Sights will be set on the world-renowned Mount Panorama this week for the 2019 Bathurst 1000.
Mullets, stubbies and infinite VB tinnies are all on the menu, but so too is Australia’s most famous Motorsport race. Drivers from all around the world have Mount Panorama on the bucket list and with vital Championship points on the line, every Supercars driver could not be more eager to win.
Can Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup do it again? Will Scott McLaughlin extend his Championship lead, or will someone fly home from the tail of the field at a price?
I’ve previewed the market leaders, Championship contenders and best roughies, and you can find my 2019 Bathurst 1000 tips below.
2019 Bathurst 1000 Winner Betting
Scott McLaughlin & Alex Premat ($4)
There is no denying that Scott McLaughlin is an absolute weapon behind the wheel and despite the fact he is yet to record a win at the Bathurst 1000, it’s less than surprising to see a car containing him at the top of 2019 Bathurst 1000 betting.
McLaughlin is the reigning Supercars champion and has strode out to an almost unbreakable lead in the 2019 championship race. That therefore places himself (& Premat) in a unique position where they can focus all their efforts on winning the marathon race, rather than just keeping the car together and trying to get as many points as possible.
There arguably has not been more hype around a car sporting the DJR(TP) name since Dick Johnson ploughed into the rock dickity years ago, and the pair would not look out of place at the top of the podium.
Jamie Whincup & Craig Lowndes ($4)
Experience typically counts for everything at Mount Panorama and there simply isn’t more experience in this year’s field than the combined weight of Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes.
Whincup enters this race fifth in the Drivers Championship, having produced a typically consistent season that has returned 2140 points. While an eighth individual honour is all but out of reach in 2019, a win on the mountain would carry the thirty-six-year-old a long way towards second position. There is clearly therefore still plenty on the line.
Uncountable Drivers Championships between them and a combined eleven wins at the Bathurst 1000 (three as a team) make them an absolute force once again on Sunday.
Shane Van Gisbergen & Garth Tander ($5)
I like to think of Shane Van Gisbergen and Garth Tander as ‘Whincup & Lowndes Lite’ in 2019.
Not because they both rock a Red Bull ZB and not because they’ve both obviously world-class drivers. It’s solely because of their experience over a long period of time at Mount Panorama. Well, Tander’s experience.
On top of that, Van Gisbergen is currently sitting second in the championship and has been one of the categories better performers for the best part of a decade.
I simply cannot understate the knowledge required on top of the skill to conquer the mountain and it’s every chance of playing a key role for this team.
TIP: Back Whincup & Lowndes to Win ($4)
Best Roughie
Alex & Will Davison ($13)
I am more than aware that there are cars in this field paying $500/1 and $13 probably doesn’t seem ‘rough’ in comparison, but it would take more than a divine act to see any of them close to the top of the podium.
Alex & Will Davison, however, loom as a live chance at a healthy quote. Will has been as consistent as ever in 2019, while Alex remains one of the category’s most reliable guns for hire. The pair live and breathe motorsport, and I’m always keen to get around a team that will put in extra effort for the sake of their co-driver.
Other Bathurst 1000 Betting Options
Neds has opened a wide variety of specialty markets on the 2019 Bathurst 1000, covering everything from Practice, to the Top Ten Shootout and combined specials.
McLaughlin and Premat are warm favourites to win the Top Ten Shootout ($2.75), while there’s value around Whincup & Lowndes ($6), Chaz Mostert & James Moffat ($6) respectively.
Whincup & Lowndes/Van Gisbergen & Tander to both finish in the top 3 is worth consideration at $4, while the market for Practice 1 cuts a similar shape to the overall winner.
TIP: Back Whincup & Lowndes/Van Gisbergen & Tander to finish in the Top 3 ($4)