Australia’s long and diverse year of national and international motor racing wrapped up earlier this month.
The season started with a bang in February as domestic and international GT teams fought out the Bathurst 12 Hour.
Erebus Motorsport, and ultimately the event itself, were the winners after a typically dramatic Mount Panorama contest.
The 14 event V8 Supercars schedule was again highlighted by the Clipsal 500, which officially welcomed the Car of the Future to the championship, and the Bathurst 1000, where Mark Winterbottom and Steven Richards drove Ford Performance Racing to its first Peter Brock Trophy.
The other marquee race, the Gold Coast 600, was devoid of international stars following a format change, but did provide the stage for the crowing of V8 Supercars’ first Pirtek Enduro Cup winners.
Elsewhere, the world’s top motorsport categories again visited our shores.
The Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix saw a surprise winner in Kimi Raikkonen, while a car problems at critical moments cost local hero Mark Webber in what would prove his final home race.
Phillip Island’s MotoGP visit lacked the sparkle of its Casey Stoner years and was ultimately plagued by tyre problems.
The Coffs Harbour round of the World Rally Championship will meanwhile be remembered for the dominant Sebastien Ogier coming within a whisker of sealing his maiden title.
Bolstered by the best offroad, sprintcar and drag racing events that the national has to offer, 2013 was a year to remember.
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