters takes the lead, with Kostecki, Van Gisbergen, De Pasquale and Whincup filling the top five.
Mostert's tyres are shot, so he's dodge one there... sounded more serious than that. He rejoins in 12th.
Lap 49 - Apparently, a beacon at the finish-line fell over, which explains why cars were experiencing some issues. It has now been righted again.
Mostert is slowing, and will pit for fuel and tyres, but there's a death rattle from the car...
Lap 48 - Some of the leaders, including SVG, seem to have dashboard issues, limiting some of the key information they need about the performance of their cars.
Lap 47 - SVG just making some ground on Kostecki, now less than three seconds back.
Lap 45 - SVG is now 20 seconds astray of Mostert, still fourth.
Lap 44 - Perkins rejoins the race, after that steering issue a few laps back. He and Brown are ahead of only James Golding, who left the track early.
Lap 42 - Mostert has 11 seconds on Waters, with Kostecki lurking four seconds further back, but Mostert was a second faster than SVG over that last lap.
Lap 41 - Tander pits, so the top five will get another shake up. D'Alberto follows... Van Gisbergen has replaced Tander and rejoins the field in fourth.
That top five looks more like what you'd expect now, with several lead drivers making their first appearance - Mostert, Waters, Brodie Kostecki, SVG and De Pasquale, with Whincup sixth.
SVG is 17.5 seconds behind Mostert.
Lap 40 - Pither pits and slips down the field.
Lap 39 - Whincup comes into pits, so the top five is Tander, D'Alberto, Wood, Ingall and Mostert. Tander is almost nine seconds ahead of D'Alberto.
Kiwi Chris Pither pops up in sixth.
Lap 38 - Tander now leads (but for how long), as Mostert rejoins in ninth. Tander has eight seconds on D'Alberto, with Whincup now third, so Waters has pitted.
Lap 37 - Heimgartner pits, so he will slip down the field - he re-enters in 18th.
The leaders are about to pit also - Holdsworth makes way for Chaz Mostert.
Lap 36 - Kiwi Heimgartner has entered the top 10, Pither in 15th, while Fabian Coulthard's co-driver Jonathan Webb has their car in 11th.
Lap 35 - About 20 seconds cover the top five, with Holdsworth holding almost six seconds on Tander.
Lap 34 - Kostecki will pit after all to deal with that brake issue. Whincup will pop into the top five now, as Kostecki rejoins the race in 20th.
Holdsworth, Tander, Waters, D'Alberto and Whincup are your top five.
Lap 33 - Whincup into sixth and sets sights on D'Alberto.
Lap 32 - Perkins' car has spilled oil onto the track, causing drivers to show more caution. That accounts for the showdown at the front.
Lap 31 - The front of the race has closed up, with Holdsworth less than four seconds ahead of Tander, with Kosteck about 2.5 seconds further back.
Kostecki seems to have resolved his brake problem without pitting.
Lap 30 - Kostecki also has a problem, but Erebus already have their hands full with Brown's car, which will drop out of contention with a power-steering issue.
Lap 29 - Smoke coming from Jack Perkins/Will Brown car, currently running ninth. He pits with a steering problem.
Lap 28 - Tander is drawing away from Kostecki, but not making any headway against Holdsworth.
Heimgartner is millimetres away from scraping the wall. Whincup makes contact at Forrest Elbow.
Lap 26 - Just over 12 seconds covering the top five, Tander again sitting by himself in second, five seconds behind Holdsworth and almost three ahead of Kostecki.
Lap 25 - Apparently Heimgartner's car has lost a window, but nothing serious.
Lap 24 - Whincup making big moves inside the top 10. He's now seventh.
Holdsworth is four seconds clear of Tander, who still has two seconds on Kostecki. D'Alberto is fourth and Cam Waters has made a charge into the top five.
Lap 21 - Holdsworth has two seconds on Tander, who has two seconds Kostecki. James Courtney has taken over from Randle, after that off, but he trails the field now.
Lap 20 - Whincup enters the top 10, Heimgartner reaches 14th, with Pither in 18th. No change in the top five, as Holdsworth extends again.
Kostecki has moved up two spots to third now, taking Blanchard and D'Alberto - he sets his sights on Tander.
Lap 19 - Green flag on the homestraight, with Holdsworth, Tander, D'Alberto, Tim Blanchard (taking over from Slade) and Brodie Kostecki filling the top five.
Holdsworth already has a second on the field.
Lap 18 - Kiwi Andre Heimgartner takes the wheel of No.7, entering at 15th. Some cars will lose ground through double-stacking, as they wait for teammates to complete their stops.
Randle is out of the sand at Turn 1. Red Bull makes a nice transition, with Tander leaving, as Lowndes arrives, and hands over to Whingcup in 11th.
Lap 17 - Thomas Randle is buried in sand and the safety car is out. How many teams will take advantage of this?
Holdsworth pits, he'll stay behind the wheel, and take on fuel and tyres. Tander, D'Alberto, Slade... everyone is in the pits.
Lap 16 - David Russell pits and makes way for Brodie Kostecki.
Tander holds Holdsworth for the moment, maybe making up some ground.
Lap 15 - Winterbottom takes a pitstop and swiches out with Michael Caruso.
Lap 14 - Near the rear of the field, Ojeda makes an early pitstop.
Still a procession at the front, with Holdsworth now seven seconds clear of Tander and 20 seconds covering the top five.
Lap 13 - Tander now 6.3 seconds down on Holdsworth, but the lead drivers are getting twitchy back in the pits, many of them preparing to jump aboard, if the safety car makes an early appearance.
Lap 12 - Tander has stopped the rot and is holding steady at about 5.5 seconds behind Holdsworth, with D'Alberto seven seconds further back.
Lap 11 - James Moffat and Bryce Fullwood are off the track, and lose places, as they rejoin the race in 12th and 14th respectively.
Lap 10 - Top five are still Holdsworth, Tander, D'Alberto, Salde and Alex Davison, with about 15 seconds covering the frontrunners.
The Pye/Golding car is now parked in pitline, so their day seems over already.
Lap 8 - Broc Feeney continues his run through the field, after passing Lowndes and Winterbottom early. Feeney is now challenging Brown for 11th.
Holdsworth's lead almost five seconds now, but Tander is seven up on D'Alberto, under no pressure.
Lap 7 - Holdsworth is now four seconds clear of Tander... that recordbreaking car just as impressive in the hands of the co-driver.
Lap 6 - Kiwi Fabian Coulthard is also first in his car, currently running 16th. Chris Pither is 20th, subbing for Macauley Jones.
Lap 5 - Holdsworth continues to extend his lead, now three seconds over Tander, with D'Alberto, Alex Davison and Slade filling the top five. Slade takes Davison for fourth.
Lap 4 - Holdsworth extends his lead to more than two seconds over Tander. Golding is back on the track, but not for long, as that steering fault persists.
Lap 3 - Golding has pitted already with steering problems, not good news for Scott Pye. Provisional pole winner Will Brown has taken the first stint and sits in 11th, after he was relegated in the shootout.
Lap 2 - Holdsworth has more than a second over Tander, Tim Slade is the best of the fulltime drivers in fifth.
James Golding off at The Chase, but seems to avoid any permanent damage.
Lap 1 - D'Alberto gets the best start to lead at the first turn, but Garth Tander already has SVG's car into third place off the third row.
James Moffat loses six spots in Cam Waters' car. Holdsworth passes D'Alberto for the lead and Tander follows him through - great news for SVG early.
2:16pm - The formation lap begins, a chance for drivers to warm up their tyres. Back in the field, Mark Winterbottom is one of the few lead drivers to start.
2:14pm - Lee Holdsworth has first shift for polesitter Chaz Mostert and it seems most of the support drivers will get their feet wet early.
2:09pm - Drivers are playing it pretty cagey over who will start the race, so we'll try and get an early handle on that over the opening laps. Looks like Craig Lowndes will take first turn behind the wheel of Whincup's car, Tony D'Alberto will lead off for Anton De Pasquale.
2:01pm - Whincup is being inducted into the Supercars Hall of Fame, with PM Morrison doing the honours.
1:53pm - It's not a major sporting event without a politician trying to gain a little reflected glory. Aussie Prime Minister Scott Morrison enjoyed a hot lap with Supercars legend Mark Skaife...
1:41pm - Here we go, the cars are leaving their pits to begin their warm-ups. Garth Tander is behind the wheel in Shane van Gisbergen's 888 car, nursing the Peter Brock Trophy, which they won last year.
1:15pm - Emotional day for Jamie Whincup, as he retires from the Supercars championship. Bet you he pops up as a co-driver at Bathurst next year...
12:43pm - If you missed the late-breaking news last night, Erebus racers Brodie Kostecki and Will Brown were disqualified from the top-10 shootout, after their cars weighed light.
Kostecki clocked the fourth fastest lap and Brown fifth in the shootout, but will now slide back to 10th and ninth respectively on the grid, promoting Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen into fifth on the third row.
Also, the draft 2022 Supercars championship schedule is out and Pukekohe Park Raceway is back on the itinerary for September 10/11 - the penultimate round of competition.
*****
Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Bathurst 1000 - the most iconic race on the Aussie Supercars circuit - raced on picturesque Mount Panorama in country New South Wales.
All eyes on are Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen, who teamed with Garth Tander to win last year and has already sealed the Supercars championship crown before this final event of the season.
The closing rounds of this year's championship have seen real drama, with van Gisbergen and teammate-rival Jamie Whincup trying to run each other off the track at Sydney, rookie Will Brown capturing his first Supercars victory and the Kiwi finally winning the title from pitlane, as the penultimate race of the season was rained off.
Four-time Bathurst winner Whincup will retire after this race and will be determined to leave on a high note. Unfortunately, he will start back on the grid, after failing to make the top-10 shootout in qualifying.
Brown, 23, has emerged as a darkhorse contender, after qualifying fastest for the shootout, clocking 2m 03.8989s for the 6.213km circuit.
Ultimately, he was trumped by mohawked Chaz Mostert's lap record of 2m 03.373s in the shootout.
Van Gisbergen the seventh-fastest time in qualifying and the shootout, but was promoted a couple of spots on the grid, when Erebus Racing drivers Brown and Brodie Kostecki both weighed in light.
Other Kiwis in contention over the six-hour, 161-lap journey are Andre Heimgartner and Fabian Coulthard, starting 17th and 20th on the grid respectively, while Chris Pither will co-driver with Aussie Macauley Jones from 22nd.
The field (in grid order):
25-Chaz Mostert/Lee Holdsworth
11-Anton De Pasquale/Tony D'Alberto
6-Cam Waters/James Moffat
3-Tim Slade/Tim Blanchard
888-Shane van Gisbergen/Garth Tander
17-Will Davison/Alex Davison
8-Nick Percat/Dale Wood
5-Jack Le Brocq/Zak Best
9-Will Brown/Jack Perkins
99-Brodie Kostecki/David Russell
88-Jamie Whincup/Craig Lowndes
2-Bryce Fullwood/Warren Luff
20-Scott Pye/James Goulding
18-Mark Winterbottom/Michael Caruso
39-Brock Feeney/Russell Ingall
44-James Courtney/Thomas Randle
7-Andre Heimgartner/Matthew Campbell
14-Todd Hazelwood/Dean Fiore
26-David Reynolds/Luke Youlden
19-Fabian Coulthard/Jonathon Webb
34-Jake Kostecki/Kurt Kostecki
96-Macauley Jones/Chris Pither
35-Zane Goddard/Jayden Ojeda
4-Jack Smith/David Wall
22-Garry Jacobson/Dylan O'Keeffe
TAB Odds: Van Gisbergen/Tander $4.20, Mostert/Holdsworth $4.50, De Pasquale/D'Alberto $5.50, Waters/Moffat $6
Kiwi Mountain Master: SVG looking to go back-to-back at Bathurst
Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen hopes to put the difficulties he and his team have had to deal with this season in the rearview mirror and cap the year off with yet another win.
'The Giz' notched up his second Supercars crown late last month and is now focused on winning his second Bathurst 1000 title this weekend, alongside Red Bull Racing teammate Garth Tander.
The lightning-quick Aucklander's growing list of accomplishments is all a bit surreal.
In the last 12 months, Van Gisbergen, 32, has added NZ Grand Prix and Battle of Jack Ridge rally sprint titles to his Bathurst and Supercars victories.
Van Gisbergen reveals to Newshub he never envisioned that type of success.
"I just wanted to be a Supercars driver, going out to Puke every year, but never dreamed of being a champion or anything," van Gisbergen says.
And the defending Bathurst champion can attack the infamous 'Mountain' with no fear, with the championship sealed.
Van Gisbergen and Tander aim to become the first pair to win back-to-back at Mount Panorama, since Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes completed a threepeat in 2009.
"It's great we've locked up the championship, because we can focus purely on the race, not have to worry about staying out of trouble, not having to not take risks, just there to get the result."
But the journey hasn't been easy for the 2021 series champion. He and his team have had to navigate constant obstacles dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, while the Kiwi also dealt with an early-season collarbone injury that required surgery and threatened to halt his dominance.
"Big job for the guys, because we can't go back to our base in Queensland - we're stuck in New South Wales.
"The truck's been going back and forth to make sure we have enough parts to service the car. Not having the comfort of our own workshop is not great, the guys are preparing it at the track."
But he accepts it's just another challenge they have to overcome.
"The Melbourne-based teams have all gone home and are preparing at their own workshops, but it was the other way round last year for us, so it's our turn to sacrifice."
And the biggest thrill for the fan favourite Van Gisberegen would be defending his 2020 victory in front of a packed circuit full of motorsport petrolheads.
"That's the only thing I missed last year, not having that atmosphere.
"Seeing the crowd react, I really missed that, but the race was intense as ever and I'm expecting the same this year."
