What you need to know: Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000

Originally constructed in 1938 as a scenic tourist drive, Mount Panorama has hosted all types of motorsport including the world-famous Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, the annual 12 Hour GT race, 24 Hour endurance races, Australian Grand Prix and Easter motorcycle meetings.

The circuit, which is a public road on non-race weekends, is ranked among the great racetracks of the world.

There has been a 500-mile or 1000-kilometre race at Mount Panorama every year since 1963, and since 1973 it has been for the same type of cars competing in the Australian Touring Car Championship/Supercars Championship.

In 1997, that tradition continued with Supercars contesting the Primus 1000 Classic and the two-litre Super Tourers the AMP Bathurst 1000.

There were again two separate 1000km races in 1998 (both races are counted in Bathurst 500/1000 records) before Supercars became the solo 1000km race, and Bathurst part of the Championship, in ’99.

From 2006 onwards, the race winners have been awarded the Peter Brock Trophy in honour of the nine-time Bathurst winner who was killed in a tarmac rally in Western Australia in September of that year.

What time is it on?

A big week of on-track action starts bright and early at 7:25am AEDT on Thursday morning, with the first of the day’s three, hour-long Virgin Australia Supercars Championship practice sessions starting at 9:45am.

After two more practice sessions on Friday, qualifying will get underway at 3:50pm local time.

Saturday is headlined by the iconic ARMOR ALL Top 10 Shootout from 5:10pm, but the day also features an additional hour of Supercars practice and the non-points, 250km Dunlop Super2 race.

Teams and drivers will have the traditional warm-up session to navigate from 8:05am on Sunday, before the 161-lap Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 starts at 11:10am AEDT.

Click here for the full track schedule.

How can I watch it?

Every practice, qualifying and race from the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 will be broadcast live, ad-break free on Fox Sports 506, which becomes a dedicated, 24/7 Bathurst channel on Monday October 2.

Ten will also carry extensive live coverage across the weekend, broadcasting from 12:00pm Friday, 11:30am Saturday and 7:30am Sunday, all times AEDT.

Click here for the full television schedule.

Where can I buy tickets?

Tickets can be purchased online here while there will be others available at the circuit.

How else can I follow it?

Supercars.com will provide all the latest news and updates throughout the week, while you can follow along on social media with @supercars on Twitter, the hashtags #VASC or #Bathurst1000 or facebook.com/supercars.

Live timing will also be available on Supercars.com throughout the weekend and on the official app.

The numbers

Length: 6.213km

Direction: Anti-clockwise

Average Speed: 178km/h

Top Speed: 300km/h

Fast fact: Peter Brock and Jim Richards share the record for the most Bathurst 500/1000 finishes with 24, from 32 and 35 starts respectively. Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards are the best of the active drivers with 19, from 22 and 23 starts respectively.

Qualifying Lap Record: Jamie Whincup, Triple Eight Race Engineering, Holden Commodore VF, 2m04.9097s, 2015, Dunlop Hard Tyre

Race Lap Record: David Reynolds, Erebus Motorsport, Holden Commodore VF, 2m06.2769s, 2016, Dunlop Hard Tyre

Race wins by driver

9: Peter Brock

7: Jim Richards

6: Larry Perkins, Mark Skaife, Craig Lowndes

4: Allan Moffat, Greg Murphy, Jamie Whincup, Steven Richards

3: Dick Johnson, Garth Tander

2: Harry Firth, Bob Jane, John Goss, Allan Grice, John Bowe, Russell Ingall, Tony Longhurst, Rick Kelly, Will Davison

1: George Reynolds, Rauno Aaltonen, Bob Holden, Fred Gibson, Bruce McPhee, Colin Bond, Barry Mulholland, Tony Roberts, Ian Geoghegan, Kevin Bartlett, Brian Sampson, Bob Morris, John Fitzpatrick, Jacky Ickx, John Harvey, John French, Graeme Bailey, Armin Hahne, David Parsons, Peter McLeod, Thomas Mezera, Gregg Hansford, Jason Bargwanna, Win Percy, Midge Bosworth, Geoff Brabham, David Brabham, Rickard Rydell, Jason Bright, Todd Kelly, Nick Percat, Paul Dumbrell, Mark Winterbottom, Chaz Mostert, Paul Morris, Jonathon Webb

Pole positions by driver

6: Peter Brock

5: Mark Skaife

4: Allan Moffat

2: Ian Geoghegan, Kevin Bartlett, Dick Johnson, Glenn Seton, Craig Lowndes, Garth Tander, Mark Winterbottom, Greg Murphy, Jamie Whincup

1: Bruce McPhee, John Goss, Colin Bond, Allan Grice, George Fury, Tom Walkinshaw, Gary Scott, Klaus Ludwig, Klaus Niedzwiedz, Larry Perkins, Steven Richards, Paul Morris, Rickard Rydell, Mark Larkham, Wayne Gardner, Marcos Ambrose, Will Davison, Shane van Gisbergen, David Reynolds