2023 Bathurst 1000: What you need to know about this weekend's Great Race

This weekend it’s the other race that stops the nation - and this one has more horsepower than the one in November. 

The Bathurst 1000 is an Australian institution, the most famous motor race we have and one that most kids who hop in a go-kart hope to win one day (even Formula One aces Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones have competed at Mt Panorama).

But the 2023 edition is something different as the Supercars series entered a new era this year with the long-awaited arrival of the so-called ‘Gen3’ cars. This new formula is very similar to the previous cars, but sees the Holden Commodore replaced by the Chevrolet Camaro and a new generation Ford Mustang competing head-to-head on the track.

Read More About Holden Commodore

Ford frustration puts future of V8 Supercars in doubt 2023 Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro Gen3 V8 Supercars revealed: How close are these new race cars to their road-going models? Ford Mustang 2024 review: Dark Horse

Here are the burning questions for anyone who only tunes into Supercars racing once a year in October.

Is Holden still racing?

No, even though Holden stuck around on the racetrack longer than it did in the showroom, it took its final chequered flag at the end of the 2022 season. This year the Holden teams swapped their Commodores for Chevy Camaros, giving the sport a more American look and feel. And yet, at the same time, it also takes the sport back to its early glory days, when the likes of Bob Jane and Allan Moffat duelled in Chevy and Ford muscle cars before the Australian car industry really took off.

Dick Johnson Racing has Will Davison and his brother Alex sharing the #17 entry, with Anton de Pasquale and Tony D’Alberto in the #11.

Why is Ford complaining about being uncompetitive?

If you haven’t been following the sport all year and are just looking up the previous results you may be wondering how the Ford teams have only managed to win two of the 23 races run so far. It’s an obviously lopsided scorecard and it has been causing tension throughout the season, with obvious biases depending on which side of the Chevy v Ford divide you sit on.

Without deep diving into the politics and technical minutia of the issue, there are two main arguments. The Ford teams are adamant that there is a fundamental imbalance between the two cars that means the Mustang works its tyres harder and therefore is less competitive at the end of the race. However, the Chevrolet teams argue that they’re simply doing a better, more consistent job and it would be unfair to make the Fords quicker.

As late as Wednesday this week, less than 24 hours before the cars hit the track for first practice, the Ford teams were lobbying for changes to their cars to make them more competitive.

Shane van Gisbergen and Mark Winterbottom with their Camaros.

Who’s the favourite to win?

With that in mind, and based on form throughout the season, Ford fans shouldn’t get their hopes too high that it will be a Mustang crew atop the podium. Instead, the short-priced favourites should be Erebus Racing and Triple Eight Race Engineering, as those are the two teams splitting the majority of the wins in 2023.

The Coca-Cola-backed Erebus Racing has been a rising force in the championship in recent years and the switch to Gen3 has allowed its young guns, Brodie Kostecki and Will Brown to shine. They will be partnered by experienced co-drivers, David Russell and Jack Perkins respectively, which will hold them in good stead to claim the biggest wins of their career.

Then there’s the Red Bull-sponsored Triple Eight crews, with defending series and race champion Shane van Gisbergen sharing his Camaro with the highly-touted Richie Stanaway, and rising star Broc Feeney partnering with Jamie Whincup; the most successful driver in the sport’s history.  

Feeney and Whincup combined to win the traditional Bathurst warm-up, the Sandown 500, so they’re arguably the team to beat.

The switch to Gen3 has allowed its young guns, Brodie Kostecki and Will Brown to shine.

Who are the dark horses to win?

One of the biggest unknowns heading to Mt Panorama is how well these new Gen3 cars will stand up to 1000km of racing around the country’s toughest track. The cars have been plagued by steering rack problems and, more recently, the wheels literally falling off, so it’s likely some of the favourites won’t make the finish.

That could bring some roughies into the equation, including the Ford teams. The Blue Oval still has plenty of talent on its roster and if the Mustang can be tuned to suit the track, then there are several combinations that could end up on the podium.

Dick Johnson Racing has Will Davison and his brother Alex sharing the #17 entry, with Anton de Pasquale and Tony D’Alberto in the #11. Tickford Racing will be led by Cameron Waters and James Moffatt in the Monster-backed Mustang. While former Holden heroes, Walkinshaw Andretti United, have switched to the Ford side and have Chaz Mostert and Lee Holdsworth sharing its #25 Mustang.

Tickford Racing will be led by Cameron Waters and James Moffatt in the Monster-backed Mustang.

Grove Racing has former winners David Reynolds and Garth Tander sharing a car, so don’t be slack jawed if they spring a surprise in their Ford.

Then there’s some other Chevrolet combinations that could contend, including the SuperCheap Auto-backed wildcard entry from Triple Eight, which pairs seven-time winner Craig Lowndes with young gun Zane Goddard. 

Gen3 has also seen some surprising winners in 2023, including Team 18’s Mark Winterbottom (sharing with Michael Caruso) and Matt Stone Racing’s Jack Le Brocq (partnering Jayden Ojeda).

Former Holden heroes, Walkinshaw Andretti United, have switched to the Ford side and have Chaz Mostert and Lee Holdsworth sharing its #25 Mustang.

How can I watch the Bathurst 1000?

The race will be broadcast live on Channel 7, Fox Sports and Kayo. The race will begin at 11:15am on Sunday and run for 161-laps.