Latest start time ever for Bathurst 1000

This year’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 will feature the latest race start time in the event’s history.

The 161-lap flagship race of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship is now scheduled to commence at 1130 local time, 20 minutes later than in recent years.

According to Supercars’ official website, via which the announcement was made, the change is “designed to ensure the race maximises the afternoon sunlight and finishes closer to the prime time television window”.

Bathurst 1000 races run wholly or predominately in dry conditions have tended to last around six hours and 15 minutes in recent years.

Last year’s race time was a new record of 6:01:44.8637s, largely due to there being only three Safety Car periods totalling six laps, while the longest in history, the bizarre 2014 edition, lasted 7:58:53.2052s.

As was the case five years ago, the Bathurst 1000 is not subject to a time-certain finish, but daylight savings always takes effect in New South Wales on either the Sunday during or immediately prior to the event.

Another eight-hour race would still finish before last light, forecast for 1937 local time on race day this year, while sunset is set to take place at 1913.

The traditional race time had become 1000 local time until being shifted to 1030 in 2007, largely due to a change of television rights holder, and has continued to move back in the years since.

The other key change this year is that the now customary hour-long Practice 6 on Saturday morning has been replaced by a 30-minute morning session and another 30-minute session in the early afternoon designated for co-drivers.

Once again, the Armor All Top 10 Shootout takes place late on Saturday afternoon, from 1705 local time, following the Dunlop Super2 Series’ own, 250km enduro.

This year’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, the first event of the 2019 Pirtek Enduro Cup, will be held from October 10-13.

Schedule: Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit