NO one knows quite like Craig Lowndes the feeling of hearing the crowd at the top of the Mount cheering you on as you pass for the final time, about the claim victory in the Bathurst 1000.
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The retired full-time Supercars driver has won the Great Race seven times and will return to Mount Panorama next month to try to secure an eighth title as the co-driver for Jamie Whincup.
With so much experience under his belt, he knows better than most how different the atmosphere will be this year as the race is held under COVID-safe protocols.
Speaking on Supercars Trackside on Sunday, Lowndes said the reduced crowd and the lack of activities in the city will make it feel very different.
"When you go across the top of the mountain for the start of the race and then the conclusion of the race, you hear the crowd because they're raised above you," he said.
"It is all that atmosphere that I really thrive on, I love; driving through town doing the parade through town, all that, the atmosphere is really what I get my energy from. To have that different this year is going to be different in the sense of how we approach it."
However, he knows he will be coming to Bathurst with a job to do and that is to make the least amount of mistakes possible and hand the #88 Holden back to Whincup in a good position.
The Supercars championship was effectively wrapped up at Tailem Bend on Sunday, with Scott McLaughlin securing enough of a points gap that he can't be beaten regardless of the result at Bathurst.
Whincup still needs to secure second place in the championship, and while Lowndes will make it a priority to help him with that, his goal is always to win Bathurst.
And it won't be easy.
For the teams, they will need to do multiple pit stops throughout the race, changing all four tyres and refuelling. While that is par for the course in normal years, COVID-19 has seen revised formats at every race this year since June, which eliminated these tasks.
The driver pairings are also among the best the race has seen, with partnerships between the likes of Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander, Cameron Waters and Will Davison, and Chaz Mostert and Warren Luff expected to be formidable.
The fact that co-drivers have also had little to no time in the cars this year will add an extra layer of complexity to an already challenging race.
"It's going to be on from the green light going out to the chequered flag being waved at the end," Lowndes assured.
Supercars teams will arrive in Bathurst for the event's start on Thursday, October 15.
Practice sessions will be held in the lead up to qualifying on the Saturday, and then they will get one more session on the track on Sunday ahead of the big race.
The Bathurst 1000 will serve as the final race of the 2020 championship season and Supercars' only endurance race of the year.
The crowd will be limited to just 4000 people per day and they will be restricted to seating along Pit Straight, Murray's Corner and Hell Corner.
Camping will not be allowed.
Off-track events that have become staples of race week, including the parade, the driver signing session in Russell Street and the Saturday Street Fair, have been cancelled to ensure safety during the pandemic.
