The Bathurst 6 Hour 2022 – April 15-17

Motorsport in Australia in 2022 has hit full gear with the Covid-induced hurdles of 2020-21 now a distant speed bump in the rear vision mirror. The championship season has started for every race category and we’re about to see the first of the Big 5 events at Bathurst. With the 12 Hour being pushed back to May, it puts the 6 Hour Race in the pole position for Mount Panorama action.

Drivers and teams from all over the country are finalizing preparations for a record-breaking 6 Hour Race ready to head to the Mountain this Easter long weekend. The enthusiasm of motorsport fans is in overdrive, with an awesome start to Supercars and a sold-out Grand Prix with over 400,000 fans flocking to Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit in early April.

However you plan on consuming the Bathurst 6 Hour, whether that be from the comfort of your own home, or even camping on site, it promises to be an exciting event. With the biggest ever entry list, and an incredible range of cars, it’s fair to say that Easter can’t come quickly enough!

Read on as we give you all the information you need to know about the Bathurst 6 Hour, and build your excitement for what promises to be an action-packed and historic event.

Bathurst 6 Hour history to be made

It’s going to be a packed event this year. With a previous record of 64 entrants, this year, we have 70. In fact, the reason we don’t have even more is that the track density simply didn’t allow for any more entrants. There always remains the possibility of teams pulling out, but there were an incredible 88 total entrants, and those not initially selected were placed on a waiting list in case anyone should end up missing the event.

Bathurst 6 Hour event organiser Ken Collier called it an “unprecedented situation” and explained it is “rare that events or categories are placed in a position where there are too many entries rather than too few”. As much as this is a disappointing situation for some of the entrants, us Supercar fans can at least see this as a sign of strength within the sport. And of course, the more entrants, the higher the standard of the 70 that made the final cut.

There will be 15 makes, 34 models, and eight different classes of cars. These are based on previous performances and well as the level of expense for each vehicle. As things currently stand, we will be seeing an extraordinary 18 BMWs, as well as a number of Mitsubishi, Mercedes and of course Ford and Holden models. We will even see 3 Suzuki Swift Sport RS416s in Class E, one of which will be driven by a new team of rookie drivers. Hopefully they excel at their first ever Bathurst 6 Hour!

Entry List

The Bathurst 6 Hour entry list has recently been released, and what an exciting list it is! Aside from the above mentioned record breaking number of entrants, it could be argued this is also the most competitive field we have seen in the growing event. An astounding 31 cars have been placed in either the X Class or the A1 Class, well up from 22 last year.

In addition, the race has the last three winning combinations of the event, including the irrepressible Shane van Gisbergen with his 2021 winning teammates Rob Rubis and Shane Smollen. Once again, they will be driving a BMW M4. 2018 winners the Sherrin brothers will again compete in their BMW M4, while 2019 champions Beric Lynton and Tim Leahey will continue in their BMW M3, but have recently added two-time Bathurst 1000 winner Will Davison to their team.

Bathurst 6 Hour Car Specs and regulations

One of the most exciting things about the Bathurst 6 Hour, is how recognisable and relatable the cars are. All competing vehicles have to be production cars, and according to the 2022 Motorsport Australia Manual, “To be recognised by Motorsport Australia as eligible for Group 3E each make/model of automobile must be available for purchase to members of the Australian public through the normal commercial distribution network of the original manufacturer”. In addition to this, all cars must be valued at less than $150,000.

There are many small adjustments teams are allowed to make to their vehicles, but most items have to be replaced with very similarly sized items. Basically, the regulations ensure the cars are as similar to regular cars you see on the street as possible.

Other key things to note about the car specifications:

• All the cars must have four seats.
• The engine must be mounted completely in the front half of the vehicle.
• Cylinder block bore diameter can be increased by 0.6mm above standard size.
• In the gearbox, teams are able to replace each shift fork, shift hub key and shift bushing. But no more modifications can be made.
• Limited adjustments can be made to the suspension.
• Wheels and tyres must be within the perimeter of the car.

Bathurst 6 Hour Schedule

The schedule for the 3 day event has racing starting at 7:15 am on Friday with the first Pulsar Racing practice. Practice sessions and qualifying for all 6 categories continue on Friday with Races commencing on Saturday at 7:20 am and finishing with the chequered flag dropping on the TCR Race 2 at 5:40 pm.

On Sunday, the racing starts with Historic Touring Cars Race 3 at 7:30 am with the 6 Hour Race scheduled on Sunday from 11:15 am and concluding, you guessed it, 6 hours later at 5:15 pm.

Is the Bathurst 6 Hour on TV?

The entire event will be broadcast live, without ads, on Stan Sport on the Saturday and Sunday.

Support Races

While the massive 6 Hour Race is the highlight, there’s plenty of reason to come to the Mountain or to tune in to the entire 3 day event starting on Good Friday. There are 37 on-track sessions jam packing the program with track activity from dawn to dusk with a broad array of racing, all building to the start of the 6-Hour itself on Easter Sunday morning.

The 6 Hour is an event that provides the spotlight onto categories like Pulsars and HQs that usually don’t get the big stage.  It’s a great grassroots motorsport event, giving drivers the opportunity to race on the world famous Mount Panorama circuit. Action commences on Friday with a host of practice and qualifying sessions, including two hours of on-track time for the cars contesting Sunday’s big race.

Here are the other five support categories for the big event, ensuring fans of all categories get their thrills:

• Supercheap Auto Touring Car Racing Australia Series
• Turtle Wax Trans Am Series
• MRF Tyre Australian Pulsar Racing Association
• NSW Historic Touring Cars
• HQ Holdens

Camping

As anyone who’s made the pilgrimage to Mount Panorama knows, there’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of camping at The Mountain. You are able to make campsite pre-bookings online all the way up until April 10, and you have the option to stay five full days between April 13 at 8:00am until April 18 at 8:00am. Now that’s one way to spend the Easter Holiday! Just keep in mind you are only allowed one vehicle (or two motorcycles) at your campsite, and don’t forget, you have to pay for a ticket to the Bathurst 6 Hour as well for the campsite.

Bathurst 6 Hour Tickets

There are many different ticketing options for the Bathurst 6 Hour. You have the option to cater your tickets to your availability and the events you would prefer. Our little ticketing hack would be that all general admission ticket holders get free access to the grandstand on pit straight, so snap up one of those if you want to see the most thrilling part of the race up close.

Drive a purpose built V8 race car on Bathurst’s Mount Panorama

Did you know you have the opportunity to tick off one of your most desired bucket list items? Would you like to experience the ultimate V8 Supercar experience for yourself? With Fastrack V8, you can drive a purpose built V8 race car on Bathurst’s Mount Panorama. Because the track is usually a public road, experiencing the power of The Mountain is usually limited to V8 Supercar professionals, but we provide an experience you will never forget.

By purchasing a gift voucher for a V8 driving or hot lap experience, or booking your spot at one of our exclusive Mount Panorama drive days, you’ll join an elite club of Fastrack V8 Supercar Experience drivers. Our V8 drive and hot lap experiences put you behind the wheel or in the passenger seat of some of the most incredible high performance V8 race cars in Australia.