On Saturday evening as Jules Gounon, driving the SunEnergy1 Mercedes, claimed the chequered flag, it brought to an an end an epic three days at Mount Panorama.

Records tumbled every day.

In holding off Australian Porsche ace Matt Campbell to win by 0.9267s, Gounon become the first driver to win three editions of the Bathurst 12 Hour.

He did it after a record race distance, covering 2,006 kilometres as he completed 323 laps at the Mount.

"When you drive flat out with Maro [Engel] hunting you down, or Matty Campbell, it's a difficult feeling," he said.

"I have not so much hair, but every race here, I lose much more.

"I was not confident at all [holding off Campbell], he was closing really quick. With a GT3 [car], closing is one thing, but being behind with aero wash is something else.

"It's just amazing."

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Gounon's amazing victory also included a tussle with Maro Engel, the man who clocked the fastest ever qualifying lap in Bathurst 12 Hour history on Saturday afternoon.

Engel pushed the GruppeM Mercedes to its limits in the dying seconds of the top 10 shootout to claim pole position with a record 2:00.8819.

"For sure it is special, it's nine years since my first Allan Simonsen pole," he said after his record-breaker.

The on track action also included seeing former seven-time MotoGP champion-turned BMW driver Valentino Rossi and a pair demonstration sessions from Liam Lawson in the Red Bull Formula 1 car.

On top of that, Red Bull Air Race world champion Matt Hall took to the skies over Mount Panorama in his MXS-R display aircraft.

It made for a record crowd of 53,446 fans over three days.

Such was the response from fans, the record also eclipsed the previous mark of 49,495 set when the event ran over four days in 2019.

Event director Shane Rudiz was a happy man.

"From the track to the skies, we made some key additions to the entertainment package in 2023, which we want to build on next year and in the future," he said.

"Fans saw a reinvigorated Harris Park precinct and we would like to thank the manufacturers for engaging with fans in ways like never before.

"The main attraction was of course the racing of 26 of the world's best endurance GT entries representing seven of the world's biggest manufacturers.

"To be here and see that lap record get shattered during qualifying on Saturday was a special moment. The racing on Sunday was world-class and the pictures of sunrise as a backdrop to the Mount Panorama circuit are part of the unique moments that make this circuit one of the most iconic in the world."

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