Supercars launches Bathurst countdown with mountain video
Friday July 5 marks 100 days to Repco Bathurst 1000 race day
2024 Great Race weekend set for October 10-13
Supercars has launched the 100-day countdown to this year's Repco Bathurst 1000 on a mountain of a different kind, with iconic aerial shots of the Great Race given a 'test run' on the winding roads of the scenic landscapes around Lake Mountain in Victoria.
In a move that's part-adrenaline, part-rehearsal, defending Supercars champion Brodie Kostecki and three-time Bathurst 1000 podium-finisher James Moffat strapped into the Erebus Camaro and Tickford Mustang respectively, to tear up the asphalt around the Alpine Resort.
And who else to capture this heart-pounding action but Supercars' very own 'Chopper Man', Sydney Helicopters Pilot Andrew Tredinnick, who is the mastermind behind those jaw-dropping helicopter shots that make the broadcast for the Great Race like no other.
The video, now live on Supercars' digital and YouTube channels, flaunts incredible aerial images of Supercars roaring around the roads of Victoria’s High Country with a key message: The Mountain is calling.
Gary Reid, a familiar face from Repco, 'hitched a ride' with Tredinnick to seize the vision of Kostecki and Moffat blazing across the mountain in a practice run for this year’s Repco Bathurst 1000, which will be run and won on October 13.
Nathan Prendergast, Supercars Head of Broadcast, said: “We owe a massive thank you to the team at Lake Mountain Resort for letting us shake things up a bit to kick off the countdown to this year’s Great Race.
“The aerial footage of the Bathurst 1000 gets better every year, and that slow-motion shot of the chopper chasing Supercars down the Esses from the top of Skyline is etched into the memory of millions of fans worldwide.
"Those shots require top-tier skill to capture, so we figured, why not hone our craft while showcasing Supercars, mountains, and helicopters all in one go? It’s the perfect way to fire up the engines for this year’s Repco Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama."
Mitch Wiley, Executive General Manager, Marketing – Repco said: “This is such a great way to launch the Repco Bathurst 1000, our 4th year as naming rights for the great race.
“Congratulations to Nathan and the team at Supercars for nailing such a great idea. In speaking with Gary, he was thrilled to be part of it, and we can’t wait to get back to the mountain."
The training run coincided with the sell-out of over 7000 campsites for this year’s Repco Bathurst 1000, already shaping up to be one for the history books.
With defending King of the Mountain Richie Stanaway returning with a new team and the absence of Shane van Gisbergen, this year’s Great Race is wide open for new champions to etch their names into Bathurst lore.
From Broc Feeney hoping to reverse his 2023 gearbox drama, to defending Supercars champion Kostecki aiming to go one better than last October’s result, to the greats like seven-time winner Craig Lowndes, five-time champion Garth Tander and four-time King of the Mountain Jamie Whincup, winning this year’s race will take 161 laps of perfection on and off the track.
The entire grid is made up of stars who will contend this year, including championship leader Will Brown, two-time Bathurst 1000 pole position winner Cam Waters, two-time Kings of the Mountain Will Davison and Chaz Mostert, and former winners David Reynolds, Mark Winterbottom, Stanaway and Nick Percat amongst the field who want to hold aloft the coveted Peter Brock Trophy.
Fans are encouraged to secure their tickets quickly following the 2023 race which drew a crowd of 204,069, the third highest attendance in the history of the event.
Corporate hospitality, grandstand seating, general admission and priority parking is now available through Supercars.com for the Repco Bathurst 1000, which will run 10-13 October at Mount Panorama.