Faster and faster: Evolution of Bathurst's best lap time

Mount Panorama is no stranger to records, and next week’s Repco Bathurst 1000 could see fast times again.

Fastest laps of the weekend are almost always clocked in practice and qualifying when cars have fresh tyres and are light on fuel.

The first Great Race at Mount Panorama in 1963 was a 500-mile race. The first shootout was held in 1978, initially known as the ‘Hardies Heroes’ Top 10 runoff.

Peter Brock claimed his third Bathurst pole position that year in a Holden Torana with a 2m20.0s lap around Mount Panorama.

Brock’s time was a full minute quicker than Ian Geoghegan managed 14 years earlier.

The first driver to break the 100mph (161km/h) average speed in one lap at Mount Panorama was Allan Grice in 1982, who clocked a 2:17.5s around the then 6.172km circuit.

The circuit was altered in 1987 when The Chase was added along Conrod Straight.

It ensured George Fury will always have the fastest lap ever recorded around the circuit in its original configuration. Fury recorded a 2:13.8s aboard his Nissan Bluebird in 1984.

The addition of The Chase only increased the total circuit distance by 41 metres. However, roughly three to four seconds per lap were added due to the amount of braking required.

Turbocharged cars dropped lap times, before the V8 Supercars era saw times drop again.

In 1998, Mark Skaife broke the 2:10s barrier, and lap times continued to drop from there.

Between 2001 and 2009, every pole lap at Bathurst dropped from the 2:09.8s set by rookie Marcos Ambrose in 2001 to the 2:08.8s set by Greg Murphy in 2003.

Murphy’s iconic ‘Lap of the Gods’ came as he was chasing after the 2m07.9s set by John Bowe.

Craig Lowndes bettered Murphy’s time in 2010, albeit in practice. The circuit was resurfaced in 2014, and cars went faster again.

In 2017, Scott McLaughlin dropped in a jaw-dropping 2:03s lap in the shootout, a time that was bettered by Cameron Waters last year.

Waters clocked a 2:03.559s to score pole in 2020, which is the incumbent qualifying lap record.

The fastest ever lap is McLaughlin’s 2:03.481s set in Practice 5 in 2019.

With three full days of action before Friday qualifying, and four before Saturday’s shootout, lap times could drop again.

Will Waters’ qualifying record - and McLaughlin’s all-time record - stand come the afternoon of December 4?

The 2021 Repco Supercars Championship and Dunlop Series seasons will conclude at the Repco Bathurst 1000.

Every session of the event will be broadcast live on Foxtel (Fox Sports 503) and streamed on Kayo.

The Seven Network will provide live free to air coverage of the event. Tickets for the event and camping are on sale now.

Evolution of Bathurst lap time (1987 onwards)

2:16: Klaus Ludwig, 1987 shootout (2:16.969s)2:15: Peter Brock, 1989 shootout (2:15.80s)2:13: Tony Longhurst, 1990 qualifying (2:13.84s)2:12: Mark Skaife, 1991 qualifying (2:12.84s)2:11: Dick Johnson, 1994 shootout warm-up (2:11.86s)2:10: Craig Lowndes, 1995 qualifying (2:10.952s)2:09: Mark Skaife, 1997 shootout warm-up (2:09.899s)2:08: Jason Bright, 2001 shootout warm-up (2m08.763s)2:07: Mark Skaife, 2003 qualifying (2m07.990s)2:06: Greg Murphy, 2003 shootout (2m06.859s)2:05: Mark Winterbottom, 2014 Practice 5 (2:05.901s)2:04: Jamie Whincup, 2015 Practice 5 (2:04.909s)2:03: Scott McLaughlin, 2017 shootout (2:03.831s)Practice/qualifying record: Scott McLaughlin, 2019 Practice 5 (2:03.481s)