A small, but dedicated crowd of fans were treated to an enthralling, adrenaline-fuelled 161 laps at Mount Panorama on Sunday, with Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander securing the 2020 Bathurst 1000 for the Red Bull Holden Racing Team.
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In front of a near-4000 strong crowd, van Gisbergen overcame tight opposition from Ford's Cameron Waters [Tickford Racing] to secure his maiden Bathurst title, and a fourth for Tander.
Bathurst 1000 event manager Rachael White said she's thankful for all race fans, both in attendance and absent, and the greater Bathurst community for their utmost understanding in what has been a difficult year for events nationwide.
"The fans that did make the journey out to the mountain have been treated to four days of memorable action on track and we thank all of them for their understanding and cooperation with our COVID restrictions this year," Ms White said.
"While this weekend's event wasn't the same without the campers who bring this event to life in so many ways, we were incredibly proud to have worked long and hard to get as many of fans to the event as possible.
"It was still the Great Race and we thank the NSW Government and Bathurst Regional Council for all their help to bring the event to life once again."
"We would like to thank the fans for their ongoing support of Supercars over what has been a very difficult year for everyone, we look forward to returning to the mountain again in 2021."
Bathurst mayor Bobby Bourke said it was a completely different atmosphere in comparison to previous years, but is thankful the event was able to go ahead.
"We were never going to experience the Bathurst 1000 the same way as in the past, but I had a chance to get around town over the weekend and a lot of people were populating the cafes and pubs," Cr Bourke said.
"At the end of the day, the television coverage was still the same as usual, and that coverage plays a vital role in promoting Bathurst to the rest of the world."
"The crowd behaved themselves for the most part, with few incidents causing significant concern, and considering we had no idea what to expect as close as three weeks out from the event, Supercars stuck to a consistent COVID-safe plan and it worked well," he said.
Cr Bourke hopes to see the Bathurst 1000 return to normal in 2021 so the region can welcome back the numerous fans who consider the event a yearly ritual.
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