Peter Brock Trophy and Gen3 Chevrolet Camaro Supercar in Orange on Thursday

September 27, 2023

By Peter Holmes

Motorsport fans will be able to hold the Peter Brock Trophy in Orange tomorrow (Thursday September 28, 2023) ahead of the Great Race in Bathurst next weekend.

The 60th anniversary of the race - now known as the Repco Bathurst 1000 - is at Mount Panorama - Wahluu from Thursday October 5 to Sunday October 8.

The Brock trophy is on its first ever roadshow en route to Mount Panorama - Wahluu for next weekend’s event.

In Orange Southcourt from 12pm, fans will be able to “get up close and even hold the greatest prize in Australian motorsport”, organisers said.

“There will also be activations and games on site – with special Repco Bathurst 1000 prizes on offer to fans of all ages.

"A number of display cars will also be at the event, including a Gen3 Chevrolet Camaro Supercar, identical to the 15 Camaros that will take on 13 Ford Mustangs in the Great Race next week.”

On-track action in Bathurst begins next Thursday, with the 161-lap endurance epic taking place on the Sunday.

The Circuit (from Bathurst City Council)

Pit Straight

Located at the base of the Mount, what makes Pit Straight interesting is that the finish line is not the same as the start line. This is because if they were in the same spot on the Straight, the race would be 1000.293 kms, not the famous 1000. It also allows fewer cars to line up around a corner before the green light.

Hell Corner

So named because of the crashes it's seen, Hell Corner is the first of 23 bends along the track. It is believed there once was a tree stump at the corner, before the days of barricades, and that motorbike riders who dropped their bikes on the corner would be fatally injured and on his way to Hell.

Mountain Straight

A scenic, yet tremendously fast way to ascend the Mountain, Mountain Straight allows cars to reach speeds of up to 250km/h. Mountain Straight is 1.111kms long.

Griffins Bend

Named after the Mayor of Bathurst who opened the track to racing in 1938, Griffins bend has claimed many an eager driver screaming off Mountain Straight. This corner provides a negatively-cambered road which tests drivers to their limits.

The Cutting

The Cutting gets its name from the obvious: the track is cut into the rock of the mountain. It provides drivers with a 1:6 gradient exit at the top, and is one of the tightest corners on the track. Overtaking is virtually impossible here, though that doesn't stop drivers from trying. It is very hard to recover from spins due to the gradient and closeness of the walls.

Reid Park / Sulman Park / McPhillamy Park

The track between The Cutting and Skyline are referred to for the parks that surround them. This is where the die-hards camp for the week leading up to the Great Race, and even with the sounds of the cars, it is said their cheers and jeers can be heard by the drivers.

Sulman Park has the highest point of the track, topping out at 862m above sea level. Sulman merges to McPhillamy, which is the site of the long-stay camping ground, seeing fans hunker down for over a week before the on-track events begin.

Brock's Skyline

Providing breathtaking views over the Bathurst Region, Skyline ends with a steep right hand corner signifying the descent of the Mountain. After the news of Peter Perfect's death, fans flocked to leave messages of support and pride from a man who's racing career touched the hearts of many on the very walls of the track.

The Esses

So named for its ‘S' shapes, the Esses provide a unique experience for drivers descending the Mountain. Accidents here force drivers into quick thinking as the line of sight coming off Skyline is slim to none. Drivers rely on instinct to master the curves coming down the Mount.

The Dipper

The third sharp corner in the Esses is the Dipper, aptly named as it literally dips off on the track. It is a steep, sharp left-hand turn. Prior to the construction of safety barriers, drivers would rely on all their skills to not only stay on the racing line, but the track itself after coming off the Dipper.

Forrest's Elbow

Named after Jack Forrest, a motorcycle racer who scraped his elbow away after dropping his bike on the corner, it is a sharp left-hand turn that leads on to the high-speed straight on Conrod.

Conrod Straight

Conrod straight is the fastest section of the Mount Panorama track, with V8 Supercars touching the magical 300km/h limit. The straight is a considerable descent with a hump in the middle before again dropping down and entering the Chase.

It was on Conrod Straight that a number of deaths occurred; all caused from the excessive speed the straight produces.

This part of the track was originally called Main Straight, though later renamed Conrod after a conrod failure that occurred in a driver's car, causing them to retire from the race.

The Chase

Added in 1987 in preparation for the World Touring Car Championship to adhere to FIA rules. The length of Conrod Straight exceeded the maximum length allowed on a WTCC track, and therefore was built to standard. The Chase breaks Conrod straight up and created the fastest right hand bend in Australia.

Murray's Corner

Murray's Corner is the final corner of a lap at Mount Panorama before crossing the finish line. It is a right-angled left-hand turn onto Pit Straight.