When Bathurst Mayor Martin Griffin opened the Mount Panorama Scenic Drive in 1938, he could only imagine that the 6.2 kilometre stretch would one day become Australia’s most famous raceway. Bathurst’s endurance racing history began with the Armstrong 500 in the early 1960s. This 500 mile race underwent many modifications, the most significant being its change to 1000 kilometres in 1973, alongside the introduction of the metric system. Now part of the V8 Supercar Championship Series, the Bathurst 1000 represents the beating heart of motorsport for Australian fans, who often set up camp onsite more than a week in advance.