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Bathurst 1000: The Kiwi legends who conquered Mount Panorama
Duncan Perkinson • October 8th, 2025 2:56 pm
Greg Murphy (R) and co driver Rick Kelly winning Bathurst in 2004 | Photo: Mark Horsburgh/Sport The Library
Who are the Kiwi greats that have raced at Bathurst, conquered the mountain and had their names etched in Australia/New Zealand motorsport history?
Greg Murphy
A 4-time winner of the Bathurst 1000, Murphy personifies everything that is great about the Bathurst 1000.
He has had accidents, he’s won the Great Race four times, had arguments with other drivers on track, he received an unprecedented five-minute pit lane penalty, was cheered by every other racer in 2003 for 'The Lap of the Gods', and is now the mentor to young New Zealand drivers.
While Murphy had won in 1996 as a co-driver with Craig Lowndes, it was the 1999 race that stands out for New Zealand motorsport fans.
Murphy was the lead driver alongside fellow Kiwi Steven Richards.
In 1999, Bathurst was the final race of the season and up until that point Murphy had not had a strong season, with just two podium finishes and he was well out of contention for the championship.
In qualifying, the New Zealand pair missed out on the Top 10 Shootout, and they would start their Holden Commodore VT from 12th position.
Together Murphy and Richards drove smartly through the day and with accidents to competing cars, they progressed up through the field. When fellow New Zealander Paul Radisich blew a tire when leading with just twenty laps to go, the Kiwi pair took over.
Against the odds, with a mix of luck and talent, they led the field home flying the New Zealand flag proudly.
Four years later in 2003, while driving the K-Mart Holden, Murphy drove what was then the fastest ever qualifying lap around Bathurst in a Supercar. It became known as The Lap of the Gods and his time of 2.06.859 stood as a record until fellow New Zealander Fabian Coulthard beat it in 2017.
After winning in 2003 and then again in 2004, Greg Murphy was involved in one of the more famous incidents up the mountain in 2005 when he and Marcus Ambrose went toe-to-toe. There is still debate as to who caused the crash, but the controversy raged afterwards as both men got out of their cars and argued as to who was at fault.
Scott McLaughlin
One of New Zealand’s most talented drivers, Scott McLaughlin won the Bathurst 1000 in 2019. The reigning Australian Supercars champion was favourite to win the Great Race holding a large lead in the championship leading into the race.
McLaughlin was the first ever driver to break the 2:04 mark around the Bathurst circuit.
Driving with France’s Alex Premat, McLaughlin was on pole position, beating Chaz Mostert by almost half a second. While there was controversy and a post-race investigation into McLaughlin’s team, he was undoubtedly the best driver on the day and deserved to win. Compatriot Shane van Gisbergen finished second.
Shane van Gisbergen
Now plying his trade very successfully in America’s NASCAR series, van Gisbergen was a star of Australian Supercars for over a decade.
Van Gisbergen’s first win at Bathurst in 2020 was during the COVID years in front of a smaller than normal crowd. The win however meant everything to SVG - in 2014 he had finished the race in tears in the arms of his father after his engine failed in the pits, when he was leading the race with less than a dozen laps to go.
Van Gisbergen couldn’t celebrate with his father that first win in 2020, so made up for it two years later, when he won, again co-driving with Garth Tander.
In 2023, SVG won the Great Race for the third time in four years. This win was extra-special as he and co-driver Richie Stanaway became only the second all-New Zealand pair to win the great race.
This was van Gisbergen’s last race at Bathurst as he went to chase (and has subsequently found) American glory in the NASCAR series, looking to chase down Jeff Gordon's record for road course wins.
Izzy Dagg's kicking tips for SVG | Scotty & Izzy
The Richards Family (Jim and Steven)
Jim Richards won Bathurst seven times - the first three victories were with The King of the Mountain, Peter Brock, between 1978 and 1980. This included a victory by six laps which still stands as a record margin today.
Richards won the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1985, 1987, 1990.
Driving a Nissan, he recorded back-to-back Bathurst victories in 1991 and 1992 driving with Mark Skaife. His still infamous speech describing the Australian fans in a less than complimentarily manner was made shortly after he learnt of the death of his close friend Denny Hulme.
In 1996 and 1997, Jim and Steven Richards drove together.
In 1998 Jim Richards won again with Rickard Rydell in the Volvo and in 2002 won his seventh race with Mark Skaife.
The podium in 2002 that day was a proud day for the Richards family as Jim was joined by son Steven.
Steven Richards won again in 2013, 2015 and most recently in 2018 - combined the Richards family record is unmatched.
Tragedies on the Mountain
Mark Porter:
In the development series race in 2006 - now known as Dunlop Super 2 Series - New Zealander Mark Porter was killed in an accident coming down the mountain.
Porter was having one of his most successful seasons and was third in the championship leading into the weekend’s races.
Porter had raced four times in the Bathurst 1000 and was due to be teaming up with Dale Brede in the main race.
He had previously been a member of Team Kiwi Racing and had raced with Craig Baird in 2003 and 2004, and the year prior had finished in 11th place with compatriot Kayne Scott.
Denny Hulme:
In 1992, Motueka’s Denny Hulme was competing in the Bathurst 1000 for the tenth time.
While driving down Conrod Straight in his BMW, Hulme suffered a heart attack at the wheel. Driving at over 230 km/h, the car veered into the wall but Hulme still controlled the car as safely as possible on the side of the track.
Marshalls were quickly on the scene, but Hulme was pronounced dead at Bathurst Hospital later that evening.
Denny Hulme (R) with fellow Kiwi motorsport icon Bruce McLaren | Photo: Photosport
Kiwi winners of the Bathurst 1000
Jim Richards: 7 victories - 1978, 1979, 1980, 1991, 1992, 1998 & 2002.
Steven Richards: 5 - 1998, 1999, 2013, 2015 & 2018.
Greg Murphy: 4 - 1996, 1999 2003 & 2004.
Shane van Gisbergen: 3 - 2020, 2022, 2023.
Richie Stanaway: 1 - 2023.
Scott McLaughlin: 1 - 2019.
