REPCO has celebrated its Mount Panorama heritage as the countdown continues to next week’s first Bathurst 1000 sponsored by the automotive parts brand.
Supercars struck a five-year deal with Repco to take naming rights of the Great Race ahead of 2021 in addition to its title sponsorship of the Supercars Championship.
Bathurst has taken on Repco’s name and colours after a 16-year association with rival parts company Supercheap Auto.
The Repco Bathurst 1000 is the 14th different name the event has run under, stretching back to the 1963 Armstrong 500.
MORE: The history of ‘Great Race’ naming rights sponsors
A replica of the Ford Cortina that won the 1963 race in the hands of Bob Jane and Harry Firth featured at Repco’s launch of the event at the circuit this morning.
The Holden Torana that Jack Brabham and Stirling Moss drove in 1976 was also wheeled out from the nearby National Motor Racing Museum.
They were joined by two Repco-sponsored Supercars; the 2000 Bathurst-winning Garry Rogers Motorsport Commodore and Dick Johnson Racing’s #11 Ford Mustang.
Repco also took the opportunity to announce the LifeChanger Foundation, which identifies and develops youth mentors from within the local community, as the event’s charity partner.
“It is an incredible privilege to be the naming rights partner of this iconic race,” said Repco executive general manager Wayne Bryant.
“For at least the next five years, Bathurst will be a big part of our lives.
“We didn’t want to just turn up for one weekend a year, we want to have a long lasting, meaningful impact in this community.
“We have a great relationship with LifeChanger Foundation and have seen first-hand the impact their youth mentoring programs have.
“It is fantastic that the Bathurst Regional Council and Supercars have embraced them, and we intend to continue to invest in the Bathurst community.”
The #11 Shell Mustang’s drivers Anton de Pasquale and Tony D’Alberto also attended the launch as they take aim at victory in the December 5 race.
De Pasquale is the form driver in the championship having scored five race wins and seven pole positions across the four recent events at Sydney Motorsport Park.
“We’re looking to end the season on a high as well as carry the momentum from the last few rounds,” he said.
“It’s awesome to have Repco as the naming rights partner of the Bathurst 1000. They are part of our team and they’ve been a part of this race for a very long time.
“Repco has made history here at the Mountain through supporting some of the biggest names in the sport, so it’s just cool being here and to form part of its legacy.”
