TWO-TIME Bathurst 1000 winner Rick Kelly is making a return to Bathurst during Great Race week, though not behind the wheel roaring around Mount Panorama.
The now-retired 2006 V8 Supercars Champion will appear as part of Autobarn’s Legends Night at Reckless Brewing on Thursday October 8.
Kelly will join another two-time Bathurst 1000 winner in John Bowe, two-time Bathurst 1000 pole-sitter Glenn Seton, Tickford Racing co-owner and former driver Rod Nash and motoring writer John Smailes for the evening.
The event is presented by long-time V8 Sleuth partner Castrol.
The group will take part in a live Q&A at the free event, which kicks off at 6pm and features prizes and giveaways, as well as kids activities.
No tickets are required for the event with Autobarn Accelerate Rewards Members receiving 10% off on the night by showing their membership card at the bar.
Kelly has largely stayed away from Supercars since he made the decision to retire from racing at the end of the 2020 season.
Ranked seventh on the list of all-time ATCC/Supercars Championship race starts with 580 in a two-decade-long career, Kelly has kept himself busy via the development of Trentham Waters Resort on the outskirts of Mildura.
He said in January 2026 that he didn’t miss Supercars at all and “wanted to move into another industry that was a little bit less cutthroat.”
Kelly won the 2003 Bob Jane T-Marts Bathurst 1000 alongside Greg Murphy in a Kmart Commodore and backed it up alongside the Kiwi the following year.
Kelly remains the youngest-ever winner of the Bathurst 1000; he was just 20 years and 268 days when he won the race in 2003.