Bathurst 1000 Live: Zach Bates and Aaron Seton Claim Pole Position

The Bathurst 1000 is set to get underway, with 54 drivers preparing to tackle Mount Panorama in one of the most iconic racing events in Australia.

Zach Bates and teammate Aaron Seton have secured pole position for the number 10 Matt Stone Racing Chevrolet car after a thrilling Top 10 Shootout session.

Live Updates from the Bathurst 1000

We're just 30 minutes away from the start of the Bathurst 1000. The excitement is building, and fans are eagerly anticipating the green light.

One enthusiastic fan, Anni, has shared her pre-race preparations with us: "Hi Michael, we're all set for a great day's racing. The bbq oven is slow cooking a lamb, salads and snacks are prepared and at least 20 family already sitting around the tv set up outside in the shade. Looking forward to some action on track. We have a soft spot for Zach Bates this year, the Holden's v Ford arguments have started already! Have a great call today."

A Tribute to Peter Brock

Today marks 20 years since the legendary Peter Brock passed away. Brock, known as the King of Mount Panorama, won the Bathurst 1000 a record nine times.

Defending Champion Matt Payne Ready to Take on the Mountain

Last year's winner, Matt Payne, is back to defend his title, this time with co-driver Will Davidson. Payne joined the television broadcast and spoke about his experience as the reigning champion:

"The support from the fans has been insane. Obviously, it's been busy from my side, a lot of commitments, but I've enjoyed every one. I've really been enjoying driving around it this year. I've been looking forward to this weekend for the whole year, and it's finally here."

Starting Grid and Race Details

The starting grid for the Bathurst 1000 is as follows:

• 10: Zac Bates/Aaron Seton — Matt Stone Racing, Chevrolet
• 17: Brodie Kostecki/Todd Hazelwood — Dick Johnson Racing, Ford
• 18: Anton De Pasquale/Lee Holdsworth — Team 18, Chevrolet
• 99: Cooper Murray/Lochie Dalton — Erebus Motorsport, Chevrolet
• 4: Jack Le Brocq/Harri Jones — Matt Stone Racing, Chevrolet
• 888: Will Brown/Scott Pye — Triple Eight Race Engineering, Ford
• 31: Jayden Ojeda/David Russell — PremiAir Racing, Chevrolet
• 48: David Reynolds/James Courtney — Team 18, Chevrolet
• 7: James Golding/Richie Stanaway — Blanchard Racing Team, Ford
• 19: Matthew Payne/Will Davidson — Grove Racing, Ford

The race is set to begin at:

• 11:30am AEDT: NSW, Victoria, ACT, Tasmania
• 11am ACDT: South Australia
• 10:30am AEST: Queensland
• 10am ACST: Northern Territory
• 8:30am AWST: Western Australia
• 1:30pm NZDT: New Zealand