Bathurst track conditions set to come under microscope during practice
Track conditions, lap times were vastly different between 2024, 2025
Last year's Bathurst 1000 the first to be held on new DUNLOP Soft tyre
It's the million dollar question before the opening practice session of the Repco Bathurst 1000 — just what will the track conditions allow for?
For the vast majority of the year, Mount Panorama is a public road, famously constructed as a 'tourist drive' in the 1930s during the Great Depression.
As a result of the circuit being mostly used by general civilian traffic through the course of the year, track conditions are always a hot topic at the commencement of the Bathurst event, and can be an easy trap both in terms of mistakes and car setup.
It can even catch out the most experienced of drivers, Chaz Mostert finding the wall heavily at Griffins Bend in the first practice session of last year's Repco Bathurst 1000.
Set up demands will also change as rubber continues to be laid down from both Supercars and the various support categories, with teams needing to be mindful of heading down the wrong path across the six practice sessions.
Throw into the mix several close championship battles, and a final opportunity for drivers to break into the Finals, and there is no room for any errors across the course of Bathurst week.
"Ultimately that's going to be what dictates a lot of people's weekends, is getting through Sunday first with no mistakes, but even down to making the right call on set ups, tyres, and everything along the way," PremiAir Racing driver Jayden Ojeda told Supercars.com.
"Just making sure you try to do the right step each time, which is extremely difficult, but ultimately that's the way it is for everyone.
"We're just going to have to wait and see how the car rolls out of the truck, and then how we get started.
"It's such a long week with all the practice, it's gonna be just about building up with each session and being realistic with what's ahead of us."
Last year's Repco Bathurst 1000 was the first to be held on the new-for-2025 DUNLOP Soft tyre, with lap times substantially tumbling as a result.
However, with the Great Race turning into a wet race just past one-third distance last year, there will still be some questions over tyre degradation over the course of a race stint.
The last event held on the older-spec Hard tyre in 2024 was notable for several big accidents through practice and qualifying, though the race only feature one Safety Car, and remains the only Bathurst to have ever been completed in under six hours.
Matt Stone Racing veteran Jack Le Brocq, a veteran of 11 Bathurst starts, told Supercars.com: "It's just one of those things where everyone knows that the track is going to be green when you get there on Thursday.
"You've just got to make sure you don't chase the car too early, it's like those street circuits where the track rubbers in and changes so much over the course of the event."
On-track action at the Repco Bathurst 1000 commences on Thursday October 8.
