2008 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000

The 2008 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 was the twelfth running of the Australian 1000 race, first held after the organisational split over the Bathurst 1000 that occurred in 1997. It was the 51st race tracing its lineage back to the 1960 Armstrong 500 held at Phillip Island.

The race, which was the tenth round of the 2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series, held from 9–12 October at the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales.

Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup driving a Ford BF Falcon for Triple Eight Race Engineering, won the race for the third year in succession, the first 'three-peat' of Bathurst 1000 wins since 1984.

Twenty-nine cars were entered into the event – 16 Holden Commodores and 13 Ford Falcons. At the time it was the lowest field size since the race moved to Bathurst in 1963. Seven drivers made their debut in 2008 – Chris Pither, Dale Wood, Boris Said, Fabrizio Giovanardi, Marc Hynes, Michael Patrizi and Karl Reindler. The three non-Antipodean drivers (Said, Giovanardi and Hynes) would be making their only appearances in the race. Kayne Scott, Adam Macrow and Steven Ellery made their last starts in 2008, whilst Paul Radisich and Paul Weel were entered for the final time but did not make the start of the race.

The following driver changes were made following the 2008 L&H 500:

Alex Davison joined the Glenfords Racing team alongside regular driver Fabian Coulthard, replacing John McIntyre who substituted for Davison at the L&H 500.

Karl Reindler replaced Grant Denyer at Ford Rising Stars Racing. Denyer suffered a spinal injury while competing in the NSW Monster Truck Championships at the Dapto Groundz Precinct and was sidelined for the rest of the season.

Free practice began on Thursday 9 October when three sessions were held. The first session, (in which the top 15 placegetters from the 2007 V8Supercar Championship Series are not allowed to take part), was topped by Warren Luff in the second Jim Beam Racing Falcon with a 2:10.7158 ahead of Tony D'Alberto in the Rod Nash Racing Commodore and Alex Davison in the Glenfords Racing Falcon.