The 2006 Super Cheap Auto Bathurst 1000 was the tenth running of the Australia 1000 race, first held after the organisational split over the Bathurst 1000 that occurred in 1997. It was the 44th anniversary of the original touring car endurance race held at the Mount Panorama Circuit in 1963. It was the 50th race that traces its lineage back to the 1960 Armstrong 500 held at Phillip Island.
Perhaps fittingly the race was won by Brock's protege, Craig Lowndes and his Team Betta Electrical co-driver Jamie Whincup. It was Whincup's first win following on from his second place in the 2005 Supercheap Auto 1000. Whincup became the 51st drive to win in the combined history of the race. It was Lowndes second win, coming on the tenth anniversary of his 1996 AMP Bathurst 1000 win. It was also the first win for Triple Eight Race Engineering who first appeared in the Great Race in 1997.
Support race tragedy
During Race 1 of the Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series There was a multiple-car crash involving Mark Porter, who was seriously injured and would die Monday after the race. Porter qualified the #12 Falcon for Brad Jones Racing. His name was left on the window of the BJR Falcon as a mark of respect.
*Mark Porter practiced in the #12 Falcon, but was injured in a serious crash in a support race on the day before the race. Michael Caruso was drafted into the team so the car could race. Porter would die Monday from the injuries in the crash.
Statistics
Provisional Position - #2 Mark Skaife - 2:06.9764
Pole Position - #2 Mark Skaife - 2:07.4221
Fastest Lap - #888 Craig Lowndes - 2:08.6571 (new lap record)
