Major Supercars milestone for The Bend

This year’s OTR SuperSprint will be a significant round in the history books of the Australian Touring Car Championship/V8 Supercars Championship.

The August 18-20 event will mark the 600th round held in the history of the championship, over 63 years after the very first.

The ATCC was born in February 1960 with a race at Gnoo Blas in Orange, NSW — just 45 minutes west of Bathurst. The race was won by David McKay, with the ATCC title decided by a single race between 1960 and 1968.

From 1969, championships have been decided over a series of rounds, with the championship regarded as the best touring car series on the planet.

The championship has returned to its roots of sorts in 2023, with the Gen3 era heralding a new age of the Camaro vs Mustang rivalry.

The Bend Motorsport Park is one of the youngest circuits in Australia, yet will have the honour of hosting round No. 600.

The Tailem Bend venue first hosted a championship round in 2018, and has staged Supercars racing ever since — including two rounds during the COVID-affected 2020 season.

The story has evolved from 1960 to 2023 Pic: AN1 Images

In 63 years of racing, 1139 races have been held at circuits at each state and territory in Australia, as well as trips to New Zealand, China, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and the United States.

Craig Lowndes is the most capped driver in history, completing exactly half — 300 — of all rounds held in the championship.

Lowndes’ numbers highlight the sheer number of rounds held in the championship’s modern era. In fact, 319 of the 599 rounds have been held since 2000!

From 2009, individual race winners are recognised, with round winners awarded weekend honours between 1960 and 2008.

However, drivers and teams still place a big onus on round results, with the 2023 championship one of the closest in recent memory.

Heading to the OTR SuperSprint, drivers first through fourth — Brodie Kostecki, Will Brown, Shane van Gisbergen and Broc Feeney — in the standings are covered by 67 points.

Meanwhile, Erebus Motorsport leads Triple Eight Race Engineering by 80 points in the teams’ championship.

Practice begins at The Bend Motorsport Park for the milestone 600th round in championship history on Saturday August 19.

The event will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and streamed on Kayo, with highlights delayed on the Seven Network.