2026 Bathurst 1000 **Spoliers**

[skaifeman]

We're down at Max Cameron. Site has been the same size for the last 10 years or so, the length of a VT + a trailer width. No issues.
Unfortunately, just the 3rd time missing the race since 2002 this year - will have my feet dipped in the Mediterranean, or on some prancing horse pedals.

[Trevor]

Here it is

My wife and I will be in Ballarat when the race is on. I might get time to watch a bit, bit not really concerned if I don't

[madbugger]

i'll be at home, will watch the Touring Car Masters, probably watch the shootout saturday arvo, the start sunday and maybe last 10 laps.

Gone are the days when the rest of the family packed up and left for the weekend, leaving me to sit glued to telly uninterrupted from around 7.00 am each day.

I stopped going to track  around 2010. Experienced all sorts of alcohol rules from 1 slab per person per day thru to zero byo and 2 opened cans purchased onsite. Not sure what the rules are now, but I was there for the racing, not to get blotto.

Once camped beside a couple of blokes from Adelaide. one of them started drinking straight jim beam Friday, thru Saturday and most of Saturday night. Got a great spot at Mcphillamy and fell asleep about 9.30 Sunday morning, for a 10.00 start. slept thru the whole race, sunburned as hell at the end, woke as they were doing the last lap and declared it was the best weekend of motorsport he'd ever had. Then had to get back to Adelaide. Just can't see the point, reckon he dropped $1500-2000 on the weekend to see 30 seconds of the actual race.

[Sonic]

Here it is

My wife and I will be in Ballarat when the race is on. I might get time to watch a bit, bit not really concerned if I don't

I'll be seeing very little too Trev... maybe a little of Fri? won't see Sat and most of Sun... might get lucky and catch the last few laps of the main race and that'll be it.

[muz]

Here it is

My wife and I will be in Ballarat when the race is on. I might get time to watch a bit, bit not really concerned if I don't

I'll be seeing very little too Trev... maybe a little of Fri? won't see Sat and most of Sun... might get lucky and catch the last few laps of the main race and that'll be it.

I would never have guessed that you two blokes would be the ones to post about not watching it! Crazy times. Have never seen the two of you post like this ahead of a V8 weekend, ever! wow.

[Trevor]

I'm not sure if you are being sarcastc or not, I'll take it as not

I have watched Bathurst, either there in person or on TV since the mid 1970's, you probably weren't even born then. I remember Peter Wilkinson with a Ch 7 camera in his Toyota, long before Dick Johnson, I donated $10 to Dick Johnson in 1980, I started going to Bathurst in 2000, maybe you weren't even born then, I dunno

If I say it's a sh!t-show now, and right now more than ever, believe me

[madbugger]

[quote auth

I have watched Bathurst, either there in person or on TV since the mid 1970's, you probably weren't even born then. I remember Peter Wilkinson with a Ch 7 camera in his Toyota, long before Dick Johnson, I donated $10 to Dick Johnson in 1980, I started going to Bathurst in 2000, maybe you weren't even born then, I dunno

If I say it's a sh!t-show now, and right now more than ever, believe me

Almost mirrors myself. First Bathurst at track was 1985, last one was about 15 yrs ago. I stopped going after a dickhead started doing burnouts in the middle of the camping area about 9.00 o'clock on the Friday night and hit the ropes on my tent. Dragged him out of his car and belted 6 shades of 💩from him. Couple of his mates went to jump in and then stepped back when the rest of the crowd got nasty.

Decided after that to just stay at home , it's safer for everyone. 😁

That, and I'm not as good as I used to be, might be me getting touched up next time.

[stevo qld]

https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/motorsports/bathurst-fiasco-as-drivers-forced-to-take-test-requiring-flawless-score/ar-AA2dIw39?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=6ac5e43bae1e47c28afd2185dc93f748&ei=68

Drivers gearing up for this year's Bathurst 1000 faced a unique hurdle before even hitting the tarmac.

They had to complete a mandatory 31-question regulation test that proved so bizarre, multiple drivers reportedly turned to ChatGPT to get them through.

Motorsport Australia mandated the driver theory refresher for every driver competing at Mount Panorama, requiring a flawless 100 per cent score before anyone was cleared to race.

BUT!

While the test was standard across the Bathurst 12 Hour, Bathurst 6 Hour and the Bathurst 1000 event, it proved to be a significant roadblock in the paddock.

One driver in this weekend's field reportedly failed the exam three times, as others turned to artificial intelligence to secure their perfect scores.

Maybe they need to lock the drivers in a room with an invigilator and ban cheating.

[Sonic]

Had to be done. 2 big incidents (can't call them accidents because neither was) and we can't afford to have anyone else getting Denyer'd

We got so lucky this year (if you want to call their condition 'lucky') to have not had deaths. GD's especially... a moment earlier after him not bothering with the yellows would have seen the car he hit into the driver's door of the stationary car and they would not have been so lucky. still can't believe he didn't get served up over that pathetic piece of driving. should have received some time off track for that!

[Sonic]

Here it is

My wife and I will be in Ballarat when the race is on. I might get time to watch a bit, bit not really concerned if I don't

I'll be seeing very little too Trev... maybe a little of Fri? won't see Sat and most of Sun... might get lucky and catch the last few laps of the main race and that'll be it.

I would never have guessed that you two blokes would be the ones to post about not watching it! Crazy times. Have never seen the two of you post like this ahead of a V8 weekend, ever! wow.

a little bit of 'meh', a little bit of can't... work Thu/Fri... family gig up country on Sat so I'll be on the road... and then return drive at some point on Sun...

but I kinda agree with you... there was a time I would have made it work to at least watch some of it...

now the desire to watch B has moved to the 6 & 12 hour races.

[Trevor]

a little bit of 'meh', a little bit of can't... work Thu/Fri... family gig up country on Sat so I'll be on the road... and then return drive at some point on Sun...

but I kinda agree with you... there was a time I would have made it work to at least watch some of it...

now the desire to watch B has moved to the 6 & 12 hour races.

Once upon a time there was no way on this earth I would have missed watching Bathurst, but those days are in the past

If I have nothing else to do Sunday I might try to catch the end, but I won't be stressing

[stevo qld]

With the latest gift by Supercars powers-that-be to the Ford teams, we may see an improved outcome this year.

After all, the Mustang only had pole position in 2025 with their underpowered engine, so maybe it will do better this year.  

After all. the Mustang only took the top step of the podium in the 2025 race, again with an engine disadvantage. Maybe they can do better this year.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-08/bathurst-1000-supercars-kai-allen-fastest-practice-thursday/107244458

Barometric pressure testing before last year's Bathurst 1000, and again before this weekend, found the Ford engine lost power at high altitude.

A change to the engine, developed by Triple Eight Race Engineering, which is Ford's homologation team, has been approved by Supercars to level the playing field this weekend.

[AlbertM]

Didn't a Chev cross the line first last year? The next Ford behind Payne/Tander was in 8th.

Ford hasn't been given a gift. They've been given an equal chance on the 4th attempt in the Gen 3 era.

GM on the other hand were gifted modifications that went outside the scope of the Windshear testing. Not because they were technically deficient, but because they simply suck*. Supercars broke their own rules to appease GM.

Reading the socials, how many Bowtie babies whinging about the change forget that GM literally had the advantage for years. The changes to Ford only bring it up to match GM.

* = 888 won all but one race for GM last year.

[Mechz]

https://www.v8sleuth.com.au/revealed-supercars-bathurst-2026-speed-trap-data/

Chev is still faster after the 2mm tweak.

[AlbertM]

Quali went as expected.  GM with the increase in front downforce has helped the GM runners across the top of the mountain. An area that Ford team had the wood on. Then less angle on the rear wing has given them a boost on the straights.