6.50pm: The atmosphere at the Mount is electric and there is loud cheering for the winners as they take to the podium. It has been an epic Bathurst 1000.
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And as we leave you for the day, we would like to thank you for joining our rolling coverage of the 2014 Great Race. We hope you have enjoyed the day as much as we have.
What a day it has been. We will see you back at Mount Panorama in 2015.
6.42pm: As the winners take a breath and the losers collect themselves take a second to check out this gallery of the tattoos of Mount Panorama's racing fans.
6.38pm: To the victor go the spoils. Winner!
6.36pm: Here's the final standings ...
6.34pm: Mostert overtakes! He heads down Conrod Straight and into the history books. Mostert wins! Mostert wins in his second race at Mount Panorama! Chaz Mostert and Paul Morris win the 2014 Bathurst 1000!
6.32pm: Whincup's crew repeats the message: slow down or you will not finish. He leads Mostert by 1.4 seconds. Last lap.
6.30pm: Whincup churns out another fast lap. The pit crew are clear: conserve fuel or you won't make the finish. One and half laps to go.
6.27pm: Whincup now leads by three seconds, but his pit crew is begging him to conserve fuel. Three laps to go, the tension grows ...
6.25pm: Mostert's pushing, pushing, pushing. The gap to Winsup is 2.5 seconds. Is fuel still a factor? Can Whincup make it to the end?
6.22pm: Five laps to go and Whincup leads by over a second. History in the making? He could be the only Bathurst 1000 winner to start from the back row of the grid. He's just knocked out a personal best lap.
6.21pm: Lowndes has been handed a black flag - a drive through penalty. He's out of contention! It seems a race in two: Whincup v Mostert.
6.20pm: Lowndes clips Winterbottom at the bottom of Mountain Straight! Whincup and Mostert the new one-two. Stewards will have to look long and hard at that incident. Winterbottom back to ninth position and no doubt fuming.
6.17pm: Whincup takes the lead! Seven laps to go and all to play for.
6.15pm: Safety car peals off the track. Eight laps to go. WInterbottom, Whincup, Lowndes and Mostert (racing in that order) seem to be the main contenders.
6.10pm: On track Winterbottom leads Whincup, Lowndes and Mostert fuelled up and stalking them behind the safety car. Word coming out that Whincup may let teammate Lowndes past to attack Winterbottom if he believes his car will run out of fuel. Ten laps left for glory.
6.07pm: Van Gisbergen retires, a stalled car failing to restart in the pits. A sad end to a great drive.
6.05pm: Van Gisbergen pits ... and stalls! His car won't leave the pits! Lowdnes and Mostern come and go by him in pit lane and begin to chase Winterbottom and Whincup, whose fuel supplies are dubious.
6.03pm: Tim Blanchard crashes on his way up the mountain! Safety car is out once again. Will Van Gisbergen, Lowndes and Winterbottom pit? Do they have enough fuel to make it now that the safety car will keep them at minimum speed?
6pm: Shane Van Gisbergen takes the lap record from Craig Lowndes. Both men pushing hard to open up the gap needed for a later pit stop: pundits say at least 35 seconds needed in the pits to take on enough fuel to get them across the line.
5.55pm: Mark Winterbottom's fuel-saving strategy could pay off. All his rivals appear to be hoping their petrol tanks are full enough, but Frosty knows his already is. 14 laps remaining ...
5.45pm: It's unanimous: fuel management will be the key factor in deciding this race. Most cars operating in a petrol-conserving mode. Van Gisbergen still in the lead, 20 laps left.
5.40pm: There's been nine safety car interventions today. Incredible. Van Gisbergen still in front, Lowndes chasing hard.
5.38pm: Perkins in trouble for a pit lane infringement.
5.35pm: The safety car leaves the track. Only WInterbottom and Davison took the opportunity to top up on fuel. Will it pay dividends in the run home. 137 laps down, 24 to go ...
5.20pm: Massive crash at Griffen's Bend! Russell Ingall and Lee Holdsworth come together! Both drivers walk away safe and sound. Safety car out, the leaders pile into the pits for their last stop. The mountain is taking a massive toll today. 28 laps to go ...
5.15pm: Here's the prize. Can Shane Van Gisgergen hold on to the lead? 30 laps to go ...
5.05pm: The whips are cracking with 33 laps to go. All eyes on the approaching pit stops before the race to the chequered flag. Van Gisbergen's past Lowndes and into the lead by almost two seconds.
4.45pm: Scott McLaughlin, who led the race for much of the early going, has crashed into the wall at The Cutting after light contact with Van Gisbergen. His car is limping back to pit lane as the safety car gears up for another stint on track.
4.40pm: More drama! David Reynolds pulls his Bottle-O car to the side of Mountain Straight and his and Dean Canto's race looks over. Canto falls to his knees as he watches the footage from the pit lane. Safety car still on the track.
4.35pm: Safety car returns to track after Dahlgren's accident on lap 116. A flurry of pit stops led by Reynolds and Lowndes, who emerges in the lead. Set for a cracking finish after six hours of action.
4.30pm: Craig Lowndes is absolutely flying around the mountain, running second and seemingly on course to eclipse Peter Brock's podium finishing record.
4.25pm: 50 laps to go - time for the contenders to make their mark. Webb still in the lead.
4.10pm: The safety car swerves off the track and Van Gisbergen and Webb resume the race in the lead. 55 laps to go in a battle of attrition.
4.05pm: Tim Slade's #10 car slams into the wall in the run to the top of the mountain. Cue the safety car and drivers bolting for the pits. Here's hoping those headlights aren't purely ornamental because at this rate they'll be needed later on tonight.
3.55pm: Dean Canto returns from his race-leading stint with claims that the roadwork at turn two is starting to unravel again. What's the chances of another stop to the race later on? Van Gisbergen and Webb take the lead for now.
3.45pm: Some clown's thrown a football on to Conrod Straight. As if safety wasn't enough of a concern.
3.30pm: 92 laps gone and the pecking order is starting to take shape. Steve Owen takes control of the Pepsi Max Ford.
3.10pm: The best guess at the moment is that the race will finish at 6pm EDST. If the second half of the race is the same as the first I'd suggest that's pretty optimistic. Might want to throw a few more snags on that barbie champ ...
3.05pm: Back to the action: approaching the half-way stage and McLaughlin and Premat are still leading, as they have done from the start. Craig Lowndes is 11th and looming. Can the Mountain Master deliver once again?
2.55pm: Let's check out some action off the track. Here's the Western Advocate's gallery of grid girls.
2.50pm: Safety car ... again. This race has had more stops and starts than a scratched DVD. Here's video of Scott Pye's race-ending accident:
2.30pm: And now another one's bitten the dust! Steve Johnson's gone. There's carnage on the mountain! The safety car emerges once again.
Here's what Bathurst mayor Gary Rush has to say about the controversial new road surface:
“Unfortunately, it’s one of those things you can’t plan for,” he said.
“I have a lot of confidence in the engineering department to get the problem corrected.”
The patch of tarmac at turn two is breaking up heavily, causing a number of accidents at the high-speed corner.
2.25pm: Jamie Whincup and Todd Kelly come together on lap 64! Whincup's car limps to the pits, Kelly's leaves after brief repair work.
2.15pm: Not long now ... off and racing again!
2.05pm: The 2014 Bathurst 1000 has attracted the second biggest crowd in the history of Australia's famous race.
A crowd of 195,261 has visited Mount Panorama across the four days of the event, the biggest only behind the 50 Year Anniversary celebrations of 2012.
It superseded the 193,647 people that attended the 2006 event just one month after the passing of Peter Brock.
Here's the day-to-day breakdown:
Thursday: 44,207; Friday: 45,578; Saturday: 51,198; Sunday: 54,278
1.40pm: Word is we're due for a 2pm restart.
That's an estimation though, so don't hold your breath.
1.30pm: Still waiting for the restart. The drivers seem to have taken all the distraction out of the break by engaging in a never-ending series of interviews. Fingers crossed we're on the road again soon.
1.10pm: Parts of the track surface are breaking up. The track was resurfaced last last year, at the time Bathurst mayor Gary Rush said: “Dedicated specialists are working through this process step-by-step to ensure the work is completed to the exceptionally high standard required for a world class motor racing track.” Read more here.
12.40pm: Wade James (right) is at the Bathurst 1000 with mate Justin Allen (left). They're both from Nowra, and committed Ford supporters. "Better than Holden," was how Wade put it, though for Justin it's a bit of fashion statement. "I look better in blue," he said.
Lots of great stories - meet more people of the Mount here.
12.30pm: Disaster for Brad Jone Racing with Team BOC being hit from behind by sister car ADVAM under safety car.
12.20pm: It's chaos on the track with two cars collecting the wall at different parts of the circuit.
12.10pm: Here's a recap of what's happened so far. It's been an eventful start to the day...
12pm: Co-drivers showing their wares. Prevat has continued McLaughlin's early good work to keep the #33 Volvo in the lead. Winchup's out of the car after his remarkable early stint and reporting some concerns.
11.50am: Car #360 hits the barricades at Griffens Bend after contact from Cam Waters. Stewards to get involved on Taz Douglas' behalf?
11.40am: Cars pile into the pits to take advantage of the safety car. In the final wash McLaughlin maintains the lead, with Winterbottom second and Van Gisbergen third. 29 laps down.
11.30am: Luke Youlden comes off the track at The Chase. Beached in the sand on lap 26. The safety car comes on to the circuit.
11.20am: So, as the leading teams make their first scheduled pit stops, here's a piece from Western Advocate journalist Eliza Edwards ...
The atmosphere is palpable on the hill looking on to Conrod Straight. All eyes are glued to the cars rounding Murray's Corner and there are a few Volvo fans who are pleased with Scott McLaughlin's strong start.
"It's good to see Volvo up there leading the race. I wish it was a Red Bull Car though!" Paul Wise said.
Thomas Abbott, from Sydney said the start of the race was noisy but very exciting. On the leading charge from McLaughlin, Winterbottom and Van Gisbergen: "It's early days," he said. "Whincup is playing an impressive catch-up game and anything could happen."
11.10am: Just a note for our readers in other states and around the world: all times noted here are Eastern Daylight Savings Time.
11am: Jamie Whincup is absolutely charging through the field! He's taken the #1 car into seventh place and obviously shows no signs of slowing, recording back-to-back lap records.
10.55am: Ten laps in. Here's your top ten:
10.50am: The replay of the start doesn't look kind to Whincup, but stewards have given him the all clear as he steers the #1 car into 10th place. McLaughlin leads from Mark Winterbottom.
10.45am: Whincup's great start has caught the eye of the stewards, with the #1 car under investigation for a jumped start.
10.35am: They're away! Looks like a clean start, with car #33 driven by Scott McLaughlin storming to lead into the first corner.
The other big mover is Jamie Whincup, who moves up five places on the first of 161 laps to be running 18th.
10.30am: They're off on the formation lap. You can smell the race start in the air - the breeze is carrying petrol fumes around the track. Early trouble for Todd Kelly, but it seems to be sorted now.
10.25am: The pit crews are leaving the track: five minutes until race time and the excitement around the circuit is building by the second!
10.20AM: Even sitting in the media centre you can hear the crowd cheering now. There are thousands of people lining track to watch the start of the 2014 Great Race.
10.15AM: All eyes to the sky! A Virgin commercial jet is flying low over Mount Panorama.
10.12AM: Action has come to a standstill on the track for a moment as everyone stops for the national anthem. After this the V8 Supercars will take position on the grid.
10.10AM: We are inching closer to the start of this year's Bathurst 1000. The race starts at 10.30am.
Before the engines are started take a moment to have a look at the driver pairings for this year's Great Race here or follow the link below to see the top 10 cars on the grid.
10AM: The Bathurst 1000 trophy has been delivered to Mount Panorama. It was flown to Murray's Corner by a Seahawk Helicopter. Mark Winterbottom then delivered it to the finish line.
9.50AM: The final race of the Carrera Cup came down to a one lap sprint after a long safety car period but I don't think anyone could have predicted what would follow.
Nick Foster went for an ambitious move on turn two but ended up wiping out first through to fourth place.
It allowed Shae Davies to come through from fifth for a surprise win.
9.40AM: "Just another good year up on the mountain,” said Jim (left), with his friend Terry Cook.
Western Advocate photographer Sophie Brennan shot this photo yesterday at the top of the Mount. You can meet more people of the Bathurst 1000 here.
9.20AM: While all eyes will be on the track today, there have been plenty of off track events during race week. The annual Great Race Festival Street Fair was held on Saturday.
Our photographer Chris Seabrook went along to capture a little of the fun. You can see his photos here.
9AM
The V8 Utes third and final race has come to a close and there's some great news for Bathurst's Terry Nightingale who has finished in 14th place after starting from 18 on the grid.
It's a great result for the driver taking his first ever crack at the category.
8.50AM
The NSW Premier Mike Baird will be trackside at Sunday’s Bathurst 1000.
The state’s top politician is coming to town after accepting an invitation from mayor Gary Rush to see firsthand what the V8 Supercar action at Mount Panorama is all about.
Mr Baird will be a guest in Bathurst Regional Council’s suite on the first floor of the pit lane complex. Read more here.
8.40AM
THEY are a must for all teams and there is little doubt pit stops will play a key role in the outcome of Sunday's Bathurst 1000.
A smooth, efficient stop can give a team a significant advantage. On the other hand, a single mistake can lead to loss of time, position or even penalties.
Here is a run down of what each person in the Holden Racing Team (HRT) pit crew must do.
8.20AM
The Bathurst 1000 isn't the only race at Mount Panorama today.
Greg Crick in the Charger E55 won the The Touring Car Master race at 7.20am. Kim Jane came in second and Jim Richards was third.
The V8 Ute Series is on the track for a seven-lap race now followed by the Carrera Cup at 8.50am (10 laps).
8.15AM
Only quarter past eight but it's absolutely packed as people jostle for prime position, writes Western Advocate journalist James Wells.
A heavily modified ute grunts on the racetrack, sprouting flames from its exhaust and deafening spectators.
Though the atmosphere is heavy with excitement and anticipation.
"Everyone's here for the same reason, that's the great thing," race fan Derreck Payne said.
8.10AM
Throughout the day we will be talking to the people of the Bathurst 1000, the race fans and volunteers. Some come for the first time, but many come with years of special memories.
You can meet a few of the people we have already had a chat to here.
8AM
Western Advocate journalist Eliza Edwards is down at the Mount Panorama gates:
A Ford force just surged through the gates with blue flags waving. Hundreds of people are flooding in and there is an electric feeling in the air.
Holden fan, Jason Tuckett, also just walked through the gates.
"I've watched the race on TV for years, but it can't compare to being here."
What is he feeling ahead of today's Great Race?
"Very, very excited."
He's not the only one. Happy Bathurst day!
7.50AM
Listen to that! The V8 Supercars are out on the track for the warm up session. It runs for the next 20 minutes.
7.45AM
And so a new chapter at Mount Panorama begins ... the V8 Supercars posted this video on their Facebook page this morning. It's worth watching. Long live the Great Race.
7.30AM
If you missed the V8 Supercars Top Ten Shootout yesterday, Holden driver Shane van Gisbergen took pole position. You can read what he said in the press conference afterwards here.
You can see the complete results of the Top Ten Shootout here and photos here.
7.15AM
Here is a run down on what is happening at Mount Panorama ahead of the Bathurst 1000:
9.25am: Drivers Parade begins.
9.38am: Seahawk Helicopter delivers the Bathurst 1000 trophy to Murray's Corner.
9.42: Mark Winterbottom delivers the trophy to the finish line.
9.55am: F18 Hornet Flyover.
10.12am: The National Anthem will be sung.
10.15am: Jet flyover.
10.30am: Bathurst 1000 race start.
7AM
Good morning and welcome to our race day coverage from Mount Panorama!
It's a beautiful morning here at the Mount and it's expected to reach 26 degrees today.
However, the Bureau of Meteorology says there is a slight (30%) chance of a shower this afternoon.
You can keep an eye on the radar here:
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