Holden Chases 30th Bathurst Win

If it is successful at Mount Panorama this weekend, Holden will nail its 30th win at the legendary Bathurst circuit. 

GM Holden Motorsport and Sponsorship Manager Simon McNamara emphasised the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 as the most important race on the calendar.

“Bathurst is Australia’s Great Race, it’s the biggest event of the year and the one that captures the attention of all Australians,” McNamara said.

“It’s also an extremely tough race and wins on Mount Panorama are never easy to achieve, which makes us very proud of Holden’s record on the mountain.” 

Given this is the first year the race will be contested under V8 Supercars’ Car Of The Future regulations, with Holden represented by 16 new VF Commodores in the 29-car field, the win would mean a lot to Holden. 

“This year’s race is particularly important as it’s the first in a new era of V8 Supercars, there are more manufacturers and an increased level of competition and rivalry.

“We have had to adapt to changing technical regulations many times in the past, but the record books show that we have always remained competitive.”

Holden celebrates 45 years since it first won the Bathurst classic in 1968, Bruce McPhee and Barry Mulholland collecting the crown in their HK Monaro GTS 327.

Since then, Holden has amassed a record 29 victories – 12 more than its nearest competitor, arch-rival Ford.

It also celebrates the 30th anniversary of Holden veteran John Harvey’s first and only Bathurst win, with Peter Brock and Larry Perkins in the 1983 race, 20 years since Perkins and the late Gregg Hansford’s 1993 triumph, and 10th anniversary of Greg Murphy and Rick Kelly’s dominating 2003 victory.

Holden’s most recent win was delivered last year by Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell in their Triple Eight Race Engineering VE Commodore Series II.

This year, the new model VF Commodore will run at Bathurst and McNamara is confident it will meet expectations. 

“Its predecessor won the past four straight Great Races; VF has big shoes to fill, but we’re confident it can continue Holden’s winning tradition at Mount Panorama.”

Holden drivers currently fill three of the top five places in the V8 Supercars Championship points, with nine in the top 11. 

“One of the most encouraging aspects of this season has been the number of Holdens at the front of the field,” McNamara said.

“The results are a credit to our teams, and Holden Motorsport Technical Manager Peter Harker, who coordinated the homologation of VF in conjunction with HRT and Triple Eight Race Engineering.

“It’s going to be a tough race, but we are confident we have the drivers, teams and cars to grab the ultimate success and have the entire country thinking Holden.”

Practice for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 starts today. 

Holden Motorsport has designed a comprehensive Bathurst 1000 infographic, available for download.

The infographic details Holden's 29 Bathurst winners, the two greatest laps in Bathurst history, the features of the new VF Commodore race car, a typical pit-stop and a full fast lap of the Mountain.