POLL: Best Bathurst in the Peter Brock Trophy era

Lowndes has taken five of the last 10 Bathurst wins

Lowndes has taken five of the last 10 Bathurst wins

To mark 10 years since the inception of the Peter Brock Trophy, this week’s Pirtek Poll asks you to choose your favourite Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 from the last decade.

The time period has produced a string of thrilling finishes and emotion-charged results, each adding another chapter to the race’s legend.

Take a look back at the races below before casting your vote on the Pirtek Poll.

Lowndes/Whincup

Lowndes/Whincup

2006

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Winners: Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup
Margin: 0.5868s

In a result fitting of the occasion, Lowndes teamed with Whincup to take victory in the 2006 running of the Great Race one month to the day since the death of his mentor Brock.

The result, which came 10 years after Lowndes’ only other Bathurst win to that point, remains regarded as the fan favourite’s crowning achievement.

2007

Lowndes/Whincup

Lowndes/Whincup

Winners: Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup
Margin: 0.6238s

Arrival of rain in the closing stages of the 2007 event produced one of the most thrilling climaxes in Great Race history.

Leader Mark Winterbottom was one of a number to come unstuck in the tricky conditions before Lowndes defeated a determined Steven Johnson to take another famous victory.

2008

Lowndes/Whincup

Lowndes/Whincup

Winners: Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup
Margin: 2.4978s

While the previous two years provided tense finishes, 2008 was notable for the level of domination displayed by Lowndes, Whincup and Triple Eight.

The duo sealed a three-peat in commanding fashion, becoming just the third combination to secure a hat trick at Bathurst behind the 1978-80 success of Peter BrockJim Richards and ’82-’84 streak of Brock/Larry Perkins.

2009

Tander/Davison took the 2009 win from pole

Tander/Davison took the 2009 win from pole

Winners: Garth Tander/Will Davison
Margin: 0.7599s

The Holden Racing Team struck back in emphatic style in 2009, with its Garth Tander/Will Davison entry leading a quartet of Commodores to the flag.

The first to be run with E85 fuel, the resulting increase in the number of pitstops proved a distinctly different strategic equation for teams, while mid-race rain further spiced up the action.

2010

Triple Eight's famous one-two

Triple Eight’s famous one-two

Winners: Craig Lowndes/Mark Skaife
Margin: 0.1733s

A new regulation preventing primary drivers from pairing up paved the way for a new level of domination from Triple Eight.

Forced into a 79 lap triple-stint to the flag after co-driver Skaife aggravated an old back injury, Lowndes led home team-mate Whincup in a one-two for the now Holden Triple Eight squad.

2011

Tander defeated Lowndes in 2011

Tander defeated Lowndes in 2011

Winners: Garth Tander/Nick Percat
Margin: 0.2917s

After rookie co-driver Percat survived a mid-race collision with the Griffins Bend wall, Tander held off a late charge from Lowndes to take his third Bathurst crown.

Lowndes had blazed from seventh to second over the final 21 laps, falling just 0.29s short of victory in what remains the closest competitive finish of all time.

2012

Whincup took a fourth Bathurst win in 2012

Whincup took a fourth Bathurst win in 2012

Winners: Jamie Whincup/Paul Dumbrell
Margin: 0.3129s

In front of a record crowd drawn to the mountain for the race’s 50th year celebrations, Whincup held off David Reynolds in another thriller decided by mere tenths of seconds.

Running uninterrupted by Safety Cars across the final two stints, Whincup relied on all his experience to save fuel and keep the clearly faster Ford at bay on a day where tyre failures were the talk of the paddock.

2013

Winterbottom celebrates a breakthrough win

Winterbottom celebrates a breakthrough win

Winners: Mark Winterbottom/Steven Richards
Margin: 0.4744s

Ten years after both the formation of Ford Performance Racing and the Bathurst debut of Winterbottom, the team and driver finally broke through for maiden Bathurst victories.

The win came in the sweetest possible circumstances as Winterbottom held off arch rival Jamie Whincup in another tense final lap showdown.

2014

Mostert takes the flag in 2014

Mostert takes the flag in 2014

Winners: Chaz Mostert/Paul Morris
Margin: 4.9360s

Undoubtedly the wildest Bathurst of all-time, 2014’s eight-hour epic culminated in Mostert overtaking an out-of-fuel Whincup for the win on the very last lap.

The result came despite an early crash from co-driver Morris, who came unstuck on a deteriorating Griffins Bend surface that required a red flag stoppage to repair.

2015

Lowndes leads Winterbottom to the flag

Lowndes leads Winterbottom to the flag

Winners: Craig Lowndes/Steven Richards
Margin: 1.3654s

The 2015 edition of the Great Race will be remembered as much for Whincup’s defiance of team orders as for Lowndes’ sixth Bathurst crown.

Electing not to follow Lowndes in under the final yellow and instead complete another lap saw Whincup pass the Safety Car – triggering a drive-through penalty.

Pirtek Poll

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