Bathurst 1000 — Season 1, Episode 9: Bathurst 1000 - 1981: The Big Pile-Up

Episode synopsis

Redemption arrives in explosive fashion as Dick Johnson and John French bring Ford back to the absolute peak of the mountain. Armed with a newly built Falcon funded by the Australian public, Johnson faces down a grid of powerful V8 Commodores and a menacing turbo Camaro attack. The classic endurance race is cut short by a violent, multi-car pile-up at McPhillamy Park that completely blocks the track. The red flag triggers a massive scoring countdown, crowning a fairy-tale champion amidst the wreckage.

About Bathurst 1000

The Bathurst 1000 is a 1,000.29 kilometres (621.6 mi) touring car race held annually on the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It is run as part of the Supercars Championship, the most recent incarnation of the Australian Touring Car Championship. In 1987 it was a round of the World Touring Car Championship. The race originated with the 1960 Armstrong 500 with a 500 mile race distance at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit; it was relocated to Bathurst in 1963 also with the 500 mile distance and has continued there every year since, extending to a 1,000 kilometer race in 1973. The race was traditionally run on the New South Wales Labour-Day long weekend in early October. Since 2001, the race has been run on the weekend following the long weekend, generally the second weekend of October.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1Bathurst 1000 - 1973: The Falcon's Last Flight
• E2Bathurst 1000 - 1974: The Mud & The Mountain
• E3Bathurst 1000 - 1975: The Privateer's Rebellion
• E4Bathurst 1000 - 1976: The Great Lap-Count Scandal
• E5Bathurst 1000 - 1977: The Great Formation Finish
• E6Bathurst 1000 - 1978: The Birth of Hardie's Heroes
• E7Bathurst 1000 - 1979: Six Laps and a Record
• E8Bathurst 1000 - 1980: The Boulder and the Breakthrough
• E10Bathurst 1000 - 1982: Breaking the Ton
• E11Bathurst 1000 - 1983: Green Tuf and the Shared Car
• E12Bathurst 1000 - 1984: Last of the Big Bangers
• E13Bathurst 1000 - 1985: The European Invasion