On the eve of the 2025 running of the Great Race, research company Roy Morgan has revealed its findings from a study regarding brand association with Supercars and Bathurst.
According to the study, Supercheap Auto, Red Bull and Repco are the three standouts.
Supercheap Auto leads the way with 13 percent of respondents associating the brand with Supercars and the Bathurst 1000.
That’s despite the brand’s 16-year stint as the naming rights sponsor of the Bathurst 1000 coming to an end five years ago.
On the flip side, Repco – the current major sponsor of both the series itself and the Great Race – is third with a nine percent association rate.
Splitting the two automotive parts and accessories retailers is Red Bull, naming rights sponsor of the all-conquering Triple Eight team, with an association rate of 11 percent.
In a more focussed breakdown of people that are active in motorsport, Repco leads the way with a 25 percent association rate ahead of Supercheap Auto and Red Bull, both on 22 percent.
Of the almost 2.6 million Australians that watched the Great Race last year, Supercheap was back ahead with 39 percent recognition, well ahead of Red Bull (28 percent) and Repco (27 percent).
In a group of people that attended a motorsport event in the 12 months to June 2025 it was Supercheap Auto on 41 percent, Red Bull on 39 percent and Repco on 35 percent.
“All three brands are, or have been, heavily involved with the sport – especially Supercheap Auto (Bathurst 1000 naming rights sponsor for 16 years: 2005-2020) and Red Bull (major sponsor of the most successful team, Triple Eight Race Engineering as Red Bull Ampol Racing for 13 years: 2013-2025),” said Roy Morgan’s CEO Michele Levine.
“Compared to these long-term sponsorships, Repco is a relatively new name in the sport and has been the naming rights sponsor of the Bathurst 1000, and the overall Supercars Championship, for four years since 2021. Repco’s naming rights sponsorships are set to run for at least another three years until 2028.
“Amongst those most committed and interested in the sport, the recognition of key brand names soars – especially among those who attend the sport or watch on TV. For those who watch the Bathurst 1000 on TV, 39 percent associate Supercheap Auto with V8 Supercars, 28 percent name Red Bull and almost as many, 27 percent, name current naming rights sponsor Repco.
“For attendees at motorsport events, brand association increases even further – up to 41 percent for Supercheap Auto, 39 percent for Red Bull, and 35 percent for Repco – indicating the large value available to brands for sponsoring a sport with the most committed and passionate followers of the sport.
“The fact Supercheap Auto is still associated with the Supercars Championship by so many Australians, even after their long-running naming rights sponsorship has ended, is a great example of the powerful association that comes from sponsoring an event for a long-period of time – a real ‘halo effect’.”
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