Auto Bathurst 1000 is quickly coming up on October 18th in Bathurst, Australia

The Bathurst 1000 is quickly coming up on October 18th in Bathurst, Australia. The race is being sponsored by SuperCheap Auto and it will certainly be a spectacular sporting event that should entertain all racing fans. But, who is posed to win and claim one of the biggest titles of the year in Australian racing? Let’s talk about some of the top dogs who have a great shot at claiming the title this year.

Auto Bathurst 1000 Preview

Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell just dominated the Sandown 500, which is the last race before the Bathurst 1000, and they are posed to be the favorites in the competition. The pair of racers led the Supercars field for 159 of the 161 laps during the last race and only lost their lead when they were at pit stops. Their team, Triple 8, swept the podium at the Sandown 500 with the next closest car being a full 25 seconds behind the 3rd place finisher. This poses well for Whincup and Dumbrell as they should make a significant impact on the race in Bathurst.

But, the pair is trying to play cool and make it seem like they have just as much of a chance as anyone in the field when we all know they are the team to beat. They recently went on the FOX Motorsport Supercars Podcast where they said this:

“I don’t think so,” Whincup said. “Sandown’s a standalone event. It’s not about being a Bathurst warm-up, it’s the Sandown 500 and we all go out there and try and win it.”

“Bathurst is exactly the same. Forget about any other round, forget about the championship. It’s a standalone event.”

 On some level I understand their comments, every single race track is different and on race day anything can happen that could drastically change the course of any race. The pair also had a very good race in Sandown last year and then failed to make the Top 10 Shootout for the first time in a decade.

Erebus Motorsport Bathurst 1000

Erebus Motorsport is defending champion at Bathurst and they should put up another good fight on October 7th. The racing world in Australia was shocked when David Reynolds and Luke Youlden knocked off all of the favorites to win their first major race last year. The team will have an air of confidence about them this year as they look to defend their title and cement their status as an elite motor racing team.

 This year Reynolds has won two other times and has been on five podiums which is impressive considering the whole team were underdogs at this time last year. The team boss, Barry Ryan, said that it will be a bit strange coming to Bathurst as the reigning champions but believe they can take the crown once again.

“It is a good feeling because we went there last year thinking everything was going ok and we can aim for a top five or maybe get a podium,” Ryan told Speedcafe.com.

“We didn’t think we were experienced enough to contend for the win. But this year we actually believe we are going there to try and win Bathurst.”

“I think it is realistic. We had a fast car last year and we have learned a lot since then.”

So, who do you think will take home the title on October 7th? Make sure you tune in to find out and let us know in the comments who you think will be standing atop the podium!