Team 18 ready to take on The Great Race

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Team 18 is gearing up for the most iconic race of the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship – the Bathurst 1000, held from 10-13 October at Mount Panorama.

Known as “The Great Race,” Bathurst marks the pinnacle of Supercars racing and brings an extra level of prestige to the business end of the season

This year, Team 18 boasts two of the most experienced driver pairings on the grid. In the DEWALT Racing Camaro, 2013 Bathurst winner Mark Winterbottom partners with Michael Caruso for the fourth consecutive year.

Meanwhile, the TRADIE Beer Racing Camaro sees 2017 Bathurst champion David Reynolds team up with six-time Bathurst podium finisher Warren Luff. With a combined 79 Bathurst starts between the four, Team 18 enters the event with unmatched experience.

For Winterbottom, this will mark his 23rd start at Bathurst, while Caruso takes on his 18th. Reynolds, entering his 17th appearance, pairs with Luff, who returns to the mountain for the 23rd time. Together, these seasoned veterans know the intricacies of the 6.213-kilometre Mount Panorama Circuit, from its daunting elevation changes to the infamous Conrod Straight.

The Bathurst 1000’s traditional 161-lap, 1000-kilometre endurance format on the Dunlop Hard tyre demands a careful balance of pace and strategy. Co-drivers are required to complete a minimum of 54 laps, with teams having the option for brake pad and rotor changes, adding layers of complexity to pit stops. Success at Bathurst hinges on razor-sharp decision-making from the pit wall, endurance from the drivers, and mechanical reliability.

The race weekend kicks off on Thursday with two one-hour practice sessions, including a dedicated session for co-drivers. On Friday, two more practice sessions will precede a 40-minute qualifying session. Saturday will see another two practice sessions before the ever-anticipated Top 10 Shootout, determining the final starting positions for Sunday’s race. The Bathurst 1000 will commence at 11:30am AEDT on Sunday, with all the action broadcast live on Channel 7, Fox Sports, and Kayo.

QUOTES

Mark Winterbottom, driver #18 Cub Cadet Racing Team 18 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

“We were there at the start of the year and the car was quite good at the start of the year.

“Back on the hard tyre, which is always unknown, like on these cars, on the new car, the hard tyre makes a massive difference, where previously on the old car, a soft or, hard or super soft wasn’t that big a difference because the aero.

“It’s funny, you go the whole year developing and getting the car in a window, then you put the hard tire on and really we learn again. We have hours of practice which is plenty of time to try and get the car in the sort of window we need it, and if we can do that, it’s anyone’s race.

“I think going there we have prepared well. I have full faith in Michael Caruso that him and I with the right car on the day, we’ll do the job come Sunday afternoon. It’s Bathurst, always the unknown but I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’ve won it before and know how good that felt and we’d love to win it again. It’s the best race of the year by a long way. It can turn a bad year into a good one very quickly, so we’re confident. We’ll lose that confidence if there’s a reason to but we’re going there to win.”

Michael Caruso, co-driver #18 DEWALT Racing Team 18 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

“Really excited to lineup again with Mark Winterbottom in the DEWALT Chevy at Bathurst. It’s one of the best circuits on the calendar and for the 1000 really excited to tackle the mountain one more time and give it our best shot.”

“The team is motivated, we’ve been working really hard in between Sandown to put it all together and we will go there focussed on achieving the ultimate result which I’m sure myself and Mark are capable of.”

David Reynolds, driver #20 TRADIE Beer Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

“I love this time of year. Bathurst is the best race of the calendar. It’s the one we look forward to all year. It’s the be all and end all for our sport. I love driving the track. I love the event. I love the style of the race it is, I love the endurance.

“When you’ve got a fast car there, it’s the best. When you win the race, it’s honestly the coolest race you could ever win in your life. But when you lose it, it’s the most  gut wrenching place you could ever lose in your life, because it means so much to everyone.

“I think, off the last couple of events we’ve had we’ve shown, increasing speed in our car, and obviously based off our performance there at the start of the year on the hard tyre, we were relatively speedy, and we’ve learned a lot since then.

“I’m really looking forward to it I can’t wait to go there and just drive the track and get the most out of it.”

Warren Luff, co-driver #20 TRADIE Beer Racing Team 18 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

“ Always excited to go back to Bathurst. Sandown was a great lead up for us. It was good to have a solid result there, but we would love to go to Bathurst and have a much stronger result.

“Dave and I have both had a taste of success there in the past, obviously with Dave winning it in 2017, so I know that I’m going there with the best chance and the best guy in my corner.

“I know obviously Supercars have spoken to the teams and drivers a lot about how everyone thought of the full course yellow and the process, so it’s a tweak to improve the show so that we put on better racing for the fans.

“For us, It’s going to be a case of keep ticking the boxes through practice. There’s a huge amount of practice. Obviously we need to give Dave the best time that we can to qualify well because if you qualify well, it makes it a lot easier to race well, but we’ve seen it in the past where people have won it from nearly a lap down and starting down the back, but it’s always nice to be in the shootout. Dave had some strong qualifying this year, so we look forward to continuing that at Bathurst.

“We’ll keep ticking the boxes right through all the different practice sessions and co driver sessions, and just do the things that we need to do to get ready for the big one on Sunday.”