2022 Bathurst 1000 – everything you need to know

The greatest rivalry in Australian motorsport – Ford-versus-Holden at Mount Panorama – is about to end.

The red-against-blue battle began in the 1960s and ends on 9 October with the 2022 running of the Bathurst 1000, as Holden and Ford line-up against each other for the final time.

Although Holden ended local manufacturing in 2017 – and left Australia altogether at the end of 2020 – a racing version of the imported ‘Commodore’ (a rebadged sedan from General Motors’ former European division) remained eligible for the V8 Supercars category until the end of this season.

V8 Supercars racing changes forever in 2023 when an all-new Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro – built to new regulations for V8-powered coupes called ‘Gen3’ – begin a new era of touring car racing.

Amid the upcoming changes, the basics at Bathurst in 2022 remain the same – two drivers racing flat-out over 1000 kilometres, stopping to re-stock the car’s fuel and tyres, as well as changing brakes for safety – before a final sprint to the chequered flag.

Only two types of cars are racing – the V8-powered Holden Commodore ‘ZB’ sedan (the model code for the imported model to wear the Commodore badge) and Ford Mustang coupe – unlike previous years, when a range of diverse car brands filled the grid.

This year’s starting line-up includes 28 cars as the regular 25-car field for V8 Supercars championship sprint races is boosted by three ‘Wildcard’ entries including Commodores for legendary drivers and multiple Bathurst winners Craig Lowndes and Greg Murphy.

Shane van Gisbergen/Garth Tander: The 2020 winners are short-odds favourites this year, as both are in cracking form and van Gisbergen has been near-unbeatable in sprint races on his way to back-to-back V8 Supercars titles. They are the only genuine A+ combination in the field and their Triple Eight team knows how to win at Mount Panorama.

Chaz Mostert/Fabian Coulthard: Mostert is the defending Bathurst champion and, despite an up-and-down sprint season this year, he and his team could easily hit Mount Panorama with the same speed as 2021. He has the vastly experienced Coulthard as his co-driver in his first year as a part-timer, so both have a point to prove.

Will Davison/Alex Davison: Will Davison is the form driver for Ford this year, showing the trademark style and mechanical sympathy he has turned into two victories at the Bathurst 1000. He is always relaxed with his older brother Alex as co-driver, and badly wants to give him a Bathurst win. This pair might not be the pick in a door-to-door battle at the finish, but if they hit the front and manage to gap the field, they could easily stay there.

Craig Lowndes/Declan Fraser: Realistically, the ageing seven-time race winner and his rookie apprentice should have no chance of victory, but no-one bets against Lowndes at Bathurst and the pair have a crack Commodore from the Triple Eight team for their Wildcard start. This could be Lowndes’ last race in the Bathurst 1000 so keep an eye on him.